Marketing: October 2008

Blowing Your Own Horn

Opportunity Assistance Business Resource Center http://www.opportunityassistance.com

At first you must think that with a title as above that this article must be about something other than marketing; however, what this article is about is marketing, specifically affiliate marketing.

Affiliate marketing is much more than signing up for a free affiliate program and then posting your affiliate link here and there. It''s all about promotion and not only promoting your affiliate program association or associations but also about promoting yourself. Hence, the title of this article?.

Let''s imagine that you are a politician. Although glamorous, it is one of the most backbiting filled professions on the face of the planet. But there is something to learn from the great politicians who do it right. Those that are not using the negatives and the faults of their opponents, but that are rather only promoting their own positives and the very fact that they are involved in being a part of the political process are those who do it right.

So who are the marketers that do it right? Those that don''t point fingers while at the same time they let their public know that they have something to market. How can you do you do this? The number one way is to sell your-self. I don''t mean being a sell-out, but rather that you do things to make yourself visible to the people that you would like to become your customers. One way you can do this is through networking. In the offline world this is accomplished by belonging to church groups, business organizations, and other such groups where people meet and exchange ideas. Online you can network by participating in forums, in chat rooms, posting at guestbooks and much more. Let people get to know you and what you''re about.

I personally feel that I have a lot to offer those in the areas of affiliate marketing and network marketing as I have been involved in and studied both for years. Promotion may not be my strongest ability, but I seek to strengthen it by putting my writing talents and skills to use.

By writing, I use something that I can do to publicize myself. The next step of course after writing an article is to submit it to places where it can be sent to "publishers" of ezines and other publications both online and off. For a list of places through which you can do so go to http://www.real-internet-marketing-reviews.com/resources.htm#articlesubmission

What skill or talent do you have that can be used to publicize yourself? Perhaps you are good at talking to people. One on one communication is a great way to let people know that you are marketing something. Along the same lines, comes public speaking. Want to find organizations to speak for, and possibly get your own public speaking engagements. One place to start is to join an organization like Toastmasters whose main focus is to build public speaking skills.

But what if you don''t want to speak professionally or write articles for ezines or magazines? Another way to get your presence known is join as many different online public forums as possible. They don''t have to all be marketing forums, just try to concentrate though on the forums that peak your interest the most. In that way you''ll have something more relevant to contribute. Of course, you''ve got to do more than to just join these forums. You do have to post to them!!!

These are just a few of the ways to get free publicity, market yourself and therefore increase your marketing potential..

Remember, like the politician you''ve got to get your name out there, and "blow your own horn".

Keith P. Stieneke is a marketing consultant, affiliate program participant and work at home consultant. You can view visit his website Opportunity Assistance Business Resource Center by going to http://www.opportunityassistance.com', 177, 'Blowing Your Own Horn, Marketing, Marketing articles, Marketing information, about Marketing, what is Marketing, Marketing Information', 'Blowing Your Own Horn plus articles and information on Marketing

Marketing Is A Long-Term Investment

"Dig your well before you''re thirsty" is the title of a wonderful book by Harvey Mackay.
It is smart advice for investing your money, "Save your money before you need it", or growing your business, "Market today for tomorrow".

When times are tough some businesses stop marketing. They reason, ''No one is buying so why should I advertise?'' The other time some businesses stop marketing is when they are selling like crazy. Again they figure - ''I can''t handle any more business right now so why promote?''

Two key points here. Advertising is only one narrow form of marketing. Marketing is about sending messages. You send messages in a plethora of avenues; advertising, customer service, by association, quality, public relations, sponsorship, awards, etc? And the second point; marketing is a long-term investment.

Selling is immediate. When times are slow you need to crank-up the selling efforts. How do you escape from a sales crisis? Improve selling skills, search out new markets, offer more value and most importantly be systematic. When there is a fire, put out the fire.

That''s sales.

Preventing the fires of tomorrow is marketing. That is why marketing is so difficult to justify or measure. The good marketing you do today will pay off in a few weeks, months or even years. Is it worth it? Only if you want to be in business in a few years.

Invest wisely in your marketing. Many of the principles of investing money apply to marketing. Don''t put all your eggs in one basket. Your message must reach your prospect along several avenues. That conveys more credibility. For example; you might advertise in a magazine, sponsor a community event, send out news releases and offer extras on your website. Your investment portfolio should be diversified, so should your marketing. Warren Buffet''s long-term strategy to ''make smart investments and hold'' can apply to your marketing. Make a long term marketing commitment to yourself. Stick to it. Be consistent and persistent. That is smart investing and smart marketing.

Consider the different forms of currency in your business. Cash is the most obvious. A signed order is another. Receivables are currency - you can even use them for collateral - or sell them. But some forms of currency look better than others. If cash is best then you might be tempted never to give credit to customers. But you might lose sales because of that. So you may decide to give credit to approved customers - knowing that you can likely convert the receivable to cash. Even signed orders are currency - you can factor them to obtain financing.

Marketing is another form of currency in your business. Good marketing creates customer awareness, goodwill, education, credibility, even desire. All of that can be converted into signed orders, receivables and hence cash.

All forms of currency are convertible. But the conversion rate is not 1 to 1 nor is it totally predictable. Some receivables become bad debt. Some signed orders get cancelled. Some marketing efforts just spin off into the universe like a lost asteroid. For that reason do not expect that every dollar spent on marketing pays off the same. For example if you do a mass mailing some of those envelopes go undelivered, some never get opened, a few get read - and even fewer acted upon. But you need to mail to the whole list to reach the ones that read it.

You might believe that cash is a better currency than marketing. Marketing can be better than cash because a creative marketing campaign can pay back many times over. If you realize that when you market you are creating currency - you can view your marketing in a more productive light. The more creative you are in your marketing - the greater leverage you get.

Marketing like currency is synergistic. When you have money the banks will loan you more - but when you have none and want some, what do they say? ''You got none so we can''t give you any.''

Marketing works the same way. When you generate lots of exposure - you get more. When you are hot everyone wants you. When you are cold - you get the freezer. Keep sending your marketing messages regularly. Some businesses get busy with business and forget to market. And then the feast runs out and they start marketing again.

Because marketing is currency there are times when instead of cash you might accept payment in marketing currency. This might be a straight barter deal. I give you $1,000 of my product for $1,000 of your product. This is one way to get ''free'' advertising. Trade your product for ad space or media time. This only works if the media company needs your product and don''t have budget, (cash), to buy.

My financial planner gave me some good advice when I left the corporate world to start my business. I showed him the corporate package I received and asked how I should invest this money - stocks, funds, or pay down my mortgage? He asked a few questions about my business. He then advised me to invest my money in the business because that is where I would obtain the best return over the next few years - then gradually as business growth levels or slows to invest in other long-term investments. It was smart advice because growing my business was another form of investment. I continue to make both short term and long investments in my business. You might examine your business in the same light.

© George Torok is co-author of the national bestseller, ''Secrets of Power Marketing'' Canada''s first guide to personal marketing for the non-marketer. He delivers seminars & keynotes to corporations and associations across North America. You can reach him at 800-304-1861.

For more information about his programs visit www.powermarketing.ca', 177, 'Marketing Is A Long-Term Investment, Marketing, Marketing articles, Marketing information, about Marketing, what is Marketing, Marketing Information', 'Marketing Is A Long-Term Investment plus articles and information on Marketing

7 Cheap & Easy Ways To Get Prospects

Here are some quick techniques you can put into place on your web site or in your advertising to gather new prospects. There is practically no cost for most of these strategies yet they have proven to be extremely effective in any number of different venues. Use one, two or all of these strategies for a quick shot in the arm.

Offer a free report or article that''s sent by email from your autoresponder.

Give people a contact web form or autoresponder email address to send in their questions.

Have a media kit, price list, pictures, catalog, FAQ, etc. that are all available by email from your autoresponder.

Make a sample of your product available from your autoresponder. (i.e. If you''re selling an eBook, have a chapter available for free.)

Deliver a free informational eCourse by email through your autoresponder.

Create an outline of your site for visitors in a hurry to have the information emailed to them by autoresponder.

Run a free drawing and have visitors email their entry to your autoresponder.

The key to all of these strategies is the autoresponder, which requires little or no effort on your part once it has been set up. Don''t fail to utilize this tool no matter what type of business you own.

Visit http://www.SOHOWiz.com for the latest FREE business tips.

Email the Wiz at: SOHOWiz@SOHOWiz.com', 177, '7 Cheap & Easy Ways To Get Prospects, Marketing, Marketing articles, Marketing information, about Marketing, what is Marketing, Marketing Information', '7 Cheap & Easy Ways To Get Prospects plus articles and information on Marketing

Are Keywords Destroying the Flow of Your SEO Copy?

With all the shuffling that''s been seen in the search engine world within the last year, the issue of obvious optimizing has become a hot button. The current line of thinking is that most engines (especially Google) are on the lookout for sites that purposely make an effort to optimize their pages in order to get high rankings. While this theory has not been proven, I agree that obvious optimization is not a good thing. Not exclusively because of what Google might think, but because of what your site visitors might think.

When a Web site is created with the intent of having it ranked highly, one thing often happens. The focus gets placed solely on the optimization and is taken almost completely away from the visitor. This leaves your site in a dangerous state of unbalance. Let''s take a look at some examples.', 177, 'Are Keywords Destroying the Flow of Your SEO Copy?, Marketing, Marketing articles, Marketing information, about Marketing, what is Marketing, Marketing Information', 'Are Keywords Destroying the Flow of Your SEO Copy? plus articles and information on Marketing

The Power of Thank You

Sometimes we loose site of the small things in life that are incredibly important. As a child growing up in America, most people are taught from a very young age to say Thank You in appreciation of a courtesy extended by someone.

Your parents, your teachers in school, your minister or teachers in church, your youth group leader and others all attempt to teach this civilized and courteous behavior from a very young age. Most children use Thank You without even thinking about it.

As adults, too many people forget this seemingly minor consideration when dealing in the business world. This lapse can have a very profound effect on the success of your business.

Even in the high-speed world of today, polite and courteous people stand out from the crowd. In the rush to complete your work, it''s all too easy to forget to use Thank You with your customers, employees, vendors and others that you come in contact with on a daily basis.

People like to be appreciated. By using the simple coutesy of Thank You with your customers, you send the message that they want to hear - their business is important and appreciated by you.

Sincerity is a key ingredient when using Thank You. Don''t verbalize Thank You as a hollow statement or mechanized response. If your customer is standing in front of you, look them in the eyes and sincerely thank them for their business.

A written Thank You note is an extremely powerful tool. Your ability to up sell additional services or products and gather referrals is enhanced with a personally signed Thank You note. People are much more willing to refer others to you when the pleasant memory of their transaction with you is remembered in a warm note.

The cost to your business to use this powerful tool is almost nil - verbally it''s free and a Thank You note plus stamp is less than 50 cents. Incorporate Thank You notes as a systemic function in your normal business practices and this small courtesy will pay large dividends.

Mike Burstein has been helping the SOHO and Small Business community grow & prosper for over 20 years by solving start up problems, creating best practices, automating their offices, getting free publicity and dramatically increasing traffic and sales.', 177, 'The Power of Thank You, Marketing, Marketing articles, Marketing information, about Marketing, what is Marketing, Marketing Information', 'The Power of Thank You plus articles and information on Marketing

Why Your Sales Copy Should Be Written As If It Will Never Be Read At All!

What is enthusiasm?

Well, consulting good ol'' Mr. Webster, you could stake a claim that enthusiasm is "an absorbing possession of the mind by an interest, study, or pursuit; [an] ardent interest."

Isn''t that a typical Webster''s dictionary for you? It gives you the literal meaning of the word, but fails to actually convey its true essence.

When I think of ''enthusiasm'', I immediately think of a wise saying that you may have heard:

"The true spirit of enthusiasm can be found in its own last four letters: ''I Am Sold Myself''."

You see, enthusiasm is a lot like passion. One cannot be merely ''excited'' about something and at the same time be ''passionate'' about it.

Passion involves every aspect of your existence, combined into one big swirl of dedication, love, and appreciation for something or someone.

Before you go any further in your career - or in your life - you must ask yourself the question, "Am I enthusiastic about what I am doing right now?" If you take into consideration the wisdom in the passage above, you may be surprised at your own answer.

To be enthusiastic about something is to be so involved with the idea of its existence, potential, and prospects in the future, that you yourself believe in it whole-heartedly, 110%.

When you write your sales copy, be sure to let your enthusiasm SHINE through your words. Too many people simply state what a product can do for a customer if he or she purchases it.

Instead, try not to word your copy to be read like ''sales material''. In fact, you should aim to craft your copy like it won''t be read at all! Your words should seem like YOU YOURSELF are standing in front of your customer, discussing the incredible aspects of your product with them!

For example, you may have a sales pitch like...

"Brand new software eliminates the need for hours and hours of keyword searches!"

...But when you let your enthusiasm into the picture, that stale sale pitch could become...

"What would you pay to spend two more hours with your family TONIGHT, instead of working on the Internet? Help has finally arrived!"

You see how much more intriguing the second headline reads? It doesn''t give too much about the product away right off the bat, but it directly represents how your product will HELP YOUR CUSTOMER! Plus, when the line is read, it feels as if you are being SPOKEN TO, not PITCHED TO!

That means more clicks on that link, more people interested in learning about your product, and (if you play the rest of your cards right...) more sales in the end!

Just allow your enthusiasm into your life more often, and I will guarantee that it won''t just be your wallet that will benefit!

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What Can a COLLEGE Student Teach You About Making SERIOUS Money Online? Find out right now, at http://www.money2bmade.com -- And Be Sure To Pick Up Your FREE Gift When You Get There!', 177, 'Why Your Sales Copy Should Be Written As If It Will Never Be Read At All!, Marketing, Marketing articles, Marketing information, about Marketing, what is Marketing, Marketing Information', 'Why Your Sales Copy Should Be Written As If It Will Never Be Read At All! plus articles and information on Marketing

Explode Your Sales With Free & Exclusive Content

Offering free and exclusive content to ezine publishers and webmasters is one of the best ways you can increase exposure for your products and services. There are several effective methods you can use to employ this marketing tactic and subsequently boost your sales.

I personally suggest exploring the following two methods to increase your exposure:

1. Create exclusive content for websites and ezines. If you have worked to build a website or to promote a product, take your experience and package it into a coherent article that explains specific problems you have encountered and how you overcame them. If you can, design it as a pdf file; make it look professional.

Include a five-line personal bio at the bottom of your article with the URL to your website or product. If you put time into your article and give good advice, people will want to follow the link in your resource box back to your website.

Once you have finished creating your product, search google for webmasters of high-traffic member sites and ezine publishers. Compile a list of prospective distributers who might accept your article--and then email them individually with an offer to "create exclusive content" for their newsletters. You can include the first article as a sample of your writing.

Wait for replies and do not make too many offers. Remember: you will have to create exclusive articles for each ezine publisher and webmaster that you mutually contract with.

Look for bigger, opt-in mailing list ezines and good-quality small ezines. Also try to get some advertisement for your business out of the deal, other than your resource box. Some publishers will agree to run free ads in exchange for free exclusive content. Some webmasters might include your banner or classified ad for free.

If you follow these directions carefully and create meaningful content that you would be proud to see your name on, you will undoubtedly see a boost in sales when your articles are distributed.

You will also enjoy minor celebrity status--lending more credibility to your products when your articles are regularly featured to the same group of people.

2. The second method I suggest is similiar to the first, but differs slightly in content and distribution.

Instead of creating a general-purpose article, you will create a "special report." This special report will be tailored to either a) better explain an already popular product on the market that you have used personally; or b) give specific insight into something you have gleaned from your experience as a webmaster or product promoter.

Special reports range in size, but they are usually between 2000 and 8000 words. Take some time to write a guide that would help you if you didn''t already have the insight that you do.

When you''re finished, add your resource box to the bottom of the special report. Clean up the grammar and structure. Turn it into a product that you would be proud to see your name on. If you can, turn it into a pdf file.

I would suggest uploading the report to your website and placing a link to download it on a page that has a banner for your product or a prominent link back to your main page.

Now, begin marketing your free special report. You can spread the word through a number of free resources.

I would personally suggest posting links to it from internet forums that are related to your field; offering it to webmasters for free; submitting it to ezine publishers; and giving away it to any free resource directories you can find.

You can also include free redistribution rights for anyone else who wants to give away or sell your article if you want to make your campaign viral.

If your finished product is exceptional or provides useful information about a recent popular release, you should be able to spread it around easily.

Special reports and articles are currently two of the most effective ways to get free traffic, so take advantage of this free information. If you follow these tips, create a quality product, and market it carefully, you cannot lose.

You may use this article for reprint if it remains unaltered and includes the author information and resource box.

Isaiah Hull publishes Work At Home Right Now, a fresh and informative newsletter about making money on the internet and using proven methods to increase your site''s traffic and profitability. If you''re looking for time-saving and money-saving tools, as well as honest business advice, come by and subscribe at http://www.workathomerightnow.net', 177, 'Explode Your Sales With Free & Exclusive Content, Marketing, Marketing articles, Marketing information, about Marketing, what is Marketing, Marketing Information', 'Explode Your Sales With Free & Exclusive Content plus articles and information on Marketing

Five Tips to Make Your Marketing More Creative

Same old same old just doesn''t sell anymore. To make your marketing stand out, you need to get creative. Below are five tips designed to get your creative juices flowing. Some are brainteasers or are what Michael Michalko in "Thinkertoys" calls Linear Thinkertoys. Others fall under intuition or Intuitive Thinkertoys.

Some tips may appeal to you more than others. My suggestion is to try them all. Even the ones you''re not drawn to may still open some doors that wouldn''t have opened any other way.

These tips will work whether you sell a product, a service or both.

1. Find the "second right answer." Roger von Oech talks about this in A Whack on the Side of the Head. Don''t be content with the first good idea you come up with. Take the time to think of a second, or third or 50th idea. Quantity counts ? the more ideas you have to choose from, the more likely you''ll discover an excellent or even a brilliant one. Remember, Thomas Edison discovered thousands of ways a light bulb didn''t work.

2. Change the question. If you change the question, you''re probably going to get a different answer. You say you want to sell more products? What if you changed the question to how can you make more money? Well, there are other ways to make more money than to sell more products ? maybe you lower the cost of making the product or you raise the price of the product. Now you suddenly have new avenues to explore rather than just going down the same tired path.

3. Ask your product or service how it wants to be sold. Now we move into more intuitive techniques. Start by getting yourself into a relaxed state. Take a few deep breaths or practice some relaxation techniques. Imagine your product or service in front of you. Now ask it questions. Who do you want to be sold to? How do you want to be sold? What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses? Who do you think you can help? Why do you want to help them? You can also do this technique as a journal exercise. Write down the question and answer. See what bubbles up onto the paper.

4. Paint a public relations campaign. What would a press release look like if you painted it? Or sculpted it? How about a dance number? A collage? Take any part of your marketing that troubles you and turn it into a piece of art. By combining two dissimilar acts, you may discover your answer. Or you may not come up with anything at all, but just the act of "playing" and "creating" could jolt something loose. Hours or days later your idea may suddenly end up in your lap.

5. Walk away from it. If nothing is working, then stop. You can literally walk away by taking a walk, or just quit thinking about it. This is especially important if you find yourself getting frustrated or discouraged. Give your subconscious time to mull things over. The idea may just suddenly appear to you. Or, after a few days, try another exercise or two. That may be the catalyst you need.

The most important tip of all? Make sure you have a blast. Being creative should be fun. Keep it light and fun, don''t struggle too hard with it, and see how many ideas you''re rewarded with.

Michele Pariza Wacek owns Creative Concepts and Copywriting, a writing, marketing and creativity agency. She offers two free e-newsletters that help subscribers combine their creativity with hard-hitting marketing and copywriting principles to become more successful at attracting new clients, selling products and services and boosting business. She can be reached at www.writingusa.com. Copyright 2004 Michele Pariza Wacek.

', 177, 'Five Tips to Make Your Marketing More Creative, Marketing, Marketing articles, Marketing information, about Marketing, what is Marketing, Marketing Information', 'Five Tips to Make Your Marketing More Creative plus articles and information on Marketing

Three Ways to Put Fresh Spins on Old Marketing Concepts

Are you struggling to find a new twist for old advertising or marketing campaigns?

If you''re a small business owner or a copywriter/coach/other creative professional, you know exactly what I''m talking about. Having to come up with new ideas for a long-term client (or even your own business) can be overwhelming.

As much as you love those long-term clients or established products, because of their longevity, it gets harder and harder to come up with the next brilliant product.

But never fear. Here are three ways to get those creative juices (and new ideas) flowing.

1. Study other ads. Flip through a magazine or turn on the television, except this time focus on the ads and not the content (I know, I know, this is counter to what you usually do). Which ads do you like? Why do you like them? Is there something that those ads are doing you can modify for your campaigns?

The key word is modify, not copy. I don''t want anyone committing copyright infringement. What I''m talking about is using an existing ad to jump-start your own ideas. Maybe you really like the use of an evocative photo with a single caption. Or the use of repetition in Mastercard''s "Priceless" campaign. Or the idea of turning the "money can''t buy everything" on its head (which is essence of that campaign). Can you use that concept in your campaign?

Another resource for great ads is Communication Arts Magazine. Each issue showcases some of the most creative and beautiful ads found anywhere.

2. Check out what a completely different industry is doing. For instance, let''s say you sell software products to computer professionals. Techy market, right? So, pick up a yoga magazine. See how that industry communicates with its audience. Now try selling your product using the same language and concepts. Take it a step further and brainstorm ways your software product is similar to doing yoga.

This is a very powerful way to jolt your own thinking and start your muse down a completely different path you might never have discovered before.

3. Force a connection. With this idea, force a connection with a random object rather than an entire industry. You ask yourself, how is your software program similar to a stuffed dog? Write down everything you can think of, no matter how silly or foolish. Sometimes the foolish ideas are the ones that lead to the great ones.

A final note: If at all possible, don''t rush this process. Give your muse some time to ponder and play with these techniques. I know it often seems like ideas pop into your head out of thin air, but usually that''s because of the hard work you''ve put into it. You''ve given your muse the necessary tools and "incubation time" to make ideas happen.

', 177, 'Three Ways to Put Fresh Spins on Old Marketing Concepts, Marketing, Marketing articles, Marketing information, about Marketing, what is Marketing, Marketing Information', 'Three Ways to Put Fresh Spins on Old Marketing Concepts plus articles and information on Marketing

What are MLM Leads?

Multi-level marketing (MLM) is a type of direct marketing that involves selling a product, service, information, or business opportunity. It is also known as network marketing, and typically operates as follows: the self-employed independent distributor first becomes associated with a parent company, and then attempts to locate and sell to customers and others who may also want to become distributors. One of the main goals of MLM is to sell the product or service and to encourage the client to become an independent distributor and sell the services or product themselves. The prospects that may be interested in becoming distributors are known as MLM leads.

These independent distributors, or business owners, receive compensation for buying the parent company''s product or service, selling the product or service to others, and for expanding their network of people through MLM leads. The "downline" consists of distributors recruited by business owner, who receives commissions based on their sales and the sales of the distributors they subsequently recruit. The "upline" consists of distributors who are above the business owner in the MLM hierarchy and receive commissions based on his or her sales.

These commissions, also known as benefits or rewards, are tracked through a points system, where the points represent the total volume of products or services sold through the business owner''s network. If a business owner can recruit more independent distributors, he or she will receive more benefits or rewards.

Some examples of widely recognized multi-level marketing companies are Mary Kay, Avon, Pampered Chef, Tupperware, Amway, and Herbalife.

MLM Leads Info provides comprehensive information on MLM lead generation and lists, as well as email, opt-in, free, genealogy, targeted and local leads. MLM Leads Info is the sister site of Lead Generation Web.', 188, 'What are MLM Leads?, Network-Marketing, Network-Marketing articles, Network-Marketing information, about Network-Marketing, what is Network-Marketing, Network Marketing Information', 'What are MLM Leads? plus articles and information on Network-Marketing

Multi-Level Marketing with Email Leads

The multi-level marketing independent distributor continually faces the challenge of contacting new leads that may result in a customer for the company''s product or service. An MLM email Lead is just like any other lead, except that the business owner (independent distributor) contacts this lead via email, rather than using standard offline methods of contact. Email leads should not be confused with a generic email list.

The difference is that an actual lead has expressed some interest in the product, service, or business opportunity that an MLM business owner has to offer. An email list can be acquired through various channels, including internet spiders that retrieve email addresses from web sites. These types of lists often result in "spam" or unwanted emails.

