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MLM Woman Issue 142
December 2008
From the Desk of the Editor
 Welcome
to the 142nd edition of the MLM Woman Newsletter with more helpful
articles to help you ring out the old year and ring in the new one
with gratitude, joy and success.
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!
You can also view the articles from this month's issue at the
MLM
Woman Newsletter blog. This blog is updated each month with
new content from our monthly newsletter. So head over and take a
peak.
And also be sure to check out our Moms
in Business Blog and MLM
Marketing Blog for lots of additional tips and resources
which are added throughout the month.
Yours in Success!
Linda Locke, Editor MLMWoman
Follow me on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/LindaLocke
 Smart
Women
Practice Gratitude
By Joy Chudacoff
Last week, I was at my Mastermind Meeting
and my good friend and Smart Woman, Chellie Campbell, mentioned
that she had read an article on how expressing gratitude
may be one of the keys to being a happier, healthier person.
The very next day, I picked up a magazine which actually
cited compelling research on how being grateful or showing
appreciation can lead to a happier, healthier, more productive
life. Hmmm… two times in two days? This got me thinking
about how Smart Women practice gratitude.
When we look for new ways to up our happiness
quotient, we typically go out and buy a new pair of shoes
or a new purse. Maybe we go to the spa for a day. And when
it’s time to think about getting healthy, the first
idea that comes to mind is, “I need to exercise more
and eat less.” The article I read in the September
issue of Body and Soul was about a 9-week study conducted
by the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology where
one group kept a daily gratitude journal and the other group
kept a list of the hassles in their lives. At the end of
the 9 weeks, the thankful group appeared happier, healthier,
and had spent more time exercising—up to 80 minutes
more per week. The other group stayed the same with little
or no change in attitude or health.
I view myself as a grateful person. However,
this article gave new meaning to this simple, but not always
easy to follow, practice. It’s simple because all you
have to do is think positive, grateful “thank you”
thoughts. It’s not always easy because some days feel
like a big challenge. When you are having “one of those
days” (and ladies, you know what I’m referring
to), it’s easy to revert back to “woe is me.”
I have found myself becoming a more grateful
woman over the last few years. When I was in my 20’s
and 30’s, I was in the “pursuit of happiness”
in the form of new cars, clothes, lavish vacations, etc.
Now that I’m in my 40’s, I find myself more grateful
for things that have less material value: walking my children
to school, holding their small hands, enjoying a deep and
meaningful conversation with my husband or a trusted friend.
How about you? Do you practice gratitude often?
Do you find yourself thinking about how grateful you are
for things in your life that hold less material value? Shifting
your attention to what’s most important in your life—what
you value—will support you in your ability to adopt
the gratitude habit. Women who are living lives full of
passion and purpose find this easy to do. They have pressed
the “pause button” on their lives and have spent
time getting very clear on what’s truly most important
for them moving forward. They release what’s no longer
serving them and take on more of what matters.
Making gratitude a priority in your life requires
positive thinking on a regular basis. It also requires “being
present.” When I learned that it can lead to increased
happiness and better health, I made a commitment to my daily
practice of exercising gratitude. It doesn’t take any
more of my time and I don’t have to go anywhere to
do it. So, in my dream to support women toward an extraordinary
life, I’ve decided to have a weekly gratitude journal
in my “Reflections” newsletter. I’ll share
my gratitude journal with you and invite you to take a moment,
even if it’s once a week, to pause and reflect on what
you’re grateful for. What am I grateful for this week?
I am grateful for:
• My husband’s “thumbs up”
health checkup at the doctor
• The crossing guard at my children’s
school
• Not getting a parking ticket yesterday
when I had exceeded my meter time by 30 minutes (a real
blessing in Los Angeles!)
Your turn………
Anything is possible. Everything is waiting
for you.
© 2008 Joy Chudacoff
About the Author
Joy Chudacoff is the founder of Smart Women Smart Solutions,
a Certified Professional Coach and Motivational Speaker.
To read more articles by Joy and learn more about her Women’s
Success Circles workshops, teleseminars or keynote topics,
please visit her website, www.SmartWomenSolutions.com
or contact Joy at joy@smartwomensolutions.com.
 Network
Marketing - Your Goals For the New Year
By Audrey Okaneko
With this year coming to a close, it's time to think
ahead to the new year. I have always loved what I refer to as "new
beginnings."
