Welcome to the 148th edition of the MLM Woman Newsletter with some more fresh, hand picked articles to help your business survive and thrive in 2009.

If you like this month's issue, please be sure to let your friends know about it too and invite them to come and visit us. Also, if you have comments, questions or something to share after reading this month's articles, please visit our MLMTalk Discussion Forum and join in the lively conversation!

Yours in Success!
Linda Locke, Editor MLMWoman
Follow me on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/LindaLocke

Drive your Direct Selling Business Down the Road to Success!
By Carol A. Wilcox

Whether you're in the direct selling business full time or part time, setting your marketing goals early in your career will pay off and head you in the right direction toward achieving success. Here are some tips to get you on your way:

1. Know the product you're selling. This may seem obvious, but really understanding your product or service is tantamount to your success. Research and learn as much as possible. Keep up with new product trends and features. If there is a certification process, take it. The more knowledgeable you are about your product or service the easier it will be to sell and the more successful you will become. Knowledge is power!

2. Believe in your product and be enthusiastic. People intuitively know when they're talking to someone who is passionate about their business. Your enthusiasm for what you sell will resonate in your voice and body language and that will translate into sales!

3. Business cards. This is one of the most inexpensive ways to market your business. Every time someone asks for your name, email, telephone, number, etc., give them your card. Better still, hand them two so they can keep one for themselves and pass along the second to someone who may need your services or product. How many times have you wanted to tell someone about a business but didn't want to give away your only business card? Paying your bill at a restaurant, dry cleaners, doctor's office, coffee shop, car wash or other service? Leave your business card (and a pen with your company name on it) with your payment.

When your car is parked in a parking space, place a magnetic business card holder that says "take one" on the trunk or bumper of your car with a supply of your business cards. It's a simple marketing tool but you may be surprised at how many people will take your card.

4. Wear branded products wherever you go. If the direct selling company you represent has an online store, purchase products such as apparel, hats, bags, pens and mugs with the company logo. Branded products get noticed. Advertise your brand everywhere you go!

5. Advertise! Use custom signage and advertise on your car, golf cart or bicycle! Banners, door magnets, license plates and decals are inexpensive forms of advertising your business.

6. Be prepared! Keep a supply of postcards with product description and your contact information everywhere. Keep them in your desk at work, in your car, in your golf bag, in your locker, in the diaper bag, or in your purse or briefcase. You never know where your next prospect will be.

7. Say "thank you" with a gift. When someone hosts a show or meeting, make sure you leave them with a gift of appreciation. Gifts don't have to be expensive but they should be useful to the host/hostess and something that will remind them of you and your business.

8. Be a relationship expert! People want to do business with people they know and trust. No one wants to be pressured into buying something; that may be a quick sale, but not a long term prospect. Make sure that you take the time to build long-term relationships with your prospects. Listen to their needs and find a way to help them achieve their goals. Be genuine! Selling to your prospects will be much easier if you're sincere.

9. Network. Networking can be as simple or as detailed as you want it to be. Going to your child's game? That's an opportunity to network! Talk to the other parents about your business and how it might be beneficial to them. Going to the hair salon or barber? Make sure you talk about your new business opportunity. Attend local chamber of commerce meetings or business breakfast meetings. Participate and volunteer in community events. The more people get to know you know, the more they will remember your business.

10. Ask for referrals. If you have provided good service and value to your customers, ask for referrals. People are more likely to do business from someone that is recommended to them. When someone refers you, make sure to acknowledge the referral and thank them.

About the Author
Carol A. Wilcox is a marketing communications expert with over 25 years of diverse, entrepreneurial business experience. She is the CEO of Wild Dove Marketing, LLC, a full service, woman-owned marketing services and consulting agency headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona. Carol is also a coach, speaker and mentor to women business owners and is the author of numerous marketing and business building articles. For more information visit her website at: www.WildDovePromos.com. Reach Carol at Carol@WildDovePromos.com or 1-800-448-0640.

Keep a Personal Touch
in the Digital World
Social Networking Tips for Businesses
By L. Drew Gerber

Have you ever had someone in a business relationship tell you they were slammed with work, only to find their Facebook page full of frequent frivolous activity? Or maybe you have been on Twitter and been surprised by a rude, off-the-cuff remark? Those are a couple of problems to watch out for in the world of social networking etiquette.

Sites like Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook offer boundless potential for companies to promote and build their businesses online. But savvy business people should remember "social" is just as important as the "networking" on these sites and avoid some common pitfalls.

While the new social networking tools are a powerful way to reach a lot of people, what really makes a difference is the keeping a personalized touch. That means you need to let the Golden Rule govern your behavior online and treat people and situations as you would if you were interacting face to face.

It's a little like that bestselling book by Robert Fulghum, All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten. To be successful with social networking, you have to play well with others. Here are some tips on how to do it:

Share your goodies — Provide valuable information that people can use. When I am networking online, I offer great content for free, whether it be seminars, newsletters or even articles that I find that would be interesting for the community.

