What Are You Paid to Do? Part 1

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This is the first post in a four-part series. It’s all about the basics of network marketing and building a distribution network. An entrepreneur has a lot on her plate. She is the Chief Cook and Bottle Washer although sometimes she calls herself a CEO. She does it all–in the beginning. It is best to keep a short list of the BIG to-do tasks and then BUILD systems to streamline and help keep the main thing the main thing.

There are four basic things network marketers get paid to do.

  1. Talk to new people
  2. Follow-up with new people
  3. Follow-up with existing people
  4. Coach and develop leaders [Read more...]
Filed Under: Network Marketing, Networking Tagged With: , ,

Do What You Are Good At!

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One of the easiest things you can do in your direct sales and network marketing business is to remember what you are good at, and then use that to market your business. Yes, you can always learn new ways to get the word out about your business, and stretch your comfort zone, but start with what you know.

In fact, it is a good idea to engage in 2-3 different marketing strategies per month.

Be creative in finding ways to introduce people to your company.  The company you represent usually takes care of the other parts of running a business like customer service, manufacturing and distribution, and designing marketing materials.

However, you want your business to stick from the get go. So use what you have naturally or what you have developed over the years, and talk to people online and off.  Build relationships. Be a resource for others. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Direct Sales, Network Marketing, Social Media, Strategy

Small Biz Owners Learn from Kiosk Sales

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Today’s LESSON FROM THE FIELD comes from Jessica Swanson the Shoestring Marketer.  Take your business to the next level with lessons from your local kiosk salesperson. Just remember the success of your transaction still rest on the basic principle–find the people for whom your product/service is the right thing for them right now.

Target your market then show them how your product or service works for them.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Business Opportunity, Direct Sales, Target Market, Uncategorized Tagged With: , ,

Get Inspired in Three Steps

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“Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.” Andre Gide

Need to look at the same old thing with a fresh perspective? Look around. There is always something amazing going on. See how you can recreate or repurpose your business or product or attitude.

Here are 3 ideas you can be on the look out for if you want to change your out look.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Business Development, Strategy Tagged With: , , , ,

5 Steps to Building a Perfect Team

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Lessons From the Field: Your Perfect Team

It occurred to me that putting a team together is more about letting each person’s natural talent shine than it is about drawing up a list of needed skills and then finding the right person.

I recently worked with a group of people at a local community event. Team members volunteered to work the event. We were all from the same company. The event ran so smoothly, it amazed me. Don’t get me wrong, there were delays and problems that popped up along the way. But, we didn’t fall apart. We didn’t give up. Left alone, each member came up with brilliant ideas on how to make the event successful.

Picture if you will, a team of 6 people from the same company. The goal is to increase brand recognition and serve our community. Our job is to serve our sports drink to participants in a weekend-long community sports festival. There were marathoners, 1/2 marathoners, 10K/5K runners and walkers, inline skaters (recreational, advanced and elite), and bikers. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Building Community, Communication, Team Building Tagged With: , , ,

The Anatomy of Social Media: Part 2

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Savour Your Time

Don’t work your fingers to the bones. Get the word out about you and your business in less than 90 minutes a day. Set a timer so you don’t spend all day surfing and chatting.

  1. Don’t do it all in one day. Vary your activities. By the end of the week you will have added more people to your network, had a few good conversations, created interest in your product offerings, and signed up people for your upcoming teleseminar.
  2. The more places people can find you, the more likely they are to get to know you and want to do business with you. It is a compliment when people say to you, “I see you everywhere.”

TIP: Split your time. 30 min in the morning and 30 minutes in the afternoon, add 5 minutes here and there. You can always find a few seconds to tweet no matter where you are. Social Media can be addicting. Remember to put it aside so you can give your complete attention to the task at hand.

35-40 minutes write a blog post, or create an audio or video or presentation from your post. Get ready to push your posts out to your other platforms

20 minutes update facebook–reply to comments and friend requests, update status, invite prospects to your business page

10 minutes to update twitter–reply to tweets, give a shout out, retweet something your followers would like, share a link, tweet about your blog post, video, event, workshop, etc.