You have the opportunity to start the new year with new goals,
new dreams and new expectations. It doesn't matter what happened
this past year. You can take those things that worked well and incorporate
them into your plan for the new year. Now is the time to toss out
those things that didn't work well and forget about them.
Write up a plan and then share that plan with your entire team.
Your goals in network marketing are somewhat dependent on the actions
of your team members. Let them see how vital they are to your success.
Let them know how their own goals will affect your long range plans.
Sharing your plan can also help motivate your team members to create
their own new year plan.
When I set goals and make plans, I only include those things I
have complete control over. I'll share an example. I don't make
of a goal of "I want five new team members." Instead I'll
set a goal of "I will talk to three new people every single
day about my business." I have complete control over how many
people I speak to each day. I don't have control over how many people
sign up.
The same is true with customers. I don't set a goal of "I
want ten new customers." Instead I set goals like "I will
spend one hour, three times per week putting flyers out." I
have complete control over my time and how I use it. I don't have
control over how many people buy my products.
I'm happy to share some of my own goals for the coming year:
1. I would like to invest two days per week adding new pages to
my website.
2. I would like to invest a portion of each day meeting new people
both online and offline.
3. I would like to add new posts to my blogs at least twice per
week.
4. I would like to continue writing articles, working on my goal
of one thousand total articles. Right now, I have over 400 articles.
5. I would like to add new marketing techniques into my routine
on a regular basis.
I look forward to the new year and working toward my goals. Create
your own set of goals and then share them with your team members.
They'll appreciate hearing from you and seeing how they might use
your goals in their businesses.
About the Author
Audrey Okaneko has been in direct sales since 1983. She can be reached
at
audreyoka@cox.net or you
can Become
a Tupperware Consultant
Five Newer Marketing
Tactics and Five Old Tried & True
By Terri Seymour
There are numerous ways to market your business online with a lot
of them being free. In this article I have detailed five of the
newer marketing methods as well as five of the old tried & true
methods that still can do a lot for your business!
Five Newer Marketing Methods
Video Marketing – Video marketing is a powerful and
versatile tool for your online business. You can introduce yourself,
detail what you offer on your site, demonstrate your products/services,
offer free instructional videos, etc. Use your imagination and propel
your business forward!
Online Radio - Radio has always been a powerful medium and
it continues to be on the internet. Make yourself available to do
online radio interviews. This is very cost effective and can get
you and your business established all over the world. One place
you can find online radios shows is the BusinessResourcesPodcastDirectory.com
RSS Feeds – RSS meaning Really Simple Syndication is
an easy way for you to distribute your articles, blogs, and other
content all over the net. You need to set up your feed and then
maybe start with a weekly article until you get more used to it.
You need to promote your feed so people subscribe to it and you
can also make your feed available to other websites for more exposure.
One good tool for getting started is the RSS Channel Editor.
Social Networking – This marketing method has hit the
internet like a tornado! There are numerous social networking sites
such as Facebook, Twitter, Ryze, StumbleUpon, LinkedIn and many
others. These sites allow you to open an account, add your info
and network with thousands of other people. They can really bring
attention to your website/business.
Blogs – Although blogs have been around for awhile,
they are one of the newer online marketing techniques. Blogging
is becoming a very popular method of publishing as it does not require
any technical knowledge and it can greatly increase the popularity
of your site. Some blogs allow the visitors to post and enter their
thoughts and opinions as well.
A blog keeps people coming back to your site and a blog is also
very helpful with the search engines because of the ever changing
content. Search engines love new content! A good free blogging tool
is WordPress.org.
Five Old Tried & True Marketing Techniques
Article Marketing – Article marketing is a powerhouse
technique in the marketing world! Although, it has been around for
many years, it has not lost any of its effectiveness. Writing and
submitting articles to ezine publishers, website owners and article
directories is still one of the best ways to build your business.
Ad Swaps – I have participated in ad swaps since the
beginning of my internet marketing career over ten years ago. Not
only is this a good way to get free advertising, but you also make
new business contacts and friends as well. Find quality ezines and
contact the publisher, asking them if they would be interested in
a joint venture. Swap top sponsor ads, solo mailings, etc. Search
ezine directories and search Google as well. There are thousands
of ezines being published so there is no shortage of quality publications
for ad swapping!
