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MLM Woman Issue 67 August 2002 This free monthly newsletter is made possible by our advertisers and customers. We thank them for their support! From the Desk of the Editor Welcome to the 67th issue of the MLM Woman Newsletter. This month we feature articles with ideas to help you successfully promote your business, inspiration to fuel your passion for your business, and tips on how to look great when the temperature is rising. Also, for those of you who haven't heard yet, I've just completed a new web site with some exciting, new products to help you in your business. Check them out at: http://www.Rnetspot.com Enjoy! Linda Locke, Editor MLM Woman To Warm Market or Not to Warm Market? That is the Question! By Linda Locke, Editor MLM Woman In the good old days of MLM, the prevailing advice for getting a newcomer off to fast start in their brand new, shiny business was this: Get a piece of paper and a pen and write down everyone you know — don’t prejudge, just write down all the names of all the people you know — your family, all your friends, relatives, high school teachers, dentist, doctor, your kid’s teachers, your lawyer etc. Don’t stop until you have at least 200 names. If you asked why you were doing this (as if you hadn’t guessed already!), your new sponsor just asked you to relax and follow the process. Once your list was complete you were told the good news — that you were going to contact everyone on this list (your warm market) and offer them your fantastic opportunity — one by one. What do you think happened next? — the brave ones actually did contact at least 5 people on their warm market list, but after 5 no’s and lots of rejection — they were beginning to wonder what they had got themselves into and if this was really the business for them. Now, I know that many people still like to use this system of prospecting, but I think that it is the WORST possible way to introduce an MLM newcomer to this business. Why? These so-called warm market prospects: family, friends and business associates are actually the hardest sell of all for an MLM newbie. These people already have a pre-conceived idea of who you are and they are often skeptical and negative when approached in this manner. They did not solicit this attention from you and the most common response you will get from a lot of people is the dreaded question: “Is this one of those pyramid things?” I think a kinder and gentler approach is to teach your new recruits how to prospect to people who actually are looking for a business opportunity and let them practice their techniques on these strangers (cold market) before they tackle the really tough warm market. In the past the warm market method was used by most experienced MLMer’s because it was a holdover from other sales professions (insurance, investments, etc.) and was a sales technique that had worked well for them. And it does work, if you are an experienced sales person or if your sponsor is an experienced sales person and is willing to help you do two on ones or three way calls with your prospects. But how many sponsors really are capable of doing this for their new people? The sad truth is that this technique fails for the average person 9 out of 10 times and leaves them with a very unfavorable impression of the MLM industry. Now we have lots of other proven sales techniques that work well and have no personal rejection associated with them — what with the various leads programs, direct mail, audio and video tapes, the Internet and a host of other marketing tools available at a reasonable cost. So do your new recruits a favor and teach them to get warmed up by marketing to the cold market first and go after the ice cold warm market later! Attitude By Chuck Swindoll The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company, a church, a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you. We are all in charge of our attitudes! Turning What You Love into Your Home-Based Business By Julie Frost © 2002 "The most powerful weapon on Earth is the human soul on fire." -- Ferdinand Foch Is your soul on fire when it comes to what you do to earn a living? For most, the answer is no. But if you're looking to start a home-based business, you should start looking at options that get you fired up. Anything else would be a manipulation of your life -- and your life's calling. If you're living a life that is anything less than filled with excitement, fulfillment, and your "soul on fire" then you're living a life that is not true to the most important person in the world -- you. You're living a life that is in the best interest of someone other than you. Many people do this, especially when it comes to their work. They feel as though they MUST do this job or start that business, because it's in the best interest of someone else (their spouse, their kids, their parents, etc.) What they don't realize is that, by making choices in that fashion, they are not only cheating themselves of a more fulfilling life, but they are also cheating those people whose best interest they have in mind. Because, when you're not living your best