Like all other MLM leads, the business owner may purchase a list of MLM email leads from any number of companies that offer these types of services to MLM companies. The business owner can also generate his or her own list through a variety of marketing methods. The simple exchange of business cards between the MLM business owner and a potential lead is a good way to guarantee that the lead was interested. The business owner can also create a web site explaining the product or service and business opportunity.

A web site is valuable in generating MLM email leads, because the web site visitor will probably already be interested in the company. The web site can require registration in order to navigate to some of the more informative areas. The registration process can include the visitor''s email address, physical address, and phone number.

MLM Leads Info provides comprehensive information on MLM lead generation and lists, as well as email, opt-in, free, genealogy, targeted and local leads. MLM Leads Info is the sister site of Lead Generation Web.', 188, 'Multi-Level Marketing with Email Leads, Network-Marketing, Network-Marketing articles, Network-Marketing information, about Network-Marketing, what is Network-Marketing, Network Marketing Information', 'Multi-Level Marketing with Email Leads plus articles and information on Network-Marketing

The Benefits of MLM Leads Lists

An MLM leads list is simply the list of prospective customers and recruits that an independent distributor, also known as the business owner, has acquired. In a multi-level marketing (MLM) venture, the goal is to sell the products or services of the parent company and identify potential distributors to add to the business owner''s network. If it is comprised of viable prospects, the MLM leads list is the most valuable marketing tool that a business owner will own.

The business owner generally buys MLM leads from another company, but he or she must be careful to choose a reputable source, or risk wasting time and money. There is a multitude of sources, especially via the internet, and many of them have no other interest than defrauding the MLM business owner. A business owner should consider the following points when purchasing an MLM leads list:

? Many MLM lead companies sell their leads repeatedly. Leads will likely be unresponsive if another MLM business owner has called them before.

? Several leads might not be fresh, so they may have lost interest in the business opportunity.

? The business owner should try to acquire the highest number of valuable leads for his or her money.

? The quality of the lead is imperative. A viable lead is one that, in addition to contact information, has expressed a sincere interest in the business opportunity.

? Use a service like Melissa Data to verify the correct address and phone number of the MLM Leads Lists purchased.

If business owners can acquire quality MLM leads list, then they will have greater success in building a network for themselves and their recruits.

MLM Leads Info provides comprehensive information on MLM lead generation and lists, as well as email, opt-in, free, genealogy, targeted and local leads. MLM Leads Info is the sister site of Lead Generation Web.', 188, 'The Benefits of MLM Leads Lists, Network-Marketing, Network-Marketing articles, Network-Marketing information, about Network-Marketing, what is Network-Marketing, Network Marketing Information', 'The Benefits of MLM Leads Lists plus articles and information on Network-Marketing

MLM Lead Generation

In Multi-level marketing (MLM), or network marketing, the business owner recruits other independent distributors into his or her network. These prospects are known as MLM leads because they have shown some interest in the business opportunity. The MLM leads are, at first, usually comprised of the business owner''s friends, family, and acquaintances. Once these resources have been exhausted, the business owner must uncover new prospects to recruit into his or her network. This process, known as MLM lead generation, can be time consuming and quite costly.

Through this process, the business owner mines demographic information for viable MLM leads, which are then contacted through standard direct marketing tools, including telephone and email. The target lists may be acquired from advertising campaigns that promote the product or service to potential customers or recruits, and they can also be obtained through MLM lead generation tools. MLM business owners typically utilize a couple of different methods, during MLM lead generation, to attain these viable MLM leads.

If executed correctly, a MLM lead generation program should bring together all of the most effective offline and online tools in order to ensure that leads progress efficiently from initial contact through sales closure and recruitment. This includes purchasing or licensing lead lists, which the distributor utilizes in his or her email, telemarketing, or direct mail campaigns.

An MLM lead batching or distributor gathering program is a more inclusive process for MLM lead generation. In this process, the business owner will work the leads through advertising campaigns that not only attract customers and recruits, but also invite them to build their own network. Through this comprehensive program, the business owner is building his or her network and helping recruits build theirs as well.

MLM Leads Info provides comprehensive information on MLM lead generation and lists, as well as email, opt-in, free, genealogy, targeted and local leads. MLM Leads Info is the sister site of Lead Generation Web.', 188, 'MLM Lead Generation, Network-Marketing, Network-Marketing articles, Network-Marketing information, about Network-Marketing, what is Network-Marketing, Network Marketing Information', 'MLM Lead Generation plus articles and information on Network-Marketing

Opt-in MLM Leads: An Overview

In multi-level marketing (MLM), or network marketing, the MLM business owner recruits other independent distributors into his or her network. These prospects are called MLM leads, because they have shown some interest in the business opportunity. One of the best ways to contact potential customers or recruits is via email. The MLM business owner, however, must take precautions against sending "spam" or unwanted emails to people that are not interested. Thus, opt-in MLM Leads are the best prospects to contact via email.

What does "opt-in" mean?

The term "single opt-in" means that a subscriber chose to sign up for information from the sender of the email. The term "double opt-in" means that the subscriber has confirmed his or her subscription by responding to an automatically generated message sent to the email address. Using opt-in MLM leads give MLM business owners better prospects. One way to ensure the greatest number of opt-in MLM leads as possible is to use a leads capture web page.

An MLM leads capture page is a professionally designed web page designed to encourage people to request more information from you about the MLM business opportunity. This type of web site is valuable in generating MLM email leads, because the web site visitor is already interested in the business opportunity that the company is offering.

While a simple web site registration page may provide space for entering name and contact information, this may be an opportune time to inquire about the person''s interest in the business opportunity. This task can be accomplished through a short survey included in the web site registration. The MLM business owner will then have the advantage of knowing that the lead is interested in the business opportunity, and that he is in a position to pursue it.

MLM Leads Info provides comprehensive information on MLM lead generation and lists, as well as email, opt-in, free, genealogy, targeted and local leads. MLM Leads Info is the sister site of Lead Generation Web.', 188, 'Opt-in MLM Leads: An Overview, Network-Marketing, Network-Marketing articles, Network-Marketing information, about Network-Marketing, what is Network-Marketing, Network Marketing Information', 'Opt-in MLM Leads: An Overview plus articles and information on Network-Marketing

MLM Genealogy Leads

As with any other start up, a new multi-level marketing (MLM) venture owner will look to friends, family, and acquaintances for support. The MLM business owner must sell the parent company''s products or services and contact individuals that might be interested in becoming an independent distributor in his or her network. When the family, friends, and acquaintances have been exhausted, other viable leads may include people who were previously part of an MLM network. These prospects are called MLM genealogy leads.

MLM genealogy leads are the names of people from an MLM company that is no longer in business. Previous MLM independent distributors know that to build a large and successful "downline" ? the network of distributors recruited by a business owner ? they need fellow networkers to help them build their business.

As with any other type of business, successful MLM business owners rely on their contacts to help their business grow. People involved in MLM ventures often stick together. If one person joins a new network, he or she might persuade others in similar situations to join the network as well. By simply working the MLM genealogy leads, an MLM business owner has the potential to create a rather large network.

Genealogy leads can be acquired through contacts within the MLM company that dissolved, or a list can be purchased from a third party company. With MLM genealogy leads, it is important that the business owner check the leads list against the Do Not Call (DNC) Registry to ensure that the list is updated regularly and that the leads remain fresh.

MLM Leads Info provides comprehensive information on MLM lead generation and lists, as well as email, opt-in, free, genealogy, targeted and local leads. MLM Leads Info is the sister site of Lead Generation Web.', 188, 'MLM Genealogy Leads, Network-Marketing, Network-Marketing articles, Network-Marketing information, about Network-Marketing, what is Network-Marketing, Network Marketing Information', 'MLM Genealogy Leads plus articles and information on Network-Marketing

The Risks and Benefits of Free MLM Leads

One of the main goals of a multi-level marketing (MLM) independent distributor (business owner) is to sell the product or service of the parent company. However, an equally important goal is to encourage the customer to also become an independent distributor within that business owner''s network and sell the services or product. Prospects who may be interested in becoming distributors are known as MLM leads.

The MLM business owner can generate his or her own leads through referrals from family members, friends, and acquaintances. These leads can also be generated through a variety of marketing tools, including surveys, event or trade show promotions, and informative websites. One quick and convenient way to acquire MLM leads lists is to simply buy the list from a third party company.

For the new MLM business owner, these methods may be too costly or time consuming. One quick search on the internet will result in a plethora of web sites promoting free MLM leads. While cost savings are beneficial, the term "free" can also indicate a situation that is too good to be true.

If the business owner decides to take advantage of some of the free leads available, he or she must take care to look into the background of the third party company that is supplying these leads. It is also important that the MLM business owner check his or her list of free MLM leads against the Do Not Call (DNC) Registry every 90 days. This will ensure that the list is updated regularly and that the leads remain fresh.

MLM Leads Info provides comprehensive information on MLM lead generation and lists, as well as email, opt-in, free, genealogy, targeted and local leads. MLM Leads Info is the sister site of Lead Generation Web.', 188, 'The Risks and Benefits of Free MLM Leads, Network-Marketing, Network-Marketing articles, Network-Marketing information, about Network-Marketing, what is Network-Marketing, Network Marketing Information', 'The Risks and Benefits of Free MLM Leads plus articles and information on Network-Marketing

How To Make More Money

The biggest crime in small businesses today goes unnoticed by most outsiders. It is not reported in the media. There are no police reports filed and companies do not even mention it on their websites. People don''t talk about it on the street and employees often overlook it. Even though this crime is rampant among small businesses, it''s presence is so subtle that many business owners fail to recognize when it is happening! Unfortunately, this crime is the same one that is most likely to kill a small business. It is not stealing by employees, burglaries, trivial lawsuits, or industrial espionage.

The biggest crime in small business today is the crime of being forgotten. Think about it-you can recover from most other crimes by installing an alarm system, filing patents, or buying insurance, but if your business falls victim to the crime of being forgotten it is on the fast track to failure. There are opportunities every day for your business to be forgotten by existing clients, potential clients, your best employees, surrounding businesses, your neighborhood, vendors, the media, and your potential investors.

SIGNS OF THE CRIME

Have you fallen victim to the crime of being forgotten? Here are some of the signs of being forgotten:

? Lowered top line sales

? Few people visiting your website

? Less customer inquiries

? Losing large accounts

? Losing long-time accounts

? High employee turnover

? Inability to attract top candidates to help run your business

? No "new" news

? Fewer repeat buyers

? Less revenue

STEPS TO SOLVE THE CRIME

There are many things you can do as a small business owner to help people remember you. I am not of the opinion that hiring a big PR company is the only solution. Here are some things you can implement today:

1. Focus on the question that every customer and client wants to know: What''s in it for me?

At the end of the day, every client is selfish. With so many things out there vying for their time, attention and money, they have become more and more cynical and self-centered. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but more a self-protective measure.

Your job as a small business owner is to tell them what your service can do for them personally and remember-they do not want to spend time looking for the answer. The answer to this question must be one of the first things your clients see on your website and in your company-wide communications. If your clients are going to remember you, you must first answer the question "What''s in it for them?"

ACTION STEP: List everything your client receives from your service or product. Closely examine all of your corporate communications with a critical eye. How accurately and consistent are they in answering this question to your clients and customers?

2. What differentiates your service or product from everyone else?

If you believe there is nothing new under the sun then you must recognize that for every product or service you provide, chances are very good that someone, somewhere else does almost exactly what you do.

Then the question becomes, not WHAT do you do, but HOW you do it. In other words, what is your U.S.P.-your "unique selling proposition"? What can a client get from you that they cannot get from anyone else? Perhaps it is your broad-based expertise or that every solution is completely customized to meet their needs or your company''s 100% satisfaction guarantee. You must determine what differentiates your business from anyone else and market that point.

When defining your U.S.P., one of the keys to being remembered is to not use either of these two characteristics: quality or service. The reason is that EVERY business says they provide quality and service (even though we know they don''t). Therefore quality and service have become meaningless when it comes to differentiating your service because every customer EXPECTS quality and service and will not do business with any company that doesn''t have both already. Your U.S.P must be creative, yet accurately reflect who you are and what you offer that no one else does.

ACTION STEP: Set aside a few hours this week to brainstorm with your partner and employees on what your company offers that other companies do not. Do some research to find out how other companies in your field are differentiating themselves. Be sure to develop a U.S.P that your clients will not confuse with your competition''s.

3. All of your communication must be emotionally impactful.

Anyone can quote statistics or develop an advertisement on a cognitive level, but the most effective way to ensure an impact on your clients is to communicate with them on an emotional level. You must find their "pain." What is it about their business, life, family, time, or environment that is causing pain? Are they not working or working too much? Is their business growing too fast or too slow? Is their family falling apart? Do they feel too old or overweight? Do they have a hard time tracking their projects or employees? Find their pain and communicate with them on an emotional level about how you can help heal their pain and make their business, life, family, time or environment pleasurable.

ACTION STEP: List all of the things you want your customer to feel when they think of your company: excitement about the future, feeling younger or prettier, more balance, more fun, more time, closer to their friends, better organized, safer, etc. Evaluate how well your current communication creates this feeling and specific areas where you want to improve.

4. Distinguish your benefits from your features and communicate them clearly.

Features are what your product or service does. Benefits are why your client needs your product or service. For example, a famous company advertises "our servers allow your website to be up and running 99.999% of the time." That is a feature, but you must also tell your client what the benefit of this is to them. Well, if their on-line business sells $200,000 worth of product every day, then being on-line only 98% of the time will cost them serious money in lost sales. For every feature you have, you must tell your client what the benefit is. Is your product better, faster, cleaner, guaranteed or longer-lasting? Will your service create more clients, decrease turnover, or increase margins? These are all great features, but you must tell your clients how this benefits them specifically.

You must get in front of your potential market and detail your specific benefits. Build value into what you do and how you do it. If you fail to clearly communicate what your benefits are to customers, rest assured-your competition will.

ACTION STEP: Take a piece of paper and draw two columns on it. Label on side "Features" and the other "Benefits." List all of the features of your service or product and for every feature state what the benefit is to your target client. Integrate these statements into all of your communication efforts on a regular basis.

5. Reduce the risk of working with you.

Many entrepreneurs have products or services that are similar to what much larger, more established companies have. Why should your potential customer buy your product over the big company''s product? Are they taking a risk with a company that may not be around 5 or 10 years from now? Will your 10 year guarantee really mean anything in 10 years?

While no one can predict the future of your business, the smart business owner recognizes the need to develop creative ways to reduce the risk of their clients in working with them.

ACTION STEPS: List what your company is doing to reduce the risk potential customers see in working with a small, entrepreneurial business. Do you offer a written guarantee? Will you stand behind it? Do you offer a trial period? How have you achieved success with other clients? Will you provide them with case studies on previous clients? Do you have a strong reference list?

6. How effective is your cheapest form of advertisement-your business card?

Examine your business card as if you were one of your target customers. Does it tell them succinctly who you are, what you do and how you can help them? If not, perhaps it is time to redesign it.

ACTION STEP: Ask several of your existing clients what they think of your business card. What does it say to them? Is it memorable? How could you improve on it? Thank them for their suggestions and implement them in your redesign.

7. Can people find your product or services on the internet?

Near the beginning of the internet age only Fortune 500 companies had websites. It was seen as a sign of being on the "cutting edge." Today that perception has changed. More and more consumers perceive a website as a sign of legitimacy. Many consumers now believe the lack of a company website to be a sign of a questionable business. With an increasing number of ways to create a decent website on a small budget ($2000-$5000), lack of money is not an acceptable excuse any more. Not every business will benefit from having a web presence, but most will. The question is not, "how long can I get away with not having a website?" but, "how many potential customers am I loosing without having a website?" A good website can be a great source of passive income.

For those of you who already have a website, how many of you regularly profit from it? How many people are visiting your website every week? What is your conversion rate for these visitors? What percentage of your existing customers found you from your site? How can you better serve your existing clients on your website? What are you doing to increase the visibility of your site on search engines?

ACTION STEP: If you do not have a website you should have several REALLY good reasons why not. If you can''t come up with several reasons then you should commit to getting one. If you do have a website, ask the company who hosts your website to site down with you and explain all the statistics about your site (how many unique visitors, how long do they stay, what page do they leave from, how do they find you). After that, sit down with your web designer and talk strategy: how can you increase your search engine rankings, what can you do to covert more customers, does your current site accurately reflect who you are and what your benefits are to your target audience, etc.

Stephen Fairley, M.A., RCC is the President of Today''s Leadership Coaching, a premier executive coaching and training firm, and a Registered Corporate Coach (RCC). Today''s Leadership Coaching focuses on "Developing Leaders Who Deliver Results." You can contact him at 630-588-0500 or at Stephen@TodaysLeadership.com

© 2001 by Stephen Fairley. All rights reserved. Please contact author for reprints', 177, 'How To Make More Money, Marketing, Marketing articles, Marketing information, about Marketing, what is Marketing, Marketing Information', 'How To Make More Money plus articles and information on Marketing

Want To Impress Customers, Win Clients and Influence People?

Remember the baseball cards kids traded while chewing their way through kilos of noxious bubblegum, all for about a nickle a pack?

No? Then ask your Dad.

Are you familiar with the latest digital CD Cardz that look like traditional sports trading cards and play interactive video, triva, bios, stats, music, as well as desktop goodies?

No? Then ask your kid.

Seriously, my point is that times are changing and you no longer have to feel that you are either a stereotypical blue collar worker or a red necked Luddite. The truth is, you too can jump on the multimedia gravy train ? (just ask for 1st class compartment Serious) and utilize these cool mediums within your corporate environment.

Over a career year, you probably hand out small forests of business cards with merely your contact information printed on them right? So what if you were to hand out a business card-sized CD-Rom instead, that not only had your contact information on it, but held your company website or a pertinent presentation, video, music, a free corporate screen saver etc, all hyperlinking to your on line site too?

So we are talking a talking business card and there are two routes to take. If you want professional help in creating the all singing and dancing marketing tool, come to us at http://www.serious.com, where we will hold your hand and do the work for you. However in truth this is only viable for larger orders of cardz and you might well be a small business or a freelancer with no need for huge quantities, but yet still want to make a lasting impression. If this is the case, then you can buy our transparent blank 50 MB CD-R cardz from us and create your own! These come in starter packs of 10, with a label applicator, label and presentation software, including web site templates and there are also refill packs available.

So come join us in the fast lane. Learn more at http://www.serious.com and let''s Get Serious!

', 177, 'Want To Impress Customers, Win Clients and Influence People?, Marketing, Marketing articles, Marketing information, about Marketing, what is Marketing, Marketing Information', 'Want To Impress Customers, Win Clients and Influence People? plus articles and information on Marketing

Behold the Power of the Tip

You are an expert. You have lots of content - even more than you deliver from the presentation platform or in your consulting engagements. But how do you package that content for the web, without giving away the store?

One of the most effective methods for delivering your content is in small chunks. In a speech you do this with quotes, tips to remember, and short items. In print you write a how-to article with the 5 tips. Or you create a booklet of tips.

Online you do the same thing. You create a series of tips. Tips can be delivered online in a variety of ways. The most obvious is a tip of the week or tip of the day. With this technique you merely change the web page as often as you''ve promised a new tip. But this can be very time-consuming, especially if you decide that a daily tip is appropriate for your audience.

How do you decide how often to change the tip? Determine how often you want your online visitor to visit your website and publicize new tips for that time frame. So if you want them to come back daily for a new tip, then plan to change it daily.

A trend to watch...increasingly experts are relying on their email newsletters to deliver tips to their audience, rather than trying to encourage people to visit their site regularly. Unless you change a lot of content regularly, there really is no reason for them to visit. You''re better off delivering your content *to* the audience rather than waiting for the audience to come to you!

If you want them to visit daily you need to invest in an automatic method for updating your tips. Generally this will be a cgi (common gateway interface - it''s a "techie" term you don''t need to remember) or a web application that will automatically post a new tip daily. You''ll need a technical person to do this one for you, so plan to pay for that expertise to set this up. Once it''s set up, you can easily enter the tips and keep them updated.

As an alternative to a daily tip, you could provide a tip that changes each time someone visits the page. This may be more effective if you want to keep someone on your site. And it shows them a lot of content in a short period of time. Again, you''ll use a cgi for this. Generally you can use the same one as you did for a daily tip - just set it to change each time the web page is loaded.

Yet another alternative is an animated gif. This is a series of graphics with tips on them. They are put into a simple animation program so that they change from one graphic to the next, as someone is on your page. If you have a graphics animation program, you can do this yourself.

Tips are the most versatile and useful piece of information you can create. Get into the habit of recoding tips each time you think of one and each time you share one with a friend or client. Keep those tips handy!

Dr. Jeanette Cates is an Internet strategist who works with experts who are ready to turn their knowledge and their websites into Gold. Her reputation as a speaker and trainer has earned her the title of The Technology Tamer. Jeanette shares her news and views in OnlineSuccessNews.com', 177, 'Behold the Power of the Tip, Marketing, Marketing articles, Marketing information, about Marketing, what is Marketing, Marketing Information', 'Behold the Power of the Tip plus articles and information on Marketing

Build your Trade Show - Virtually

Virtual trade shows are gaining momentum as a way to encourage participation in the event - both live and online. Here are a few ideas to help you expand your trade show - virtually.

1. Provide a map of the show floor that matches the live show. Link each booth on the map to the vendor''s virtual booth.

2. Have each online show visitor register. Give them an ID number to make it easy to request more information from the vendors online, rather than having to fill out forms at each virtual booth.

3. Let visitors search at least three ways: company name, booth number, or type of products.

4. Have the grand opening of your virtual trade show at least 2 weeks before the conference.

5. Encourage each vendor to offer a "show special" that is featured on their trade show page.

6. Offer coupons booth that online visitors can print and bring to the live show. As the organizer, you should plan to offer special coupons online as well. Consider a free drink coupon or a special souvenir of the conference, only available with the coupon.

7. Provide online stations in the exhibit area so that live visitors can visit the online trade show. Provide a printer to print coupons or number the coupons so that they can bring the number to the booth for the "special" discount.

8. Use a digital camera at the live show to take a picture of each booth. Add the photos to the vendors'' pages for after-the-show identification.

9. Leave the show online for at least three months after the live show so that attendees can follow up. Consider a year-round show with vendors who sign up for next year''s live show participating all year long for a reduced fee.

10. Offer a virtual booth only fee to vendors who cannot be at the live show. Price it accordingly.

11. Include a means for vendors to create their virtual booth at your site. A full booth might include a Front Page, a Back Wall, Right and Left Sides, plus a page for specials. As an alternative, a lesser fee could provide just a Front Page with a link to their site.

12. Open links to vendors'' company sites in a new window. That way you don''t lose the traffic. Once they close the other window your site is still in the background waiting to be seen again.

Dr. Jeanette Cates is an Internet strategist who works with experts who are ready to turn their knowledge and their websites into Gold. Her reputation as a speaker and trainer has earned her the title of The Technology Tamer. Jeanette shares her news and views in OnlineSuccessNews.com', 177, 'Build your Trade Show - Virtually, Marketing, Marketing articles, Marketing information, about Marketing, what is Marketing, Marketing Information', 'Build your Trade Show - Virtually plus articles and information on Marketing

How To Start With Absolutely Nothing And Create Wealth online in 30 days or less.

Without a doubt, if you asked me, Shane if there was only 1 marketing strategy that you could use on the Internet, what would it be? Without hesitation I would say joint Ventures. Joint Ventures are easily the most lucrative Marketing Strategy ever invented and if you learn to do it right, will likely be the ONLY marketing strategy you will ever need to use.

A Good Internet Joint Venture is your shortcut to success. It can send you more qualified internet traffic rushing to your site in the shortest amount of time than anything I''ve ever seen! And it can mean bringing your product to market without spending one single penny of your own money!

In it''s simplest form, Joint Ventures have to do with 2 businesses (or more) joining forces to leverage off of each others success, assets and/or expertise. There are hundreds of different variations but let me just give you one simple example:

One variation of a simple type of joint venture partnership used most frequently would be where one business provides a product for sale, the sales message and the product delivery while the other business provides the recommendation for that product to their own list of subscribers/prospects and receiving a commission based on the sales generated through that recommendation.

The benefits are great. You can build your subscriber list, leverage off of your partners infrastructure like using their existing servers, software etc where you don''t have to pay a dime. Even get instant credibility - If you pick the right JV partner, you can acquire instant credibility and reputation with their customers and lists. Credibility sells. Let me give you an example, if you created a book on "how to acquire real estate", you could certainly make MANY more sales if you JV''d with Donald Trump and put his name on the book as the co-author, building your reputation and increasing your credibility at the same time. Are you starting to see the incredible power of this strategy?