Take interest in others — Engage with people online just as you would if you were building a business relationship in person. If someone comes in and all they want to do is promote, promote, promote, that approach is likely to go nowhere.

Be polite — People have a tendency to say things online they would not say face to face. I have seen instances where people on Twitter have a personal beef or a problem with a person and tweet it out publicly. Avoid that pitfall and don't say anything you would be embarrassed for your loved ones to read.

Don't lower yourself — With electronic communication, whether email or social networking, there is no way to read facial expressions or body language. Often if there is a question about a person's intentions, it is best to give them the benefit of the doubt or just let it go rather than calling them out as being rude.

Take responsibility — Be responsible not only for what you say but for your time and your image. It will hurt your credibility if you tell people how busy you are and they see you taking those "Who am I?" and "5 Favorite" quizzes on Facebook everyday. When you are online you should assume everyone is watching you and behave accordingly.

Make sure everyone is included — If you are participating in an online discussion, let other people have a chance to share their ideas and perspectives. Sometimes that means waiting your turn. No need to butt in. You will get your chance.

Have fun and be creative — Think of ways you can share information about your product, your business or yourself that are fun and make people want to follow you.

These tips work because social networking is all about building community. Just like the community you live in offline, the people who have credibility online who are those who engage others and provide value for the community.

About the Author
L. Drew Gerber is CEO of Blue Kangaroo, Inc. and creator of www.PitchRate.com, a no-charge media tool that moves the best interviews to the front of the line for journalists and producers. Gerber's business practices and staffing innovations have been revered by PR Week, Good Morning America and the Christian Science Monitor. His companies handle international PR campaigns and his staff develops online press kits for authors, speakers and companies with PressKit 24/7, a technology he developed (www.PressKit247.com). Contact L. Drew Gerber at: ldrewg@gmail.com or call him at 828-749-3182.

How to Write an Effective Subject Line
©Terri Seymour of www.SeymourProducts.com

Email marketing can be very effective if your email actually gets read. Unfortunately because of spam many people will delete most of their email without ever reading it. This is where the subject line comes in.

Writing an effective and attention getting subject line will dramatically increase the chances of your email being opened and read and acted upon. You want to make your subject line as short and descriptive as possible while giving the person a reason to want to open and read the actual email.

Below are some tips on how you can write such a subject line:

1. Keep your subject line short. You want to try to keep it around or below 50 characters.

2. When possible, personalize your email. For example: Mary, do you need to increase your sales? This can increase the chance of the email being opened and read.

3. Make an announcement similar to a headline: New Company to Reveal Innovative Sales Strategy

4. Make the reader curious with your subject line: New Innovative Sales Strategy Revealed……..

5. Just as when writing an ad, you need to stress the benefits the pe rson will get from your email: Learn exciting new sales strategy!

6. Write a few test subject lines and read them from a customer’s point of view. Would that subject line get you to open the email? Take note of what emails you open and why. What did the subject line say that got your attention?

7. Don’t hype up your subject line with unbelievable offers. Be straightforward and let the reader know what the email is about: Immediate $10 Discount

8. Use the word “you”. This will make the reader feel it is for them personally: You Get a Free $10 Coupon

9. Make the subject line a teaser so the reader will want to know more: Here’s how you can save $25.00…….

10. As always, use correct grammar and spelling. Would you open this email:
i can save you muney……

11. Use new and fresh subject lines with every email. Do not use a standard subject line such as: Save Money with ABC Inc. People will get tired of the same old subject line and your openings will severely decline.

12. Use power words and action words such as reveal, secret, innovative, improve, save, success, etc. but without sounding like spam: Improve Your Spending Habits

13. Asking the reader a question is an effective way to pull a response: Do you need to cut your bills?

14. Instead of just naming one person you can name your entire target audience: Moms! Learn how to help your child sleep better.

15. “How to” ebooks and manuals sell very well so why not a “How to” subject line: How to Increase Your Sales

You can also mix these various tips to form an even more compelling subject line. The subject line is an extremely important part of your marketing campaign so do not take it lightly. Learn all you can about how to write a more effective subject and be sure to test them. Make the recipient want to open your email, not delete it!

About the Author
Terri Seymour (also known as “The eBook Lady”) has over ten years online experience and has helped many people start their own business. Visit her site at http://www.seymourproducts.com for resources, $1 resell ebooks & software, free tutorials, affiliate programs, free ezine and free business ebook with Master Resell Rights. http://www.seymourproducts.com/free.shtml

Facebook in 15 Minutes a Day
By Donna Gunter

I've often said that social networking can take up your entire day, if you allow it. You sit down at your desk in the morning, and you see several Facebook event invites and friend requests. As you log into your account, someone's Facebook status update catches your eye, and before you know it, 3 hours have passed while you're reading and responding to social networking messages. How can you possibly get any work done in your business or for your clients at this rate?

