Using Article Marketing in your Direct Sales Business
Download a copy of this article to use in your ezine. Just CLICK HERE for an easy to copy and paste version.
After several months of studying the art of marketing businesses by using informative articles I've been really impressed with the tremendous information that's out there. By writing a content rich, helpful and informative article you can set yourself apart as an expert in your field and generate traffic to you and your business.
Most of my study has been in the field of Internet marketing, but as the wheels of my mind have been turning and with the experience I've had with Direct Sales, I want to encourage you, Direct Selling Mom, to explore this as a way to expand your business... and provide a new outlet of fun for yourself too!
Why in the world do you want to spend time writing articles? If you're like me, you're business life is already too consuming and you need to spend less time on your business, not more!
First, it's FUN! Here's your chance to let your creative juices flow! You know how much you love your products. And at your parties, you love talking about them to the party guests. But now, you have a chance to take it another level. Do you sell scrapbooking products? Share your heart about the importance of creating a legacy of memories for your progeny. Passionate about candles? Write an article about the warmth of hospitality in your home that can be created by simply adding some beautiful candles to your decor. Think beyond the specific products in your line and create from your heart! You'll see... it' will stretch your mind and you'll love every minute of it!
Second, it's profitable. As you send out valuable content either online to article directories or offline to your local publications, you're establishing yourself as an expert in your field. Because each article has a resource box, an author section with your information - name, email, website, email and/or phone, the people who read your article, will know who to contact... YOU!
Third, it sets you apart. Direct Sales is a competitive business and most likely if you're in company that's more than a year or two old, you're not the only representative around. By writing articles and establishing credibility, you're setting yourself apart from other consultants in your own company and in competing ones as well.
How to start? Here are some quick suggestions:
1. Read some other articles online that fit in with the theme of your particular product line.
2. Pick your favorite product from your direct sales catalog. Take a long look at it and think about WHY this is your favorite. What can it "do" for your customers... what's it's value.
3. Write down your thoughts about the product in list form. Look through the list and find some "key words" that really stand out.
4. Using those key words, start to build a story about the experience of the product.... not the specific product itself. This is where you really begin to write an article rather than a sales pitch.
5. Now just keep writing...tweak, change, set it aside for a day and come back to it. Don't be discouraged if it doesn't come to you right away, especially if you're not a writer by nature.
6. Take a risk and have a good friend read and critique your thoughts. Be open to her ideas and rewrite again.
When you think you and your article are ready, it's time to submit it to your local paper or to online article directories. Just do an Internet search for "article directories" as a good starting point.
So much information is available online for maximizing this avenue of marketing. You can get a free 5-day course from two of my friends by CLICKING HERE for Easy Article Marketing. Take advantage of it ... and watch your business grow!
Article Writing Tips from SpongeBob SquarePants
By Nicole Dean
of Easy Article Marketing
Wisdom can be found in the most unexpected places. Today, wisdom bubbled up from a pineapple under the sea. I suddenly realized that everything you’d want to know about writing articles for your website can be taught by SpongeBob SquarePants and his friends.
When you write for your newsletter, blog, or website, which character are you most like?
Mr. Krabs: This crustacean is focused on one thing and one thing only, making more and more and more money. Only a cartoon could actually have dollar signs drawn in his eyes. He thinks of no one, only how he can benefit. Are your articles focused on you or on the reader? Are you providing information or do you have blinders on, thinking only about how you can make money from the article you are writing? If your article reads like an ad or is self-serving or full of affiliate links, you might write like Mr. Krabs.
Plankton: The smallest creature in the sea is also the sneakiest. He’ll do anything and hurt anyone to steal someone else’s work (the Krabby Pattie secret formula). Write your own material. Don’t be Plankton. Don’t copy and paste someone else’s work, edit it, and try to pass it off as your own. You will be caught, and it just isn’t worth it. Take the same amount of effort and work on your own thoughts and ideas. Plankton never gets away with his schemes, either. He’s on Plan “Z” and is still pathetically failing at his attempts to steal the secret formula.
Patrick: SpongeBob’s best friend, the starfish, has a good heart, but isn't the brightest creature in the sea. Do your articles make you sound like an expert? Are you providing valuable content or just pushing out sloppy articles as fast as you can? Always double check for typos and grammatical errors. If you're challenged by spelling and grammar, hire a Virtual Assistant or Copywriter to proofread and submit your article for you. Or slow down, set your article aside for a day and then reread it before you click the “submit” button.