Now I know that some people may think that Joint Ventures are difficult to do,but if they are telling you this, then I wouldn''t take anything they tell you at face value because they''re either lying to you or don''t understand it themselves.

Let me show you how easy it is. Here''s typically what I do when rolling out a new product. In this example, let''s pretend that I just completed a new ebook on Penny Stock Trading and have setup a web site with an affiliate program. I would go to google, do a search on keywords like "penny stock", "penny stock trading", "stock market strategies" etc..you get the picture. The top sites on the first page are typically your target partnersbecause since they appear on the first page you can bet they have lots of business, traffic, subscribers and customers. I would visit each site to make sure that they are right for my product and then I would first send them a very brief email asking them if they would be interested in marketing my product in exchange for a high commission as an incentive.

Typically in this email you should briefly introduce yourself and your product. Describe your product and the benefits it would offer to their Newsletter subscribers, customers and/or web site visitors. Ask them politely if they wouldn''t mind responding to you asap and provide your contact information if they are interested in marketing your product. Also very important, you need to give them access to this product FOR FREE!..so that they can review the product and feel comfortable about endorsing it. These site owners have spent years building their business, lists and cultivating their lists to be very responsive. Any endorsement they do to their huge lists could mean thousands of dollars in your pocket for very little effort. More than half of them won''t reply. That''s ok, move on it''s a numbers game.

Remember if just one of these super affiliates decides to market your product you''re golden. Once they contact you all you need to do is setup their affiliate account and commission. This will ensure that their commission will be calculated properly when they endorse your product to their list. Just do this over and over again to all of the relevant site owners. Try doing 3 or 4 per day and after a week you''ll have 4 or 5 good JV partners willing to market your product. Within a week you''ll be on your way to making thousands of dollars per month, all for 5 hours worth of work and at NO COST to you. Isn''t that easy?

The great thing about this strategy is that you don''t even need your own product to profit from this strategy and here''s how. Find someone else''s product, join their affiliate program (make sure it''s a two tier program), then use my strategy to find super affiliates that would be willing to endorse this product to their list and/or advertise on their HIGH traffic site, then get these Super Affiliates to join the affiliate program under you and you can collect a HUGE amount of 2nd tier commission by having these Super Affiliates do all the advertising for you, AND you can do this over and over. Think of the INCREDIBLE potential!

That''s all there is to it.

Shane Kukec is an Internet Marketing Expert and CEO at http://www.newdawnsolutions.com as well as the developer of a revolutionary new system that completely automates Joint Venture Marketing at http://www.jvmining.com. You can reprint this article for free on your site or newsletter but the entire article, resource box and live links must remain intact.', 177, 'How To Start With Absolutely Nothing And Create Wealth online in 30 days or less., Marketing, Marketing articles, Marketing information, about Marketing, what is Marketing, Marketing Information', 'How To Start With Absolutely Nothing And Create Wealth online in 30 days or less. plus articles and information on Marketing

The Marketing Funnel: Simple, Effective Marketing Strategy

No matter if you''re publishing your first book or producing your first invention, you need a simple, effective marketing strategy. So, hiring a marketing agency to develop and implement that strategy will bring raving fans flocking to stores or your website to buy your incredible offering, right?

Well, maybe. Maybe not!

There is a very simple ? yet amazingly potent ? marketing tool which in and of itself can become your most basic marketing strategy. It''s called the "marketing funnel", and it''s most important role is to first attract the interest of a minimum of 1,000 people then gradually, over time, one-by-one develop their trust in you?and, of course, in your idea or product.

Every funnel has certain things in common. Each, of course, is very wide at the top and very narrow at the tip. Not everything can come out the bottom all at once. Each also has a certain capacity from small to large. And each is a solid container. If it''s got lots of holes, then it''s a colander!
Your marketing funnel operates just like a conventional funnel you use in you kitchen or garage. The only thing that makes it different is what you put in it!

To fill your funnel, you need to take these eightbasic steps:

1. Discover your center of authenticity. Know who you are and who you and/or your creation is intended to help or attract.

2. Using the information that identifies your center of authenticity, create a personal parable (or story) telling how you came to be an innovator.

3. Create an elevator speech, also sometimes call an audio business card or 30-second commercial.

4. Create and publish an e-newsletter.

5. Develop alliance partners.

6. Speak frequently at meetings and conferences.

7. Offer teleconferences and live events.

8. Produce your innovation ? publish your book, put your invention on supermarket shelves, release your new software program, build your building! Your goal will be to regularly talk to and attract as your fans (i.e. newsletter readers) a minimum of 1,000 people.

"Sounds impossible!" you protest. Just remember, that the founder of Amazon.com began his business by sending just a handful of emails to people he knew and asked them to forward his message to people they knew. Within 30 days, he had reached people in all 50 states, and the rest is history.

Not all of those first 1,000 people will immediately pop out of the tip of the funnel and become your product champion, your best book reviewer, your client or your customer. However, as you keep in touch with them, over time more and more will get to know you, will come to respect you and ? even if they don''t purchase your product ? may well tell others ? like book agents, prototype developers, and financial angels, to name a few -- about what you have to offer.

© 2004. All rights reserved. Impact Coaching International?. You may copy or distribute this article free of charge as long as it is kept intact and sent in its entirety including copyright notice and full information about contacting the author, Rosemary Hauschild.

Rosemary Hauschild is a business coach serving creative individuals developing intellectual property. Impact Coaching International? offers a year-long program showing creative individuals how to protect, promote and profit from their innovative ideas in less time and with more profits. This coaching program is delivered through quarterly workshops, teleconference calls, web casts, fax and email. Individual coaching services are also available. To learn more about how to protect and promote your intellectual property, you are invited to subscribe to the free e-zine, Creations Of The Mind?, by sending an email to impactcoaching@msn.com with the following phrase in the subject line of your e-mail: subscribe creations list. For a free copy of "Create A Powerful Elevator Speech", send an email to impactcoaching@msn.com with the following phrase in the subject line: elevator speech.', 177, 'The Marketing Funnel: Simple, Effective Marketing Strategy, Marketing, Marketing articles, Marketing information, about Marketing, what is Marketing, Marketing Information', 'The Marketing Funnel: Simple, Effective Marketing Strategy plus articles and information on Marketing

A Simplified Marketing Plan that Works!

When I started my first business in 1981, I researched business plans and marketing plans. I looked at all of the formats and read a lot about the purpose of creating a business plan. But I never got enthused enough to do it.

When I launched my speaking business in 1997, I reconsidered a business plan and a marketing plan. Again, they looked too complex - like a lot of "overkill" for my one-person operation. But I soon found that I needed some type of plan that would remind me of where I was going and how I planned to get there.

For the past several years I''ve been using a simplified marketing plan. And it''s been working for me. It may inspire you to do something similar - or at least do something! Here''s how it works.

At the beginning of the year (or during my planning period for the year), I list the goals for my business. I try to look at all of the facets of the business. For example:

1. Book X speaking engagements.
2. Give X free speeches.
3. Generate $X in consulting fees.
4. Increase website traffic to X page views per month.

Then I list the key factors to my success for the year and assign a code for each. For example:
* Increase online visibility. Code V
* Deepen my credibility. Code C
* Emphasize my experience. Code E
* Generate passive income. Code I

Finally, I outline the audience(s) I want to serve, assigning a code to each.
Speakers Code S
Authors Code A
Consultants Code C
Small business Code SB

Now I''m ready to put my plan into action steps!

At the top of the first page, I list the first goal: Book X speaking engagements. Then I list as many activities that will contribute to that as possible. Here are some I''ve listed this year:

* New professional photo
* Monthly contact with key advocates
* Monthly postcards with tip to meeting planners
* Demo video updated; distribute to speaker bureaus.
* Timeline for each engagement.
* Send press releases for each engagement, as appropriate.
* Specific series of follow-up activities for each engagement.

In addition, I list specific prospects that I want to target this year.

I repeat this process for each goal, listing any marketing or sales activities I need to do under the goal to which it applies.

Next, I go back and code each activity. First with the Key Factors code. Will this activity contribute to my visibility? Credibility? Experience? Or Passive Income? An activity can have multiple key factors. If I find an activity that doesn''t contribute to one of my key factors for the year, I ask myself whether or not this is an appropriate activity for this year. In many cases, I''ll discard it or lower its priority.

Finally, I go through each activity and code the audience(s) for which it will be appropriate. Most activities can apply to several audiences, but I''ll often find that I''m ignoring one of my targeted groups for the year. Again, I ask if there are additional activities I should be doing to serve them better or is it appropriate to ignore them for this year.

As a format I''ve found that this works well for me:

Task Key Factors Audiences Deadline Date Complete

And since I have a staff, I add an additional column for who will do the activity.

At this point, I have my basic plan. All that remains is setting the deadlines for each activity. These deadlines, in turn, dictate my daily activities. If I find myself doing something that isn''t in my marketing plan, I stop and ask "Should I be doing this at all? If I should, why didn''t it show up in my marketing plan? Where can I add it or should I stop doing it?"

Overall, my entire plan is less than 10 pages long. I try never to set more than 10 goals for the year, since that seems so overwhelming! So it keeps it short. I review the plan monthly, noting the activities I have completed and noting progress on those on which I''m working. I''m always amazed at how much I do get done on the plan - even if I never complete all of the tasks I''ve set out to do.

Having a plan is a key element to preparing for success. The format that your plan takes is entirely up to you. But if you haven''t found one that works for you, try this one. Then modify it so it works even better for you. I''d love to hear what''s working for you!

Dr. Jeanette Cates is an Internet strategist who works with experts who are ready to turn their knowledge and their websites into Gold. Her reputation as a speaker and trainer has earned her the title, "The Technology Tamer." Jeanette shares her news and views in OnlineSuccessNews.com ', 177, 'A Simplified Marketing Plan that Works!, Marketing, Marketing articles, Marketing information, about Marketing, what is Marketing, Marketing Information', 'A Simplified Marketing Plan that Works! plus articles and information on Marketing

Do I Need an RSS Feed?

RSS has been around for more than 10 years but has only recently become popular. RSS provides headlines and summaries of information in a concise and standardized way.

Benefits for Publishers

1.) Avoid Spam Filters

Statisticians estimate that 70% of the email transferred each day is spam (unsolicited email). With that statistic, even opt-in users risk losing valuable messages in the cesspool of spam. RSS feeds effectively nullify spam as an issue. Requesting feeds allow users to maintain complete control over the content they view. Users can easily opt-in and out of feeds that provide content of interest or importance.

2.) Expanded Reach

RSS allows publishers to reach a number of new and different markets that typically are less crowded with competition. Many small businesses are often slow to adopt or learn new technologies, giving businesses that lead the way a competitive advantage.

3.) Content Syndication

Syndication of feeds increases exposure.

4.) Repeat Visitors

RSS is all about repeat visitors. Users who have previously visited a site often have a stronger connection to the site and are more likely to purchase or trust the information on the site.

5.) Free web traffic

As the internet has evolved, many webmasters have found that what was once free traffic must now be paid for in order to sustain decent visitor statistics. RSS is in a unique position to bring free traffic because they are content-driven, and if they include interesting or valuable information, will pique the curiosity of web-surfers and entice them to visit a particular site.

6.) Less Effort

Newsletters and E-zines undeniably bring visitors, but the effort involved in creating, distributing and maintaining a newsletter can be a burden. Maintaining the list, ensuring the list is clean, growing the subscriber base, updating and removing bad e-mail addresses, all take time. RSS feeds are not burdened with those issues. There are easy-to-use RSS feed creation tools that require little effort, allowing publishers to recycle content, often simply cutting and pasting into RSS feed creation software.

FeedForAll RSS feed creation - http://www.feedforall.com

Consider supplementing existing communication venues with RSS. Place the contents of newsletters into feeds and measure the results. You might be surprised at the added traffic.

Examples of various feeds with different intended purposes -

RSS feed - http://www.rss-specifications.com/blog-feed.xml Establishing expertise in a specific field.

Business Feed - http://www.notepage.net/blog-feed.xml Contains product and industry information.

Marketing Feed - http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/blog-feed.xml Builds relationships, endorses products in industry sector.

RSS has potential to help companies develop strong relationships with consumers and creating brand loyalty with customers. While the world will not end tomorrow, nor will business come to a screeching halt if you don''t use an RSS feed, there are a number of reasons online businesses should consider using RSS feeds.

About the Author: Sharon Housley manages marketing for the NotePage http://www.notepage.net and FeedForAll http://www.feedforall.com product lines. Other sites by Sharon can be found at http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com , and http://www.small-business-software.net', 177, 'Do I Need an RSS Feed?, Marketing, Marketing articles, Marketing information, about Marketing, what is Marketing, Marketing Information', 'Do I Need an RSS Feed? plus articles and information on Marketing

Business Marketing Strategies

For many small business managers, finding the time and commitment to develop business marketing strategies is difficult. There are so many other obligations vying for our attention it is tempting to push formal strategy development to the back burner. Giving into that temptation, however, means putting your business at a disadvantage. Marketing strategies help point you toward the best marketing programs for your business. Without strategies, you risk becoming unfocused in your marketing efforts, choosing programs that do not support general strategies.

To be most effective, your marketing strategies should be integrated into your marketing plan (which in turn should be part of the business plan). By integrating strategies into your overall company plans, you can better achieve business objectives. Additionally, over time this will result in more consistent decision-making throughout the organization.

Integrating Marketing Strategies into the Marketing Plan

A marketing plan is similar in structure to a business plan, but with a narrower focus. Marketing plans include overall objectives; marketing strategies; and marketing programs, each progressively narrower in scope.

-- The objective addresses the big picture and sets the tone for your strategies. In general terms, your marketing plan objective answers the question "How will I overcome my main marketing challenge(s)?" If your company is a new Web-based business, for example, a main challenge may be figuring out how to use your Web site to better build client business. An objective, therefore, may be "To enhance online client service as well as build site awareness and interest with clients."

-- Marketing strategies support your objective. The strategies define general approaches you will take to meet your objective. For example, marketing strategies to support the above objective could include 1) improving online communication, information, and education, 2) building awareness of and interest in your company on the Internet, and 3) communicating the Web site''s existence and advantages to existing clients.

-- Programs are the things you will do to bring your marketing strategies to life. Programs for strategy 2 in the above example (improving online communication, information, and education) could include 1) sharing experience and observations in your industry through participation in discussion boards, 2) offering an email newsletter, and 3) listing/submitting your site to targeted search engines and directories.

By keeping your business marketing strategies in mind as you initially choose marketing programs, then making adjustments throughout the year based on those strategies, you build a better foundation from which your business can grow.

Note: You can read more about different marketing plan options at MarketingPlanArticles.com.

About the Author

Bobette Kyle draws upon 12+ years of Marketing/Executive experience, Marketing MBA, and online marketing research in her writing. Bobette is proprietor of the Web Site Marketing Plan Network, http://www.websitemarketingplan.com and author of the marketing plan and Web promotion book "How Much For Just the Spider? Strategic Website Marketing For Small Budget Business" ( http://www.howmuchforspider.com/TOC.htm ).

© 2002, 2004 Bobette Kyle. All Rights Reserved.', 177, 'Business Marketing Strategies, Marketing, Marketing articles, Marketing information, about Marketing, what is Marketing, Marketing Information', 'Business Marketing Strategies plus articles and information on Marketing

The Anatomy of Hype

On a copywriting board I frequent, someone expressed bafflement that several respected marketers criticized the tone of a sales page he wrote. "Why did they apologize to their subscribers while linking to my pitch? This approach sells," he said.

Hype was the problem. If you use the following tactics, many educated shoppers cringe and go elsewhere:

Overblown claims. "If You Can Write Your Name, You Can Write a Book in 30 Days - Guaranteed!"

Overexcited tone. Lots of exclamation points, phrases in bold capital letters with underlining and a drumbeat of emphasis. "Programmers poured out their TOP-SECRET strategies that you, too, can use to earn a GATES-LIKE FORTUNE in the software business!!" "Take out your credit card and order RIGHT NOW!"

Unsupported and extreme superlatives. "The most important new product launch, ever."

Adjectives and adverbs you would not encounter from Exxon or IBM. "Mind-blowing" "Exclusive" "Huge" "Incredible" "Wildly" "Literally" (necessary to distinguish truth from hoopla).

Exaggerations. "They''ve made millions under the radar." (When most haven''t made that sum and the "secrecy" is just not having been asked.)

Sounds impressive but untrue. Calling someone a best selling author who has not appeared on a recognized best seller list.

Lack of qualifiers. Statements that should include a bit of backpedaling but don''t. It''s really not "all," "only," "never," "sure-fire" or "will."

Marketers who favor a style full of hype argue that the numbers prove these techniques succeed, whatever the audience. When they tone down the pitch, sales drop. When they toss decorum to the winds and reinsert that hammering excitement and the fervid embellishments, sales return to previous levels. Case closed, they say.

Assuming their numbers are valid, this argument does have a point, but one of limited relevance to many situations. Hype may sell, but it may also undercut other business goals, in these ways:

Reputation. In whose eyes do you want credibility? Use this tone and you can expect snickering rather than respect from established journalists, academics, Fortune 500 companies, most people with postgraduate degrees and colleagues who use any of those groups as their benchmark of respectability.

Partnerships and opportunities. If you''re aiming at joint ventures with banks, universities, community organizations, trade associations and the like, hype counts very heavily against you. You may also endanger your chances of getting a contract from a major publisher if that''s among your goals.

Trust. Are you aiming at a one-time sale or a long-term customer? Hype works better in the former situation, especially where a buyer believes they can obtain a refund if the purchase doesn''t live up to the promises.

Staying out of legal trouble. Some of the techniques listed above either flirt with deception or cross the line to lies. The other day I read through a Federal Trade Commission judgment against an Internet marketer for deceptive marketing and believe me, this is wrath you do not want to bring down upon yourself! Make sure you have a nitpicky lawyer to vet your copy if you favor a hyped style.

Please note that it''s possible to use a hard-hitting, dramatic direct marketing style with descriptive bullet points, calls to action and so on in connection with entirely truthful and completely respectable copy.

Hype does sell. But that''s far from settling the issue of whether or not you should use it.

Marcia Yudkin (marcia@yudkin.com) is the author of 6 Steps to Free Publicity, Persuading on Paper, Web Site Marketing Makeover and other books on business communication. She mentors business owners through http://www.MarketingForMore.com and mentors organizational marketing managers through http://www.MentorForMarketing.com. Sign up for her free weekly newsletter on creative marketing at http://www.yudkin.com/marksynd.htm .', 177, 'The Anatomy of Hype, Marketing, Marketing articles, Marketing information, about Marketing, what is Marketing, Marketing Information', 'The Anatomy of Hype plus articles and information on Marketing

Nine Advance Networking Skills for Seasoned Networkers

A seasoned networker knows the real meaning of networking -- being organized, efficient, effective, and, of course, work the event to its fullest. Attending networking groups after so many years can tire and drain anyone''s excitement. Especially since these situations are not social events. It is easy to have one foot in the event and the other some place else. A major challenge for all networkers is to be there with both feet.

What propels someone to advance networker? Is it the number of events or the number of years they attend? No. Is it the delicate balance and expertise on how they work the event? Yes.

Here are nine techniques that raise networkers skill level:

1. Business cards. If you are networking for a new job or career, there is nothing inappropriate about having a business card with a tag line of what type of job or company you are seeking.

Basic networkers learn that wearing an outfit with two pockets is important for the business card shuffle. Advance networkers think of those pockets as their in-box and an out-boxes.

Aware networkers hand business card exchanges differently. They don''t ask for the card until they know something about the person''s functionality and there is a match. No match, no card. When you receive someone''s card; receive it gently with both hands, stop and read it. This shows respect. Respect to who they are and what they do.

Present your card exactly the same way you receive a card. Present with both hands and the card''s information facing the receiver. Extend your card, with eye contact, and wait for them to receive the card. To present and receive in this manner, both hands need to be free.

Keep a pen handy, in the out-box pocket with your own cards, for writing tidbits on the back. Doing so is also a physical queue that is your pocket in case you forget. In- box, left pocket, is for other''s cards. If you are left- handed, the boxes are opposite.

Never apologize for your business card. At the last six events I attended, there were at least four people that were apologizing for either not having a business card, or for some error on their card. When this occurs you have zapped your personal power. It sends a signal that you aren''t ready to do business. Even quickie inkjet business cards and better than an excuse.

If you don''t have any business cards or ran out, I recommend skipping events until you do. Don''t say you don''t have a card, use this other technique: ask if you can call them and schedule the time then. Advance networkers are ready to schedule an appointment right then. Generally seasoned networkers toss any business card if presented with an excuse.

2. Brochures, samples or flyers. If you need to hold any of these use an appropriate see-through sleeve or small see- through carrier. For flyers use a clear sleeve with an in and out business card holders on the front. This keeps handouts clean and safe. People don''t appreciate receiving paper with bent edges or ragged rims. If you write articles, bring your latest and appropriate copy for handouts. One handout per event is appropriate.

3. Eye contact depends on the culture. I''m speaking here for the American culture. Make eye contact, both eyes, when presenting your business card or receiving theirs. Make eye contact when shaking hands. And look at them, not their hands. Honor the person by maintaining focused eye contact on them.

Seasoned networkers know if you are right handed, the name tag is placed on the right. This allows the name to appear in visual perimeter when shaking hands. If the name tag is on the left, others assume you are left handed and will present their other hand accordingly.

During your 30 seconds, advanced networkers don''t begin or continue speaking as they stand or return to their seat. They breathe from their stomach and slowly look around the room before speaking to gain audience attention and allow people to switch to listening mode.

4. It is not important to meet everyone in the room. Use the time efficiently to meet only those that match your intention. Seasoned networkers know when and how to break- off the contact to keep moving. They do so smoothly.

If you know others in the room, seasoned networkers know how to hand the other person off to the next person. "Jill, let me introduce you to Sandy. Sandy, Jill. Please excuse me while you two get to know each other." Another way to politely move on is by saying, "Thank you, I''ve enjoyed talking with you. I know we''re both here to meet other people. So, let''s do so."

5. Come ready to sell (one of my pet peeves). People bring an event flyer with a call to action to register at a website or mail a check. You just lost the sale. Be ready, accept cash, check or credit card payment. Generally people don''t carry more than $20 and prefer to use their credit or debit cards. Give people an incentive for registering at the event. Ask for a commitment. Flyers that require a visit to a website or to mail a check almost always get trashed. You can see them piled in the events trash can.

If you''re not ready to get orders, omit it. If you are an author, bring your books and sell them. Autograph the book. Ask if they want to purchase a copy for a client or friend.

When people don''t accept credit cards, it tells me they are new and aren''t ready to sell. It can also say that the event will have little attendance. People hate to show up at events with little attendance.

6. Let go of the multi-tasking ladies. Eat first and then network. People generally don''t want to interrupt someone when they are eating. Use a purse that doesn''t slide off the should ever few minutes, it''s distracting. You may want not to take a purse or use it to hold the material in plastic sleeves.

7. Introducing yourself, title vs. functionality. Which is more important to the person you are talking to -- your title or what functions you can help them with. Yep, the latter. Instead of saying, "I''m a tax preparer" say, "I help people save money on their taxes". Instead of saying, "I''m a business coach" give a WIIFM. Here''s one of mine: "One of my specialties is to help service professionals create a short business plan in less than an hour that says everything they need to stay focused for the coming year."

Be careful of your tone, pace, and breathing when you talk. People don''t naturally tune into what you are saying until the third or fourth word. The example above, "One of my... doesn''t say anything important until "service professionals". Name presentation is the same. I say, Catherine Franz, slowly and then repeat my first name: "Catherine with a C". Generally, when people are nervous, they forget to breath before speaking. Then the information erupts like a volcano. Most of it as inaudible.

8. Less than ½ % of 1% of unseasoned networkers follow-up. That is a sad statistic, and loss of opportunity. Recently, after five events and tagging 40 business cards, only four followed up. I called four, said I wanted to place an order, and still no response. When we met up again, they apologized for being too busy. Oops, I went somewhere else. Stop the excuses, no wants to hear them.

On another similar note, don''t promise to follow-up and don''t. It shoots down your credibility. If you are one of these, please note, when this occurs, people many times take it personally.

Follow-up within 24 business hours. Your follow-up displays your level of commitment to relationships. The way you follow-up, e-mail or phone, measures how much you want a relationship.

9. Prepare for the event. Bring any promised items. For morning events, prepare the day before. Arrive early. Early bird gets the worm. Freshen up, walk in relaxed, breathing correctly, standing tall, and ready. Bring samples, product specials of the month to sell. If its hand cream, use it and pass it around the room. Author of a new book, read a paragraph that gets them curious during your 30 seconds, and bring copies for people to purchase.

