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 MLM
Woman Issue 147
May 2009
From
the Desk of the Editor
Welcome to the 147th 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
 Network
Marketing -
Are You Spamming Or Marketing?
By Audrey Okaneko
It always saddens me when I see someone brand-new in business so
excited and then they begin their marketing campaign with spam.
As I've discovered, the reason for the spam is often the result
of very poor mentoring.
I'd like to share some suggestions on not spamming your network
marketing business:
1. Never send someone an invitation to buy or sell your products
unless you've been asked for the information. I know some people
are taught to send an email to everyone in their address book announcing
their new business. This is considered spam by every email provider
out there and could get your account suspended until you sort it
out with your provider.
2. If you have an instant messenger program, refrain from sending
sales pitches to other members. This will violate any instant messenger
program and will get your account suspended. Yes, it's fine to say
hello to someone you might have something in common with, but if
you've messaged them because you both share a particular hobby,
keep the conversation to that hobby. Forget the sales pitch.
3. Don't use social networks to constantly plug your products.
Do you reach out and try to develop relationships with those whose
only interest is in selling you something?
So what can you do to let others know about your business?
1. You can create an email signature so that every email you send
out has a link to the site you want others to see. My own email
signature has two links, one to my business site and one to my blog.
Set up your email program so that your signature appears both on
outgoing email and also on responses.
2. When you join online communities, create a signature and fill
out your profile. Add lots of information about yourself in your
profile so that others have a reason to connect with you.
3. Use Instant Messenger programs to chat with those you've met
online. Use the system to share about you and to get to know others.
Look for common ground between you and others.
4. Create accounts on a few of the social networks and then use
them to network. Find others in your town or with similar interests
that you can have conversations with. Social networks are made for
networking. Use their many features to meet others.
Create a marketing plan that is free of spamming others. Use these
tips as a guideline to what is and is not acceptable in marketing
your network marketing business.
From http://ezinearticles.com/
About the Author
Audrey's mom always entertained when she was growing up. Audrey
learned to prepare for large groups and has often entertained 15-30
people in her home at a time. You can find more great recipes at
http://www.recipe-barn.com
 Networking
For Shy People - 19 Tips to Being More at Ease Communicating
With Humans
By Karen Susman
There he is up on the screen: the cute, slightly
nerdy guy who is smitten with the cute girl. He's too shy
to approach her. Maybe they become friends. (Don't you hate
when that happens?) And he suffers in silence. I sit in
my theater seat hoping he gets the confidence to let her
know he's interested before the final credits roll. Of course,
he does and they fall madly in love. That's why I pay the
big bucks to have my shoes stick to the floor of the multiplex.
It's been agonizing to watch and I wanted to scream from
my seat, "Get over it! You're going to miss the chance
of a lifetime if you don't get in the game."
Everyone has been shy at one time or another.
Shyness gets in the way of meeting people, networking and
building relationships. I'm a bit shy myself. People don't
believe it since I talk to everyone and listen intently
knowing there's some fine networking going on wherever I
am and I want to get me some. My social skills are learned
and you can learn them, too.
Here are 19 tips to help you be more at ease
networking.
1. Avoid humongous networking events.
They are overwhelming. You can't hear conversation. People
appear to be in cliques that are hard to break into. It's
too easy to hide.
2. Start with small venues such as
a committee meeting, lecture, or business group that's heavy
on inclusion.
3. Be prepared. Do you have business
cards, a pen and a small notebook? Have you bathed and flossed?
Are your nails manicure perfect? Are you comfortable in
your attire? Do you feel good about how you present yourself?
If not, get help putting together a networking outfit.
4. Have a goal in mind and a question to
ask. For instance, your goal might be to meet someone
who knows how to use a certain software program. Develop
a few questions about the program and ask people you meet
if they know about the program or if they can introduce
you to someone who does.
5. Smile. Be approachable.
6. Start conversations by finding a commonality.
You and everyone in the room are in the same city and venue.
You have the weather in common. You have the event and group
in common. Talk about the weather. Ask someone if they've
been to this event or location before. Ask if the person
is from the city you're in.
7. If you have a friend or acquaintance
at the event, ask that person to introduce you around.
8. Don't complain.
9. Don't apologize. Obviously, if you
spill your dip on your partner's suede jacket, say, "I'm
sorry." But, stop taking responsibility for war, global
warming, your partner's problems and the rising cost of
fuel. Stop putting yourself down. Don't announce you're
not very good at networking. Don't apologize for taking
up someone's time. If your partner has to split or is rude,
don't apologize. Don't apologize for how you look, what
you do, or that your name is hard to pronounce.
10. Ask open-ended questions and then listen.
The answer to your first question prompts your next question.
For instance, if you ask, "What brings you here?"
and your networking partner answers, "I like the canapé,"
ask which ones he likes and what he likes about them. If
he says he likes the taste, ask him to tell you more.
11. Learn to read body language. If
your partner looks away a lot, gazes at her watch or backs
up, conclude your conversation. "Well Judy, it was
nice meeting you. Do you have a card?" Take the card.
Acknowledge it. Shake hands and be on your way.
