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MLM Woman Issue 109 February 2006 This FREE newsletter is made possible by our advertisers and customers. We thank them for their support! From the Desk of the Editor Welcome to the 109th issue of the MLM Woman Newsletter. This month we offer articles to help inspire you and improve your sales and marketing skills. Enjoy! Linda Locke, Editor MLM Woman The Phone-Phobic's Guide to MLM Success: Why You Don't Need to Get Dialing to Build Downline By Tanja Gardner Most people believe you can't build a successful MLM business without strong telephone skills. Yet many people say they hate using the telephone. Does that mean they'll never succeed in network marketing? Not necessarily - it all depends on what exactly they dislike, and what they're willing to replace it with. In reality, telephone skills aren't an integral part of network marketing. Communication skills, however, are critical. Network marketing is about creating relationships - something you can't do without communication. The telephone is a tool for communication, but it's not the only one. You can always communicate face-to-face with people you already know. For those you don't, many MLMs can now be run completely online - so if you're confident communicating by e-mail, this might be worth considering. WHAT'S THE REAL PROBLEM? Of course, often the phone isn't really the problem. Most of us will happily phone people we know. It's only when we have to start talking about our business to complete strangers that nerves kick in. If this sounds familiar, you're not alone. Cold calling (calling someone who hasn't approached you first) is something that unnerves most of us. Luckily, cold calling skills are far from critical to building a strong MLM. Internet marketer Daegan Smith built a team of over 1,800 downline in less than 7 months without once making a cold call. Frank Rumbauskas, author of 'Cold Calling is a Waste of Time' states that cold calling actually does your business more harm than good. While not everyone agrees, facts are that cold calling simply connects you with new people who might be interested in your MLM (prospects), and there are many other ways to do that. WORKING WITH YOUR WARM MARKET This is the basis of 'grass roots' network marketing, and the way many MLM companies suggest you start. All other things being equal, people prefer to do (and go into) business with people they know, like and trust; so it makes sense to start with people you already know (your warm market). To do this, just make a list of everyone you know, then tell them about your opportunity and what it can do for them. Be aware, though, that experts disagree about whether this really is the best place to start. If you were hiring for a traditional job, you wouldn't take someone without the right skills just because they were a friend (and if you did, you'd probably regret it!) While network marketing isn't a 'job', it still requires a certain mindset. It can't hurt to give friends and family the option to get involved, but unless they're seriously interested in what your MLM can do for them, they probably won't put in the time and effort it will need. REFERRAL MARKETING The next technique for generating prospects is 'Referral Marketing' - basically, asking people you already know to refer you to people you don't. For an example of why this works, imagine you've just been called out of the blue and asked to buy a widget you weren't looking for. Chances are, you'd say no, right? But what if you'd recently told a friend you wanted a widget, and the caller (who'd spoken to your friend) mentioned your friend's name? You want a widget and here's someone contacting you offering to sell you one. Wouldn't you at least think about it? To use the power of referral marketing, go back to your warm market, and ask each person who they can think of that might be interested in your opportunity, and why (not everyone will know someone, but many will). Once you've got their contact details, contacting them becomes much less daunting, because you already know there's a chance they'll be interested. And if they're not, don't forget to ask them for names of people who might be! INTERNET MARKETING Lastly, there's the internet - a tool that's totally revolutionized the network marketing industry. Instead of limiting our prospects to people we know personally and their networks, we now literally have the entire world at our fingertips. This allows interested people come to us to ask for more information, instead of us having to contact them. Internet Marketing just requires you to have a good website that sums up your MLM's benefits (a sales page) and lets interested visitors give you some way of contacting them (a lead capture page) For an excellent example of a page that does both these things, please see the resource box. Any good MLM should provide these as part of your business tools - all you then need to do is get those visitors. Of course, getting visitors can be a little trickier than it first seems, but there are many resources out there that will help. Learning how and where to advertise, how to work with forums, blogs and search engine optimization is beyond the scope of this article but training tools exist. And, as with referral marketing, once you know someone's probably going to be interested in your opportunity, it's a lot easier to phone or e-mail them back to talk to them about it. BUILDING YOUR BUSINESS WITHOUT COLD CALLING So there you go - three simple ways to build a strong MLM without having to cold call, and potentially, without having to use the telephone at all. Different techniques will work better for different people - try each and see which brings you best results. Good luck! About the Author Tanja Gardner is a Counsellor with Success University, the internet's #1 personal development company. To see the kind of sales page she mentions, please visit http://optimumlife.successuniversity.com. To learn how to generate MLM prospects (and profits), visit http://optimumlife.co.nz/web/netmlm 10 Steps to Mentally Getting Started in Business by Donna Davis Starting a home business is exciting and yet fears can pop up when starting anything new. Once you've made the decision to take control of your future, ask yourself these questions to mentally prepare to play the game to win. 1. What do you want to accomplish? Do you want to earn a little extra money or a six-figure income? And by when? As the saying goes, you need to know where you're going if you're ever going to get there. 