Squidward: Squidward is B-O-R-I-N-G. When writing articles, are you a Squidward? Do you just get the words down on paper or are you finding a fun twist to entertain your audience and keep them coming back for more? Take time to make your articles stand out from the thousands of other dull articles out there by including personal stories or just having fun while writing. For instance, this article could be entitled "How to Write a Good Article", but would it stand out from the hundreds of other articles about article writing? Probably not.
SpongeBob: This little guy always tries to do the right thing, and is a hard worker. He may not always end up getting the results he hoped for, but he bounces back and tackles his work with a renewed vigor. SpongeBob works very hard, he's a good friend, he always thinks of others, and tries to have fun no matter what he is faced with. Hardworking, friendly SpongeBob is the guy to be when writing articles.
Although this is a silly lesson in article writing, I hope you'll remember the important messages our underwater friends have taught us.
1. Write articles to help others, not with dollar signs in your eyes.
2. Write your own material. Don’t copy others.
3. Proofread your articles carefully, and provide valuable information.
4. Be entertaining. Not boring.
5. Be a SpongeBob! Hard work and persistence pay off.
Before you know it, you'll develop a following for having informative and entertaining articles and you’ll be King or Queen of the sea.
Nicole Dean doesn’t pay for advertising – ever. She uses Article Marketing to get free advertising on websites and in newsletters worldwide. She welcomes you to visit EasyArticleMarketing.com to find out how.
How To be Rejected by the Article Directories
by Nicole Dean
Article writing is one of the best ways to increase your traffic and get more sales. You've heard it a million times so you decide to finally just do it. You write an article and submit it to the article directories, eagerly anticipating the flow of traffic. Instead you receive the dreaded rejection letter.
What did you do wrong?
1. Did you proof-read your article before you submitted it?
Popular article directory sites receive hundreds of submissions each day. It's much easier for the owner to click "decline" than to edit your typo-filled or unformatted article. Before submitting, proof the article and proof it again. If grammar and spelling make you sweat, then hire a Copywriter or ask a friend to help you before you click that submit button.
2. Is it an Advertisement or an Article?
Article directory sites are looking for informative, useful content, not press releases or ads. If your submission reads like an ad, it will not be accepted. And, think about it -- even if was approved on a fluke, do you think that website owners will be clamoring to publish your 500 word advertisement? Not a chance.
If your goal is to write and submit a press release, then check out places like prweb.com.
3. Did you read the Submission Guidelines?
Each article directory has a different culture. Glance through the Submission Guidelines before setting up an account to make sure your article will be welcome before you submit it. If an article directory is based around a niche like gardening, then please resist the urge to submit your Mesothelioma articles. There are plenty of article directories that want your articles. It’s not an effective use of your time to submit unwanted articles to a niche site.
4. Is your article PG-rated?
Don't submit sex-related articles, profanity, or general nastiness. Article directories are businesses and, therefore, exist to make money. This means they generally receive income through affiliate sales or advertising. So, if your article includes sex or contains words stronger than "darn", don't be surprised if your article is rejected. Of course, if your article contains nastiness or anything illegal -- don't even bother.
5. Is your Article original and written by you?
Submit only original articles. Please do not copy someone else's article, edit it, and submit it. That's stealing and you will be caught. And, do not submit articles from shared content sites. Article directories want original, unique content. Public domain is 'public' but think how ineffective article directories would become if there were 500 versions of the same public domain piece. Instead of wasting your time figuring out how to reinvent other people's content, just write your own.
Now that you know what not to do, start writing the kind of articles that article directories dream of -- and watch your business grow.
Nicole Dean is published all over the web, under numerous pen names. She welcomes you to visit www.EasyArticleMarketing.com to learn how writing simple articles can be the most effective way to bring traffic and sales to your website.
3 Reasons Why Not to Ask - How are you today? By Michael Oliver
By Michael Oliver Submitted by: DSWA
One of the standard greetings I’ve heard Distributors who are calling leads or people they don’t know for the first time is… "And how are you today?"
Unless it’s someone with whom you are really familiar… DON’T ask this question!
Here’s 3 reasons why…
1. It sounds insincere. 99% of telemarketers ask it and even if you’re sincere, people are tired of it and subconsciously react against it- including you!
2. It’s an ineffective opener. It’s an old selling technique used to break the ice. It never did work and it still doesn’t! In fact in most cases it will create and thicken the ice.
3. It wastes time – yours and theirs. You have nano-seconds to establish rapport and get across your message of how you might be of help. Asking how are you and waiting for their reply takes about 4 seconds. You’re doomed!
Instead, - Get down to business right away.