12. Shake hands firmly and with confidence.
13. Be the one to move on first. Don't
be left standing there.
14. Ask for the other person's business
card and don't give your card out unless it's requested.
Follow up and send the person your card as a reminder.
15. Do follow up with a note, call or e-mail.
Promise to send your partner an article, resource or URL
of interest.
16. Say, "Good-bye" to the people
you met throughout the event. Just a quick, "It
was nice meeting you," as you walk around the room
on your way out will set you apart.
17. Practice talking to strangers.
If you're in line at the Piggly Wiggly, strike up a conversation
with the person behind you. "How do you like the bakery
here?" Ask your teller (that's the person inside the
bank who is a live ATM), how her day is going and what she
likes about working at the bank. Really listen to the answer.
18. Get over yourself. Shyness is all
about you. Pretend you're not shy. How would you act? Don't
be fake or over the top. You don't have to be the life of
the party. Be you - only more so.
19. Remember that introverts make excellent
networkers because they are good listeners. Learn to
be genuinely interested in other people. Develop an open-ended
question or two and follow up. You'll have it made.
Other people are shy, too. Your job is to
put them at ease. So, pull on your networking hazmat suit,
enter the room, and know that you can make a difference
in the lives of other people by smiling, introducing yourself,
asking an open-ended question and listening.
Source: http://ezinearticles.com
About the Author
Karen Susman is an networking expert. The Wall Street Journal
quoted her on how to network all the time everywhere. Her
guidebook, 102 Top Dog Networking Secrets is available at
http://www.karensusman.com/products.htm
It's just $5. So skip your latte and be more successful.
Karen speaks internationally on Communication Skills and
Wellness topics. Reach her at 1-888-678-8818 or karen@karensusman.com
Finding the Best
Keywords
to Use on Your Site
©Terri Seymour of www.SeymourProducts.com
When you own an online business one of the most important things
you can do is get high rankings in the search engines. There are
many ways of doing this. One of the most effective ways of getting
your site noticed by the search engines is by using relative keywords.
Keywords are words that people use to search for a site. For example:
If you owned a site from which you sold pet care items and people
typed in puppy food, you would want your site to come up. Now, some
people might type in more descriptive phrases as well such as nutritious
puppy food, or cheap puppy food. These are the types of keywords
you would need to add to your sit e so your potential customers
can find you.
The first step in optimizing your site keywords would be to find
exactly what phrases and words people are using to find sites like
yours. One way to do this is to do a search for a free keyword suggestion
tool. Once you find one, just type in a one or two word phrase and
this tool will tell you how many times your word has been searched
for and give you other suggestions with their search numbers.
This can be a great way to find out which keywords are best to
start using on your site. NOTE: This has to be done consistently.
Don’t think that doing it once is all it takes. Keywords are
constantly changing so to stay on top, you always need to know what
people are searching for.
Now you need to make a list of specific targeted keywords (the
more specific to your site, the better). I would start with a list
of 10 – 20 keywords and/or phrases.
After you make up your list of highly competitive and specialized
keywords it is time to start using them on your web pages. You need
to take into consideration something called “keyword density”.
This is the number of times you “plaster” your keywords
onto your web pages. Too many times can do more harm than good.
You would normally want your keyword density to be between 3% and
5%. That simply means that for every 100 words, your keyword appears
3 to 5 times. If you just paste the keywords anywhere and everywhere
your site will more than likely be rejected by the search engines.
It is also a good idea to headline your keywords in large, bold
type at the top of your site.
For example:
Cheap Pet Care Items Including Nutritious Puppy Food
Another way of putting your keywords to good use is by using them
as anchor text for your links. For example, instead of using a regular
url or “click here for a link”, use keywords such as “pet
food and toys” as the link.
You also want to make sure your web pages are titled with keywords,
not just index or homepage or other generic titles. One example
of a good title would be Pet Care, Vitamins, Nutritious Puppy Food,
Cheap Prices, Toys
You want to use about 8-10 words in your title as only the first
70 characters will show in the actual title on your page.
Besides using the above methods, you want to sprinkle your keywords
in relevant places throughout your webpage. Do not just paste them
anywhere. Remember, quality, not just quantity will get you more
results.
The best placement for your keywords is in the first 20 or so sentences.
Then limit the use of the keywords throughout the rest of the text.
You might also try summarizing all your pertinent keywords in your
final paragraph to tie them all together.
NOTE: The spiders cannot read text on graphics unless you use the
ALT tag. The ALT tag is inserted into the image code like this:
<A HREF="http://www.mysitenamehere.com/">
<IMG SRC="mysitenamehere.com/125x125.gif" WIDTH="125"
HEIGHT="125" BORDER="0" ALT="Pet Care Food
Vitamins Toys"></A>
Then, if for some reason the image does not show up your keywords
“Pet Care Food Vitamins Toys” will.
If you consistently use the methods above, your site ranking should
improve substantially. I know mine did once I used these techniques.
But remember to research your keywords regularly and make any changes
necessary.