Catherine Franz, a Certified Professional Marketing & Writing Coach, specializes in product development, Internet writing and marketing, nonfiction, training. Newsletters and articles available at: http://www.abundancecenter.com blog: http://abundance.blogs.com', 177, 'Nine Advance Networking Skills for Seasoned Networkers, Marketing, Marketing articles, Marketing information, about Marketing, what is Marketing, Marketing Information', 'Nine Advance Networking Skills for Seasoned Networkers plus articles and information on Marketing

15 Ways to Promote eLearning Programs

Pre-note: In this article, teleclass is an example used to illustrate one type of eLearning market. The tips work the same for other eLearning programs, including, but not limited to, teleseminars and ecourses.

In the mid-1990s, the teleclass format began and was named, distance learning. During these early years, learning institutions, particularly universities, were chief users of this format. Mainly due to the large equipment investment needed at that time. Now, due to technology changes and cost reduction, people can give and attend ePrograms without leaving their chair or selling their first child. No parking challenges, auto expenses, or travel time required. Another benefit to learning by phone is that your listening skills will reach new heights quickly.

In 2003, technology allowed a single conference line to expand from 30 to 150 participants per line. Affordable conference lines were previously only available in certain states, Florida and Nevada. Now other states, like New York, are jumping in on this bandwagon with affordable rates.

Currently, a 24/7 conference line, is available to rent around $600 a year. An alternative is to rent the line by the hour. This can range between $10 to $20 per hour depending on the service features desired. You can also share a line with one or two others to reduce your cost. I recommend finding line-share partners who are in other time zones, it makes sharing easier.

Zero-cost teleconference lines at available at http://www.mrconference.com and by other vendors. Most of these services have flaws that range from automatic disconnect if no voice is detected every 8 to 10 minutes, to being blocked from entering the call because of overstressed lines. I recommend the leader dialing in 5 to 10 minutes early to secure the line, however, this doesn''t mean that all participants may not experience over trafficked busy signals.

Actually, teleprograms will not take the place of "being there" for all people. The skills and experience of the teleclass leader or host can also make or break the learning experience. There are just as many teleclass leader styles as people. If you have never experienced a teleclass, I recommend attending four or five before deciding if the format is or isn''t for you.

15 Tips To Help Promote Your eLearning Programs

1. If you produce your own eNewsletter, electronic newsletter, or eZine, electronic magazine, or printed newsletter, add an eLearning announcement section.

2. Contact other newsletter editors and ask to have your program announced in their issue. You can swap ad space, your ad for their ad, exchange ad space for participation, offer a commission option, purchase the ad, or pay per click-through. I don''t recommend paying for click-throughs unless excellent tracking systems are in place. In order to attract, make sure their target market and yours match.

3. You can also use pay-per-click through search engines like Google''s AdWord program. If you go this route, I suggest you purchase an ad analyzer software (about $100) or a service (average $19.95/month) to maximize time and reduce mistakes.

4. Place notices all over your web site -- especially your main page -- about the program. Remember: posting announcement notices is actually passive marketing. You will still need to pull visitors to the site.

5. Write and distribute Internet articles on the same subject. Unable to write, hire a ghostwriter. Allow four to twelve weeks for this process to begin pulling visitors to your website. The number of articles distributed will proportionally be your return. My low end measurement has been: 1 article = 10 visitors or more = 8 new eNewsletter subscribers = 1 sale. High end: 1 article = 350 new visitors = 125 new subscribers = 10 sales. This is now one of the top five Internet promotion building attractions.

6. Since ePrograms don''t require people to be physically present, attendance is now open internationally. Thus, you will want to distribute information about your eLearning opportunity globally. Find places in other English-speaking countries like the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. If you speak a foreign language, you can even offer the same program in that language. Spanish speaking ePrograms are in high demand.

7. Mention your eProgram on other ePrograms you attend. You can slip it in with a question or when presenting your personal information to the class.

8. Add a promotional paragraph about the program to all your outgoing e-mails, called signatures in Outlook. Choose HTML design in your software and add a picture of the leader/host along with a link to where someone can register or find out additional information.

9. Join market-rich discussion lists, billboards, or chat rooms. If direct solicitation isn''t permitted, sell gently through your signature or indirect questions.

10. Write a press release for each eProgram. Become a member of PR Web http://www.prweb.com/. Membership is fr*e*e. This number one website attracts a very high percentage of media personnel.

11. Accumulate a list of all the local newspapers that offer fr*e*e community event announcements. Inquire into their deadline and submission requirements. You will also want to ask how can may confirm receipt of your information. They don''t intentionally leave information out, however, they move at a fast pace and things do get lost in the shuffle. Special note: Most community list ads are for fr*e* events.

Use a three-ring binder to record the advertising information. You can also save the information in your e- mail software, like Outlook, and your Internet browser software, in a separate "Community newspaper" section. However, if the hard drive crashes, make sure the information safe. Due to the value of this information and the amount of time you spent accumulating it, you still may want to keep updated printouts just in case. Even a backup diskette in the binder. Having a paper version also helps when the computer is off or you need to transport the information. This is also a great item to delegate to a virtual assistant.

12. Add your announcement to your telephone answering script. Change it whenever you are offering a new eProgram. Give instructions as to how to register -- and it''s important to make this as easy as possible for them. Don''t forget some marketing tidbits of "what''s in it for them (WIIFM)" to register and do it now.

13. Use fr*e*e ePrograms or offers to provide a taste and attract participants to register for longer paid programs. Offers can include: ebooks, ecourses, special reports, or even a professional white papers. Offering a transcription of the program or an audio copy is another great offer.

14. List your class in teleclass directories. Some directories require that you attend their particular teleclass-leading course. A big downfall in time and expense in the short-run, however, good investment for the long term. Here are a few directories to get you started:

http://www.seminarannouncer.com
http://www.teleclass4u.com
http://www.teleclasslive.com
http://www.teleclass.com
http://www.thefeelgoodplace.com/freetele.htm
http://www.Yahoogroups.com -- over 30 places to post your eProgram listing.

15. If you give speaking engagements or even when you participate in other events, seminars, workshops, give out flyers on your eProgram. Works well in networking groups too. Take the flyers to the libraries, senior and civic centers.

FYI, names of ePrograms can seem confusing at times, however, there is a standard for what to expect depending on the name. A teleseminar usually has very little interaction between leader and attendees. It is set up to instruct and participants to solely listen. Sometimes a brief Q&A period is spaced in-between subtopic changes.

On the other hand, a teleclass provides more time for participant to participant or participant to leader interaction. It has a higher ratio of free forming. A teleclass format copies more of the workshop atmosphere. A teleprogram, is a teleclass delivered over a period of time, like a class at a learning institution. The term eProgram is a compilation, or overview term, of all electronically delivered learning programs.

Catherine Franz, a Certified Professional Marketing & Writing Coach, specializes in product development, Internet writing and marketing, nonfiction, training. Newsletters and articles available at: http://www.abundancecenter.com blog: http://abundance.blogs.com', 177, '15 Ways to Promote eLearning Programs, Marketing, Marketing articles, Marketing information, about Marketing, what is Marketing, Marketing Information', '15 Ways to Promote eLearning Programs plus articles and information on Marketing

How to Expand Your Target Markets

Are your products or services geared towards only one target market? You can increase sales and profits by increasing your target markets. Below are some creative ways to increase your target markets by using your existing products and services you''re selling right now.

REDESIGN

You can increase your target markets by redesigning your products and services. For example: you''re selling a book called "Internet Marketing Tips For Accountants" You could rewrite part of your book and call it "Internet Marketing Tips For Lawyers". You''ve now increased your target markets by redesigning your book.

ADD-ON

You can increase your target markets by adding on other product or service with your main one. For example: if you''re selling a football magazine you could add a free football when someone buys a subscription. You''re now targeting people who want the football magazine and those that want to play football out in the yard. Sometimes they buy stuff just to get the freebies.

TEAM-UP

You can increase your target markets by doing a cross promotion with a similar non-competeing businesses. For example: your business sells tennis rackets and you find another business to cross promote with that sells tennis balls. You could combine your racket and their balls in one package. You are now targeting people that need tennis rackets and balls.

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Julia Tang publishes "Smart Online Business Tips", a fresh
and informative newsletter dedicated to supporting people
like you. To find out the best online business opportunities,
to discover hundreds more proven and practical internet
marketing secrets, plus FREE internet marketing products
worth over $200, visit: http://www.best-internet-businesses.com
----------------------------------------------------------', 177, 'How to Expand Your Target Markets, Marketing, Marketing articles, Marketing information, about Marketing, what is Marketing, Marketing Information', 'How to Expand Your Target Markets plus articles and information on Marketing

The Dare-To-Be-Different In Marketing Checklist

There is a big payoff in being different. When you accept "what is" you place yourself in the category of "sameness," and people don''t buy sameness. Why should they? They can do sameness themselves. If your prospects aren''t seeing the value you offer, you may be coming across as the same and not daring to be different.

Dare yourself to be different in promoting yourself, your services or your products. It doesn''t matter if you are an employee, independent professional, student, or executive, being different pays off.

Take the challenge and step out of "sameness" today. How you play it doesn''t have to be in big, small counts too. Take the dare. Dare yourself too! Begin before getting out of bed with these questions: Who, what, when where and how can I be different today?

* Here are some Dare-to-be-Different guidelines for promoting yourself differently:

* Say different things about yourself. Emphasize something only you can do.

* Think differently. Focus on today -- the here and now. Forget about yesterday and what did or did not go right or how tomorrow has to be better. Today is all that counts.

* Sound different. Listen to your heart and speak from there.

* Look different. How about a scarf or mismatched socks? A different hairdo? Looking different will make you feel different.

* Sell your services differently. Share a story that increased your wisdom with someone today. Maybe you aren''t a writer -- then write that story.

* Offer something different. Offer options that others don''t. Present the options differently.

* Guarantee something different. Back up your services in a way that others don''t.

* Target differently. Pursue a different niche in the market. Give yourself space to think about a different market and what you can offer them. Find a solution that links your product/services and their needs.

* Communicate differently. Get your messages across in a unique way. Write your e-mail responses differently. Change your signature line. Write ten new voice mail messages and change the message every day.

* Follow-up differently. Surprise your clients with the way you stay in touch. Write a thank you note to a client. Send a small thinking of you gift. Forward them something fun and unexpected.

* Walk differently. Walk from a place of abundance. Feel abundance radiating from the inside out. Others will notice it immediately.

Dare yourself to be different!

Discover how being different makes a difference. See what new things it attracts to you -- Law of Attraction. You will discover the most important secret of self-promotion: your differences are your diamonds. Your differences are your prosperity.

Believe in that secret and you will discover the magic of reaching a higher level of personal achievement, income and success than you ever thought possible. You are going to love the experience.

Catherine Franz, a Certified Professional Marketing & Writing Coach, specializes in product development, Internet writing and marketing, nonfiction, training. Newsletters and articles available at: http://www.abundancecenter.com blog: http://abundance.blogs.com', 177, 'The Dare-To-Be-Different In Marketing Checklist, Marketing, Marketing articles, Marketing information, about Marketing, what is Marketing, Marketing Information', 'The Dare-To-Be-Different In Marketing Checklist plus articles and information on Marketing

The Illusion of Print Mail Services

If ever there was a lazy way to easy profits in mail order it has
to be the concept of letting someone else do all the work for
you.

In theory, it works like this:

You send a camera-ready circular or ad to someone who advertises
a print/mail service and they will print and mail it (along with
many others) to 1,000 to 25,000 names on their own list. You
simply pay a one-time charge while they do all the work. Now,
multiply this by 5, 10 or more such services and you could (still
theoretically speaking, of course) have several thousand of your
offers in the hands of prospective buyers within a few weeks.

The problem, is that it doesn''t work that easily, at least not to
the point of making it profitable for the dealer who expects to
become delunged with orders. Even the very best mailers in the
business can produce only a small percentage of return for their
clients, so you would have to have a very high markup on your
offer and reach millions of people if you hope to make it
profitable. If you already have a test-proven offer that produces
about 3% return when you mail the offer by itself, you will be
lucky to get one-half of 1% when mailed by a mailer along with
hundreds of others.

Yes, some offers can produce a profit, even with such a small
percentage of return, but they are extremely few and far between.
First of all, you would most likely have to be the high markup
that is required. If the offer calls for $10 and you can produce
it for $1 reality is: That''s 5 orders per thousand...50 orders per
10,000. Some offers might be able to survive on this, others
cannot. You will have to do some figuring to determine whether
it''s worth trying.

On the down side of this practice, there has been quite a bit of
speculation about such print/mail services as to their honesty
and quality of their services. Many of them offer poor
printing, often smudgy or in various shades of gray instead of
crisp black and white; some of the lists they use are so
overworked, they have become virtually worthless. Even the best
mailers use primarily "Opportunity" lists, so merchandise offers
would hardly be appropriate. Another flaw in this idea that some
crooked mailers are out there who simply don''t mail the quantity
they claim. It seems they print and mail only hundred or so, but
claim to mail in the thousands. This is very difficult for anyone
to prove or disapprove, so the entire idea of using a print/mail
service is precarious at best.

Copyright 2004 by DeAnna Spencer
This article may be freely reproduced on the Internet as long as the
resource box remains intact.

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DeAnna is the publisher of the ezine, Prospecting and Presents.
Subscribers get one free ad per week.
Subscribe today by visiting http://www.pnewsletter.com
To thank the publishers/webmasters that use my article, I offer
one free solo ad. Simply fill out the contact form on my contact
page listing the url it was used on or sending me a copy of the
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Note to publisher/webmaster: Feel free to remove the part about the solo
ad when you get ready to publish the article.', 177, 'The Illusion of Print Mail Services, Marketing, Marketing articles, Marketing information, about Marketing, what is Marketing, Marketing Information', 'The Illusion of Print Mail Services plus articles and information on Marketing

Target Your Share of the 50-Plus Market

It''s quite apparent that Americans are living longer--- and as people age, they request and require many more products and services than ever before. Now, as aging Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964) are coming of age, the fifty-plus population is over 77 million people and growing enormously all the time. And since they control 77% of all financial assets, your mature market share may make or break your business profits.

Every 7 seconds someone in America turns 50. Are you doing your personal as well as professional best to make them your loyal customers, build trust, and receive referrals from satisfied customers? Here are some ways to increase your success and sales with this very diverse group.

In every respect, the 50-plus market is the wealthiest population with major discretionary money to spend on everything from luxury cars, travel, homes, healthcare, gifts, entertainment, grandchildren, etc.

They defy any one "lumped together" label---rather they are unique individuals reflecting their own life stages, lifestyles, physical abilities, household configurations, attitudes and personalities. Cater to each client the way you believe they would like you to behave.

In advertising and publicity, use 12-point type, without serifs, to make reading easier. Use plenty of white space around copy so your message stands out.

Older people are extremely interested in what your product or service does and why you are better than your competitors. They also have the time to read brochures, newsletters, and now the internet to keep abreast of all the facts to make informed decisions.

25 million adults over 50 are regular internet users, with the fastest growing segment 65 and up. 78% of them have made online purchases.

Check the physical layout of your office for safety and comfort. Are the floors even, the door handles easy to open, and aisles wide enough to accommodate walkers or wheelchairs, plus comfortable seating for customers and their families? Make sure that background music is low enough so that it doesn''t interfere for people with hearing disabilities. When facing a client, make sure they are not looking directly into sun glare.

In advertising photographs, display individuals as 10 to 15 years younger than they actually are. That is the way we see ourselves, and you will discourage sales if you portray people as frail and sedentary. Remember, there are many 80- year- olds still on the tennis and golf courses, taking educational classes, and trying new hobbies.

Take the time to get to know your older potential clients. Speak directly to them, answer their questions until you are both satisfied everything is understood. And never, ever talk down to them---their wisdom is priceless. Patience is a virtue, but the results and referrals coming from each one of your satisfied clients will certainly be worth it!

As a mature marketer helping many companies since 1992, I invite you to e-mail me for future mature marketing newsletters. Please place the word "newsletter" in the subject line. Check out our online magazine at www.MatureResources.org , where we have relevant consumer information for boomers, seniors and long distance caregivers. There is also a Professional Resource Directory for businesses to promote themselves and their services. E-mail s.cutler@MatureResources.net or phone 561-375-8603 or toll-free at 1-800-540-0046.

Sharon Sultan Cutler was one of the first mature marketing professionals in New York. She was responsible for creating a mature marketing company, special events, 50-Plus Expos, and a senior help hotline.

Now that the internet is surfed by over 25 million Americans 50-plus, she created www.MatureResources.org, a monthly ezine for boomers and seniors and business advertising for companies on a local, regional or national basis.', 177, 'Target Your Share of the 50-Plus Market, Marketing, Marketing articles, Marketing information, about Marketing, what is Marketing, Marketing Information', 'Target Your Share of the 50-Plus Market plus articles and information on Marketing

Are We There Yet?

Small business marketing is not like taking a family vacation.

Did anybody take a family vacation this summer? Do you have children of your own, or do you remember what it was like when you were a kid taking a trip somewhere?

I can still remember the family vacations as a youngster growing up. Our famous treks across America in the family station wagon or the rented RV, when the station wagon became impractical. Now with my own family we''ve taken some similar but generally smaller scale trips.

It seems like one of the most asked questions from a child - "Are we there yet?" Or the other favorite is, "How much longer?" Even families that fly to their vacation destination I''m sure can relate.

What does this have to do with marketing?

I think sometimes (maybe many times) service business owners can become like that child in regards to their marketing. Are we there yet? How much longer?

You work on a web site, or a brochure, or go to networking events and send out letters. Then you wonder when you''re going to start getting results. When does the fun start? You know, the fun -- when prospects start calling and others refer and send business your way.

And much like the family vacation, continual asking of are we there yet or how much longer often leads to unplanned stops or detours. You stop to work on other things because there is so much to do and it''s sometimes hard to see how this marketing is going to work.

Marketing shouldn''t start and stop.

Most people say they understand, even if their actions say differently, that marketing is an ongoing activity. Marketing isn''t like a vacation where you have a final destination and then you stop traveling because you''re there.

Unfortunately, many small businesses get frustrated or burned out when they work on their marketing. They want to know, "how long this is going to take". Are we there yet?

And far too many times, they abandon their marketing "campaign" because it wasn''t getting them results and taking them where they wanted to go. But even worse than that, many times the "are we there yet" mentality didn''t even let them finish planning or put the idea into action.

Eventually they start planning, or maybe just take off on, another marketing trip. Once again, they start wondering how much longer it will be. Are we there yet?

Marketing needs to be an ongoing, lifelong kind of journey for your business. It takes regular and consistent effort to keep your pipeline full of good, high-quality leads and to keep moving your prospects forward until they become paying clients. That means continuously marketing even when you have clients you''re busy working with.

Keep Moving On.

The question "are we there yet?" needs to become "how do we keep going?" Yes, you do need to monitor results so you can assess how well things are working to get you where you want to go. When your measurements show you that something is working, keep doing it. In fact, do more of it.

But you can also keep striving to reach new heights as well. How can you continuously improve even the things that are working to get even better, more consistent results?

If you continue to ask the question, "Are we there yet?" you might just stall out on your journey. You see, eventually you''ll discover some marketing strategies that will start to attract attention and generate the response you''ve been hoping for. It might seem like in fact, "you are there" and so you put the marketing on cruise control.

How to keep moving forward.

When you find yourself asking this most asked question, consider any or all of the following ideas to keep you continuously moving forward.

Study up on marketing. There is no shortage of resources out there. You need to find them and begin consuming them. There are lots of books available on the subject. Look for the ones that offer proven, hands-on strategies and tactics. Remember, one or two good ideas now and then could make a significant difference to your business.

Form or join a "think tank" or mastermind group. Find a group of people who care just as much about your success as you do, just as you''ll care about their success. This is not a group of friends who will simply stroke your ego. Look for an honest group who will ask the tough questions and demand accountability from each other while supporting each others'' efforts.

Attend talks and workshops. If you go and participate fully, you''ll often get just as much from the other participants as you will from the session itself.

Get hands-on assistance. Working with a coach or marketing consultant who can help you focus, set goals, prioritize, create action plans and help hold you accountable could be an invaluable experience for your business.

Support from outside resources like this can help you shift from a mindset of "are we there yet" to a mindset of "how can we keep going." They''ll help you continue to see possibilities beyond where things currently stand in your business.

About the Author:

Kevin Dervin is focused on helping small businesses that are ready to grow, but struggle with how to consistently attract more clients. Visit http://www.proven-small-business-marketing-solutions.com for more great marketing information you can put to use in growing your business today.

Find Kevin''s Kansas City based KPD Marketing practice at http://www.ABCDgrowth.com and subscribe to his free ezine called ABCD Grow.', 177, 'Are We There Yet?, Marketing, Marketing articles, Marketing information, about Marketing, what is Marketing, Marketing Information', 'Are We There Yet? plus articles and information on Marketing

You Must Get Going If You Want To Get Growing

For many of service-based businesses out there, it''s not that you don''t know you should be marketing or don''t want to get better at it. It''s just that you don''t.

For some, it might be that you don''t really know what to do, so you''re doing nothing. And that includes not taking any action to learn more and find out what to do. If you were a car, you''d be stuck in PARK.

For some, it''s not that you don''t know what to do, you just don''t. Other things always seem to take precedence. You have to call those prospects back that never returned your call from twelve weeks ago. Maybe you have to re-index your collection of business cards. If you were a car, you''d be stuck in NEUTRAL.

Still for others, you''re doing as much as you can to market your services, but you''re just not getting the results you''d like to have. It gets frustrating, because each of your ideas cost time and money, but you''re not seeing the payoff. If you were a car, you''d be stuck in the MUD!

If you want to get GROWING with your service business, then you must get GOING with your marketing. You need to have a plan and a system in place that will...

...get you unstuck,

...make yourself accountable for getting it done, and

...give you something actionable to follow so that you can be as productive as possible with your non-client time.

Above all, you must GET GOING to GET GROWING!

Here are five identifiable and essential steps for you to get going with your marketing.

1. Begin with Laser Focus. If you haven''t established clarity and focus about where you are going with your business, then you might as well be driving around in the dark, blindfolded and without headlights.

Just by spending some time to clarify and write down what you are trying to do with your business, your vision for where you want to take the business, and five to ten specific and measurable goals you''d like to accomplish for the coming months and year -- you''ll be ahead of most of the service businesses out there.

Spend some additional time to define a very specific target market you''d like to penetrate and what it is that uniquely differentiates you from other alternatives. The focus on a niche allows you to create greater connection to prospects in the target audience than if you market to everyone.

The half day to a day or so you spend thinking through and actually writing these things down will give you more clarity, focus and motivation to keep you moving forward than you can imagine.

2. Position your business for great success. There are a number of key components that once developed can and should exist throughout your marketing.

Start by developing an attention getting message that focuses on your target clients and the challenges you want to help them overcome. Don''t try to get too fancy. What you need is a concise, powerful statement that says who you work with and what problems, issues or challenges you want to help them overcome.

Additional key components:

* Articulate specific results and benefits of your services.
* Compile evidences of success including case studies and testimonials.
* Determine what you can offer to lower your prospects risk of doing business with you.

With all these client-focused elements in hand, you''ll position your business for success that others simply don''t have.

3. Create better marketing materials. If you''ve completed steps one and two, then you''ve done most of the groundwork for your marketing materials. Notice how everything is about your clients and prospects, and not about you or your company.

Whether you work on a web site, special report, tip sheet, newsletter, etc., keep the focus on your clients and prospects and what you can do for them. Most of the material out there just goes on and on about whom you are and what you do. That just does not work. People want to know what''s in it for them and how you can help them solve their problems.

Also, try to make it clear what action you want your audience to take - call, email, order, etc. Ever read through someone''s material and then you have no clue what you should do next? I see it all the time. Your audience will appreciate it if you guide them a bit as to what action they should take.

4. Get known in your marketplace. This is where a majority of service businesses start. They immediately start joining networking groups and trying to spread the word that they''re in business. But look at how much work we just did before now.

I''m not suggesting you need to complete all of steps one, two, and three before you start trying to get visibility for yourself, but just think of how well prepared you will be to make an impression and follow-up if you''ve spent time on each of these previous steps.

Now you can get actively involved in networking, set up one-on-one meetings with networking contacts to deepen relationships, and start looking for places to share your valuable information through speaking and writing opportunities.

You''ll create visibility for yourself so people can start to feel like they know you, like you, trust you and want to do business with you.