possible life, you cannot share the best parts of yourself with those you care about. In order to live your destiny, if you will, you must choose a home-based business that sets your soul on fire. It's one that is not only good for you, but it's one that is good for those you care about (particularly because it's so good for you), as well as those it serves. The hard part is, it's not always clear what that "thing" is. That thing that you will turn into your business. It should either come from a passion you have, or stir a passion within you. When you discover it, you'll know. You have so many choices when it comes to starting your own business. You can create your business "from scratch" or you can join a reputable "business opportunity." Each can be equally good, the point is, however your business begins, to last it must create a fire in your belly. When you lay in bed at night, your mind buzzing with ideas . . . When you can't wait to wake up and get started on your day . . . When you find that niche that puts your life and your life in balance, you've found it. About the Author Subscribe to Julie Frost's free email newsletter, YourHomeBizWeekly at: http://www.YourHomeBiz.com For more in-depth information, read "How to Find, Start, Grow, and Succeed in Your Own Home-Based Business™" at http://www.yourhomebiz.com/ebook.html 5 Magnets Guaranteed to Draw New Customers to Your Business By Joe Gracia Before you can sell your products and services, you must first attract prospects and customers to your business. Only then can you begin to educate them about the benefits you have to offer them. While most of your competitors will take the quick and easy road by using ineffective 'One-Step' marketing that just promotes their products and services to disinterested people, you can focus your marketing resources on the Two-Step approach that will catapult you ahead of your competition overnight. Step One: Attract interested prospects to your business. Step Two: Convert a percentage of those prospects into paying customers. Why do you need to take two steps to maximize your sales? Imagine 10,000 people at a huge festival. Now picture a tent with a large sign above the entrance that says . . . 'FREE COOKING DEMONSTRATIONS.' Picture another tent with a sign that says . . . 'FREE WORKSHOP: HOW TO START YOUR OWN BUSINESS!' And another that says . . . 'FREE PRESENTATION: RELIEVING BACK PAIN.' What kind of people do you think will enter the 'Cooking Demonstration' tent? People who are interested in cooking, of course. The very people who also have a higher than average interest in buying cooking accessories. Who would enter the 'How to Start a Business' tent? How about people who have some interest in starting their own business? These are perfect prospects for products and services geared to new entrepreneurs. And who would enter the 'Relieving Back Pain' tent? People who have back pain! Within each of those tents are targeted prospects who are potential customers for products and services related to each of those Free Informational presentations. The vendors putting on each of those 'Prospect Generating Presentations,' are focusing their time and efforts only on people who have a genuine interest in the types of products and services they are offering. One-Steppers would have just wandered around the festival among the 10,000 visitors yelling, 'Pots and Pans for Sale! -- Only $399!' Or, 'Buy Our Business Start-up Book -- Only $24.99!!' Or, 'Sign up for our Back Pain Treatments! Only $35 a Session!' What a waste. No one is going to buy anything from the One-Steppers haphazardly promoting their products and services. No one knows them, likes them, or trusts them. And, more importantly, most of the people hearing their spiel, have absolutely no interest in what they are selling. But within each tent, a certain percentage of prospects are going to buy what each vendor offers them. Why? Because these Two-Steppers know how to use marketing magnets to attract just the kinds of prospective customers they want. And during the presentations, the prospects will have the opportunity to get to know, like and trust the presenters. The offer of free information related to your product or service -- information about the problem your product or service solves -- is a powerful magnet, that most people can't resist. In addition to a free workshop or presentation, here are 5 more magnets that you can use in your business to attract interested prospective customers. 1) FREE TIPS BOOKLET: Create a simple booklet filled with tips related to your product or service. For instance, if you are a beauty consultant, create a Beauty Tips booklet. 2) FREE NEWSLETTER: Create a free newsletter that shares tips and information related to your service -- like the one you are reading right now. We have attracted over 60,000 prospects to sign up for our newsletters for our two Web sites, and each time we send one out, we receive thousands of dollars in sales. You could do the same. 3) FREE REPORT: Create a free report on an important aspect of the problem your product or service solves. 