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
 6
Tips for What to Do When You Have a Few Minutes to Speak About Your
Business
By Felicia Slattery
Public speaking provides a powerful way for you to market your
business in a variety of contexts. Often, you may find yourself
at a networking meeting or other occasion where you’ll be invited
to speak for just a brief period about your business. Only a few
minutes isn’t enough time to deliver a full-length “Signature
Speech” (that’s a 30-60 minute speech filled with useful
information for your audience so you can market your business),
but you can give people an accurate sense of what you do while boosting
your credibility and potentially attracting new prospects.
Here are my tips for when you have just a few minutes to talk about
your business:
1. Start with your purpose. What do you want to get out
of the event? Are you hoping to get people to sign up to receive
a free report and therefore join your mailing list? Do you want
to sell an e-book? Be specific about what you hope to get as a direct
result of your speech.
2. Consider the purpose of the audience. Why is that audience
gathered? Think about who those folks are and why they have selected
to attend that event and what they hope to gain from listening to
you speak. Be sure to give them what they have been promised they
will hear. One clue can be to look at the context of the event to
determine what your audience hopes to gain.
3. Consider your area of expertise. In your business what
have you helped your clients with that has produced spectacular
results for them? Talk about that.
4. Consider your PASSION. This is huge. Speak to the audience
about something you are passionate about. When you do so your audience
will be drawn to you and will want to listen. We are inspired by
passion, and that includes listening to others who are passionate
about what they do.
5. Make it interactive. Do this by asking questions. I prefer
to have interaction throughout my presentations to continue to draw
the audience in.
6. Always provide a few steps, tips, or techniques that your
audience members can use in their lives right away. You want
people to feel they have come away from your talk with great value.
Providing helpful information will help you achieve that goal–
even if you only have just a few minutes to speak.
Remember your job in the few minutes you have to speak is to build
your credibility and attract your ideal clients and prospects. When
you do, you’ll soon see the power even just a few minutes has
when you are marketing your business with public speaking.
Source: LadyPens.com
About the Author
Public speaking is one important way to increase your credibility
as a small or home-based business owner. I invite you to discover
how to Increase Business by Communicating Your Credibility now.
You’ll get this FREE e-course designed to help you attract
more business and get more cash flow. Pick it up here: http://www.communicationtransformation.com/creating-credibility-ecourse.html
If you’d like to learn more about using public speaking to
market your business, visit http://www.CashInOnSpeaking.com.
You’ll learn everything you need to know from how to choose
a topic, how to best organize your speech to get instant results,
and where to go to get booked to speak.
Felicia J. Slattery, M.A., M.Ad.Ed. is a communication consultant,
speaker & coach specializing in training small and home-based
business owners effective communication skills so they can see more
cash flow now.
 10
Reasons to Use Facebook For Business
By Mari Smith
Social networking websites, especially Facebook, have
significant implications for business owners, marketers, and entrepreneurs.
To keep your business current, you should at least be familiar with
the latest conversational marketing techniques and viral technologies,
including Facebook and its array of powerful features.
Here are ten reasons to be active on Facebook:
1. Meet your peers. Facebook is not just for college kids
anymore. Members are typically older and more mature than on other
sites, and there are more white collar users.
2. Find business contacts. With more than 100 million active
users, and predicted to be 500 million by 2011, not only are your
friends on Facebook, so are your prospects, your customers, your
JV partners... and, of course, your competitors. You need to be
on too.
3. Instant gate opener. Facebook members are open to connecting.
You can easily begin a dialog with highly successful--even famous--people
who were previously otherwise unreachable.
4. Build relationships. By engaging in conversations with
your prospects and customers, you can better adapt your marketing
and business services to meet their needs.
5. Raise visibility. By consistently showing up, posting
relevant information, and being a thought leader, you can increase
visibility and credibility as an expert in your area.
6. Develop your personal brand. The lines between business
and personal have become blurred. You can reveal as much or as little
about yourself as you wish, allowing you to personalize your brand.
7. Target your niche. Users volunteer vast amounts of information
about themselves that you can readily access. These kinds of demographics,
psychographics, and technographics would previously have cost fortunes
to access. Author, John Battelle, calls Facebook a "database
of intentions."
8. Get rapid top Google placement. Create a Page for your
business and "push" information to your "fans."
Pages (for business) and Profiles (for personal) are indexed for
optimal search engine positioning. Facebook has a page rank of #5
according to Alexa.
9. Place targeted ads. With Facebook Social Ads, you can
test out extremely targeted advertising for minimal cost.
10. Free marketing. Aside from paid ads, Facebook is totally
free to use and with regular activity you'll end up with more traffic,
more subscribers, and more paying clients.
From http://ezinearticles.com/
About the Author
Visit Mari's blogs for two free e-courses: 21 Keys To Profitable
Relationships at http://marismith.com
and 7-Day Facebook Marketing Tips at http://www.whyfacebook.com
Mari Smith is a Relationship Marketing Specialist and Facebook
Business Coach. She helps entrepreneurs to accelerate their business
growth using an integrated social marketing strategy, with particular
focus on Facebook. Mari is passionate about showing professionals
how to develop powerful profitable relationships.
Back
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We want your feedback!
Send e-mail comments to
Linda at: regent@west.net
Copyright 2009,
Regent Press
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