Use a version of your Personal Introduction Speech that puts the focus on the person you’re calling. It immediately establishes the potential of "what’s in it for them" that will be hard to resist. People will respect you for that.
(Details on how to do this is in chapter 11 in my book, and also on my CD’s "12 Ways to Start Effective Conversations Without Fear".).
After you’ve introduced yourself, here’s a few opening beginners, with which you can add your information or Qualifying Questions…
I’m calling because you requested information about… is this a good time to talk?
I’m calling because you expressed interest in starting your own business… Is this a good time to talk?
I’m calling because we help people who are concerned about not having enough invested to create an income for a comfortable retirement… is this something that might apply to you?
I’m calling because there are many people who cannot afford disability insurance and are worried about what might happen if they cannot provide for their family, and we offer a no cost way of taking care of that. Is this something that might of interest to you?
The less you sound like a scripted telemarketing salesperson the more people are going to be interested in you and what you have to propose.
MLM Insider #1 Trainer in Network Marketing 2004 and author of 'How to Sell Network Marketing Without Fear, Anxiety or Losing Your Friends!' www.NaturalSelling.com
The use of Learning Center material is granted only to DSWA members for non-commercial purposes and must be accompanied by the author's name and the following byline. Article provided by the www.mydswa.org Copyright 2003
Is it REALLY this Easy to Get Free Advertising
by Nicole Dean
Easy Article Marketing.com - (Click Here to check it out!)
One of the best ways to get free advertising is to simply write articles and give them away. It’s a foreign concept to many in online business, but it’s one of the best ways to get traffic, improve your search engine ranking, and sell more products.
Why Should You Write Articles?
Newsletter and website owners are desperate for content. As someone who owns websites and publishes several newsletters, I can vouch for this. I regularly search article directories, looking for quality information that will help my readers. And, every article I use from these resources gets published with the author’s information and a link to their site.
Why Give The Articles Away?
How much would you pay to include your ad in a newsletter or popular website? Anywhere from $5 to $80. Wouldn’t you prefer to have your ad placed for free? It’s easy to see the financial reward. Look at the bottom of this article. Right there, plain as day, you can see a resource box with my website included, so you have proof that this method works.
How do you write an article?
Take another look at the article that you’re reading right now. It’s short. It’s simple. I’m not a Literary Genius. I’m just being me.
Start by picking something you know about, or a problem that you can solve, and start writing. Just do it!
What should you include in the Author Bio?
Your Name Something interesting about you or your website Your website link - Don’t forget this one! Special offer - Mention a freebie or special offer if you have one. Don’t use this area to *sell*. Just get them to your site.
May you have lots and lots of free advertising!
About the Author: Nicole Dean is published all over the web, under numerous pen names. She welcomes you to visit Easy Article Marketing.com - (Click Here to check it out!) to get started using article marketing to boost your business today.
If you sign up for the course through my link, I'll give you bonus tips and my thoughts on using the information for your direct sales business. Fill in your info below and then let me know when you've signed up so I can send you the tips!
Work at Home Moms Housecleaning Tips - By: Carrie Lauth
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I loved this article by Carrie. Her tips are great with a humorous and fun zip. Love it!
Enjoy!
Annette
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As a work from home Mom of 3 kids who are with me ALL day, people often wonder how I'm able to do it all. So I decided to share some of my
"Work from home Moms house cleaning tips" with you.
Be reasonable and lower your expectations when it comes to housework.
Remember...you ARE a working Mom. You get to do that work from home, but you're also doing it with small kids underfoot. You deserve a pat on the back, not a guilt trip.
Decide what's important to you and your family and focus on those tasks.
For instance...in my house, the kitchen always gets cleaned quickly after it's dirtied. My "ick factor" is a grimy sink. Plus, we're in that room more than any other. Bathrooms and kitchens are more important than other rooms because of the hygiene factor. A little dust or kid toys underfoot? Ah, who cares? Plus, as my sister, a mom of 4 always says, stepping on Legos is free acupressure.
My husband on the other hand, is into floors. The whole house could be a pig sty, but if the floors are clean, the house is clean to him. So I make it a point to vacuum before he gets home.
What makes your house clean? Make sure those tasks are done, which for most people means having a simple routine that you do without thinking. As for the rest...
Delegate, outsource, or procrastinate.
Decide what you can delegate to hubby, your kids or to a teenager eager to earn a few dollars. I think the best way you can spend $20 on your home based business is to pay a mommy's helper to come over for several hours and clean or play with your kids while you do business. Make sure you have a long to do list at the ready so you don't squander your time checking email or reading blogs. (Who, me?)