4) FREE INFO-PAK: Compile a report and tips into a free Info-Pak of information that will appeal to prospects for your product or service. 5) FREE INFORMATIONAL WEB SITE: A Web site can be an ideal resource for your prospects and customers. You can provide information about your company, your products and services, or even better, lots of free information related to your product or service that your prospects would find appealing. This is exactly what thousands of business owners are doing. Both of our Web sites -- Give to Get Marketing and Get Organized Now! are jam-packed with tons of helpful information to attract people who want this kind of information. Why do we provide all of this valuable information for free? Because our Web sites are like those tents we told you about earlier. They serve as irresistible magnets that attract thousands of people who are perfect prospects for the products we sell. Does it work? You bet it does! This is a perfect example of the Give to Get philosophy in action. We attract hundreds of thousands of interested prospects to our business each year - of which many thousands become loyal customers. Use the power of marketing magnets and you'll reap tremendous rewards -- both professional and financial. Give a lot to your prospects and your customers, and you will get a lot in return. Copyright (c) 2002, Joe Gracia About the Author FREE MARKETING IDEA-KIT http://www.givetogetmarketing.com Get your Free Marketing Idea-Kit, plus hundreds of free marketing tips, articles and case studies to help you grow your business at the Give to Get Marketing Web site. The E-Factor: Two Ways to Get More Back from Every Promotion By David Garfinkel © 2002 David Garfinkel Allow me to introduce you to the mysterious "E-Factor." It's mysterious because it has two meanings. Both meanings will help you get more business from any promotion you do. So without further ado, here's how you can use the "E-Factor" to make more money: Put "E-Factor" in your testimonials and copy Did you realize the very best source of new business is almost always a prospect who has been referred to you by a friend or trusted business advisor? It is. Think about this in your own life. When you need an accountant, or an attorney, or a doctor, or for that matter a hardware store in a new town, you'll probably turn to someone you know, whose judgment you trust, to refer you to the service or product provider you're looking for. OK. But what does that have to do with direct mail and Web promotions? A lot. People are always on the lookout for sources of advice they can trust. However, since you can't always rely on giving every prospect for your business personal recommendations from the prospect's friends, neighbors and advisors they actually know and trust, you do the next best thing: You give them copy with recommendations from people who seem like the people they know and trust. How? By putting testimonials and case studies in your copy involving people who will fill the role of trusted friends and advisors. Many marketers do this but they don't get the desired effect. Why? Because they haven't put enough productive effort into the research that pays off. This is in-person research - especially one-on-one "casual" research, as opposed to formal focus-group research - with their actual customers, and people who are a lot like their customers. This high-payoff research gives you in-depth working understanding of how your prospects think and act in the world - and how they look at things and make decisions. When you have this understanding and you weave it into the language of your descriptive copy and your testimonial quotes, it's called "empathy." "Empathy" - that's the first meaning of "The E-Factor." Increase empathy in your copy and you'll increase sales. Profit from the second meaning of the "E-Factor" as well There's another, equally important meaning. Before I tell you what it is, let me give you a big, fat hint. In his book The Entertainment Economy: How Mega-Media Forces Are Transforming Our Lives, author Michael J. Wolfe points out that American consumers put 8.4% - about one dollar out of every 12 - into some form of entertainment. Currently, that adds up to $480 billion a year. As a side note, Hollywood productions - films and TV shows - bring in the second largest amount of money from overseas back into the U.S. economy, after aircraft sales. Yes, the other meaning of the "E-Factor" is entertainment. It's huge. And it applies to marketing and selling. As the late (and great) David Ogilvy reminded us, "People will not be bored into buying." But beware. Many a copywriter less talented and, more importantly, less thoughtful than Mr. Ogilvy has made the fatal error including humor, fantasy, drama or thrills in a promotion in such a way as to not specifically move the sales process forward. And that's dangerous. Even deadly, sometimes. Here's why: When you include entertainment, people's attention will invariably be drawn to it over anything else. And when entertainment does not directly support moving the sale forward, then it automatically detracts from the sale. There are dozens of examples. The lying Isuzu salesman Sales went