Link Exchanges – Link exchanges is something you hear
conflicting reports about. Some people think they don’t do
any good – some people think they are only effective if done
a certain way, etc. In my opinion, link exchanges can be very effective
if done consistently. Exchange with quality sites that have a well-organized
and categorized links section. Don’t exchange with “link
farms” or sites that just have one big page loaded with every
kind of link imaginable. Be selective and don’t offer your
link to just any site.
Ezine Advertising – Ezine advertising can provide your
business with a substantial boost! Finding quality ezines to advertise
in can be one of the harder steps of ezine advertising. After you
find the ezines you want, subscribe to them to get an idea of the
consistency, reliability and quality of the ezines. Make sure the
ezine is mailed out when it is supposed to be and that it contains
quality content.
You do not want to advertise in a big list of ads. This will lower
the value of your ad by quite a bit. Does the ezine contain feedback
from the other subscribers and if so, what do the subscribers say?
These are all ways to indicate whether the ezine publisher is trusted
by the subs and whether or not you can trust and believe in the
publisher. This is VERY important!
Once you make the decision and choose an ezine or two to advertise
in, you must write an effective ad.
The main points to remember when writing an ad are:
1. Keep it brief.
2. Grab their attention in the headline.
3. Emphasize the benefits to the purchaser.
Yahoo Groups and Message Boards – Visit message boards
regularly and join some good email discussion groups. Networking
on boards and groups can do a lot for your business but you must
follow the guidelines for posting and offer help and advice as often
as you can. Don’t just post your business info and then never
come back. This will just brand you as a spammer!
By working on these marketing techniques consistently and efficiently,
you are sure to build your business and your reputation which in
turn will increase your income. These days, that is one goal we
all need to obtain! Much success to you!
About the Author
Terri Seymour 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, and a free ezine with bonus report: 77 Ways
to Get Traffic! subscribe@seymourproducts.com
 Improve
Your Life in
One Minute
By Dr Jill Ammon-Wexler
© 2008 All Rights Reserved.
Want to make some positive gains in your life? A lot of folks would
like to improve their lifestyle, but just cannot find the time to
take action.
Still, the highest mountain is scaled only one step at a time,
and the biggest goal is only accomplished one step at a time. So
why not just commit to take one small step right now?
I suggest focusing on something you can accomplish in one minute
- just 60 seconds.
You may surprise yourself. You can actually do quite a bit in only
one minute. Here are some ways to use the power of a single minute:
Exercise for One Minute
No time to go to the gym? OK. Forget about the next 59 minutes,
and just focus on the next one minute. Do a deep breathing exercise,
or one minute of push-ups or sit-ups. After a while you may expand
to two minutes -- and wow, you have just made a 200 percent jump.
Relax for One Minute
Just relax into your chair and suck in a slow deep breath all the
way down into your belly. Then open your mouth slightly, and release
your breath as slowly as you can. Try this right now to refresh
your mind with increased oxygen.
Calm Your Mind for One Minute
Your mind is a fabulous theater, and contains wonderful visions
of your favorite places. Go visit one of those places for one minute.
Just relax and clear your mind wherever you may be. You’ll
come away feeling refreshed, and a lot calmer and clearer.
Change Your Outlook for One Minute
You can even experiment going outside your normal self for a minute.
Try acting the exact opposite of how you usually act for one minute.
If you tend to be introverted, think like an extrovert. If you are
an engineer, think like an artist. If you are a man, think like
a woman.
Re-Frame a Problem for One Minute
Choose a problem, then select a different frame of reference to
consider it from. Try considering the problem through the eyes of
someone you admire. Does the problem look different? Try looking
at it with the mind Albert Einstein or Bill Gates or Martha Stewart.
Now how does the problem look?
Be Happy for One Minute
Maybe you are currently overwhelmed with problems and challenges
beyond your control. Try finding something to give thanks for, and
focus on being grateful. Forget any current or past tragedies or
disasters, and let yourself be happy for one minute.
You really can achieve wonders in just one minute. And these single
minutes can add up to a greatly improve quality of life.