5. Deploy marketing initiatives and begin a cycle of continuous improvement. Marketing is not a one time event. There is no end destination where you''re finished, sit back and let the marketing start working for you.

You must continuously monitor what''s working and what''s not working. Test your messages, offers, target lists, etc. Think about what it could mean to your business if you could increase the effectiveness of one of your marketing tools by 2, 5, 10, or 20 times the response. That''s the power of testing.

Consider scheduling regular time and begin working through these essential steps as best you can. I guarantee you won''t be stuck in park, stuck in neutral, or stuck in the mud for long. Remember, you must get going to get growing and I just gave you a five step plan to do it.

About the Author:

Find Kevin''s Kansas City based KPD Marketing practice at http://www.ABCDgrowth.com and subscribe to his free ezine called ABCD Grow.', 177, 'You Must Get Going If You Want To Get Growing, Marketing, Marketing articles, Marketing information, about Marketing, what is Marketing, Marketing Information', 'You Must Get Going If You Want To Get Growing plus articles and information on Marketing

Take the Logo Litmus Test

Here is your C.I.T.T. (pronounced "kit")
[Color ? Illustrate? Type ? Test]

COLOR. Color plays a major role in influencing particular moods and feelings about your company. Don''t believe me? Look at Dove? soap. You''ll find the shampoo bottles are white. White conveys purity, simplicity and a sense of cleanliness. It''s strategic and makes sense doesn''t it?! Have you noticed that you can associate an industry by its color? Blue is a popular color for technology companies and bottled water companies, for instance. How about identifying a certain mood by color? Quick, what mood do you think the color red evokes? Could be romance or anger or urgency...

ILLUSTRATE. Small businesses and solo-entrepreneurs don''t have budgets like Nike, Starbucks and McDonalds... so, if you decide to create a graphical image to represent your business, make sure it communicates what your customers might expect from your company. Great examples of this includes the logo of Giftpile.com and IndieArtistStation.com

TYPE. There is an art to lettering... just ask a calligrapher or illustrator who can create a logo based on letters. Again, illustrated in the Giftpile.com (mentioned above). An illustrator created a custom type which looks similar to gift wrap and ribbons on presents which is very appropriate for the service Giftpile.com performs (wedding gifts).

TEST. With the variety of promotions and advertising you may conduct, shouldn''t your logo look *Good* in black & white (b&w)?! "Shouldn''t I think about color for my logo?" and "Why is b&w important?" you may be asking... Great questions! Do you think you''ll ever make copies of your marketing materials... isn''t it cheaper to make b&w copies at Office Depot (average $0.02-$0.05/each)? Your logo will be on all your future business faxes, too! If you participate in tradeshows, you may have b&w imprinted giveaways because it''s more affordable to imprint your logo in b&w than in color. That goes same for print advertising (newspapers, magazines, business journals, etc.). Since your logo will be used in all types of media or a variety of mediums (from posters, t-shirts to mugs and pens), it should be easy to resize (larger or smaller) while keeping the quality and crispness of the design. Most likely the end result of the logo designed for you will be available in a vector graphic format (the most popular design tool is Adobe Illustrator which saves your design as a .ai or .eps file) - simply crisp line graphics easily scalable without loss of quality.

----------------------------------------------------------------
With over 100+ websites designed in the past 4 years, Maya Sunpongco is your Chief Imagination Officer for Design Insomnia, in San Diego, CA - an internet/web graphics firm that harnesses the "Power of Design to Communicate." She supports women-owned businesses and is a member of the National Association for Female Executives and the Professional Women''s Network.', 177, 'Take the Logo Litmus Test, Marketing, Marketing articles, Marketing information, about Marketing, what is Marketing, Marketing Information', 'Take the Logo Litmus Test plus articles and information on Marketing

Make your Book Stand Out From the Crowd: Know your Audience

Most authors say, "Everyone will want my book, and when I take it to Oprah, it will sell millions, and I''ll make millions, too."

Not exactly true. If you are writing a book you need to know your specific audience. This gives your book its unique selling point. Writing for your target audience focuses your writing and gives your book a great advantage because you know and can communicate your unique selling point. (USP). Now, your book will stand out from the crowd. Although everyone won''t buy it, it will sell more copies because your targeted book buyers really want your message.

How do you know who your audience is?

The biggest mistake most authors make is that they don''t write for their one preferred audience. If an audience is "everyone," the book doesn''t have an angle. Without a focus audience, it has too much competition among other popular authors. The "Dummy" books have done well because they have one particular focus--beginners.

Know your audience inside and out through the "Audience Profile."

What do they look like? How old are they? Male? Female? Age? Baby boomers? Seniors? Entrepreneurial? Corporate? Are they middle or upper class? What kind of work do they do? What is their income? What do they spend discretionary time and money on? Where do they live? What books and magazines do they read? What values and attitudes are reflected by those books? What are their interests, hobbies, and values?
Are they Internet savvy? How much will they be willing to spend on your book?

What challenges do they face that they want answers to? Are they business people, retired people, over 50? What radio shows do they listen to? What TV programs do they watch? What do they do with their free time? What events do they attend? What organizations do they belong to? What causes do they support? Are they Internet savvy? What kinds of sites do they visit and bookmark? How many of them are out there to sell to? What do they want? Need?

Go to your library or Internet to research just how many people belong to your audience. Ask for the reference books that have census and other information. All agents and publishers will want this information from you to include in your book proposal.

Even if you publish this book yourself, do some market research. Research can help you with numbers: 45 million readers read new age books; 65 million baby boomers and 60 million seniors are out there. They buy online, too. Think of one segment of these groups your can write and market for: New Age newly divorced-age 50 and up; senior women creating a new career at 60; Baby boomer working mothers who want healthier food for their children.

By writing a book with an angle, you will attract your preferred audience because your whole book is devoted to answering its concerns.

Judy Cullins, 20-year book and Internet Marketing Coach, Author of 10 eBooks including "Write your eBook Fast," and "How to Market your Business on the Internet," she offers free help through her 2 monthly ezines, The Book Coach Says...and Business Tip of the Month at http://www.bookcoaching.com/opt-in.shtml and over 140 free articles. Email her at mailto:Judy@bookcoaching.com', 113, 'Make your Book Stand Out From the Crowd: Know your Audience, Book-Marketing, Book-Marketing articles, Book-Marketing information, about Book-Marketing, what is Book-Marketing, Book Marketing Information', 'Make your Book Stand Out From the Crowd: Know your Audience plus articles and information on Book-Marketing

Top Ten Ways to Promote Your Books Through Flyers

A flyer is an excellent, inexpensive way to promote your book. What makes one flyer so much better than another? Use these top10 tips to make your flyer stand out from the crowd.

1. Include a colored picture of your front cover.

People want to see what your book looks like. Color is great, but not always necessary. Make sure your colored book cover copies well in black and white. If you do use color, make your book cover background white with colored lettering, so you don''t go through a $35 ink cartridge too fast.

2. Hook your prospective buyers with the headline in the top line of your flyer just as you do for your back cover.

Here''s a few gems: Why Not Publish Yourself? Read About SEX as it Really Is! Imagine Thousands of Readers Buying your Book Next Month! Quadruple your Income in Four Months! Give your audience a reason to buy--Show those benefits.

3. Include some juicy excerpts from your book.

Prospective buyers want to see a sample of your writing, especially if it''s fiction. Use an analogy or short story to illustrate your book''s main point if non-fiction.

4. Include your picture with a brief biography near it.

People want to see what the author looks like. Place it on the right side of the flyer if possible.

5. Add praise from others.

Testimonials are the most significant way to market your book. The praise doesn''t have to be from famous people. Use a man/woman on the street opinion. One client/author added a testimonial from a convict!

6. Put ordering information on a coupon at the flyer''s bottom.

Include your book''s ISBN number, Web site URL, your email, toll-free number and discount information.

7. Make it easy for your reader to buy.

Offer easy ways to buy: credit cards, checks or money orders. Include your toll-free 800 number. Many prefer a coupon they can fill out and mail or fax.

8. Give your prospective buyers all the ways to stay in touch with you.

Some people will not buy online or use a credit card. While most small business people are ready for these, it''s a good idea to include your street address, e-mail, Web Site, local phone and fax number, and 800 number.

9. Carry at least 25 flyers with you in a folder at all times.

Keep them in your car, so that when you pass a place that will post them for you, they are handy. Give one to every person you meet. Remember the "law of seven." After seven exposures, you have a buyer! Flyers are better than a business card because they have more detailed information on them to help the potential buyer make a decision.

10. Use the backside of the flyer.

You really waste this space if you don''t put it to use. Multiply buying results with more testimonials on the back. Include a longer excerpt from your book there.

Your flyer is a detailed extension of you and your book, and one of the least expensive ways to market your book through print. Print hundreds, even thousands, so your book buying public can easily purchase your book.

Judy Cullins, 20-year book and Internet Marketing Coach, Author of 10 eBooks including "Write your eBook Fast," and "How to Market your Business on the Internet," she offers free help through her 2 monthly ezines, The Book Coach Says...and Business Tip of the Month at http://www.bookcoaching.com/opt-in.shtml and over 140 free articles. Email her at mailto:Judy@bookcoaching.com', 113, 'Top Ten Ways to Promote Your Books Through Flyers, Book-Marketing, Book-Marketing articles, Book-Marketing information, about Book-Marketing, what is Book-Marketing, Book Marketing Information', 'Top Ten Ways to Promote Your Books Through Flyers plus articles and information on Book-Marketing

Seven Really Truly Unique Ways to Sell More Books

These marketing tips aren''t for the weak at heart. Use discretion and know where the ego and self-promotion boundary stands for you.

1. Use a fold over business card. Place your book information inside the fold. The title on the bottom side of the fold so it is seen first when the card is opened. Only one book to sell right now, no problem. To fill up the page, add the book''s tag line or this book is about paragraph. On the top of the fold, list three places the book can be purchased.

2. When you are paying your bills, slip one of your fold over business cards inside.

3. Hand your card out to everyone you have a conversation with. Whether it''s the server, a desk or grocery store clerk, or anyone else. This isn''t boasting, this is marketing. I''ve done this on many trips it always increased my mailing list and sales in big ways.

4. When you tell others about your topic and they ask for a tip. Give them two and then tell them what chapter they can find more in. If your card lists several books, circle the book that continues to give them more tips.

5. Always carry one of your books in your hands, cover facing out, wherever you go. Even parties. Keep a dozen books, protected well for frequent shifts and temperature changes, inside your car. Not the trunk.

6. Wear a T-shirt with a copy of the book''s cover on the back and your URL at the bottom and on the front. Or list''s Amazon.com''s URL if you prefer. Get T-shirts for the rest of the family too. When the whole family is wearing one in an unusual color the information will always get inquiries.

7. Create Get a member page and profile on Amazon.com and the other online booksellers. Know and understand member profiles on Amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com). On Amazon, select help and type in member profile. Be on Amazon''s bestseller list. Sell any damaged books in Marketplace on Amazon.

Catherine Franz is a Marketing & Writing Coach, niches, product development, Internet marketing, nonfiction writing and training. Additional Articles: http://www.abundancecenter.com blog: http://abundance.blogs.com', 113, 'Seven Really Truly Unique Ways to Sell More Books, Book-Marketing, Book-Marketing articles, Book-Marketing information, about Book-Marketing, what is Book-Marketing, Book Marketing Information', 'Seven Really Truly Unique Ways to Sell More Books plus articles and information on Book-Marketing

Sell Your Book with Pennies

Imagine you share a huge penny jar with each of your potential readers. Every interaction with a reader either adds or subtracts pennies from the jar. When readers need your info (non-fiction) or entertainment (fiction), they will trade the jar for your book, but only if the jar is full. Overflow the penny jar, and your reader will buy nearly everything you write.', 113, 'Sell Your Book with Pennies, Book-Marketing, Book-Marketing articles, Book-Marketing information, about Book-Marketing, what is Book-Marketing, Book Marketing Information', 'Sell Your Book with Pennies plus articles and information on Book-Marketing'); INSERT INTO pqdb_articles (article_id, article_title, article_text, article_cat, article_meta_key, article_meta_desc) VALUES (5840, 'Increase Book Sales: When a Book is No Longer Just a Book for Sale', 'Do you have books sitting in your garage that you haven''t sold yet and looking for ways to move them? Then you will want to know about these five outrageous ideas that aren''t difficult and can be just plain out fun.

Dede Hall, author of The Starving Student''s Cookbook had very poor sales for her books. Then one day an outrageously light bulb moment appeared. She added an inexpensive skillet with the book and shrink-wrapped them. Then she took 150 of them to two stores that she thought wouldn''t sell them. Yes, to her surprise, all 150 sold in two days. Dede stumbled on an outrageous idea and it worked out big time. She sold over 100,000 copies in a few months. Where did she sell them? Thought you would never ask. Price Clubs and K-marts.

Do you have a book that could be packaged with something else and create outrageous sales for yourself? It''s Christmas time and no it isn''t too late. But before you dart off to come up with an outrageous idea for your book, continue reading so that you can get all the facts.

Another cookbook was repackaged with a scarlet ribbon and some imported cinnamon sticks and then sold at department stores in the housewares and gift sections. The book couldn''t sell at $5.95 but flew off the shelves at $10 and went into second printing in 30 days.

Would your book sell well in a three-ring shrink-wrapped binder? Why not create and audio or CD version of the material. Just read directly from the material. You do not have to be fancy. Add "read by the author" language to the outside in big letters. Or maybe "F-R__E-E Bonus, Limited Time Offer, Free Audio read by the author" in big letters.

Another key is to look for an item that makes the package larger than the book. This requires a larger space and then bigger visibility.

What about a book on money? Add a mug labeled, "Millionaire" and watch it fly off the shelf. Do not forget the second part of the formula -- the place you are going to sell it. When you add the mug, it is now considered a gift item. This opens the doors to more stores and places.

Try all the independent gift shops, especially at the airport. They are always looking for these type of unique combinations.

Have an exercise book? Add a "walking meter" with it. The one that measures how many miles you are walking. Have no clue what they call those things but I have bought three over the past few years. Again, now it is a gift item. How about contacting a sports equipment vendor and selling them copies of your book that would be a freebie for a limited period with a purchase.

Get the store to add a sign, "limited quality" and watch them go even faster. What is great about this angle is that gift stores, department stores and similar stores are much more open to add things to their shelf. They will work with you much better than a bookstore.

Now that you brain is going a mile a minute with ideas, best wishes for selling many more books!

Catherine Franz is a Marketing & Writing Coach, niches, product development, Internet marketing, nonfiction writing and training. Additional Articles: http://www.abundancecenter.com blog: http://abundance.blogs.com', 113, 'Increase Book Sales: When a Book is No Longer Just a Book for Sale, Book-Marketing, Book-Marketing articles, Book-Marketing information, about Book-Marketing, what is Book-Marketing, Book Marketing Information', 'Increase Book Sales: When a Book is No Longer Just a Book for Sale plus articles and information on Book-Marketing

Sell Your Book At Book Fairs, Festivals & Trade Shows

Play a bigger game with your book sales by expanding your audiences at local or nonlocal book fairs, festivals or trade shows. Can''t afford a booth or table, rent a space on someone else''s table and volunteer to be back for their book. In fact, rent a corner at various different tables in the same fair or show and triple your exposure.

The place on the net to go to find out what''s upcoming in your area, or an area you want to travel to, is at the Library of Congress'' website: http://www.loc.gov.loc/cfbook/bookfair.html. When you visit, the listings are in alphabetical order or by state. You will find shows for other countries, including Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom. International events, including Canada, listings available. Travel for a month, write it off for your taxes, and include several different fairs and shows while you there.

Since I live in Virginia and travel frequently to Washington State, I plan my travel and schedule around these two areas to start.

Virginia

Fall for the Book | Fairfax | Sept http://www.fallforthebook.org/

Hollins University Annual Literary Festival | Roanoke | Mar http://www.hollins.edu/news-events/litfest/litfest.htm

LAUGHS: Loudon''s Annual Unforgettable Gigantic Hilarious Storyfest http://www.laughsfestival.org/ | Sterling | June

Newport News Celebrates the Book | Newport News | Oct http://www.newport-news.va.us/library/

Virginia Book Festival http://www.vabook.org/ | Charlottsville | Mar

Virginia Storytelling Alliance Gathering | Glen Allen | Mar http://vasa.communitypoint.org/archives/events/vasa_gathering_2004_call.html

Washington

Bellingham Storytelling Festival | Bellingham | Nov http://www.ac.wwu.edu/~rvohs/storyfestival2001.html

Bumbershoot http://www.bumbershoot.org/ | Seattle | Sept

Forest Storytelling Festival | Port Angeles | Sept http://www.dancingleaves.com/storypeople/forestfestival/index.html

Northwest Bookfest | Seattle | Oct/Nov http://www.nwbookfest.org/

If you prefer to view the list by date, visit: http://www.loc.gov/loc/cfbook/bkevents.html.

The National Book Festival, Washington DC, an extremely large event, held every October on The Mall. For more information: http://www.loc.gov/loc/cfbook/natl.bk.fest.html.

Take a few minutes, visit the Library of Congress'' web site, and find the ones that fit into your schedule and location. Get bold and stand out, do book signings at Wine Festivals too (no matter what your topic).

You can even contact table renters in other locations and offer a commission for selling the books and you don''t even need to be there. Look for people with integrity and give them a complimentary copy of your book. Write a "dedication" to them in the front.

For other possibilities to expand your book sales, visit your local and state government web sites for events, libraries, school district events, business organizations, civic or private clubs, bookstores at museums (private or public). Also, consider the arts and craft festivals and fun fairs.

Nonfiction Author Natalie Goldberg used to write instant poetry at booths at New Mexico area carnivals -- including the school carnivals.

If you are a technical writer look for Technology fairs and exhibits. Business Expos are the place to be if you are business writer. Are you a children''s author, ask to sell your books at Parent Day events at the local schools. Christmas shows are great for children books too. Did you write a historical book? Include all the history events on your tour for 2004.

Well, we shared some new places to find events to sell your books at in 2004. Don''t stop here, be creative, and try anything at least once, if it is financially conducive. Stretch your imagination and your opportunities and watch your book sales soar. Most important -- have fun doing it. In addition, don''t forget to write a book about it!

Catherine Franz, a Business Coach, specialized in writing, marketing and product development. Newsletters and additional articles: http://www.abundancecenter.com blog: http://abundance.blogs.com', 113, 'Sell Your Book At Book Fairs, Festivals & Trade Shows, Book-Marketing, Book-Marketing articles, Book-Marketing information, about Book-Marketing, what is Book-Marketing, Book Marketing Information', 'Sell Your Book At Book Fairs, Festivals & Trade Shows plus articles and information on Book-Marketing

Buzz-Based Book Marketing

Once upon a time, people went to bookstores when they wanted to buy a book. Or at least, that was the theory. Actually, non-bookstore channels have been a big part of book sales for decades-at least since people like Joe Karbo ("The Lazy Man''s Way to Riches") back in the 1960s. For my own books, whether they were s elf-published, done with a small commercial house, or by a New York conglomerate, I''ve found that se lling direct is more secure, more financially rewar ding, and far less hassle than sweating out the returns game with the b ookstore channel. All along, I''ve sold through speeches (I love getting pai d to do my own marketing), over the Web (the f irst of my four websites went live in 1996), to clients at my office, wh o stare at a rack of my work throughout their entire appointment, and thr ough

an extensive effort to create "buzz." The great thi n g is that *anyone* can generate buzz. Three of my techniques: 1. Be a sourc e or guest for conventional m edia. I''ve been quoted in Reader''s Digest, the New York Times, Woman''s Day, Bo ttom Line, the Wall Street Journal, Christian Science Monitor, Los Ange les Times, Inc, and dozens of other well-known and obscure publications (s ee a detailed list at http://www.principledprofits.com/pressroom.html) . I''m also a call-in guest on at least a dozen radio shows per year. Whether

or not I sell a lot of books directly through t hese interviews, I definitely create a lot of buzz (search for my nam e at Google and see for yourself)--and the best interviews sell a number o f books through my websites or toll-free numbers. Here''s my "secret weapon" f or getting coverage: a service that sends source queries from journalist s working on

stories. (Find out more at http://www.frugalmarketing.com/prleads.shtml) 2. Find your niche on line, and participate actively. There ar e literally hundreds of thousands of "communities" online: virtual watercoo lers where people gather to tal k shop: mystery, historical novel reading groups, professionals in every l ine of work. Find a group whose audience is the same as your book,

and participate often. I currently participate in three groups for small

press publishers (a primary market not only for my books but for my co pywriting services, a group for Internet marketing profess i onals, three fo r professional PR and copywriters, and several others. Yes,

I spend an hour or two per day keeping up with--and participating on--th ese lists, but the impact on my business is huge. 3. Distribu te content. A r ticles, book excerpts, blogs...if you write often enough about a subject,

you become an expert. And you can find dozens of websites, discus sion groups, print newsletters, ''zines, even radio shows--all hungr y for well-written, informative material. You get "paid" with a

few lines of blurb and contact info. For my new book, "Principled Pr ofit: Marketing That Puts People First," I am addi ng two things to

the mix: a network of independent representatives who will sell my book on commission--thus reaching new networks I''ve not been a ble to reach on my own--and aggressive pursuit of corporate sales. I''ve h ad my first success with the latter: 1000 copies to a prom i nent airline. And that means the book was already profitable before it ro lled off the press!

Shel Horowitz, author of *Principled Profit: Marketing That Puts People First,* *Grassroots Marketing: Getting Noticed in a Noisy World,* and four other books, offers affordable, effective copywriting and strategic marketing planning to clients on three continents. He is the originator of the Ethical Business Pledge Campaign to change the World at http://www.principledprofits.com/25000influencers.html. His sites at http://www.frugalmarketing.com and http://www.principledprofits.com offer hundreds of useful articles for entrepreneurs and marketers, including the complete back issues of his FREE Monthly Frugal Marketing Tips. Shel will be glad to help you create your next press release, sell sheet, web site, or other marketing material. He can be reached at shel@principledprofits.com, 800-683-WORD.', 113, 'Buzz-Based Book Marketing, Book-Marketing, Book-Marketing articles, Book-Marketing information, about Book-Marketing, what is Book-Marketing, Book Marketing Information', 'Buzz-Based Book Marketing plus articles and information on Book-Marketing

Sell More Books With an E-mail Newsletter

NOTE: Because many words in this article are likely to trigger sp^m filters, we''ve disguised them with symbols (e.g. sp^m). This will ensure a higher delivery rate if you use this article in your e-zine.

If you''re selling your book online, you''re practically guaranteed to increase sales by publishing an e-mail newsletter, or "e-zine."

Why? Well, for a start, it''s a super way to give readers a taste of your expertise and style along with samples of your content. This ensures they''ll come to be familiar with you, trust you, and hopefully buy your book when they''re ready for more information.

Also, it''s a great way to *capture prospects* who aren''t ready to buy your book when they visit your site, but are still interested in the info you have to share.

Based on my own experiences in marketing my manual, ''Boost Business With Your Own E-zine,'' here are 7 ways to help increase book sales using an e-mail newsletter.

First thing: Encourage e-zine SIGNUPS on your Web site where you promote your book.

Before you even begin publishing, start collecting e-mail addresses. Place a signup form in many places on your site to invite visitors to subscribe to your free e-zine. This way, if a visitor isn''t interested in buying your book today, she can sign up for your free e-zine. Now you haven''t lost her, and she''ll learn even *more* about your book from being a subscriber.

E-zine publishers also report GREAT signup results using pop-up and pop-under boxes at their Web sites.

Examples: On my main site, http://www.ezinequeen.com, I feature a signup form on EVERY page, as well as a pop-up box. On my book sales site, http://www.ezinequeen.com/tutorial, I have a pop-under box that appears once you close the main window.

Remember: NEVER sign anyone up without her permission!

Feature EXCERPTS and/or TIPS from your book in your e-zine.

These can be either direct excerpts or short tips that summarize some of your content. Go through your book and highlight individual tips or small sections that could stand well on their own. Just don''t give away the whole store! For example, giving your readers a whole chapter of your book in each issue is going overboard.

Besides lifting material directly from your book, try some other spins on your topic such as a list of top 10 tips, a how-to article, a list of resources, or a review of a trend in the industry.

Example: One of my clients, a life coach, has a hard-cover book out right now that features 101 tips on how to attract what you want in life. Each issue of her weekly e-zine features one of those tips, along with a brief explanation of how to implement it.

Directly after your article, give a quick PROMO BLURB that shamelessly plugs your book.

Why right after the article and before anything else? If someone reads your article/tip and says to themselves, "Gee, that was great information," they''ll be ready to hear what else you have to share on that subject. Really pump it up and have a good time with it.

