Business Building Books and Tapes
MLM Woman Issue 82
November 2003This 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 82nd issue of the MLM Woman Newsletter. This month we feature articles on prospecting, how to convert your "almost" customers into buyers, how to write your own script for life success, and the top reasons why eBooks are better than printed books.
Enjoy!
Linda Locke, Editor MLM Woman
Digging
for Diamonds
Copyright 2003 Deb Mullen
Prospecting is the Life Blood of Our Business!!!
Without adequate Prospects to "Tell Our Story" to, we are "Out of Business".
What exactly is Prospecting???
The best way to describe it is just like the "Gold Diggers" of the Gold Rush days.
DIGGING is Prospecting!!!
And...
DIGGING is DIRTY :-)
That's why most people don't prospect effectively.
In order to Find the GOLD, you MUST get DIRTY!!!
Think about it...
Network Marketing is like the NEW Age Gold Rush of our Generation!!!
People are attracted to our business because it offers them an unprecedented opportunity for Success, Freedom, and Independence.
However, unlike the Gold Rush days of old, there is no need to travel by covered wagon to parts unknown, there is no need to sacrifice the welfare of your loved ones to Indian attacks and creatures of the wild and there is no need to suffer the physical ailments produced by exposure to the elements.
No...It's WORSE...
We have to suffer the pain of "Picking Up the PHONE"!!!
Studies would probably indicate that most people would prefer to be "Scalped" to picking up the phone.
How do we overcome this FEAR???
PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!!!
The families who moved out West for their Dream couldn't QUIT!!!
They had no choice but to keep going. Their lives and the lives of their families depended upon it.
They didn't know what to do. They only knew that in order to have something better for themselves and their families, they needed to do something different.
Isn't that true of us???
In order to reap the benefits of our business, we need to learn new skills.
And...
We need to NOT QUIT!!!
How many stories have you heard from those old Gold Rush Days of people who QUIT just inches from their MotherLode???
It's funny how little life really changes.
The same set of skills that those early pioneers used to "Strike GOLD" are exactly the same skills we use today in our business.
Without PERSISTENCE and Consistent ACTION, we will never truly Reach Our Goals and Find that Gold Mine that we Dream of.
DIGGING is the ONLY ACTION that will produce the RESULTS we are looking for.
And...Never QUITTING.
Remember...
Don't Give Up Just Before the MIRACLE happens!!!
Happy DIGGING!!!
About the Author
Deb Mullen is a successful Rhode Island Businesswoman
who has built the Training and Coaching arm of her business in the area
of Women's Interests. She is President of the RI Women's Network and
Past Area Governor of Toastmasters. She is a Professional Speaker, Writer
and Internet Marketing Consultant. For ongoing Tips on Prospecting subscribe
to "Digging for Diamonds" the Newsletter for Serious Prospectors.
E-mail: DiggingDiamonds@aol.com
How To Recover Your
"Almost Customers"
Copyright 2003 Bob Leduc
You'll always need to find new prospects for your business. But don't overlook the prospects you already attracted. Many are close to buying. Use these four simple procedures to convert those "almost customers" into paying customers.
1. Make A Memorable Impression
Create a reason for prospects and customers to notice you ...and to think of you when they encounter a competitor.
Many prospects who do not buy from you the first time will come back to buy later. Existing customers will also remember you. They'll come back to buy again - and they'll send pre-sold referrals to you.
One easy way to establish a memorable identity is to create an important reason for customers to do business with you instead of with your competitors.
The advantage you offer doesn't have to be dramatic to be memorable IF you promote it aggressively. It can be as simple as delivering faster results, more personalized attention or a better guarantee than your competitors.
Tip: Combine several small advantages like those described above to create a big (and more memorable) advantage over your competitors.
2. Follow Up Consistently
Most prospects do not buy the first time they see or hear about you. But they will if you follow up with them.
Your follow up can be as simple as contacting them occasionally with a new offer. Or it can be more complex such as publishing a weekly newsletter with useful information and articles.
If you don't already have a way to collect their address, you can get it by offering a valuable gift that you deliver only by email or postal mail.
For example, offer a special report, a list of sources or some other valuable information they cannot get anywhere else. These are valuable to customers and prospects - but they won't cost you much to provide.
3. Make Sure You Answer These 7 Buyer's Questions
Prospective customers will not buy from you until all 7 of the following questions are answered. Customers may not consciously think about these questions. But they will not buy until all 7 are answered in their minds:
1) Exactly what are you offering?
2) Why do I need (or want) it?
3) How can I believe your claims?
4) Why should I get it from you?
5) How fast can I get it?
6) What if I don't like it after I get it?
7) What do I need to do to get it?
Make sure you answer all 7 of these buyer's questions in your web site, sales letters and other selling tools.
Tip: Present everything in term of the benefit it provides to customers. For example, don't just list testimonials from satisfied customers (your answer to question 3). Point out that those testimonials prove you really do deliver what you promise.
4. Keep Your Ordering Procedure Simple
Use an uncomplicated and fast ordering procedure. Every additional action you ask customers to perform and every additional decision you ask them to make after they already decided to buy can cause them to reverse their decision.
For example, many online marketers use a shopping cart to process their orders when they could use a simple online order form. Each unnecessary step in the shopping cart process is an opportunity for customers to abandon their order ...a sale lost needlessly.
Tip: Don't ask for unnecessary information during
the ordering process. Instead, send a personalized "thank you"
message after the sale and include a brief request for the
additional information.
Don't overlook the easy sales you can get from old prospects that are almost ready to buy. Use these 4 simple procedures to cultivate your "almost customers" and turn them into paying customers.