Your kids can be paid surprisingly small amounts of money to do cleaning that is above and beyond their regular chores. Don't feel guilty about doing this. I know one 6 year old who is one Jabba the Hutt Lego set richer because of all the dimes and quarters he earned vacuuming. Ahem.
Procrastinate the tasks that take the same amount of time to do whether they're done daily or weekly. Dishes, for one, take longer to do the longer they sit. Vacuuming and dusting take the same amount of time whether they're done daily or weekly.
And outsourcing...as soon as you can afford to, pay someone to do things around the house while you focus on more important tasks. And if you can't do that, invite someone over for a playdate. It's amazing how much energy you can drum up when company's coming, and how fast you can clean too!
Teach your children to clean up after themselves.
This isn't being a strict parent. It's doing your future daughters-in-law a favor. Even a 2 year old child can be gently trained to put dirty clothes in the hamper. It helps when you keep one in their room. Make it into a routine, make up a song about it, do what you need to do.
A child as young as 3 can be taught to pick up toys (sometimes they need a little supervision to keep on track), bring dirty dishes to the sink, wipe up spills, etc.
A 5 or 6 year old can be taught how to dust, clean glass surfaces, sweep under the table, and even vacuum.
Use the if/then technique.
"Oh you want some yogurt? When you pick up those books you may have some."
And as for hubby? Well, my personal standard is...if it doesn't make it to the hamper, it doesn't get washed. Your mileage may vary.
Use shortcuts.
If it's a nice day, have the kids eat lunch or snacks outside. No table, chairs, and floor to clean.
Reserve cleaning bathrooms for when your toddler is in the tub. You have to be in there anyway. Be sure to use a totally non toxic cleaner.
The best time to clean your shower or tub is right after you've used it...the hot steamy water loosens all the grime.
Open your mail over the trash can. Immediately dump all junk.
And here's one word of caution. Don't fall into the trap of running around like a crazy women during naptime or after bed doing all the cleaning. You need this time to pamper yourself a bit (if you're fortunate enough to have kids who still take naps!) and have some quiet time alone or with hubby.
Being a work from home Mom is full of challenges, but with some creativity and flexibility, you can have a thriving business and a tidy home.
How to have a (reasonably!) clean and tidy abode while working from home.
Carrie Lauth is a work at home Mom of 4 who enjoys helping other Moms learn how to build their businesses online. For your free help, go to http://www.business-moms-expo.com and sign up for the "No Fluff" newsletter.
LadyPens.com - Awesome Articles by Awesome Women!
Copyright 2005 LadyPens.com - Awesome Articles by Awesome Women!
Tons and tons of recipes!!!
Kathy's Kit and Kaboodle
Pumpkin Freezer Squares - Great recipe for Thanksgiving!
Pumpkin
Freezer Squares
Ingredients
|
8 graham
crackers-crushed to make 1 ½ cups crumbs |
|
3/4
cup firmly packed dark brown sugar, divided |
|
4
tablespoons butter, melted |
|
1
can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree |
|
1
1/4 teaspoons cinnamon, divided |
|
1/2
teaspoon salt |
|
1
quart vanilla ice cream, softened |
|
1
can whipped cream |
Prep
Time: 15 minutes
Freezing Time: 4 hours
Cooking Time: none
Serves
8
Directions
1.
Combine graham cracker crumbs, 1/4 cup brown sugar and butter in a medium bowl
and mix well. Press crumb mixture onto the bottom of a 9-inch square baking
dish.
2.
Combine pumpkin, remaining brown sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and salt in a large
bowl and mix well. Stir in the vanilla ice cream. Spoon pumpkin mixture on top
of crust in pan.
3. Freeze,
covered, until firm, 3 to 4 hours. Top with a squirt of whipping creme and
sprinkle with remaining cinnamon.
Tips for Efficient and Effective Online Communication by Linda Stacy
By: Linda Stacy
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This is a GREAT article by Linda on communicating effectively online. Wonderful tips! Enjoy!
Annette
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If you market your business online you likely spend a lot of time communicating with customers and prospects via e-mail. You may also spend time networking on message boards and other online groups. Here are a few tips to help save time and to help make sure the message you want to send is the message that is received.
1. Use meaningful subject lines.
You want to convey the content of the message. Make sure your subject line is as specific as it can be in a few words. “I have a question” doesn’t offer any clue to the content, but “question about shipping” does. You may think that the subject line isn’t that important since your question will be in the message, but a recipient who may receive a hundred emails a day will prioritize by subject line and the more specific subjects will likely be read first.