Example: "Did you like today''s article? If you did, you''ll LOVE my new book, ''Double Your Business in Six Months.'' It''s jammed with more than 257 great ideas to help you grow your business FAST. Learn more and order now at [Web address here]. You can begin using my best tips within minutes!"

In each issue, offer a TESTIMONIAL from one of your book purchasers.

Let your readers know that many other people just like them ARE buying your book and LOVE it. Idea: Create a small section in your e-zine for this purpose. In each issue, feature a short testimonial from one of your readers here.

Example: "What ''Beauty Blastoff'' Readers Are Saying: ''I can''t tell you how much your book has helped me improve my appearance. Thanks to your tips, I''ve lost 20 pounds, cleared up my skin, and rid of all my unwanted hair. Now my rich ex-husband even wants me back. You''re a saint!''" - Suzy Smitten, Los Angeles, Calif.

Offer your readers a SPECIAL DISCOUNT for a l1mited time.

Make your readers feel special by offering them a special discount on your book when you can. For best response rates, make it a limited time offer to lend a sense of urgency. I did this with my manual when it first came out and got great results.

Example: "For Subscribers Only: Buy my book before midnight this Friday and receive a 20% discount!"

If you can''t give your subscribers a discount, offer something else to make them feel special, such as a bonus report or free phone consultation with their purchase.

Mention your book in as many other places as possible in your e-zine.

Bottom line: The more you mention your book, the higher your chances they''ll buy. While your opportunities are endless, here are a few ideas to start with:

in your masthead (This is where you give the reader info about your publication - usually at the very top.)
in your editor''s or publisher''s note (This is where you give a personal note to your readers.)
in your article (If you mention a certain point that you cover wonderfully in your book, say so!)

To attract even more prospects, advertise your e-zine in your everyday e-mail SIGNATURE FILE.

You know what a signature (or "sig") file is, right? It''s that little blurb with contact info that you can automatically insert at the end of every e-mail you send. Besides your obvious contact information, give a quick plug for your book AND e-zine.

Why? Well, if you just advertise your book, some people will read your sig file and think, "That''s cool, but I don''t want to buy anything right now." BUT if you advertise your FREE e-zine, they''ll likely take advantage of your offer. THEN you''ve got them on your list.

Example: Here''s what I have at the END of my sig file, after my contact information: "BOOST BUSINESS by publishing your own e-mail newsletter! Learn how now - sign up for fr*ee how-to tips at http://www.ezinequeen.com."

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alexandria K. Brown, "The E-zine Queen," is author of the award-winning manual, "Boost Business With Your Own E-zine." To learn more about her book and sign up for more FREE tips like these, visit her site at http://EzineQueenTutorial.com/', 113, 'Sell More Books With an E-mail Newsletter, Book-Marketing, Book-Marketing articles, Book-Marketing information, about Book-Marketing, what is Book-Marketing, Book Marketing Information', 'Sell More Books With an E-mail Newsletter plus articles and information on Book-Marketing

MLM Local Leads

In multi-level marketing (MLM), one of the goals of the business owner is to recruit other independent distributors into his or her network to sell the parent company''s product or service. MLM local leads allow business owners to collect the benefits of using professionally generated advertising while working in their local area. Working with MLM local leads, you can build trust and rapport with a prospect much quicker than if you were working from a distance. Business owners can qualify local leads over the phone, and if they are a viable prospect for their businesses, they can invite these leads to a local meeting.

The benefits of working with MLM local leads include reduction in sponsoring costs and increased rapport with previously qualified prospects. The dilemma that a business owner then face is the process of locating local leads. The quickest and easiest way is to buy an MLM local leads list. The process of finding a quality MLM local leads list is the same as the process for looking into any MLM leads list.

If, however, the business owner wishes to build his or her own local leads list, two tactics are particularly useful in uncovering local leads. The first involves the strategic placement of flyers with a short, persuasive message that encourages people to visit the business owner''s website or voice mailbox. The second strategy is to create business cards with the same compelling message and the business owner''s contact information.

A combination of both strategies will garner the best results. However, the business owner must be aware of the mission and positioning of the parent company. His or her messaging platform should parallel that of the parent company, and it should be consistent throughout each lead generation tactic.

MLM Leads Info provides comprehensive information on MLM lead generation and lists, as well as email, opt-in, free, genealogy, targeted and local leads. MLM Leads Info is the sister site of Lead Generation Web.', 188, 'MLM Local Leads, Network-Marketing, Network-Marketing articles, Network-Marketing information, about Network-Marketing, what is Network-Marketing, Network Marketing Information', 'MLM Local Leads plus articles and information on Network-Marketing

Finding Targeted MLM Leads

The objective of multi-level marketing (MLM) is to sell the product or service and to encourage the client to become an independent distributor, who then sells the service or product as well. Leads are vital for any business to grow, and in order for the business owner to have the greatest success, the leads must be curious enough in the business opportunity to have expressed an interest. The prospects that have expressed an interest in becoming distributors are known as Targeted MLM Leads.

To find targeted MLM leads, business owners must first have ample knowledge of their target market. Are they self-starters? Do they have the commitment necessary to be part of a network? Business owners must also understand the product or service, the company mission statement, and its goals and objectives well enough to offer a good sales presentation. Delivering a presentation, however compelling, to someone that has not shown interest in the product, service, or business opportunity is a waste of time and resources.

Business owners can acquire targeted MLM leads from various sources. The most convenient sources are the companies that compile and sell lead lists. The business owner, however, should be careful when choosing a lead list source, as some may be fraudulent. Some targeted MLM leads are identified through telephone interviews or direct mail response. Business owners can also obtain targeted leads from promotional give-away programs that have high traffic. Usually a person will fill out a simple survey to claim the promotional item, and the business owner can then use the survey to assess whether he or she will be a quality lead.

MLM Leads Info provides comprehensive information on MLM lead generation and lists, as well as email, opt-in, free, genealogy, targeted and local leads. MLM Leads Info is the sister site of Lead Generation Web.', 188, 'Finding Targeted MLM Leads, Network-Marketing, Network-Marketing articles, Network-Marketing information, about Network-Marketing, what is Network-Marketing, Network Marketing Information', 'Finding Targeted MLM Leads plus articles and information on Network-Marketing

MLM Success Training - The Top 15 Power Phrases for Recruiting Business Professionals into MLM

What do you say to a small business owner? How do you talk to them about your Network marketing business? Many people have tried, and totally failed.

Why?

They simply do not understand that small business owners do not talk "mlm-ease." They do not know what a "downline" or "upline" is, and most don''t really want to know.

INFERNO Secret:

Business owners want to know one thing: What is going to increase their profits and productivity.

We recruited hundreds of small business owners in our MLM group when we were active, and all were pretty much recruited the same way and with the same type of words and power phrases.

There are 2 things that you must understand about recruiting business professionals into Network Marketing and MLM:

1) They have their own CULTURE, and they stay within that culture. They have a culture of professionalism for the most part, and integrity.

2) They are used to a particular language and verbiage, that they expect, and you must speak at least some of that language in your conversation with them.

Here are just a few of the ways you can approach small business professionals and here are some KEY words and Phrases:

1)"Secondary revenue source"

2)"Introducing into the business community"

3) "Run across an idea"

4) " I am a small business owner like you"

5) "I Need your input(insight)"

6) "Increase your revenue stream"

7) "Expand your potential market base"

8) "Increase market value of your contacts"

9) " I am new in the business community, and introducing myself"

10) "I have an idea that I would like to run past you on increasing revenues."

11) " Revenue Option"

12) " Market Expansion Tool"

13) "An idea that has impact on the bottom line"

14) " A value based idea that can improve revenues"

15) " From one professional to Another."

These work very well, as they have the terminology that a lot of business professionals can relate to. Come up with some of your own. But make sure they are all "non-mlm." You can eventually use network marketing language, but not at first, unless you want to turn them off.

And yes, you may get some questions. And yes, you may get some objections. And yes you may get some negative responses.

Just understand that small business owners have a business to run, and many will make great customers, but will not be interested in your mlm business.

INFERNO Secret:

All it takes is ONE small business professional to explode your business. One business owner brought in over 500 people in less than 4 months in our group, and built a group that was in all 50 states, and eventually had over 8,000 people in his Network Marketing group. And he did it part time.

Small business owners can be an absolute GOLD MINE, but you have to do some digging in your MLM and Network Marketing business.

Blessings...Doug

http://www.passionfire.com
http://www.passionfire.com/pf_heat_8.html

Doug Firebaugh is one of the top MLM Network Marketing Trainers in the world. Over a million people a month read his training ezine. He spent the last 7 years traveling the world speaking and training on Success. He lives in Birmingham Michigan, and you can receive a FREE subscription to his training ezine - The MLM Success HEAT- at: http://www.passionfire.com/pf_heat_4.html and http://www.passionfire.com', 188, 'MLM Success Training - The Top 15 Power Phrases for Recruiting Business Professionals into MLM, Network-Marketing, Network-Marketing articles, Network-Marketing information, about Network-Marketing, what is Network-Marketing, Network Marketing Information', 'MLM Success Training - The Top 15 Power Phrases for Recruiting Business Professionals into MLM plus articles and information on Network-Marketing

Lead Generation: An Overview

Multi level marketing is a type of business where a distributor receives commissions on their own sales as well as the sales of people the distributor recruits. Multi level marketing, abbreviated as MLM, is known by a number of names such as referral marketing and network marketing.

The idea behind MLM is that people not only try to sell their product, but try to recruit others to sell the product as well. The original distributor receives a percentage of their recruits'' commissions, and the recruits receive a percentage of the commissions of the people they recruit, and so on. Some types of multi level marketing are known as pyramid schemes, in which recruits end up buying a lot of products they have no way of reselling. It is advisable for potential MLM participants to fully research the program before investing any time and money in it.

Many people are fascinated by the idea of multi level marketing, and so there are many multi level marketing lead generation services. These companies help network marketing businesses find recruits. People at any level of a MLM program can use these services. The world is filled with people who want to get rich without working very hard, and many of them view network marketing as the best way to do so.

Multi level marketing lead generation services find these people and connect them with MLM companies. Many MLM lead generation companies sell their lists to MLM businesses. The businesses can either buy the whole list once, or they can subscribe and receive an updated list at a set time interval. The subscription option offers warmer leads and is often the best idea. Other MLM lead generation techniques involve seminars or speeches designed to convince potential MLM participants that a program is right for them.

Many MLM companies offer a great potential for wealth to competent and motivated recruits. Despite their reputation, MLM opportunities can be a good idea. It is strongly advised, however, that potential recruits research every aspect of the company before committing to it.

Lead Generation Info provides detailed information about sales, mortage, MLM, business-to-business, internet, and insurance lead generation, lead generation telemarketing, and more. Lead Generation Info is the sister site of MLM Leads Web.', 188, 'Lead Generation: An Overview, Network-Marketing, Network-Marketing articles, Network-Marketing information, about Network-Marketing, what is Network-Marketing, Network Marketing Information', 'Lead Generation: An Overview plus articles and information on Network-Marketing

Five Steps That Will Help You Succeed in Niche Marketing

Niche marketing is a manifestation of how much internet marketing has evolved in recent years. Niche marketing is based on a real world model, that is, it is a business strategy that is focused on real people with real needs and with real money to spend.

Niche marketing is a technique that seeks to conquer small and usually unattended markets that are fueled by a strong passion for a particular interest. The benefits of cornering these markets are enormous. First, you will encounter little competition. Second, the market is driven by enthusiasm and they will continuously support a product that they like.

To illustrate, five years ago, internet marketing strategies focused on general markets. "I want to make money online," one would have said, "so I''m going to sell products for dog enthusiasts." But dog enthusiasts comprise a pretty broad market. A lot of online businesses are already catering to their needs.

But today, internet marketing strategies are focusing on specific markets. Instead of targeting dog enthusiasts, they target Sharpei owners. This is niche marketing in a nutshell.

Succeeding in niche marketing isn''t as difficult as you might think. Here are five simple steps that would guarantee your conquest of the niche you would choose.

1.Know what people are searching for online. You need two important ingredients for this step: instinct and Overture. You think you have them? Let''s proceed then. Point your browser to:

http://www.inventory.overture.com

This is Overture''s super powerful and useful keyword selector tool. Type in any word and the system will tell you how many searches were made for it in a particular month.

Now you will need your instinct, as the process is all trial-and-error. Think of a field that not many people know about. For the purpose of this discussion, let''s choose the word "widget."

By typing in the said word, Overture will tell us that 2136 people searched for "widget" in the month of April. This would be a perfect niche market. It''s not a popular subject, and you have 2136 people, less a few repeated searches, that are potential clients.

2.Determine the profitability of the niche. Overture would have given you a list of keywords pertaining to your targeted niche. Now it''s time to see if we could make money out of them. Log on to Google Adwords and check out the pricing of the keywords. The higher a keyword''s price is, the more profitable it can be.

But you don''t have to rely on Googles Adwords alone. You could conduct your own research by reading books and newspapers. Be on the lookout for particularized markets you could exploit.

3.Evaluate the potential market. You could do this manually by running your own search and checking out the websites that cater to your chosen niche. Scout the competition! This could take some time though, so a better option would be to invest in some useful tools. One good software you could use is Word Tracker, which would provide for you a supply vs. demand. Word Tracker would survey multiple search engines and pinpoint competing websites.

4.Create your own product. You do have to sell something, so you have to create an item that the members of the niche would want to buy. Since you''re operating an online business, information would be the most ideal product that you could offer. By packaging information in the form of electronic books, membership sites, software, subscriptions to newsletter or even streaming media, you''d have an offering that the target market would always have a need for.

5.Content is king. You would want the members of the niche to visit your site, and the way to do this is by offering good, quality content that they can never find anywhere else. As we''ve mentioned earlier, the members of a niche are fueled by passion, hence they will always be searching for information on their particular interest. If you provide this in your content, they will come to you, and you could expose your products to them.

Niche marketing is not difficult indeed, but you can''t be successful with it lying down. Some effort is still required, as is the case with all viable businesses. With steps outlined above, you will be able to corner the niche of your choice. May it be very profitable for you!

Dave Drake is an author of online articles relating to Internet Marketing. To look at other articles and learn about a 3-step system on internet marketing that will show you a step-by-step system to make a residual income from home using the internet visit: http://www.workathome3-stepsystem.com', 188, 'Five Steps That Will Help You Succeed in Niche Marketing, Network-Marketing, Network-Marketing articles, Network-Marketing information, about Network-Marketing, what is Network-Marketing, Network Marketing Information', 'Five Steps That Will Help You Succeed in Niche Marketing plus articles and information on Network-Marketing

I Was Loosing a Lot of Money with MLM... What I Changed to Keep that Money in My Pocket!

Hello everyone,

I''ve been around in network marketing for a few years now? I was always trying to figure out new ways to keep money into my pockets using the Internet. Yes that''s right, KEEP money? The reason why I''m saying this is because I did make my share of money in the MLM industry, but I did lost a bit too. Nothing major, but if I go back and add up all my unnecessary expense, I would have been richer in less time.

Now it''s time to outline the places where I was loosing tons of money. Take good notes of these situations, since many of you are probably experiencing the same issues! After that, I will explain how I patched my money leaking problems.

Communication fees
If you want to be successful in network marketing, you need to be on the phone doing sales pitch to new clients, train your team, provide customer supports, etc. Communication fees include international long distance fees & teleconference fees that represented close to 45% of my entire budget. At that time I was actually holding back on calling people since I knew I was paying 0,10 cents a minute / per person.

Time wasters
Now this is probably the most important one! Time is money? so I consider time an expense too? For example, I was saying the same thing over and over to different people. Imagine having to say the same sales pitch more than 40 times in a day! They would usually last around 15 minutes each! And the worst part, some of my calls didn''t result in a sale! All that time wasted for nothing! Another example is driving down to meet some of my local clients. The province of New-Brunswick might not be that big, but let me tell you that it sure is when you start accumulating hours of driving in between destinations. I was spending another 35% of my budget on gas and other traveling expenses like meals, hotels and car expenses.

Now with the solution: A ground breaking technology that will help you communicate more effectively, while saving time and money! Believe me, there''s even more to it!

I''m glad to present to you the next online business trend? Web Conferences! Web conferencing is the new way to communicate effectively on the Internet today! People from all over the world are using this technology right now. Imagine that, you can talk all you want, when you want for less than a dollar a day! There is no long distance fee and no user limit. I simply send an email to my team or prospect and I don''t even need to tell them how to setup since its so user friendly. Since the day I switched to Web Conference, I''ve seen my sales increase and I now have more free time away from the business. Now you wonder how web conferencing helped my online business?

Automate support for my client base

I run a variety of daily live seminars to an unlimited audience in real-time audio and video

I do live pre-sales

Promotions and fire sales

Customer networking in live chat rooms

I reduced travel expenses and time for business meetings

I reduce long-distance phone bills

I can talk to anyone anywhere in the world for an unlimited amount of time?for free

I can send documents, files, and other applications instantly to anyone anywhere in the world

I improved collaboration with my downline

Finally I can build and maintain valuable customer relationships

Now for those of you who can relate to my past experiences, you need to do something now! You need to figure out a way to lower these expenses if you want to survive in this industry? web conference is the way to go! If you would like to learn more on Web Conferencing and other money saving tips, visit http://www.connexions247.com/webconference today!

About the Author: Frederic Blanchet is the president of Connexions247.com, the new international business community on the Internet. Click here to learn how you can start using Web Conference for less than a dollar a day! http://www.connexions247.com/webconference

Please feel free to use this article on your website and your e-zine.', 188, 'I Was Loosing a Lot of Money with MLM... What I Changed to Keep that Money in My Pocket!, Network-Marketing, Network-Marketing articles, Network-Marketing information, about Network-Marketing, what is Network-Marketing, Network Marketing Information', 'I Was Loosing a Lot of Money with MLM... What I Changed to Keep that Money in My Pocket! plus articles and information on Network-Marketing

Put Your Marketing To The So What? Test

Want to get Better at your Marketing today?

For many service business owners, marketing can be a real mystery. We don''t really know exactly how it works. We''re not real sure about what works best for us. And probably because of some past frustrations, we''re not even sure where to start.

Most seem to at least have a notion of what''s involved in marketing...a web site, Yellow Pages advertising, brochures, direct mailings, networking, seminars, trade shows, etc.

But if that''s all it took, wouldn''t we all be attracting enough clients?

I''m sure you''ve tried one or more of these things at least to some degree. And I''m sure you''ve had at least some successes now and again. But are you able to make it work consistently for your business?

If not, what could be going on?

First, let''s agree to a definition of marketing. Here is my favorite one for small, service-based businesses:

"Marketing is the use of strategies to generate a constant supply of high-quality leads for your service business." Simple to understand and speaks directly to the results we want.

OK, so doesn''t this definition take us right back to what we said we already knew about marketing... a web site, Yellow Pages advertising, networking, etc.? Well maybe, but first it''s important to understand why your current marketing activities aren''t producing consistent results.

Put your message and materials to the "So What?" test.

Start with your core marketing message. Pull out your most frequently used marketing tool and read it out loud. Put it to the "So What?" test.

After you read it out loud, is it possible that your intended audience could respond with... "So What?"... "Why do I care?"... or "What''s in it for me?" If your message doesn''t tell your intended audience what solutions you are providing to address their issues/problems/challenges, and how it relates to the benefits they''ll receive from your services, then a "So What?" response is exactly what you might expect.

Messages and materials that are all about who you are and the history of your company and what services you offer and why you''re so qualified to provide these services and how you partner with your clients to acheive superior results, etc. are likely to fail the "So What?" test.

Challenge all of your current marketing materials. Remember, it''s the intended audience that counts. What''s in it for them? Why should they care?

Listen, if your marketing is consistently generating all the high-quality leads you can handle, then don''t change a thing. But if you haven''t quite figured out how to generate a constant supply of leads for your service business, then you owe it to yourself to challenge your current marketing tools by putting them to the "So What?" test.

Try these ideas:

* Challenge all of your marketing tools that aren''t contributing to consistently generate leads for your service business - even the ones that have worked in the past. Could you improve the message and get a higher return? Put it to the "So What?" test.

* Try the X''s and O''s test (especially with the last letter you wrote). Mark an X every time your marketing piece mentions your name, company name, or the words "I" or "me". Mark and O every time it mentions the prospects name, company name, or the word "you" or "your". If the X''s out number the O''s, rewrite it before using it again.

* Try gathering up a group of people you can trust to give you very honest feedback. You''re not just looking for proof readers, but individuals who will give you honest feedback on whether your materials pass the "So What?" test.

* Be prepared for some negative feedback, but more importantly, be prepared to do something about it.

* Don''t just accept opinions, but try to get down to realistic response. For example: "I think this part is too wordy and detailed." (opinion) versus "I got pretty lost and confused with the level of detail in this part." (response)

* Remember that it is the intended audience that counts. If it''s not clear who the message is intended for when it''s received, then how can it pass the "So What?" test.

About the Author:

Find Kevin''s Kansas City based KPD Marketing practice at http://www.ABCDgrowth.com and subscribe to his free ezine called ABCD Grow.', 177, 'Put Your Marketing To The So What? Test, Marketing, Marketing articles, Marketing information, about Marketing, what is Marketing, Marketing Information', 'Put Your Marketing To The So What? Test plus articles and information on Marketing

Get FREE Web Tips From Your Competition

I knew this one would get your attention. How can you, the savvy business entrepreneur, get FREE ANYTHING from your competition? The answer is simple: Google!

Yes, there are many things that Google can solve. As listed above, they are providing their users with endless utilities to help you in your web search. So how can they help you with your site? Watch this:

Go to Google (http://www.google.com) and type in the following, exactly as shown, using your business URL in place of the example

link:www.yourwebsite.com

The results show you a listing of all sites that link to your site. While chances are your competition will not be listed, you can get an overview of the ''type'' of websites that link to you. If there are a bunch of similar sites, that can help you with your marketing and target advertising in the future.

Now here''s where the fun begins. Now that you know who links to you, check out the competition. Put in those guys down the street who provide the same service you do.

link:www.theirwebsite.com

Who''s linking to them? Are there some big names listed that you WISH were linking to you? You may find out that getting your name on that list is easier than you thought. Sometimes a simple email to the webmaster will get you added to the list. The more quality businesses that link to you, the higher your search engine results climb.

Are there businesses that link to your competition that you didn''t know exist? Maybe you can get a cheaper rate on parts, or better service from a vendor on that list. The possibilities are there, investigate!

Want another idea? Go to your competition''s website. Are they offering a service ONLINE that you only wish you could? Are they offering a custom login or other special feature that you don''t have? Maybe you should consider offering those items to your customers.

Give your customers something that keeps them coming back. Whether it''s an online newsletter, a simple coupon, or other feature, get it online.

Have fun learning from your competition, and good luck on increasing that bottom line!

About the Author

Will Hanke is a self-proclaimed geek who owns and operates Lighthouse Technologies (www.techlh.com), a web development and hosting company based in Arnold, Missouri. For questions or comments, email him at will@techlh.com. And buy yourself a good virus program so he doesn''t have to fight your emails with anti-virus spray.', 177, 'Get FREE Web Tips From Your Competition, Marketing, Marketing articles, Marketing information, about Marketing, what is Marketing, Marketing Information', 'Get FREE Web Tips From Your Competition plus articles and information on Marketing

Marketing Gurus : Do You Need One?

Its become fashionable to bash marketing "gurus" nowadays.

There are some for whom the prospect of even looking at someone as a "guru" is a sin. They believe in being free-thinkers, unfettered by the bonds of guru-dom.

Then there are those who try to score points by "proving" gurus wrong. They think they have achieved a new high in their field just by proving that a "guru" made a false statement.

The problem with such people is that they refuse to understand "gurus" for what they are.

So just what IS a guru (marketing or otherwise)?

To put it simply, a guru is someone who has "been there, done that."

A guru is not one who is meant to be followed like a sheep, nor one whose every word is written in stone.

Of the letters in the Sanskrit word "Guru ", the letter ''Gu'' stands for darkness or ignorance; and the letter ''Ru'' stands for the one who removes it or dispels it.

A guru is one who imparts knowledge that clears the path of the seeker. Knowledge that helps the seeker gain a better understanding of himself.

Unfortunately many people see gurus - and marketing gurus in particular - as successful, over-bearing, conceited boors.

Trust me, if a person was successful in this field, he''d never have got there by being over-bearing and conceited.

Why? Because to be a success, you need other people to help you get there. And no one is going to do business with you if you''re an over-bearing, conceited boor.

So just why do you need a guru?

For the same reason you need a parent - to guide you when you are young and still learning the ways of the world.