10 minutes to post blog links on LinkedIn, upload a presentation, comment on the latest discussion, join a group, connect with a colleage or friend

Keep in mind that Social Media is the way you meet people, build relationships, and showcase your work. When someone is interested in what you have to offer, take the conversation offline. You can direct message them on Twitter, and give them additional contact information. Of course they can always go right to your shopping cart and purchase your product or sign up for a workshop or teleconference from your landing page or website. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Business Development, Communication, Online Marketing, Social Media Tagged With: , ,

The Anatomy of Social Media: Part 1

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Create an Online Presence

Expand your reach–go from a local business to a world-wide business. Add Social Media to your marketing mix. It doesn’t replace your offline marketing and networking, it enhances it. Learn how all the pieces fit together to make a comprehensive marketing strategy.

If anything, look and see how active you can be in building relationships and your business. There is lots to do. Only do a little at a time. Start with a blog, add a social media platform that makes the most sense to you. When you get the hang of it, add another one. Move only as fast as you can manage the work and the relationships.

Your Blog is the hub of your operation. It is where the conversations happen. It is where you showcase your expertise and introduce your products. Drive traffic from other Social Media platforms to your blog. It’s where people decide if they want to do business with you.

  • Set up a way for people to get your latest blog post sent to their email (Feedburner)
  • Set up an RSS so people can follow your blog (Google Reader)
  • Include a way for people to reach you via Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, You Tube, etc.
  • Include products, workshops, teleclasses that you want to give away or sell

Your Marketing System

Facebook is where you build your business relationships. You share links, articles, tips, photos and videos. People get to know you, how you run your business, what you value, how you treat people. You don’t have to be an expert; you can point them to the experts in your posts. Little by little you’ll build your credibility, and people will be pointing to you as the expert.

Know what your readers want to read, learn about, view, or hear about.

  • Post 4-5 times a day
  • Post a link to your latest blog post
  • Post a link to an article you wrote or uncovered
  • Give a short tip
  • Post an upcoming event
  • Post a video – yours or someone else who will connect with your readers. Write an introduction, summary, or review. Give a short intro to help readers pay attention to important things
  • Create a business page
  • Create a welcome or landing page for first time visitors

Twitter is an up-to-the minute communication tool. You build a list of followers and keep them updated with the business happenings and some personal events in your life. With 140 characters you can post a link to your blog, give a shout out to people who wrote a great article or delivered an over-the-top presentation. You meet like minded individuals with whom you want to learn from or do business together.

  • Follow others, accept follow requests
  • Post a quote
  • Post a shout out or a Follow Friday recommendation
  • Post a short tip, resource, link
  • Post a link to your blog post, article, video
  • Post a lesson from the field — yours or the business world in general
  • Send a direct message
  • Set up lists and send specific messages to your lists
  • Tweet about blog post and drive people back to your business page on Facebook

LinkedIn is a business networking tool. You can look for a job, connect with colleagues, join a business group, and join in on the conversation. It is a real-time resume.

  • Create a professional profile
  • Invite others to join you
  • Post recommendations
  • Request recommendations
  • Request introductions
  • Join local groups, start a discussion, join in on a discussion
  • Search for people in your niche using the “Search” function
  • Turn your blog post into a power point presentation and post it using SlideShare
  • Look for a job
  • Post a job
  • Ask a question, answer a question using the “Answer” function

Ezine Articles is an article submission website. Build your credibility in your niche. Write articles and post them on your blog or post a link on Facebook, Twitter, orLinkedIn driving traffic back to your blog.

  • Write articles appropriate to your niche
  • Write 2-3 a week to build your expert status, write more often if you want to build it faster
  • Write a bio to include at the end of each article with a link to your blog or website

You Tube is a video sharing website. You make the video and you upload it to their website. You can post the videos on your blog, and share the link on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn. Create your own channel – with short tips and how to info, interviews

You just reviewed an online marketing system that doesn’t cost you a dime. What no cost methods do you use to create an online presence? Please share so we can all learn.

Filed Under: Business Development, Free Marketing, Online Marketing, Social Media Tagged With: , ,

3 Ways to Build Your Local Presence

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It is always good to have a list of online experts to tap when you need help with your business. It is extra special when you find out they are your next door neighbors.