You also want to choose email subject lines that are less likely to be blocked by a spam filter. Avoid spam filter trigger words like “free,” “info you requested,” and “save”.
When posting on message boards and news groups you want your subject line to attract the people who can answer your question or who are interested in the topic. Many message board participants have limited time and they only open the topics of interest. If your subject line simply reads, “help me” the experts may skip over it. But “need help with search engine optimization” will likely get the attention of someone with more experience on the topic.
Don’t change the subject line in your reply unless you are completely changing the topic of the message.
2. Your message should be concise, but complete. Get to your point early in your message and make sure you provide all the necessary information.
Some people still pay an hourly rate for Internet access and others are limited in the amount of information they can download. Unnecessarily long messages may be ignored or deleted by those individuals and unnecessarily long email messages add to an already overburdened email system.
By providing complete information in your first message you can often get your request taken care of right away. For example, if you email a website to ask for a change to your ad or your reciprocal link, don’t just ask, “how can I change my ad,” but include the changes you want to make. Often, changes are made by email so if you include the information in your first email the change will be made right away.
3. When replying to e-mail, be sure to include enough of the original message to convey the context of the reply.
The person you’re corresponding with may receive hundreds of messages a week and your message will be answered sooner and more accurately if the rest of the correspondence is included.
An exception should be made when you’ve written back and forth quite a few times and the email message starts to get very large. In that case, delete some of the earlier messages that are no longer necessary. Additionally, if you are emailing a newsgroup that offers daily “digest” be sure to remove most of the original message. It becomes very difficult to read the digest when every response includes the entire original message.
On threaded message boards it’s not necessary to quote the original post in your reply as most visitors are following along the entire thread and know the context. Use a quoted reply only to highlight and refer to a particular section of the original.
4. When sending e-mail to multiple recipients, be sure to use the blind CC address line. Do not reveal all the e-mail addresses to all the recipients.
In most cases you shouldn’t be sending messages to multiple recipients unless it’s a mailing list (in which case you should be using a mailing list program that individually addresses the messages to your list). But if you sometimes find the need to send one message to multiple recipients, be extremely careful to use the blind CC. Leaving everyone’s email address visible to all the recipients will anger many and lead the rest to mistrust that you’ll safeguard any of their personal information.
5. Make sure your business email can get through to you.
In your effort to reduce the amount of spam you receive, make sure your aren’t eliminating business email. Avoid e-mail accounts that filter spam for and find your own effective spam filter that lets you decide what is and isn’t spam. You need to make sure your business email gets through. In many cases your ISP email or one of the popular free email services will likely be heavily filtered at the server. If you don’t have a website that includes several email addresses consider purchasing another domain name and hosting service for your business email and make sure the hosting company allows you to turn off all filtering at the server level.
Those are just a few tips to help you communicate more efficiently online. If you’re new to the Internet you’ll want to do a little research on “netiquette.” You’ll find tips about online shorthand and emoticons (icons that indicate expressions like smiling and frowning), information on “flaming” (angry or insulting personal attacks), and simple conventions like typing in all caps is considered shouting.
Communicating online is very different from communicating in person. With just a little effort your online communication can become efficient and effective.
Free Reprint Article from http://www.ladypens.com - Articles by Women
Linda Stacy owns and manages a unique service connecting network marketing business owners with potential team members through instant online chats. Visit iRepNetwork.com for tips and tools to help you generate leads and build your team. www.irepnetwork.com
This article is available for reprint with author's resource box intact and all links active. Copyright is reserved by author.
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Easy Offline Ways to Promote Your Products and Services
By: Trisha Dunaway
**********************
I enjoyed chatting with the author of this article this evening and so I ran off to read what she wrote and discovered it's PERFECT for those of us in Direct Sales for this holiday season! Enjoy and if you drop by Trisha's site, let her know that Annette sent you!
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Are you trying to think of some ways to promote your products and services you are selling? If you haven't figured it out yet, the buyers aren't just showing up at your door. You have to go out there and get them. You can do this!
Now is the time to offer gift certificates. If you run your own home based business, you can offer pretty much whatever you want to. If you are a direct sales consultant, you are limited to what you can offer. Don't let that stop you!
If you provide a service such as babysitting ~ make your own gift certificates. How about making one for husbands to give to their wifes? "one day to yourself", "one night with me", or anything else! He pays you ahead for the baby sitting service! On the coupon, make sure to write how long the babysitting is for, when it expires, and that arrangements need to be in advance. Don't forget to make a receipt for the payment! Use your imagination and make it a fun gift to give! Kids can buy these for their parents as well!!