For the same reason you need a teacher - to introduce you to new concepts and ways of thinking you may never have conceived of.

For the same reason you need a football coach - to teach you the rules of the game.

For the same reason you need a mountain guide - to take you through treacherous terrain to a safer place.

Sadly, people only perceive gurus as someone to look up to with fear and disdain, or as someone to pull down so that one can feel important.

They can never understand that a guru (or mentor, or teacher, or whatever you choose to call them) is just someone who can help cut their learning curve.

Someone who can help you NOT re-invent the wheel, but continue where they left off.

Someone who could share with you a new way of doing things that could benefit you in ways you could never imagine.

Few ''real'' gurus - at least those worth learning from - will ever want to be called that.

The ones who do are usually cocky, self-professed types, full of their own importance - and you''ll learn more by avoiding them like the plague.

The gurus to watch (note, I didn''t say follow - as in sheep) and learn from, are the ones with a long track record of success.

The ones who have repeatedly proved that their methods are legitimate and that they work.

Not the flash-in-the-pan types, who come and go faster than you can say "bestselling ebook."

Not the ones who jump from one opportunity to the next and try to take you along for the ride.

Not the ones who endorse everything from lunar real-estate to miracle cure-alls.

And certainly not cocky little teenagers, who have never cut their teeth on real marketing.

Don''t expect your chosen guru to know everything about everything. Even gurus specialize in different areas of expertise.

Just to give you an example, I respect Corey Rudl highly for his pioneering knowledge of marketing. But I would never take advice from him on getting high rankings in search engines.

For specialized knowledge like that, I would learn from someone who is a true expert in that field, like Dan Thies or Michael Campbell.

Whether you''re a newbie starting out on the internet, or an experienced marketer who has honed his skills to perfection, the one thing you can always benefit from is an open mind.

And a willingness to be taught.

So when you do choose a guru, guide, mentor or coach, pick one whose insight can help you see yourself - and what you have to offer - more clearly.

One whose knowledge can show you how to bring out your own latent talents.

And one whose guidance can help you grow into a seasoned and successful entrepreneur.

_____________________________________________

Priya Shah is the editor of the newsletters Be a Whiz at eBiz! and The Glutathione Report. She shows you how to truly build multiple sources of income online with the Brilliant Team Home Business Opportunity
_____________________________________________

', 177, 'Marketing Gurus : Do You Need One?, Marketing, Marketing articles, Marketing information, about Marketing, what is Marketing, Marketing Information', 'Marketing Gurus : Do You Need One? plus articles and information on Marketing

After The Mailing Is Done, What Happens Next?

If you''re doing any sort of marketing effort, whether it''s getting news coverage or sending a postcard, you must be prepared for what happens next.

If you''re sending postcards promoting your business, and you have people working for you, tell them that you sent the card.

There''s nothing worse than having your customers, postcards in hand, coming into your business and being greeted by an employee who says "Huh? What special promotion?"

Fortunately, there''s any easy way to solve this problem. Here''s an idea from one of my postcard marketing workshop participants: Whenever she has a mustn''t-be-ignored announcement for her coffee house staff, she puts it in their pay envelopes.

So, in a nutshell, chance favors the prepared marketer.

Martha Retallick, "The Passionate Postcarder," hails from Tucson, Arizona, USA. She is the author of Postcard Marketing Secrets, a downloadable PDF manual will show you how to put postcards to work for your business--profitably. Learn more about it at:

http://www.PostcardMarketingSecrets.com', 177, 'After The Mailing Is Done, What Happens Next?, Marketing, Marketing articles, Marketing information, about Marketing, what is Marketing, Marketing Information', 'After The Mailing Is Done, What Happens Next? plus articles and information on Marketing

After Your Postcard Mailing: Follow Up with Finesse

I''ve heard a lot of people lament the fact that they just sent out a big postcard mailing, and, alas, no one called.

Hey, it''s happened to me.

I''ve sent cards that I thought were so good that I was sure my phone would start ringing off the hook. And then my little Web and graphic design studio would be so busy that I''d be booked sold for the next three months. Hooray!

But, instead, nothing but silence from the phone.

Which means that it''s time for me to start making some other phones ring. Time to start smiling and dialing those hot prospects, clients, and anyone else who might send some business my way. The phone conversations sound like this:

1. Prospect A has been meaning to give me a call, and, hey, thanks for sending the postcard.

2. Client B got the card earlier in the week, and she has a big project coming up within a month.

3. Client C, who just put the card on the office refrigerator door, knows someone who needs me to help him with his website project.This is where building a mailing list from people you know can really pay off.

When you follow up after a card mailing, you''re not making cold calls to a bunch of strangers. And, let''s face it, we''re more likely to do business with someone we know. By developing your own list, you can stack the odds of success in your favor.

Martha Retallick, "The Passionate Postcarder," hails from Tucson, Arizona, USA. She is the author of Postcard Marketing Secrets, a downloadable PDF manual will show you how to put postcards to work for your business--profitably. Learn more about it at:

href="http://www.PostcardMarketingSecrets.com', 177, 'After Your Postcard Mailing: Follow Up with Finesse, Marketing, Marketing articles, Marketing information, about Marketing, what is Marketing, Marketing Information', 'After Your Postcard Mailing: Follow Up with Finesse plus articles and information on Marketing

Budgeting for a Postcard Mailing

If you''ve never done a postcard mailing, you''re probably wondering, "What should I budget for?" Here are three items to account for:

1. If you''re a designing woman (or man), then you''ll need to get that great postcard design out of your computer and into the hands of the postcard printing company. If you have a high-speed Internet connection, you''re in luck. You can just upload your files to the printer''s website.

Dialup people, you''d be better off sending your files to the printer via an overnight courier. It''s easy to experience dropped connections when you''re on dialup, which means that your digital file can get corrupted, and the printer won''t be able to print from it.

2. Printing and delivery of the cards to your business or to the company that will be mailing the cards for you. (These outfits are called "mailshops" or "mailing houses.")

If you''re on a tight budget, you can use your desktop printer to print your postcards. However, please be aware that this can be quite time-consuming, especially if you''re doing hundreds of cards. That''s why I prefer to outsource this job to a postcard printing company.

3. Postage. This could mean that you''re buying some stamps for your cards. Or you may be outsourcing the card mailing to a mailshop, which will charge you for bulk mail postage, and assess a handling fee.

Martha Retallick, "The Passionate Postcarder," hails from Tucson, Arizona, USA. She is the author of Postcard Marketing Secrets, a downloadable PDF manual will show you how to put postcards to work for your business--profitably. Learn more about it at:

http://www.PostcardMarketingSecrets.com', 177, 'Budgeting for a Postcard Mailing, Marketing, Marketing articles, Marketing information, about Marketing, what is Marketing, Marketing Information', 'Budgeting for a Postcard Mailing plus articles and information on Marketing

Importance of Endorsements And How To Use Them

Customer endorsements are an inexpensive and easy sales tool, particularly for someone just starting out.

Here are some tips on how to get them and use them:

Send follow-up letters. Two to four weeks after working with a customer, send a survey letter or postcard. Be sure to leave space for them to write in their own words what they liked best about your company, product or service. Don''t forget to pay for the postage so they can easily return it to you. This is something we do for both sellers and tenant/buyers. In addition we also ask our coaching students and customers who purchase other products for endorsements.

Check your files. Look for recent letters from satisfied customers. You may be able to use excerpts in your sales literature. But make sure you first get written permission from the person who sent the letter. Ask to edit. When getting written permission, ask to edit your customers'' remarks. Responses may be too long for your promotional material, or contain irrelevant information.

Focus on benefits. If you have a choice, use testimonials that stress benefits rather than general remarks. ("Your lease purchase program allowed me to move my home in 14 days vs. "I liked dealing with your company.") You can help solicit these types of remarks by asking customers in the survey how your company helped them do their jobs better. We send a letter out to each seller and tenant buyer and ask them specifically about the lease purchase program.

Ask to use their names. Anonymous testimonials are better than nothing, but they may appear to be made up. A person''s name and company name (you don''t need the street address) adds authenticity.

So start using endorsements to grow your business!

Interested in having your own successful, home based creative real estate investing business? Chuck and Sue have been helping folks start successful home based businesses for over 19 years,and we can help you too! To see how, visit http://www.homebusinesssolutions.com for the latest FREE tips and tricks, educational products and coaching in creative real estate investing and home based businesses. No time to visit the site? Subscribe to our "how to" Home Business Solutions Digest, it''s like having your own personal coach:
mailto:subscribeHBS@homebusinesssolutions.com
', 177, 'Importance of Endorsements And How To Use Them, Marketing, Marketing articles, Marketing information, about Marketing, what is Marketing, Marketing Information', 'Importance of Endorsements And How To Use Them plus articles and information on Marketing

Eight Steps To A Great Marketing Plan

Step 1: Where Am I Now?

Before you decide where you want your marketing plan to take you,you need to find out where you are now. How have you positioned your business in the market? How do your customers see you? You may want to ask some of them for feedback. Write four or five paragraphs that summarize your business. Be sure to include philosophy, strengths and weaknesses.

Step 2: Setting the Goal(s)

Once you decide where you are, you can decide where you want to go. What you''re trying to accomplish? Do you want to increase sales? Change the perception of your business among target audiences? Generate more store traffic? Enter a new market where you may not have much experience?

After you have answered each of these questions or any others you come up with, you want to make an outline for each of your goals, and be specific. While you should be optimistic, you will also need to be realistic. You need to be realistic in what you expect your marketing plan to do. Also, while it''s fine to have multiple goals, be sure to prioritize them so you can create a realistic plan to achieve them.

Step 3: Getting To Your Target Audience

Who are your target audiences? If you say "everyone," you need to rethink your answer. Even the largest companies don''t market blindly to every individual. They break their audiences down into distinct profiles, or niche markets, and create messages and vehicles designed to reach each segment.

Define your niche markets as clearly and specifically as possible. If you''re reaching out to businesses, describe which type, including the industry, revenue level, location and other important characteristics. If consumers are your audience, describe their age, sex, income level, marital status and other relevant facts. If you identify several market segments, rank them in order of priority.

Step 4: Research and It''s Role In Your Plan

Now that you''ve outlined where you are and where you want to go, it''s time to determine the best way to get there.

Nothing will get you where you want to go faster than research. Information about your target audiences is available from a variety of resources, many of them free.

So be sure to take some time to find out about the demographics (physical characteristics) and psychographics (psychological characteristics) of your target markets. Demographics outline such factors as age, geographic location and income level. Psychographics offer insight into trends, buying habits, market segments and the like. American Demographics magazine has a Web site (www.demographics.com) that offers access to articles about various consumer and business market segments.

Trade associations and publications are often great places to start your research, especially if you''re reaching out to businesses. Use your own and your target industries'' trade resources for market information. Many associations have Web sites, and many publications are also available on the Net. For information about consumer audiences in your region, try your state or county''s department of economic development. In addition, the SBA offers limited help with market research.

Once you''ve gathered this information, write a detailed profile of your audience segments. Include all the demographic and psychographic information you''ve gathered. For instance, if you''re selling a product to homeowners in Smithville, USA, find out what percentage of people own homes in Smithville. What is the average household income? Do most homeowners have children? The more specific your profiles are, the better.

Step 5: Planning the Action

This is the crux of your plan. For each goal you''ve outlined, create a strategy, complete with your key messages and steps that will help you accomplish the goal. Don''t forget that you have many tools at your disposal.

As you examine each of your goals, conduct a mini-brainstorming session. Consider the best ways to get your message out. You may decide to use newspaper, radio, TV, magazine or outdoor advertising;direct marketing programs, including postcards, sales letters, fliers, business reply cards, newsletters or toll-free response numbers; or public relations elements such as publicity, events, speaking engagements, sponsorships and opinion polls. Perhaps you can accomplish your objectives and cut costs by teaming up with related, non-competing businesses for in-store promotions or cross-promotional campaigns. On-line promotional opportunities are more abundant than ever, so consider designing a Web site or uploading information into a news group or special interest forum.

Write out each strategy, and beneath it, list key messages and tactics. Here''s a sample:

Strategy: Position myself as the market leader in lease purchasing in my community.

Key messages: DeFiore Enterprises is a reputable, trust-worthy name in lease purchasing your home.

Tactics: Approach local community colleges about teaching a home-buying class using the niche of lease purchasing.

Propose a feature story to a local paper about "10 Things to Look for When Buying a Home," with you as the expert to be quoted. Create a brochure entitled "Secrets of Buying a Home With The Lease Purchase Advantage." Offer it free to people who call.

Issue a press release about the free brochure to local media. Send informational brochures to real estate agents and mortgage brokers who refer home buyers to you. For each step you plan, keep asking yourself, "Why should I do this?"

Don''t decide to do big, splashy promotions if you really can''t afford them. Smaller, more frequent communications are much more effective if your budget is limited. Don''t forget to send communications to your networking partners.

Finally, be sure the promotions you''ve selected project the right image. If your audience is conservative, don''t stage an outrageous promotion. Similarly, if you need to project a cutting-edge image, make sure your efforts are sophisticated. Also, be sure you have made friends with the media. Update your press package to reflect changes you have made.

Step 6: The Importance of Budgeting Your Resources

Home business owners believe marketing is an optional expense. This is one of the most tragic myths in business. Marketing expenses should be given priority, especially in times of slow cash flow. After all, how are you going to attract more business during the slow times if you don''t tell customers about your business? Take a realistic look at how much money you have to spend on marketing. While you shouldn''t overextend yourself, it''s critical that you allot adequate funds to reach your markets. If you find that you don''t have the budget to tackle all your markets, try to reach them one by one, in order of priority.

For each of your tactics, break down each expense and outline the estimated cost of each. For example, a brochure includes writing, photography, graphic design, film, printing and delivery. From there, you can beef up or pare down your plan, depending on your financial situation.

Step 7: The Importance of Timing In Your Projects

Now that you''ve broken down the steps involved in each activity, be sure you set aside the time to accomplish the steps for each project and set a deadline for each project. Again, make sure you''re not overextending yourself, or you may get burned out. It''s better to start with smaller, more consistent efforts than an overly ambitious program you''ll never complete.

Step 8: On Your Mark Get Ready, Set, and Now Go For It!

With the above steps you now have in your hands the most effective "to do" list you''ll ever write. You have prepared a document that can help you reach your market segments from a position of knowledge and expertise instead of from shoot-from-the-hip hunches.

Now you need to use your marketing plan. Make it a part of your "to do list" every day. Will it grow and change? Sure will. Also, as your business reaps the benefits of your initial strategies, you may want to increase the scope of your marketing. If you find something is not working, change it.

Remember, consistency and continuity, delivered with a dash of creativity, give you the formula for successful marketing.

Interested in having your own successful, home based creative real estate investing business? Chuck and Sue have been helping folks start successful home based businesses for over 19 years, and we can help you too! To see how, visit http://www.homebusinesssolutions.com for the latest FREE tips and tricks, educational products and coaching in creative real estate investing and home based businesses. No time to visit the site? Subscribe to our "how to" Home Business
Solutions Digest, it''s like having your own personal coach: mailto:subscribeHBS@homebusinesssolutions.com
', 177, 'Eight Steps To A Great Marketing Plan, Marketing, Marketing articles, Marketing information, about Marketing, what is Marketing, Marketing Information', 'Eight Steps To A Great Marketing Plan plus articles and information on Marketing

Two of the Biggest Hurdles

As I was preparing for a presentation recently, I was trying to figure out why small businesses have trouble marketing themselves consistently. If we know we need to be marketing, why don''t we just do it? Is it for a lack of planning or that we''re just not sure what to do or where to start?

Yes, maybe. But in trying to figure out what those hurdles are that keep us from marketing consistently; I came up with two hurdles that I think might be as big as any other for most. Like a lot of things with regards to our business, if we''re aware of the hurdles that keep us from achieving effective marketing, then we can plan and act accordingly on how we can either go around or over them.

So what are these hurdles? Well, they certainly aren''t the only hurdles, but the two I keep running into time and again with many small businesses are Perfection and Fear of Failure. In fact, I''m sure they have played a part in delaying some of my own marketing including the launch of my web site and my monthly eZine. Let''s take a look at each hurdle and how we might overcome them.

Hurdling Perfection
Many of us tend to be perfectionist in the things we do. You might say... "When I put out this marketing piece, it really has to hit a home run." But because we know that perfection is really not attainable, it can be a big roadblock to effective marketing. In our quest to make our marketing PERFECT, we may never even get a GOOD marketing program in place.

Perfectionism in creating a direct mailing piece or a web site or an electronic newsletter can result in significant delays of weeks, months, or even years.

The funny thing is that most of us verbally buy into the concept of "continuous improvement". But then we often get stuck trying to endlessly improve before we ever put the idea into action. The pursuit of perfection in itself is not bad. But it can certainly result in great failure when we''re unwilling to call an idea "good enough", put it out there, and then look for ways to improve it and put it out there again ?- until it''s perfect, or almost perfect.

If marketing has been a struggle for your business because you''re not sure what works best or where to start, then you can''t expect to be great at it overnight. It''s going to take time. So be willing to start somewhere and learn from mistakes.

Notice the importance of the pursuit of perfection, or "continuous improvement". The opposite side of this hurdle is settling for "good enough". Sometimes marketing is treated as a one time event and even though it''s dull and only yielding mediocre results, it keeps getting put out there again and again without ever trying to make it better. What would you expect to eventually happen to a business that operates this way?

Hurdling Fear of Failure
I believe the second hurdle -- Fear of Failure is closely related to the first. For most of us, the notion of facing rejection or failure is unsettling at best. And because this whole marketing thing can be an unknown or uncomfortable for us, we sure do hesitate to put something out there and not have it be good. If it fails to produce results, we may feel like we''re failing in our business.

Unfortunately, one of the most common approaches to avoiding failure is to avoid taking action in the first place. Or maybe just as unsuccessfully, we spend all our time looking for that magical marketing idea that is going to end all of our client acquisition problems. I call it the "Power Ball" marketing strategy. Guess what? It''s not out there -- so you might as well quit looking.

Marketing will take time and effort on your part. But, with persistence and a willingness to potentially even make a mess of it with your first attempt, you can succeed! Be willing to learn from your mistakes and get better as you go.

Do you see why I think the two hurdles are closely related? "I need perfection, and if it can''t be perfect, I will have failed. And I just hate the thought of failure, so if it can''t be perfect, I''m better off not even doing it."

Let''s look at this using a baseball analogy. Former Kansas City Royal and Hall of Famer, George Brett, was arguably one of the best third basemen of all time. And anyone who followed the Royals in the prime of George Brett''s career would agree that he was a great, great hitter.

What if George Brett had approached his baseball career as follows: "When I come to bat, I just hate the thought of getting an out (or worse yet, a strike out) -- Fear of Failure. But even more so I''m a Perfectionist, so when I come to bat I need to hit a home run every time. Therefore, I''m not even going to swing the bat unless I know that I can hit a home run because I sure don''t want to make an out."

What do you think George Brett''s chances of having the Hall of Fame career he did would have been if he had taken this approach?

Sounds like a silly example, but are we doing this at all with our own marketing efforts? Don''t get me wrong. I don''t suggest that you just start going up to bat and swinging away. Marketing efforts do need to be thought out and planned. But don''t let these two hurdles keep you from moving forward.

Take Action To Overcome The Hurdles That Keep You From Marketing Success
If you love what you do and believe in the results you can produce for your customers, then you can experience great marketing success. Be willing to get some help if the "know how" is beyond your means. It just might be the best investment you make in your business.

Don''t focus on perfection, but rather the continuous pursuit of perfection. Brainstorm it, plan it, design it, write it, tweak it, and then GO FOR IT. Be willing to try it on a small test basis and potentially fail. But only if you''re willing to learn from mistakes. Then improve it and try it again.

Don''t settle for "good enough". If you have marketing tools that aren''t consistently producing results, don''t just keep using them (at least not in the format they''re in). You may have to tweak again and again so you can start to learn what works and what doesn''t work. Testing is critical.

Hurdling "Fear of Failure" takes some courage. Courage doesn''t mean you don''t have fear. It means finding a way to overcome the fear in order to achieve some result. Courageous people get over worrying about feeling like a failure or looking like a fool, because they focus on achieving the ultimate result. They are passionate about what they can do for their clients, and that''s what drives them.

I''m sure that someone somewhere has told you to embrace failures because it''s the way to learn the path to success. My advice is to keep the failures from being catastrophic by testing. Again, I say test it out on a small basis so the taste of failure isn''t so bitter in your mouth.

On the other hand, if your test works, you can always go back for MORE of the sweet taste of success.

About the Author:

Find Kevin''s Kansas City based KPD Marketing practice at http://www.ABCDgrowth.com and subscribe to his free ezine called ABCD Grow.', 177, 'Two of the Biggest Hurdles, Marketing, Marketing articles, Marketing information, about Marketing, what is Marketing, Marketing Information', 'Two of the Biggest Hurdles plus articles and information on Marketing

Quick Postcard Design Tips

TIP #1: Avoid the "Too Much Information" Syndrome

I''ve seen many a marketing postcard that just has too much information on it. Too many words set in tiny type is an all too common problem.

And the poor recipient, who only has limited time in his/her day, feels overwhelmed and gives up. Into the trashcan your card goes.

Ouch.

The solution? Let that postcard sit for a day or so. Then, when you''re feeling grumpy and argumentative, go back and edit that card copy.

When you''re in a bad mood, you''ll be merciless with all of those "fluff" words that seemed so indispensable before. And those sentences that just ramble on and on? They''ll be trimmed down -- way down.

TIP #2: Back Before Front

Chances are good that your recipients will look at the back of the card first. Think of how your mail gets delivered to you each day. It probably goes into your mailbox address side up.

This means that the back of the postcard shouldn''t be an afterthought.

Yes, you do have to squeeze the sender''s and recipient''s addresses and the stamp or indicia in there, but you do have a lot of extra room for creativity.

You could even employ elements of your front design on the back. Like your logo, your photo and your website address.

Or try this idea: Let''s say you''re a real estate agent looking for listings, and you''ll provide a free market analysis to those who request one. Make the same offer on the front and back of your postcard. That way, your prospects will see it, coming and going.

Martha Retallick, "The Passionate Postcarder," hails from Tucson, Arizona, USA. She is the author of Postcard Marketing Secrets, a downloadable PDF manual that will show you how to put postcards to work for your business?profitably. Learn more about it at:

http://www.PostcardMarketingSecrets.com', 177, 'Quick Postcard Design Tips, Marketing, Marketing articles, Marketing information, about Marketing, what is Marketing, Marketing Information', 'Quick Postcard Design Tips plus articles and information on Marketing

Give me a Referral any Day - the Power of Networking

I nearly panicked recently! Well, maybe a slight exaggeration but here was a situation I had not been in for some time. The freezer had broken down and the dilemma I faced was ? a speedy solution was necessary BUT I did not know anybody who repairs freezers. For the first time in some years I nearly reached for the Yellow Pages ? a pristine copy that never sees the light of day ? but sense prevailed and I consulted my wife. She rang her friend who works in a local hospital. They have an internal communication system for the employees to ask questions or post messages and within 30 minutes we had the choice of three prospective service engineers and one name had been suggested by three separate people. The choice was simple and ? yes Mr Freezerman turned up and was superb!

The point is that we prefer to buy from traders who have been recommended and preferably from people we know and trust. Business networking is all about trying to address this situation by ensuring that business owners meet each other frequently and build relationships and trust first, long before any deals are struck. Networking is fast becoming the primary way of sourcing new business, but and this is a big BUT ? you have to go about networking with the right attitude or it will not work for you.

I have been a member of BNI (Business Networking International) for nearly three years and know first hand that it can work for you as I have had many thousands of pounds worth of business as a direct result of being a member. And yet I did not get one meaningful referral for the first few months and was about to give it up as a bad job. I have also seen many new members give up in the early days saying it wasn''t for them. The thing is that we were all making the same fundamental mistake ? we were too concerned with what was in it for us ? and not thinking how can we help our fellow members.

The strapline of BNI is ''givers gain'' and the moment I adopted that as my focus everything changed. If I give business to you will want to give me business to me is the message, but the emphasis is on the giving. Referrals are the currency and actively seeking help and support for fellow members becomes second nature after a time. It''s simple - it works.

Now, BNI is not for everyone and I can understand some of the reasons. The procedures are quite rigid and attendance and time keeping are essential. How many times have I heard new members say it is like being back at school. The vast majority though accept and understand why this disciplined approach works.

A newer breed of virtual networking is emerging on the Internet and although there are quite a few large networks, Ecademy is emerging as one of the best business to business websites. It is even more important that the right attitude and approach is adopted if you want to achieve anything for your business through using Ecademy.