About the Author
The author, Dr. Jill Ammon-Wexler, is a renowned brain/mind
researcher, and was one of the first in the world to introduce brainwave
training to the corporate world. She is the co-developer of the
web’s first brain gym the quantumbraingym.com
Come visit the exciting Self Discovery Community. Discover the
most interesting, unusual, stimulating and creative methods of self
discovery on the web today! Free sizzling weekly ezine, and the
web's first Brain Gym ezone. http://www.quantum-self.com
 Five
Rules to Follow When Prospecting in Your Warm Market
By Tim Sales
With these five success factors, you’ll never feel
like a pushy sales person and lose the friendship and respect
of your family and friends. The MLM training in this article
will teach you how to talk about your MLM business with
ease and will always guide you to say the right thing.
Forget for a second that you’re in network marketing.
What if you were starting any other kind of business like
a retail store, a salon, or a construction company? Where
would you get your customers? Your employees? How about
business partners? Where would you find them?
In one or more of those categories a friend, acquaintance
or family member might be the right fit, maybe not. Maybe
they know the right fit. Somehow it always works itself
back to an acquaintance, a recommendation or a referral.
In MLM, this is called your “warm market.”
Life seems to be a series of experiences brought on by
connections to other people. Your job as a Networker is
to connect the bridges together and move past the disinterested
in a professional and honest way, without “pushing.”
Most all businesses begin this way.
Your warm market can be one of the greatest resources to
your MLM business. Dealing with family and friends can be
a blessing or a curse, but if you want your family and friends
to continue to respect you, give you referrals, be your
customer, and possibly say “yes” to your presentation,
I recommend you follow these five simple MLM training tips
when working with your warm market.
Rule #1 - Hold your tongue. Don’t ever insult
someone for his or her decision not to participate with
you in your business. Don’t tell someone they’re
stupid for not doing business with you, even if it is “the
way you talk to your brother.” It’s unprofessional
and out of place.
Rule #2 - Be wise. “No” rarely means no.
That same brother in three weeks or three years could lose
his job. If you’ve made a fool out of yourself, not
only will he not do the business, he will beat you to all
of your friends and tell them about the “scam”
you’re in. All of this because “you told him”
how stupid he was. That’s not wise.
Rule #3 - Deal with it. For 10 years I’ve dealt
with objections, concerns, past failures, bad experiences,
etc., which have all taught me how to successfully handle
these issues. Just as an experienced dentist knows that
treating teeth is the easy part and the hard part is dealing
with the patient’s baggage - like the time the other
dentist stuck a six-foot needle in their gum when they were
14 years old. Dealing with these issues is what wins the
patient. Once the trust is established you’ve got them
for life or until you decide to stop servicing their needs.
Rule #4 -Yes or No. Some prospects just take one
conversation to be won and some prospects take 10 conversations.
(Nine of those conversations resulted in a “No”
answer even though “No” was never stated.) If
you take the thought process as being that either the prospect
says “Yes” or “No,” then you’ll
miss the art of communication and networking.
Suppose your company has 20 products. If your prospect
says “No”, find out what they are saying “No”
to. Are they saying “No” to all 20 products? Are
they saying ”No” to “I don’t want to
diversify my income?” No to ”I don’t know
anyone who needs or wants any of your 20 products?”
That’s a lot to say “No” to. I recommend
that you find out exactly what your prospects are truly
saying “No” to.
Rule #5 - Don’t be a bug. Do not ever “bug”
family and friends about your company. Sometimes Networkers
get extremely focused, which is good, and it should never
be suppressed. Focus is what creates “eliteness.”
Just be disciplined as to what and who deserves that focus.
If it’s a friend or family member who clearly isn’t
interested, quit wasting time there and go get in front
of people who do want to be a part of your MLM business
or a product consumer.
Your warm market is an important part of your business.
Abuse it and pretty soon you’ll notice they don’t
return your phone calls anymore. Keep these five rules in
mind and get the proper MLM training to be effective at
communicating with your warm market, and you will see that
you can have a successful business and keep the respect
of your family and friends.
And there you have it - five rules to follow when working
with your friends and family.
Much respect and admiration,
Tim Sales
About the Author
For more see FirstClassMLMTools.com
Tim Sales' MLM training and tools resource site - for everyone
in network marketing who really wants a how-to manual, not
hype or fluff.
Back
to the MLM Woman Newsletter Index
We want your feedback!
Send e-mail comments to
Linda at: regent@west.net
Copyright 2008,
Regent Press
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