2. Do you have your goals written out? I know we hear this all the time, but there is something very powerful about writing out our goals and having this on paper. It keeps us focused and on track. 3. Who is your target market? "Everyone" is not a target market. Even if most people could use your product or service, narrowing who you want to reach allows you to be more effective in your advertising messages and actions. 4. How are you going to reach your market? Through article writing, through ezine advertising, promoting through local groups or events, offline advertising? There are dozens of ways to market your business and many will take testing to determine the best avenue for you, but have a plan on how you want to get started. Then revise as you go. 5. What is your advertising budget? If you're starting out on a shoestring, just know that it will take more word-of-mouth or creative ways to get your product or service in front of people. And if you have some funds for advertising, plan out how and where you can get the best value for your dollar. 6. How much time can you commit to your business each week? Most of us have busy lives and it's important to block out specific times to work on our business if it's going to thrive. Remember, to be successful, you can work a home business part-time, but you can't work it in your spare time. Spare time never happens. 7. What are the most important activities that you can do to generate revenue? Focus on what will get you customers, other distributors or people on your mailing list. Don't get side-tracked with excessive organizing or revising your plan for the 20th time. Determine what will get you results and go for it! 8. Do you have a mentor? If you're already lost on some of these steps, partner with someone in your business that is experienced and already successful. Don't be afraid to ask for help and then follow what has proven to be successful. 9. What are you most afraid of? Acknowledge your fears. Talk to your mentor about them. If you need more information to feel more professional, get that info, but don't get stuck in the "student" mode. Learn the basics and then jump in. The unknown can be scary and not everyone is going to be your next customer or distributor, but the best way to conquer any fear is to walk right through it. 10. Do you expect to win? That may seem like a strange question, but are you really expecting success or are you just "hoping" to make it? Building a home business will help you grow personally in innumerable ways, if you're determined to succeed. If you're coachable and willing to work on yourself, you're embarking on a wonderful journey. Taking a little time to answer these questions will start the creation of your initial plan. Then work with your mentor and have fun! Learn and modify as you go. Consistent, daily actions (whether big or small) will result in a strong, viable business for yourself and your loved ones. In closing, here's a quote from Dr. Robert Anthony. "Waiting is a trap. There will always be reasons to wait. The truth is, there are only two things in life, reasons and results, and reasons simply don't count." Create results! About the Author Donna Davis has successfully built several businesses from a local accounting service to a large online network marketing team. To learn more about Donna, her family, her current business and how she helps others achieve their dreams visit: http://www.myfuncandlebiz.com. Modern-Day Postcard Marketing Copyright 2006 Bob Leduc Postcards are one of the most effective marketing tools you can use to generate website traffic or sales leads. Postcards are not new - and they may not be very exciting. But they really work ...especially if you follow these 6 proven postcard marketing tactics. 1. Know What You Want Decide what you want your postcards to accomplish. Most marketers use postcards to attract new customers. But you can also use them for other purposes such as generating repeat sales or cultivating customer loyalty. Also, decide what you want the recipients of your postcards to do. For example, do you want them to visit your website, pick up the phone to call you, come into your store ...or something else? 2. Use the Best Mailing List If you want postcards to generate repeat sales, you already have the mailing list - your customers. But if you want postcards to attract new customers, you need to get a mailing list. Fortunately, there are high-quality mailing lists available that can deliver your sales message directly to your best prospects. For example, get a list of prospects who previously requested information about (or bought) products similar to those you sell ...or a list of subscribers to publications read by prospects in your targeted market. You can get these and other high-quality lists from most mailing list brokers. 3. Design Your Postcard to Look Like a Friendly Message People like friendly messages. They don't like advertising. Take advantage of this by designing your postcard to look at first glance like a message from a friend instead of like an ad in a magazine. It produces a pleasant emotional reaction from readers and increases the number of replies you get. For example, use the same typestyle and layout you would use for a personal note to a friend. Include a date at the top and a sender's name at the bottom. Avoid borders, graphics and other design features often used in advertising. 4. Include an Incentive to Respond Quickly Provide a reason for those who read your postcard to take action - now. Don't let them put your postcard aside for later action. They'll get involved in other activities and forget all about it. For example, offer the reader a discounted price, a special bonus or some other benefit if they reply by a deadline. 5. Use Real Stamps Use real postage stamps on your postcards. It produces more replies than imprinting the postage. You can send postcards by First Class Mail in the US for only 24 cents if you make them at least 3 1/2 by 5 inches but no larger than 4 1/4 by 6 inches. 