About the Author
Bob Leduc spent 20 years helping
businesses like yours find new customers and increase sales. He just
released a New Edition of his manual, How To Build Your Small Business
Fast With Simple Postcards ...and launched *BizTips from Bob*, a newsletter
to help small businesses grow and prosper. You'll find his low-cost
marketing methods at: http://BobLeduc.com
or call: 702-658-1707 After 10 AM Pacific Time/Las Vegas, NV
You Are The Most
Important Person In Your Life
2003 Copyright Russ Stiffler All Rights Reserved
You are the most important person in your life. As the story of your life unfolds, you are the screenwriter, as well as the producer and director. You have complete control over the movie of your life.
How the story of your life turns out is dependent largely on how you feel about yourself. If you feel like Mr. or Mrs. Studley, you write the script of your life as an adventure. You invent obstacles that become challenges that are fun to overcome.
As the victor, you get the spoils. You're the hero and as the movie fades out to "The End" you've gotten the girl/guy, the glory and the money. It all seems so easy when you are wearing the white hat.
If, however, you think of yourself as the wimp, you write your story as a tragedy. The obstacles beat you down. Everything goes wrong, no matter how hard you try. Even a major triumph like winning the lottery goes bad as you lose all the money and end up deeper in debt.
The story fades into a black empty screen, just like your life's story. Nothingness. Everyone walks out of the theater sadly shaking their heads, thinking what a shame. What a tragedy and what a waste of a life.
The only real difference in these two stories is the point of view of the author. Fun adventure or dreaded tragedy. When you really get down to it, that is what determines most results in life. The point of view of the author.
As the author of your life, your point of view of yourself will write your life's story. All the things that you tell yourself you are end up being true. All the stories you use to describe yourself end up being true. All the ways you talk about yourself end up being true.
All these things together determine your level of self-esteem. The more positive your self-esteem, the more comfortable you are with yourself. The more comfortable you are with yourself, the more likely you are to write your life as an adventure to be lived on your terms.
If you noticed at the beginning of this article I said that as writer, producer and director you have complete control over your life's story. In writing fiction that is true, but in real life that is not entirely true.
You have little control over many situations that confront you. You didn't consciously pick your parents, for instance. You didn't ask for the teacher you had a personality conflict with. And you certainly did not hope you would get cancer.
However, how you feel about yourself determines how you react to and view whatever outside forces you confront. Your self-esteem is largely up to you. Your self-esteem is developed mostly from your thoughts and you have control of your thoughts. At least how you react to them.
If you would like to take more control over your life and build a stronger self-esteem, start by taking control of how you talk about yourself. Start directing your life from a positive point of view. Catch yourself doing positive things, and pat yourself on the back. Direct your life as an adventure.
About the Author
Make your life an Adventure. Get
your free report. Discover the Secrets of the Super Successful and
open the door to the life of Your Dreams. http://www.idesiresuccess.com/report
Top Ten Reasons Why eBooks Are Better
Than Printed Books
By Michael Angier
As an avid reader and author, I have a great appreciation for the printed word. I love books--especially hard-bound printed books.
But there are some distinct benefits to eBooks. And since we're offering so many of them these days--both free and paid--I thought it would be good to share some of the advantages eBooks have over printed books.
1. They're quicker to obtain.
If you want specific information and it's available in a book, you can
purchase an eBook and download it immediately. Instead of waiting for
a printed book to be delivered, you can assess this information now.
2. eBooks are more easily updated and upgraded.
Information changes rapidly today. Books on many subjects can become
dated very quickly. eBooks can be easily and quickly kept up to date.
When you order an eBook, it can be the most up-to-the-minute information
available.
3. You usually get far more than just the book.
Most eBooks are sold with bonuses and related information that usually
don't come with the purchase of a traditional book. You might pay the
same or even a bit more for an eBook, but you usually get more, too.
4. eBooks take up less space.
Instead of a bulky library, you can fit literally thousands of books
on your computer. It also makes it easier to share this information
with family and coworkers.
5. eBooks don't use up trees.
Except when you print one out--something I usually do for booklets and
special reports--eBooks use very few natural resources. We save trees
and help reduce pollution from pulp
mills.
6. They're more portable.
You can have quick and easy access to hundreds of books on your desktop
computer, notebook or eBook reader. They're much easier to take with
you than traditional tomes.
7. References can be hot-linked.
Easy links to Web sites and other references can be placed in an electronic
book. While reading, you can click on hot links to other places to find
out more. With the proliferation of wireless networks, this will become
even more useful.
8. You can custom brand them.
Other people's eBooks can be branded with your name and you can allow
others to brand YOUR eBooks with THEIR name. There are many viral eBooks
and reports that the creators will often allow you to give away or sell,
with your name or company's name shown on the cover or linked at the
end.
9. You can do global searches and find information
quickly.
When you're looking for certain information within a book, you can easily
find it using the find feature. It saves you time and aggravation looking
for something in particular.
10. The technology will get better.
This is an emerging technology and people are often slow to change.
But as the quality of monitors improve and become more compact and mobile,
more and more we'll be reading electronic books.
About the Author
Copyright Michael Angier & Success Networks. Success
Net's mission is to inform, inspire and empower people to be their best--personally
and professionally. Get their free report Keys to Personal Effectiveness
by sending an email to keys@SuccessNet.org
No-cost subscriptions, memberships, eCourses, eBooks and SuccessMark
Cards are available at http://SuccessNet.org
email: InfoPlease@SuccessNet.org
Are you ready to find your true calling? George Eliot said, "It's never too late to be what you might have been." Discover what it takes to create a more meaningful, rich, and balanced life doing work that feeds your soul. Learn how you can replace your job with work you really love... and gain the freedom, flexibility, and quality of life you deserve.
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