This would also be great if you do other services such as cooking, cleaning houses, organizing, laundry, car wash, haircutting, manicures, massages etc! People love to get these kinds of services as a gift! You can post these service gift certificates for sale in your local paper, make flyers and put them where ever you posibly can! (ask the local oil change centers to allow you to post them there!) Sorry to say, but guys need a little help when getting a gift for us. Make sure that your flyers are in bold letters! "HEY HUSBANDS OUT THERE ~ NEED A GIFT THAT SHE WILL ACTUALLY LIKE?" or something like that!! Don't forget to put what it is and your contact info. Put something like "Take out your cell phone NOW and call before you forget and it is too late!" This is a great way to target men to buy from you.
Make sure that you make the gift certificates with pretty paper, envelopes and fancy fonts. For certificates made to be given by kids, make them with big bold block letters and primary colors. The more unique they are, the more special they will be. Do you sell online? You can still make flyers with a link to your stores! You can still make gift certificates and coupons for your items! Just make sure that you keep track of them!
Don't forget to drop off sales books to the schools! Teachers LOVE to shop in catalogs on their breaks! Find out if you can bring some samples over for them to look at. If you sell food items see if you can bring over a sample tray for them to nibble on! This is great for any school or office that will allow you! Who turns away free munchies? When you are watching your child at dance or sporting practice, this is another great place to hand out "munchie samples"! Bring stuff that would be perfect for gifts and holidays parties! It will cost you a little to serve them the food, but it is a business expense:) Be ready to take orders and offer a discount if they order now! Remember to have business cards as well as inventory in the car to sell to them right then ( they may forget to call you back). Get their name, number, and email as well so you can send them a reminder with a discount offer!
Make your own jewelry, purses or diapers etc.? Wear them (well, with the diapers, your baby can wear them!) out in public as much as possible! ALWAYS have a business card with a discount coupon code. If possible, carry some of your stock with you so that you can get those impulse buys! If you make jewelry or purses, make special pieces with the teams colors and name. That is a cool idea for you diaper makers out there as well! Make dance inspired bracelets, t~shirts, dance bags. Shows these off to the other mothers and offer a special discount for your child's team/classmates. These make great small gifts and the moms will love these. Sometimes the teachers will allow you to put your items up for sale by consignment in the dance studio.
Use this holiday season to get motivated to sell your stuff and offer your services to new customers. Go out there and just do it! Don't be affraid to go get that sale. If you don't, someone else will.
Free Reprint Article from http://www.ladypens.com - Articles by Women
Trisha Dunaway is the mother of 3 girls (including a teenager) and wife to the best man for the job. She plays webdesigner and writer for Wanttobeawahm.com www.wanttobeawahm.com , a WAHM resources site where she gathers information for moms who want to be home with their kids. She started the site in March 2005. She just started a new site Shopping With Moms shoppingwithmoms.com where shoppers virtual window shop through stores set on a timer.
This article is available for reprint with author's resource box intact and all links active. Copyright is reserved by author.
Some great gadgets and things for Moms!
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The Confidence To Act In Business
Order through my link and get my exclusive notes relating the calls to your direct sales business for free. Just shoot me an email after you've ordered and I'll add you to my exclusive list! Email me at [email protected]. But remember, you must order through THIS LINK - CLICK HERE or below for my exclusive offer.
Here's how the product page letter begins:
Do You Lack The CONFIDENCE
To Act On Your Ideas When It
Comes To Business?
It's Lack of Confidence
The Confidence To Act In Business is an answer to a 'Call For Help' from some of the women that I mentor.
If you're like them, you should be creating your own information products.
You are smart, experienced, and have expertise to share with others. There is a market out there for the products that you could create and deep down you know it. But you question your own instincts.
It's the same with the women I mentor. They express some very real fears when it comes to acting on their own ideas.
They fear not being accepted as an expert in their field.
They fear no one will buy what they have to sell.
They fear no one will listen to what they have to say.
They fear doing something wrong and looking foolish.
They fear rejection from their peers.
Affordable Advertising for Your Home Business by Terri Seymour
By: Terri Seymour
Marketing and advertising a home business takes a lot of time, commitment and work. Those who say all you need to do is put up a website and watch the cash come in couldn't be further from the truth!
We need to do as many things and try as many ways as we can to get our name out there and establish our business and reputation, whether it be online, offline or both! This takes imagination, and perseverance! Below are affordable and fairly easy ways you can begin to build your home business.