down. "Plop-plop, Fizz-fizz." Sales went down. I'm sure you have your favorites of entertaining ad campaigns that bombed. Now you know why. Entertainment isn't bad. But not painstakingly linking the entertainment to the forward motion of the sale is bad. Very bad. So... how do you add entertainment value in such a way as to increase the sales effectiveness of your promotion? Several ways: Tell a dramatic story where your product is the hero and saves the day for the human involved. My favorite example of this is the newspaper ad for Joe Karbo's legendary book "The Lazy Man's Way to Riches." In the ad, Mr. Karbo talks about his "Lazy Man's Way" which he promises to reveal in the book he's selling. He tells how, before he knew the "Lazy Man's Way," he used to work 18-hour days, 7-day weeks and was still perpetually in debt. But after he learned the "Lazy Man's Way," he became financially independent by working less and in fact became very wealthy. This incredible ad combines drama with sales power in an unbeatable way. And it worked! The ad sold 3 million books by mail order! Use humor that adds emphasis to the value of your product or service. When you get past the laughter, most humor in ads just shows off the cleverness of the creative team who created the ad. (You might say it also shows off their lack of concern for creating sales.) A positive example, where the humor shows how the product is so worthwhile, is the old (and very successful) series of Seinfeld commercials for the American Express Card. Use exciting, colorful language in testimonials when customers are talking about the virtues of your product. But make sure it's believable. And don't make fun of the fact that you're selling something, any more than you would go to target practice and fire the first shot into your own foot. At all times, keep your eye on the target - increased sales! So let's review. How can you use this information to make more sales in every promotion? Take stock of its Empathy and Entertainment Value. Be single-minded. Take out everything that takes away from the sale, and keep in - or boost and strengthen - everything that furthers the sale. Build the strongest possible promotion at every point along the way... and watch your response rate soar! About the Author David Garfinkel & Jim Edwards are co-authors of the NEW "eBook Secrets Exposed": How to Make MASSIVE Amounts of Money - In Record Time - With Your Own eBook! WHY are some people getting positively RICH selling ebooks? Click Here Now ==> http://www.ebooksecretsexposed.com Quick and Easy Ways to Look Cool and Beat the Summer Heat By Janet Behmer It's not easy to look chic and fresh when you're in the middle of a summer meltdown. Some days the mere mention of the word 'humidity' can make your hair frizz, your make-up run and your clothes wrinkle. Since most of us graduated from school when dinosaurs roamed, we don't have the summer off. We have to go to the office, boutique, street corner or wherever we make our living all summer long. And we have to do it looking as put together as we do when we can wear that blue wool blazer that goes with everything. If you need to stock up on items for your summer fashion first-aid kit, read on. LOOSE CLOTHING Forget the "form-fitting" fashions. Retaining water is bad enough in the summer. Do you want to retain heat, too? Looser clothing is a better bet in the hottest months. It's logical. The less fabric that actually touches your body the cooler you'll feel. This doesn't mean that you have to wear a muumuu everywhere you go but the wider the sleeves and legs the better. This season, I rediscovered the knee-length skirt. It's very comfortable in my favorite summer fabrics -- cotton or silk. Even with a little lycra in the cotton, my legs are much cooler than in pants. Of course, with a little stretchy Lycra it fits better, too. Trust me, skirts are cooler. Why do you think the guy in kilts is smiling? THE LAYERED LOOK How do you dress when it's chilly in the morning and blazing in the afternoon? Or when it's hot outside but there's icicles hanging off the office air-conditioner. You dress in layers. You probably only have one or two sweaters and they probably don't match very much in your closet. Rest assured. You can layer in style if you stick to your three basic colors and use every light jacket and Big Shirt that you possess. Twin sets are an excellent solution here. When the temperature blows hot and cold. You'll be ready. SLEEVELESS Sleeveless has been a fashion trend for years, even on brides. For all this time I have avoided going sleeveless. My arms will never be buff again. But now that I have the pleasure of living in the hot, humid Florida summer, I had to make a decision: I will wear sleeveless!! It's a more flattering look than short sleeves, which tend to hit at bust level. If you're a woman of a certain age, short sleeves can make you look matronly. If you're uncomfortable going sleeveless or if it's wrong for your workplace, then go with three-quarter length sleeves. They're classy and still cooler. STOCKINGS If you grew up before pantyhose, you'll remember girdles, garter belts and hosiery. One of the