Ecademy members are encouraged to put 50 keywords describing themselves, write a profile and to submit a photo. The mistake many make when they first join is to use their keywords and profile simply as an advert for their business. The successful networkers have interesting profiles about themselves, their interests, travels, family and amusing anecdotes. Are they missing out by not pushing their business interests? Not a bit of it as there is a link to their website ? what is the point of another sales pitch. People buy from people they like and trust and the social side of the Ecademy is the important additional ingredient on offer.

Within Ecademy there are hundreds of special interest clubs and regionally based groups that give the opportunity for physical meetings to be arranged. It is incredible to be able to go to a meeting with people that you already know a great deal about before you actually meet them. It all leads to a much more honest and open relationship from the off.

I can''t see how the Yellow Pages can survive in the long run. Give me referred, trusted traders any day. Networking rules ? and works.

Keith Watson has been designing websites for nearly 11 years and is the founder of Creative Eye - http://www.creativeeye.co.uk', 177, 'Give me a Referral any Day - the Power of Networking, Marketing, Marketing articles, Marketing information, about Marketing, what is Marketing, Marketing Information', 'Give me a Referral any Day - the Power of Networking plus articles and information on Marketing

Top Five 2004 Required Marketing Tips Needed to Succeed

When marketing your practice, as well as designing your
brochure, web site, business card, flier, advertisement, or
other marketing effort, we recommend investing the time and
effort needed to effectively address all these tips. Not
one of them can be omitted.

Tip 1. MARKET FOR YOUR DESIRED PROSPECTS, NOT YOURSELF

What looks good to you is not necessarily effective for your
desired audience. This is the biggest mistake I see people
make over and over again. They come up with an idea, they
think it''s great, a few friends, family or nontarget market
people give them the thumbs up and they run with the ball.
When it doesn''t work, they just can''t understand why.

Do market research and test your strategies on your target
market. Big companies do lots of market research before
launching a product or service. The little guys don''t have
the resources to match this but that doesn''t mean you omit
it. Even if you are an independent professional, you
need to do marketing research. And market research isn''t a
one-time deal. It needs to be incorporated into your
marketing system and it needs to be ongoing.

Tip 2. YOU MUST ANSWER THESE FOUR CRITICAL MARKETING
QUESTIONS

Question 1: WHAT''S THIS ABOUT?

Is it immediately clear to the reader what is being offered?
Any opaqueness, confusion, or question marks in their mind,
even for a second, and they have moved on. Don''t be cute or
clever. Make it simple and clear. Cute and clever has a
reference point now with S*P*AM or hype. Don''t let them
place you into that category.

Question 2: WHAT''S IN IT FOR ME?

The big benefits are very clear and directly stated... not
implied; the reader doesn''t have to guess. The listener
doesn''t have to guess. They come to you from all
different stages of readiness and desire levels.

How do you handle each one when they arrive makes what
occurs afterwards critical? It isn''t what you perceive that
they want, it is what they perceive what they want. Stop
guessing just because you are too lazy to do the legwork.
Start asking and don''t ever stop.

Question 3: CAN I TRUST YOU?

How do I know you are safe and credible? Can I find out
easily enough if I want to? Is your photo and contact info
prominently displayed so I can build a relationship with
you? Put your photo on every web page. It doesn''t matter
if they are different pictures.

People don''t trust any more especially if all your contact
information isn''t on your web site. Put your phone number
and address on ever page. It says you are credible. Put
them in every ezine, in fact, add them twice -- beginning
and end.

Create a safe place for them to be -- a comfort zone. If
you offer a complimentary session, realize that people don''t
immediately sign up for these because they aren''t
comfortable yet. It doesn''t matter if you think you are
safe, it''s what they think. Step them through becoming safe
with you.

People are either boulders or blue birds. Blue birds are
easy to convert to clients. Boulders need to know that they
have a safe place to roll to before they will move.

Question 4: DO I FEEL GOOD ABOUT THIS?

Do I WANT to engage you? Do I feel COMPELLED to click or
pick up the phone (or whatever the call to action is)? Do I
feel good about myself in deciding to engage you? Can I
trust that I''m making the right decision? What''s my
motivation? Am I being motivated by fear, shame, or being
empowered to make a good choice? Am I so excited that I want
to tell all my friends?

Lots of questions need to be answered to deliver the
emotional needs people have before they buy from you. Don''t
leave these out.

Tip 3. ALWAYS INCLUDE THESE THREE KEY ELEMENTS IN YOUR
MARKETING MESSAGES

Element 1: POWERFUL HEADLINE

This grabs their attention and lets the reader know what you
can do for them; the big benefit. Say what the biggest
benefit is up front. Make it about them. Use attractive
words that rock their boulder so they read more.

Element 2: COMPELLING CALL TO ACTION

Your desired result is to motivate your ideal client to act
immediately to engage you directly or indirectly and
generate a prospect by getting their contact information.
What do you want people to do? E-mail, phone, what? What
will compel them to take action?

Element 3: OFFER THEM MULTIPLE CONTACT METHODS
Offer a choice between e-mail, telephone, web site, etc, so
your prospect can choose what is most comfortable to them.
I have visited many web sites where I had to search for five
minutes to find their contact information. I am a
persistent person and I know that most others who have left
after 30 seconds. Can visitors to your web site find your
contact information in 30 seconds? Put the information on
every page.

Tip 4. CREATE A SYSTEM

Design a marketing system that you can implement repeatedly.
Make it as automatic as possible. Ask the most valuable
series of questions to yourself, "And then what do you want
them to do? And then what? And then what? Etc."
If they visit your web site ask, "And then what?" If they
subscribe to your ezine ask, "And then what?" And then when
they do that, ask "And then what?" Keep challenging
yourself to come up with the answers.

No, I didn''t say it was going to be easy. When I work with
clients, sometimes it takes months to create a system. Most
people give up to easily. Once you have it set up and it
runs automatically, you will understand.

Don''t waste your time, effort, and money with one-shot deals
or fragmented marketing activities. Leverage everything.
If you use writing for publicity, don''t just write an
article once for your ezine, ask "And now what?" Send the
article to past clients with a "just in case you didn''t see
this yet."

Tip 5: FOLLOW UP, FOLLOW UP, AND FOLLOW UP AGAIN

Following up is one of the biggest areas independent
professional fail to do. Set up a follow up system that is
a part of your overall marketing system. Make it as
automatic as possible -- so that I can run while you are on
vacation.

If you want to always have that "personal touch" with
everyone, hire a virtual assistant as part of your system.
Always have the next step planned and let your prospects
know of future opportunities to engage you.

Working with many independent professionals this past year,
including coaches, insurance agents, real estate agents,
engineers, too many medical practices to mention, I found
they never asked the challenging question I mentioned
earlier, "And then what? And then what?" Etc. They did
speaking engagements and there was only one "And then what?"
and they stopped there.

Remember people are at different levels and need to build
trust with you. Give them the ladder and the rungs to do
that and they will.

Always contact your leads within 24 hours of receiving them.
Contacting them a week or two later, they people have moved
on. If they had an issue they need to solve that you had a
solution for they had most likely already found someone and
by-passed you.

Always follow up by e-mail, telephone, etc, multiple times.
Yes, it''s true, 80% of sales are made after five or more
contacts.

These elements will make all the difference in the world
between struggling to get clients and becoming wildly
successfully in marketing your services. They are worth
investing your best efforts and getting the support you need
to implement them effectively.

Catherine Franz is a Cetified Coach with niches
in product development, Internet marketing, nonfiction/
marketing writing and eduction. Additional tips:
http://www.abundancecenter.com
blog: http://abundance.blogs.com
', 177, 'Top Five 2004 Required Marketing Tips Needed to Succeed, Marketing, Marketing articles, Marketing information, about Marketing, what is Marketing, Marketing Information', 'Top Five 2004 Required Marketing Tips Needed to Succeed plus articles and information on Marketing

Marketing Through Associations

If you''re in direct marketing, you''re continually looking for new list sources - everybody''s tired of mailing to the same lists. If you''re not in direct marketing and thinking about putting a mailing together, here''s something a little different: take a look at marketing through associations.

Why would anyone ever market to associations? They''re great targets: try sending a press release to an association''s publication - whether it''s a newsletter or a magazine. Why, you can alert an entire industry of your products or services with one or two well-placed news releases.

Since the magazines and newsletters of associations are not the mainstream prospecting tools of most marketers who market through more traditional channels association publications receive just a fraction of the press releases and promotional articles that go to major publishers. Yet the comprehensive lists of over 23,000 associations go astonishingly deep in most major and minor markets. In addition, association publications are usually well regarded and lend excellent credibility to the firms that get ink in their house publications.

Why else would you market through associations? Maybe you''re an affinity marketer - and you''d like to have the 96,000 members of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association apply for the special trial rate of your new credit card. Or, maybe you''d like the National Electrical Contractors Association - with 80 people on staff, and a budget of $10 to $25 million to support their 4,000 member firms that comprise 118 local chapters (along with the entire personnel of each member firm) - to apply for your new phone service. Associations can deliver thousands of their members - new customers for you - with a just a few contacts and a modest budget.

You''d definitely market through associations if you''re part of the hospitality industry and would like to arrange a convention - complete with hotel rooms, ballrooms, and services for the complete screaming regime of whoever shows up - of the 2,300,000 members of the National Education Association of the United States. Or go for a smaller piece of their $100,000,000 budget - give or take a few million - get hired as a speaker or on-site entertainment, or snag some of the the association''s printing business. Association lists work for all the above. Associations are key targets for the entire hospitality industry sales force: hotels, convention space, caterers, promotional products, printed material, ballrooms, ground services, and on-site entertainment, to name a few.

Quite frankly, I realize the big organizations are not for everyone. Not everyone is looking for the big numbers, even in lists. Some people are just looking for a short cut - an entry wedge into an industry at the top level. For this purpose, association lists are also useful in marketing to the elite leaders of select industries.

For example: If you wanted to get in bed with all of the 53 companies who belong to the Biscuit and Cracker Distributors Association, a reference book showing detailed information about their association may be just your cup of tea. You''ll find their address - along with their association size, annual budget, history, newsletter and publication detail, meeting and convention dates, website, email address, and their executive director''s name - on page 179 of the National Trade and Professional Associations of the United States directory.

The 828-page National Trade and Professional Associations of the United States ($99) reference tool lists 7,600 associations, and is published annually by Columbia Books, Inc. (www.columbiabooks.com; 888-265-0600, fax 410-810-0911) along with its companion, the State and Regional Associations of the U.S. directory ($79). The state and regional association guide is particularly useful if you are targeting specific geographic areas and want access to top local association contacts not included in the national book. The State and Regional Associations of the U.S. directory also has a higher percentage of association managers who, while managing multiple associations, cross many industry lines when sourcing vendors or affinity marketers.

Information in both Columbia Books directories is cross-referenced by association index, subject index (500 subjects/alpha), also by budget index, geographic index, executive index, and acronym name index. Association management companies are also shown. All of their data is available on disk. These two reference tools fit in your briefcase, and make surprisingly great reading, if - like me - you''re a marketer and have no other life outside of marketing and occasionally watching cat- dog on TV (ask your kids!).

Association lists and data are also available in the Encyclopedia of Associations by The Gale Group (800-877-GALE) on disk, CD, and on- line through Lexis-Nexis. This hardbound, three-volume set ($505) is the motherload of associations - showing detailed information on more than 23,000 local, state, national, and international associations. Gale says that seven out of every ten Americans belong to an association, and now I believe it: they all show up here in this extensive directory set.

Referenced and cross-referenced in every which-way possible, you can reach the 30,000 members of Retinitis Pigmentosa International, the 200 members of the 1954 Buick Skylark Club, the 20 members of the Vacuum Cleaner Manufacturers Association (VCMA), or the 10 members of the Holy Innocents Reparation Committee with equal ease.

Another great resource of associations is The Associations Yellow Book from Leadership Directories. While it doesn''t have the number of associations found in Gale''s Encyclopedia of Associations, it has an exceptional depth of information about the top thousand or so associations, arranged and presented in an attractive and logical manner. So if you''re looking for the top players in the association field, this resource tool may be just what your doctor ordered.

The Associations Yellow Book is 1,400 plus pages, and profiles 1,045 of the leading U.S. trade and professional associations. Included within these profiles are 42,159 officers, staff and board members, 263 political action committees, 437 foundations, and 725 branch offices. 1,036 associations with Internet sites are included.

To be listed in The Associations Yellow Book, associations must operate on a national level and have annual operating budgets of at least $2 million. Each listing is broken down into 10 logical sections: 1. Name and communications information 2. Description (association mission, number of members, number of full-time employees, operating budget) 3. Chief Staff Executive - which uniquely enough provides a photo of the executive director printed in the directory along with his or her background information 4. Officers and Management - including direct-dial phone and fax numbers and e-mail addresses 5. Government affairs office and phone 6. Committees 7. Foundations - research, education, fundraising and contacts 8. Branches 9.Publications including editors, frequency, and content 10. Board 11. Meetings - conferences, seminars, dates and locations and 12. Mailing list availability and contact.

The listings in The Associations Yellow Book are supplemented by eight indexes: Industry; Geographical-alphabetically by state; Budget-alphabetically within five budget classifications; Political Action Committee; Foundation; Personnel-all names are listed alphabetically; Acronym; and Master Index of Associations.

One of the most outstanding features of this easy to use directory is the quality and depth of information about each association. For example: the full page and one-quarter listing for the International Association for Management Education shows not only the 18 officers and management personnel with their individual direct dial phone numbers and extensions, their affiliations, education and email addresses, but the listing also contains the names and affiliation of each of their 23 board members. Even the receptionist gets her name mentioned with her phone number. So if you''re looking for the person who just handles the conventions, or the publications, you can write or call directly to him.

The clean layout and extensive coverage in each listing (plus all those photos that we think are a nice visual touch) make this excellent reference tool one of the favorites around our offices. I can assure you it''s heavily used, and we recommend it.

The Associations Yellow Book is available from Leadership Directories, Inc., 104 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY. 10011; Telephone 212/627-4140, Fax 212/645-0931; web address: www.leadershipdirectories.com. Published semi-annually, the subscription cost is $245 for two issues. Additional subscriptions to the same address are $172. Subscriptions include access to their Internet association database which is updated daily.

Marketing to - or through - associations may turn out to be a key component of your campaign; don''t overlook these great resources for their membership lists or for opportunities for joint ventures in affinity marketing.

Association directors represent key players who are in charge and in tune with virtually any industry, so they make great resources if you need information. Sometimes mailing or faxing a few simple questions to an association headquarters may produce more information faster than an entire year of researching books or reading trade periodicals. The foremost goal of most associations is to educate their members - might as well have them educate their members about your products and services.

###

Bio - Jeffrey Dobkin is the author of the incredible 400-page marketing manual How To Market a Product for Under $500 ($29.95 +$4). To place an order, or to speak with Mr. Dobkin call 610/642-1000. Fax 610/ 642-6832. Visit him at www.dobkin.com. for more articles.', 177, 'Marketing Through Associations, Marketing, Marketing articles, Marketing information, about Marketing, what is Marketing, Marketing Information', 'Marketing Through Associations plus articles and information on Marketing

Roping In Loyal Customers While Making An Extra Profit!

You''ve probably bought a book or two at one of the major chain bookstores. When you''re checking out, you get asked if you have the "discount card."

The card is not free. It usually cost 10 bucks or so.

But you get a 10% discount on most of your future purchases so it always seem like a good deal to me. If I buy at least a hundred dollars worth of stuff in the next 12 months, I''m at breakeven. If I spend 200, I''ve saved an extra $10.

Unfortunately, I have no idea how the exact numbers work out for the stores, but I absolutely love this concept.

Here''s why:

First, most people are buying less than one hundred dollars during their first purchase. Obviously, you get a discount on that purchase if you buy the discount card at the same time.

Let''s say you''re spending 20 dollars so you save 2 of those. Your net cost is 8 dollars.

And the store has an immediate profit of 8 bucks!

If you never ever show up in that store again, they''ve made a huge profit.

Second reason: Presumably...whenever you think about going to buy books in the future, you''re going to think that it''s pretty stupid if you buy books at any other bookstore. That means you return to the store to spend more money.

The bookstore wins again because (a) you came back and (b) you''re spending still more money!

Of course, the bookstore is not doing anything wrong and this can be a real benefit to a frequent shopper.

My point in this message is that you should think about some way that your business can use this idea. How can you get people to join your club for a fee and then get valuable discounts whenever they come back and shop with you.

As marketers, we need to constantly be thinking about how we can copy the strategies that we see working in other businesses and apply them to our businesses.

A mistake that many people make is thinking that their business is different so the marketing rules change.

Not so! The principles of marketing are universal and apply to all types of business in all countries.

The savvy businessperson continues to study and apply these principles to constantly increase their profits!

I expect to see you in Atlanta in October. You''d be crazy to miss my free conference!

Yours in success,

Shawn Casey

Internet Millionaire Shawn Casey''s "Mining Gold On the Internet" is one of the best selling Internet books with over 85,000 copies sold. In "Mining Gold", Shawn reveals the same step-by-step strategies he uses to create millions in Internet sales => http://www.ipcgold.com/ad/100/CD3839 Benefit from Shawn''s 7 years of Internet experience and learn from someone who has actually made millions online.', 177, 'Roping In Loyal Customers While Making An Extra Profit!, Marketing, Marketing articles, Marketing information, about Marketing, what is Marketing, Marketing Information', 'Roping In Loyal Customers While Making An Extra Profit! plus articles and information on Marketing

How Prince Connects With His Target Market!

While Internet legend (and young pup) Frank Kern would have you believe that I''m so old I should be confined to a wheelchair, I''m still on the good side of 100! And I can stil enjoy a good concert from time to time.

My daughter - Rachel, my wife and I had the good fortune to score some last-minute tickets to the recent Prince concert here in Atlanta. The concert itself was nothing short of amazing. Prince is a master musician who really knows how to play to his audience - and play his audience.

Of course, marketing concepts and lessons to be learned are never far from my mind - and this concert was no exception.

Morris Day and the Time kicked off the concert with a few songs to get the crowd revved up. And inquiring minds got the first clue about how they would do that.

In their 30-40 minute set, they mentioned Atlanta, A-T-L or Georgia about 20 times.

Questions like "Are you ready to party...Atlanta?" "Tell me, Georgia, are you ready for a good time tonight?"

Statements like "We love A-T-L!"

Even if you''ve never been to a concert before you imagine the roar of the crowd at every single mention of... the specific thing they could identify with.

But Prince absolute took this to a higher level. I lost track of exact count, but we''re talking 70-80 mentions of those magic words. And the crowd never lost interest or got bored of hearing them. Perfect proof that people never get tired of hearing positive things about themselves!

But what really took down the house and gave Prince and his band ownership of these thousands of people for the night (and probably several days to come) was the salute to the late great Ray Charles. One of the horn players delivered an outstanding version of "Georgia On My Mind" to a standing ovation. Now, it may be that they do this at every concert, but it''s particularly poignant in Georgia.

The important marketing lesson here is that you need to create a connection with your target market. And you can''t do that effectively with generic phrases.

Look at these choices to open a headline:

"Drivers:"

Who cares?

"Truck Drivers:"

A bit more defined. Some possible identification.

"Long Haul Truck Drivers:"
"Rusted Out Truck Drivers:"
"King Cab Truck Drivers:"
"Dump Truck Drivers:"

Immediately, your brain does a quick test to see if you identify with one of these. If you do, there''s a little part of you that says, "Hey...that''s me!"

Depending on your target, you may be able to move in a little tighter like:

"Georgia Long Haul Truck Drivers:"
"Cowboy King Cab Truck Drivers:"
"Texas Cowboy King Cab Truck Drivers:"

Can you see how the more you narrow down your target, the more the prospect identifies that this message is for him?

When you can make that happen, your prospect pays more Attention and you get a little closer to making a sale.

You can also target in by creating identification with a problem:

"Are You Overworked And Underpaid?" (Note: Combine this phrase with "Georgia Long Haul Truckers" and see how your readership will skyrocket.)

"Allergy Sufferers:"
"Parents Of Children With ADHD:"
"To The Wife Whose Husband Won''t Save A Dime:"

Obviously, you only want to use ideas that lead into the solution you want to sell. But these lead-ins help you follow the classic sales pattern of

Identify A Problem

Agitate The Reader About The Problem (like picking a scab)

Deliver The Perfect Solution

As my friend and mentor Dan Kennedy would say:

If you can identify the 2 or 3 things that keep your prospect awake at 3 a.m. - with his stomach churning from the boiling acid - then you can truly step into the shoes of your prospect and create instant identification with him.

So the next time that you''re thinking about your marketing and sales campaigns (which should be most of the time), take a few moments to focus on how you can more closely identify with your target.

Yours in success,

Shawn Casey

Internet Millionaire Shawn Casey''s "Mining Gold On the Internet" is one of the best selling Internet books with over 85,000 copies sold. In "Mining Gold", Shawn reveals the same step-by-step strategies he uses to create millions in Internet sales => http://www.ipcgold.com/ad/100/CD3839 Benefit from Shawn''s 7 years of Internet experience and learn from someone who has actually made millions online.
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The Real Path To Big Bucks On The Internet!

"Instead Of Wasting Time Trying To Hit The Lottery Of Internet Riches, Focus On Building Your Business One Sweet Income Stream At A Time!"

Eric (one of my JV partners) experienced an epiphany yesterday. He had one of those rare moments of insight that can forever change your life.

In the 5 or 6 years that I''ve known Eric, the number one question on his mind is how he can find that magical combination of product and website that will instantly create a hundred thousand dollar monthly return. Preferably, without a lot of work.

Then, he tripped over a site yesterday describing how one company had websites that only made between $100 and $200 each. But they''ve got over 2,000 websites. Do the math.

You may have heard the phrase that there''s at least a million ways to make a million bucks. I believe it.

While I am a major proponent of "thinking big," I''m also realistic.

I didn''t create a massive income overnight from one magical success. Instead, I''ve got a bountiful array of income streams that add up to incredible numbers.

Yes, normal people (those that don''t spend as much as my wife and I do) could live comfortably on some of the individual checks that come in. On the flip side, if I lost any one of the income streams, I''d be inconvenienced. But my spending habits wouldn''t even require an adjustment.

I''ve got to give credit to my friend Robert Allen for beating this into my head several years ago. You''ve probably seen his bestselling book series on "Multiple Streams Of Income". By the way, you can find me as a contributor to "Multiple Streams Of Internet Income".

From a security standpoint, it''s great to have lots of different checks come in each month.

Looking at a business start-up, it''s much easier to get some different $200 to $1,000 checks each month than it is to create that magic smash success.

How do you do this? Consider this idea -- pick a target market or product or MLM - something...anything. Just pick something to focus on that you can set on autopilot.

Here are some real examples:

- a networking company that I promoted one time to my mailinglist about 3 years ago sends me weekly checks ranging from $20 to $180.

- another networking company that I promote with a couple of website links kicks in about $3,500 a month.

- I refer people through an affiliate program to a product that includes recurring billing and my most recent check was over $2,400.

Notice - I''ve not even mentioned selling my own products yet...

Some of those sell tens of thousands of dollars. Others just sell a few hundred.

- for example...I bought the master resale rights to one product and set up a pre-packaged website. Took a couple of hours to do that and get it submitted to the search engines. Added a couple links to websites. The site probably averages one $40 sale per day with no advertising cost.

While $1,200 a month isn''t going to make you rich, it will make a mortgage payment for some or a car payment on a very luxurious automobile for others.

What if you just followed this simple pattern of setting up a few different deals that each brought in several hundred dollars a month? What would your monthly income be in a year?

Most of these little deals run on auto-pilot. Set it and forget it. Just cash the checks when they come in.

And they will come in if you follow this plan.

And if you''d like a serious shortcut to getting started with these types of deals, then pay close attention to your email inbox early this week. I''m launching an incredible marketing system that will let you just plug in and go.

Yours in success,

Shawn Casey

Internet Millionaire Shawn Casey''s "Mining Gold On the Internet" is one of the best selling Internet books with over 85,000 copies sold. In "Mining Gold", Shawn reveals the same step-by-step strategies he uses to create millions in Internet sales => http://www.ipcgold.com/ad/100/CD3839 Benefit from Shawn''s 7 years of Internet experience and learn from someone who has actually made millions online.
', 177, 'The Real Path To Big Bucks On The Internet!, Marketing, Marketing articles, Marketing information, about Marketing, what is Marketing, Marketing Information', 'The Real Path To Big Bucks On The Internet! plus articles and information on Marketing

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