1. Word of Mouth - talk to as many people as you can about your business. Bring it into the conversation at every opportunity. By doing this, you could be starting a domino effect. Some of the people you talk to mention it to others and so on & so on. Your business has to become a part of you and your daily life.
2. Business Cards - When you are talking to all these people, be sure and give them a business card. Business cards are very important and do not cost a fortune. A good place to get business cards for only a small shipping charge is http://tinyurl.com/6t7mw . Take advantage of the backs of the business cards as well for sales, specials, catchy messages - anything to help make you and your business more memorable. Business cards can be left almost anywhere and can also be sent in all your mail correspondence.
3. Prizes - Contact your local radio stations, stores, etc. that have contests. There are many places online that have sweepstakes and contests as well. Offer your products/services as prizes in these contests. This is a great way of getting a lot of affordable exposure.
4. Use Testimonials - Take advantage of what others say about you. Have one on your business card, flyers, etc. Use them whenever you can. Most people will put a lot of stock in what other customers say.
5. Customer Service - For a lot of businesses these days, this seems to be a lost art. You need to go the extra mile for your customers and make them feel special and appreciated. This will do a lot for your business. These customers will give glowing reports of you to their friends and family.
6. Flyers - Design and print flyers right from your computer. Post them on bulletin boards at grocery stores, churches, malls, post offices, banks, etc. Use brightly colored paper to get people's attention. Make the message interesting enough so they want to visit your site.
7. Article Writing & Submitting - This can be a very powerful method of advertising as it not only brings people to your site, it builds your reputation as someone who knows what they are talking about an this will bring trust. I believe just about anyone can sit down and write information on things they know. You do not have to be a writer nor a college graduate to write effective articles.
After you have written your first article, start submitting
it all over the net. There are article groups, article banks,
and publishers who accept article submissions.
http://www.workathomearticles.net/
http://www.creativehomemaking.com/submit_article.shtml
http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/Free-Content/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Free-Reprint-Articles
For more information:
mailto:[email protected]
mailto:[email protected]
8. Networking Groups and Boards - Networking is when
you come in contact with as many people you can to
learn, share, promote, and form relationships with
prospective customers and associates. Get to know
others, learn from them, let them learn from you and
get to know you. This is an excellent way of building
a strong foundation for your business. Networking can
also bring you a lot of referrals from your associates.
http://selfstartersweeklytips.com/forum/
http://www.bizymoms.com/discus/
http://www.williecrawford.com/cgi-bin/index.cgi
http://bltshw.proboards37.com/
http://www.javajane.com/forum/index.php
9. Online Mailing List - Make sure you capture your visitors' emails and mailing addresses, if possible. Start a mailing list or newsletter for your visitors. Keep them up to date on your products, services, specials, etc. You might also want to give them some useful information in your newsletter. For more info on starting a newsletter sign up for this free ecourse: [email protected]
10. Moving Billboard - Turn your car into a moving billboard. Put a magnetic sign or decal on your car so you can advertise your business wherever you go. Be sure and have catalogs/business cards handy for anyone who is interested.
11. Link Exchanges - Link exchanges can bring you a lot of traffic and they can improve your search engine ratings. For those of you who are not familiar with link exchanges - this is when you and add a link to another site on your site and they would add a link to your site on their site, linking them together.
Choose sites that are complimentary to yours, example: if you have a site that sells pet supplies, link to sites that give info on how to care for pets, or where to get pets, etc. Email the webmaster and invite them to have a look at your site.
I hope some of these ideas help you get started with an effective advertising campaign. They have helped me tremendously!
Free Reprint Article from http://www.ladypens.com - Articles by Women
************* Find lots more tips, articles, and resources for your home, family & business at www.SeymourProducts.com Terri and her husband Terry also offer a low-cost, wholesale distributorship with unlimited support, and a complete line of one dollar ebooks and software with full resell rights. www.seymourproducts.com/ebooks-resell ****************
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Holiday Timetable - Get a Jump Start on Holiday Planning
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I thought this was a great timetable by Marilyn although we're already past some of her checkpoints. Use it as a guideline for your own planning starting now!
Enjoy!
Annette
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For many of us, planning Christmas festivities such as shopping, cooking, baking, gift making, and hospitality can automatically cause a great degree of anxiety. We, at The Urban Homemaker, don't advocate complicated or expensive holiday celebrations, and wish to encourage your family to focus on the true meaning of the holiday season. To do so while making preparations for the upcoming holidays, this twelve-week simplified timetable could be used as a checklist and is designed to be flexible in order to assist you.