best things about women's lib was burning it all! I love baring my legs to the breezes! In Europe and some extra-trendy US circles, pantyhose are never worn, even in winter. (They don't shave their underarms either. That trendy I'll never get.) Many offices have relaxed the "no hose" policy. If you worry about pale legs, and are smart enough not to bake in the sun then get one of the many self-tanners out on the market. (See Skincare below.) FABRICS Synthetics, like polyester and rayon, do not breathe. Natural fabrics do. Think cotton, linen and silk. Of course, these are the ones that need the most ironing. Go with it. It's a time-honored trend! The wrinkled look! It's comfortable, casual (which summer fashion is all about) and you'll feel so much cooler. Besides, I love having more wrinkles on my clothes than on my face! Remember that most linings are made of synthetic fabrics. So, go for unlined fashions. I guarantee your body will be less glistening by the end of the day. HATS You can learn a thing or two from the southern belles in Gone with the Wind. First, never marry a man named Rhett. Second, wear a hat! The bigger the brim the better. Straw hats or baseball caps work the best. The idea is to keep the sun out of your eyes and off your face. Choose a hat that accentuates your outfit and mood. Are you feeling classy, trashy or fun? SCARVES AND JEWELRY Wear less jewelry in the summer. Metal gets hot! It's psychological, too. The less you wear, the cooler you'll feel. Try using accessories to give your wardrobe a more put together look when you're wearing lighter clothes. SKINCARE To tan or not to tan. The answer? Not. Skin cancer is on the increase in women in their teens and twenties. Use a sunblock with an SPF factor of 15 or higher and that blocks the harmful UVA and UVB rays. The Aussies have a saying - Slip! Slap! Slop! In English, that means to always slip on a shirt, slap on a hat and slop on some sun screen. Just do it. Most cosmetics companies have sunblocks in almost all of their product lines. Find the one and use it. If you don't want to look like a beached grouper all summer, try one of the self-tanners out on the market. Some don't even turn you orange anymore! You might also have to change your skincare routine. Even skin that gets dry in winter can get a little oily in the summer. If your moisturizer becomes too much in the summer, adjust it with a lighter one until fall. MAKE-UP Full face make-up is not in style any more (no matter what your age). It prevents your skin from breathing! And in the summer who wants caked make-up running down their face? Use a tinted moisturizer rather than a regular foundation. It will even out your skin tone and is so much lighter. If you want to wear foundation, use a non-mattifying make-up. It's less oily and keeps your face fresh. Wear as little powder as possible. Try just using it in the "t-zone" that might get a little oily. FRAGRANCE Keep your summer fragrance light and fresh. A cologne or toilet water spray with some of the new aromatherapy scents is perfect. You can always go back to your regular or a heavier perfume at first frost. HAIR If it's time for a new look, cut it shorter and see how much cooler you'll feel! If you don't want to cut it, wear it up off your neck and off your face. Even tucking it behind your ears makes your head feel cooler! Warning: Hair grows faster in the summer. So, you'll have to keep on top of your roots. The hair under your arms, on your legs and even your chin grows faster in summer. Whether you shave, wax or use a weed whacker, you'll have to do it more often. (Hint: Take your favorite pain reliever before a bikini wax. You'll be glad you did.) EXERCISE If you exercise outside, then do it early in the morning or just before sunset (or switch to an inside activity when the sidewalks are melting). Wear clothing that is light and loose on sweltering days. Don't wear cotton. It soaks up the sweat and clings to you. Choose clothing made of special fabrics that "wick" the water away from your skin. It'll help you feel cooler. And wear visors or specially designed sports hats to block the sun. A regular hat or baseball cap will keep in the heat. QUICK HEALTH TIPS Drink lots of water. Consume less caffeine and alcohol. Eat more salads and seasonal fruits and less fatty foods. Carry a little battery-powered fan. They come in very handy for summer heat, hot flashes and cooling off a plate of nachos. Carry a water bottle for drinking and a spray bottle for misting. Move slowly. Stay calm. Meditate. Go to the beach … and take me with you! Copyright (c) 2002 DressMeNow.com. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be copied, published, broadcast, or otherwise distributed or reproduced without the prior written permission of DressMeNow.com. About the Authors Shirley Pierce and Janet Behmer are the authors of the book that's changing the way women think about clothes and themselves -- Dress Me Now: How to Make Your Wardrobe Behave. http://www.dressmenow.com Back to the MLM Woman Newsletter Index We want your feedback! Send e-mail comments to Linda at: regent@west.net Copyright 2002, Regent Press