6. Time the Delivery of Your Postcards Mail your postcards so they are likely to arrive on Tuesday or Wednesday. The volume of mail delivered on those days is usually light and your postcards will not have to compete with a lot of other mail delivered at the same time. Controlling the delivery day of your postcards is easy if you use First Class Mail. Just allow 2 to 3 days for delivery - depending on how far they have to go. That's the normal delivery time for First Class Mail in the US. Postcards have been around for a long time ...but they have become a highly-effective modern-day marketing tool. Follow these 6 proven postcard marketing tactics and you will generate a flood of traffic to your website, a steady flow of sales leads or any other sales activity you want. About the Author Bob Leduc spent 20 years helping businesses like yours find new customers and increase sales. He just released a New Edition of his manual, How To Build Your Small Business Fast With Simple Postcards ...and launched *BizTips from Bob*, a newsletter to help small businesses grow and prosper. You'll find his low-cost marketing methods at: http://BobLeduc.com or call: 702-658-1707 After 10 AM Pacific Time/Las Vegas, NV Success Is A Journey - Enjoy The Ride By Margaret Cowles Success is not a destination, it's a journey. The truth is, if you were to ask the most successful people in the world, Donald Trump included, they would more likely than not tell you that they haven't reached the pinnacle of success. And that is a very good and healthy thing. Think about it. If you were to look at your life and be totally content with what you have achieved then what would there be left to do? You'd be sitting around looking at your bank account, or your possessions, or whatever it was that you defined success by with nothing left to do. You may be alive physically but emotionally there would be very little life inside of you, especially if you were driven by the need to succeed. So success is a journey. One who's destination you hope never is fully reached. Having said that, you still want to have some kind of success. You certainly don't want to look back at your life and feel that you haven't achieved anything. The last thing anyone wants to feel like is a total failure. But what exactly is even partial success? Sure, you can micro manage things to the point where you declare that simply getting up and making it through your day without anything terrible happening to you is a successful day. And yet, to some people, that would be a miracle. I'm talking about people who have serious illnesses, or have some kind of addiction to drugs or alcohol. For these people, getting through a day is a major triumph. You have to look at the life you've been given and figure out how you can make it better. You have to first decide what it is you want to be successful at. If it's to be a great actor then the first thing you have to do is learn your craft. You may never reach the point of hitting the silver screen but if you managed to land a small role in a local town production of "My Fair Lady" wouldn't you consider that a degree of success? I know I would. See, success is not an absolute. It's a continuing evolution of your progress as a person. When you learned to cook, if you learned to cook, you didn't make the most tasty meals right from the start, unless of course you are just naturally gifted. But gradually your cooking skills became greater and greater. Okay, so maybe you never get that job cooking at the Waldorf. But wasn't it successful having the family over for Thanksgiving dinner and telling you how wonderful everything was? The point I'm trying to make is this. Success is relative. And the key to success is recognizing the strides that you have made along your journey to success, or whatever your definition of success is. As long as you keep trying; as long as you don't give up; as long as you continue that journey; that brass ring, if that's what you're reaching for, will always be within reach. You may not reach your ultimate goal, but every inch of progress you make brings you that much closer to getting there. Success is a journey. Enjoy it! About the Author Margaret Cowles is a veteran Home Based Business Owner and has trained and coached representatives both inside and outside of her sales organization. One of her primary goals is to help others succeed. She can be reached through her web site at www.ScentsibleLady.com Power Language for Appointment-Setting by Wendy Weiss 1. Use power language: “The solution is…” rather than, “I believe the solution is…” 2. Never use the word “appointment” when trying to set one. Instead, use the word “meeting.” “Meeting” sounds more professional and more important. “I would like to meet with you…” 3. Use directed words to reach your prospect. When you ask to speak with your prospect, say, “Jane Jones, please,” and not, “May I speak with Jane Jones?” The first sentence conveys authority; the second asks permission. 4. Use directed words (and open-ended questions) to gather information. Ask, “Whom should I speak with?” and not, “Do you know who I should speak with?” The first conveys authority, and whomever you are questioning, if they know, must answer with a name. In the second sentence, the response could simply be “yes” or “no.” 5. Whether trying to ascertain a good time to call your prospect back or trying to schedule a meeting, it is a good idea to give alternate choices. “Is this afternoon good, or would tomorrow morning be better?” It is much easier for your prospect to decide “when” rather than “whether.” 6. “I’m just calling…” Eliminate the word “just” from your vocabulary. That little word “just” is an apology. It says that your call is not important and that what you have to say is not important. Simply tell your prospects and customers why you are calling. That is enough. 7. “…we will hopefully achieve…” Hopefully? No one pays you to “hopefully” do something. They pay you to actually do it! Tell your prospects or customers what they will achieve or should expect to achieve. 8. Be clear and to the point. You are telling your story to a stranger who has never heard it. © 2006 Wendy Weiss About the Author Wendy Weiss, “The Queen of Cold Calling,” is a sales trainer, author and sales coach. Her recently released program, Cold Calling College, and/or her book, Cold Calling for Women, can be ordered by visiting http://www.wendyweiss.com. Contact her at wendy@wendyweiss.com. Get Wendy’s free e-zine at http://www.wendyweiss.com. Back to the MLM Woman Newsletter Index We want your feedback! Send e-mail comments to Linda at: regent@west.net Copyright 2006, Regent Press