Remember, the timetable is merely a suggestion; rearrange, add, or delete activites from the schedule to meet the needs of your family.
Week #1 - List Week Oct 3-9
Make your lists of gift recipients, Christmas cards, menus for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's, goodies to share or to give, favorite meals to prepare ahead, decorations needed, and gifts to make.
Week #2 - Browse Week Oct 10-16
Develop and record ideas for gifts and decorations. Ask yourself the following questions:
* What would our ideal Christmas be like?
* What activities are particularly important to our family at Christmas?
* How much emphasis do our Christmas activities place on the spiritual side of Christmas?
Week #3 - Supplies Week Oct 17-23
After inventorying supplies on hand, purchase non-perishables needed for holiday baking, supplies needed for gift making, film, batteries, gift wrapping, and Christmas cards as needed.
Week #4 - Baking Week Oct 24- 30
Set aside the time needed to complete holiday goodie making. Make lists of toys, books, and clothes that children would enjoy and keep the list handy for telling family members who ask what they would like.
Week #5 - Gift Making Week Oct 31 - Nov 6
Focus your energies on completing gifts to be made, setting aside gifts that aren't coming together, and writing a Christmas letter. Find family photos suitable for inclusion with Christmas cards.
Week #6 - Shopping Week Nov 7-13
Decorate your home for Thanksgiving and focus on gift buying for prepared list. Wrap and label packages as you go. Set aside needed shipping boxes.
Week #7 - Shopping Week #2 Nov 14-20
Complete as much shopping as possible. Take advantage of many items that are on sale before Thanksgiving! Check Thanksgiving menus and grocery lists: purchase any additional, needed supplies.
Week #8 - Thanksgiving Week Nov 21-27
Use this week to prepare Thanksgiving dishes, pies, homemade rolls: enjoy the holiday with your family.
Week #9 - Mailing Week Nov 28-Dec 4
Complete package wrapping for gifts to be shipped. Complete addressing and mailing of Christmas correspondence.
Week #10 - Meal Making and Decorating Week Dec 5-11
Prepare some favorite meals and other baked goods for the hectic days ahead. Decorate. Involve children in memory making!
Week #11 - Final Shopping/Wrapping Week Dec 12-18
Complete last minute details and enjoy holiday parties, concerts, and family activities.
Week #12 - Dec19-25 Celebrate!
Enjoy the Holidays with Family and Friends! Take time to drive the neighborhoods to enjoy holiday lighting displays. Enjoy family traditions and special meals. Enjoy, and please let us know how it works out. We would love to have your feedback!
Reprint Permission Granted with the following information:
Copyright The Urban Homemaker 2004, "old fashioned skills for contemporary people".
Free 64-page catalogs are available by request at http://www.urbanhomemaker.com/catalog
But It's For My Family - Alice Seba's success story
But, there's a reality to this home based business stuff, and that's what I want to throw in front of you today. Alice posted a very personal entry on her blog and I think it's an important read... it all fits with this balance thing, but really drives the point home....very seriously.
You can read Alice's story on her blog by Clicking here for www.aliceseba.com.
I really would love to hear your thoughts on this..so important.
Warmly-
Annette
Using an Autoresponder in Your Direct Sales Business
My friend Nicole published it on her website Show Mom The Money and I thought you might enjoy it!
Here's how the article starts:
Are you in a direct sales business and trying to figure out, like me, how to streamline your systems so that you can spend more of your precious business time working on income generating activities?
Well, I'm here to tell you that there are some simple steps you can take NOW to help your business for the long term and an Autoresponder is one of those ways! An autoresponder is an online program that takes a prewritten email message or series of messages that you've created and sends it out automatically when someone signs up either via email or a web form..............
Click Here to Read the rest of the article on Autoresponders!
And please let me know what you think. When you read the article there are two links at the bottom, one to get a free trial with the autoresponder service I use and another one to help you create a series of emails with your autoresponder to help train you newest recruits. It's great!
Enjoy!
Annette
The Snail - Be persistent in your Direct Sales Business
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I get a little soundbyte in my inbox everyday from Lyn and thought this one was cute. Enjoy!
Annette
************** There’s a knock at the front door. A person opens it and looks down to find a snail sitting on the stoop. He picks up the little critter and throws it as far as he can.
Three years later, there’s a knock. The person opens the door, looks down, and there sits the same snail.
The snail looks up and says, “What on earth was that about?”
Be like the snail: persistent!
“See” you tomorrow! Hugs, Lyn
Please visit Lyn's website! www.getafreshperspective.com
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