Facebook doesn't have to be a time hog. As a matter of fact, you can actually handle most of your Facebook tasks in as little as 15 minutes per day. Here's what I do when I log into my account each morning (thanks for wonderful training I've received from Facebook guru Mari Smith for these great tips):

1. Update your status. This is the first section that you'll see on your homepage when you log into Facebook. While you can do this from your Facebook account, I prefer to update my status in Ping.fm, as this service will update my status in all of my social networking sites, including Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, and MySpace. However, if you're using only Facebook for social networking, then go ahead and use the status update there.

2. Review your news feeds. This is the first tab on the right on your home page. In this review, you're seeking stories on which you can share your expertise and on which you can comment. Some of your comments may be personal in nature, but this is a great opportunity to showcase your experience in your field and industry.

3. Review news feeds of your friends. This feature is available from the home page as the down arrow on the far right of the home page tabs and permits you to view the feeds of your Friends Lists. Friend Lists allow you to create private groupings of friends based on your personal preferences. I've got my lists created by industry, i.e. Coaches, Virtual Assistants, Marketing Professionals, People to Watch, etc. Pick one list and comment on those feeds just as you would your own.

If you have no Friends Lists, here's how to create them: Click Friends at the top of any Facebook page. From the following page, click "Make a new list" on the left. After typing in the title of your list, you can add friends to your list by typing your friend's name into the "Add to List" field. You can also click "Select Multiple Friends" to the right of the field, which will allow you to select many friends from your entire list. After making your selections, click "Save List" to store your changes.

4. Review status updates. Take a quick moment to breeze through the status updates of your friends, and click on those on which you feel compelled to comment. Many people feed their blog posts into their status updates, so this is a great way to get out and comment on the blogs of others without having to search out relevant blog posts. In this case, I comment on the blog itself rather than the Facebook status update. I usually only go through one page of these to ensure I remain within my time constraints.

5. Acknowledge birthdays. These are listed under Events and Birthdays on the right side of your homepage. When you click on the birthday person's name, you'll be sent to their wall, where you can write your personalized birthday greeting (make more effort that just simply saying "Happy Birthday!"). I also take this opportunity to find out a bit more about the friends on my list by clicking the "Info" tab on their home page and quickly scanning their profile. This helps me start to put names and faces together and get better acquainted with my network of friends, And, I take this opportunity to add people to Friends List as appropriate.

6. Review friend requests. Add friends as you see fit, or according to any guidelines you have set for yourself. Facebook guru Mari Smith suggests setting up a "Friending Request Policy" in which you write down the conditions under which you'll accept friends (i.e. picture must be on profile, have to have other friends in common, have to have submitted a personal note with the friend request, etc.) and to help you in your decision-making.

7. Respond to event invitations. Your friends will be sending a myriad of invites to various events (most of my invites are to teleclasses), so take a few moments to scroll through those and see if any are of interest to you, or if you have further questions about them.

8. Respond to group invitations. Most of these I ignore, but occasionally I'll join a private group, usually related to a program in which I'm enrolled. Or, if it's a group run by someone with whom I want to connect or from whom I want to learn, I'll accept the invite to the group. If I have time, I'll also visit one of the groups to see what's going on and respond to any messages here.

9. Add friends. Facebook does an amazing job of suggesting people I actually know to add to my friends list in their "People You May Know" section on my home page. If I happen to see such a suggestion, I send out a request to add that person as a friend. When requesting to add a friend, I ALWAYS send a personalize request, letting them know how I know about them.

10. Review notifications. The notifications icon is on the lower right side of your home page and lists what's going on in your account (friend requests accepted, notes on your wall, etc.). This is a good prompt for you to write on someone's wall when they accept your friend request or to respond to posts on your own wall.

11. Eyeball your own profile. Make sure your profile appears as it should, and take the opportunity to catch up on anything you may have missed with your other steps.

12. Check your inbox. Many of the emails in your inbox are duplications of event and group invites or group emails. When I look at this, I'm seeking out any personal 1:1 emails that I might have received from someone on my list. I've discovered that many people I want to contact respond better to their Facebook emails that through emails sent to them (or an assistant) via their website, so I often email them through Facebook, instead.

If you devote 15 minutes per day, or at least 15 minutes 3 times a week, to updating Facebook, you'll begin to see results from your social networking before you know it!

Copyright (c) 2008 OnlineBizU.com

From http://ezinearticles.com/

About the Author
Online Business Manager and Online Business Coach Donna Gunter helps independent service professionals learn how to automate their businesses, leverage their expertise on the Internet, and get more clients online. To claim your FREE gift, TurboCharge Your Online Marketing Toolkit, visit her site at OnlineBizU.com. Follow Donna on Twitter.

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