Getting to know the local community takes some extra work, but it can be fun. Like anything else, know your goals or you’ll get pulled in many different directions.

1. Turn the Promotion of Your Book or Product into a MeetUp

Karen Clark got local and online exposure when she created a Meetup group around the topics in the guidebook Direct Selling Power. As a Co-author, she is a natural draw. With 20 chapters in the book she has most of her monthly topics lined up. Add a few local experts, testimonies, get togethers, and the Meetup calendar is mapped out for the whole year.

2. Get Together to Work

There’s a group in my area that meets once a month at a local restaurant. They have lunch and bring their laptops so they can work on their own projects. You have a group of people that you can chat with, ask a question, or review your ideas. It’s good for the group and it’s good for the restaurant. It is a power lunch!

Another variation of this is Karen Clark’s  Websites and Wine. You bring a laptop and work on your online presence with the help of the host. The host is on hand to answer questions and give advice.

Yes, there is wine. If you bring wine and a dish to share you get $10 off the work shop fee. I’d bring some bruschetta and a bottle of Chardonnay. Sounds like fun.

3. Partner with Local Groups

Partner with the local chamber (or other local groups) and offer a summer speaker series. Pick a general topic and invite local business people to share their expertise. Offer it once a week for six – eight weeks.

Promote the event in Chamber newsletters, online on Facebook, LinkedIn, and definitely tweet about it before, during, and after. Use a recording of the series to sell online after the event.

There are many creative ways to get the word out about you and your business. Do you have any favorites to share?

Filed Under: Building Community, Business Development, Free Marketing, Online Marketing, Social Media Tagged With: , , ,

Quick Guide to Setting Up Twitter Account

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Getting started on twitter is easy. Here’s a step-by-step video to guide you through the setup process. Always something new to learn.

It’s good to check your profile and settings now and then. Especially remember to update your Twitter Connections (applications that have access to your account).

Filed Under: Building Brand Awareness, Business Development, Social Media Tagged With: , ,

5 Tips for Better Blogging

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The first step to better blogging is to blog. The more you blog the better you get at blogging, and the better you get at blogging the more you want to blog. Whew!

1. Know What You Want

Stay focused on the reason you blog.

  • Build your list
  • Sell product (yours or others)
  • Coach others
  • Solve a problem
  • Showcase your expertise
  • Be a resource for others in your industry

2. Know Your Reader

Keep your reader in mind when writing.

My reader is a busy professional turned work-at-home woman, and is looking for guidance from someone who has been there and done that. She balances faith, family, work and community.  She is educated and computer savvy. She has her priorities straight (in her head at least) and looks for simple ways to get the word out about her business. My reader is a team player. Joining in on the fun is no problem for her.

3. Be Clear

Write to express not to impress. Keep your sentences short, and free from flowery prose. Learn to love bullets, lists, and white space.

4. Include a Variety of Blog Posts

  • Short blog under 150 words
  • Articles 350 – 500 words
  • Tips
  • Checklists
  • Expert summaries
  • Dos and don’ts
  • Resource list
  • Showcase other bloggers

5. Start Small and Build

  • Host your WordPress or Typepad blog (Blue Host, HostGator).
  • Write 8-10 posts then let your friends, colleagues and clients know what you’re up to, and invite them to be a part of your blog.
  • Learn the rules of the game (little by little)–online etiquette, visibility, headlines, SEO, opt-in, RSS, content syndication.
  • Invite people to opt-in to your blog via email or RSS (Feedburner).
  • Set a schedule. Try posting 3x a week. One post can be a longer blog and the others can be short tips and how tos.
  • Fill in the blanks. Start with 5-7 topics or categories.  Break down each topic into 5-10 subtopics. Collect articles, advice, links, and stories for your posts.
  • Set a timer.  Spend 35-40 minutes a day writing.  Be ready to put your work away when the bells rings.

Keep on blogging. Why not take a moment and share your favorite blogging tips.

Filed Under: Building Brand Awareness, Building Community, Business Development, Direct Sales, Marketing, Online Marketing Tagged With: , , , ,
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