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Today I am going to share a story on something that happened to me online a few years ago and today…this type of unprofessional behavior is still going on at various wahm (work at home mom) online forums.

I used to spend a lot of time on various wahm forum boards networking with other Direct Sales consultants. I was well-known on these forums because I had been a member of the forums for many years. When I say a member…I chatted and shared information with fellow wahms on these forums. I was NOT one of those who stalked wahm forums to just spam ads and run.

A few years ago I encountered some unprofessional behavior going on at a few of these wahm forums and made the decision to leave the forums since nothing was being done about it. You see…there are Direct Sales consultants who hang on these various WAHM forums and never post a dang thing…or they only post in the Advertise (spam) Your Business Information folders/sections of the forums. These are NOT valuable members of the wahm community at all.

With that said, these few rotten eggs make a point to sit and stalk the forums so that when a newbie comes onto the forums and asks for information on Company A…they are the first ones to pounce on them. (they direct message or email their business spam ad to the newbie lickety split). Not only that…these bad eggs do other unprofessional things too. I have seen them “bash” other Direct Sales consultants to newbies. What do I mean?

I once saw a Jane Doe talking to a Jewelry consultant and getting some biz oppty. information from her. Well this one particular bad egg fired off a message to the newbie telling her to “Not join Susie’s team but to join her team (bad egg’s team) and that she would give her a hefty discount off the sign-up fees if she did. Not only that, she told this newbie a bunch of lies about Susie to turn her against her and so that she wouldn’t join Susie’s team but join her team. How terrible is that? TERRIBLE.

I hate to see this type of unprofessional behavior by some going on. I understand that Direct Sales is a competitive field at times…but c’mon ladies, You all have moral values (or at least I hope you do) and you should behave better than that!

The moral of this story is this…If you are going to hang on these wahm chat forums so that you are networking your business that is great! However, you need to do it the “right” way and make yourself a valuable member of their community. You should not be there to just “spam” your biz ads all over the place and to jump on “newbies” when they join the forum. Furthermore, you should NEVER bash another direct sales consultant to anyone…it is just plain “unprofessional” to do so.

You might not get every “newbie” who joins the community to join your direct sales team…but you can at least hold your head up high, knowing that you are a “true” business professional and that you conduct your business professionally.

Do You Need More Bookings? If so, check out this site!

This blog post was published exclusively for www.workathomebusinessoptions.com

For the past several months I have been really disgusted with how some companies and how some Direct Sales consultants have been marketing their businesses over on Twitter.

Twitter is a major social media networking site and networking means having a 2-way conversation with those who follow you. It doesn’t mean that you do the following unprofessional things!

* You should not be sending Direct Messages to followers with your coupon codes, sales specials, etc. In addition, you should NOT be sending direct messages to your followers asking them to come check out your web site, your blog or to come like your Facebook page.

Tweet out your links to your sites and if folks want to come over to your site or like you on Facebook, they will. You should NEVER send those requests via direct messages or even directly tweet at each follower and ask them to do it. It is UNPROFESSIONAL!

* You should not set up your Twitter account to run on auto-pilot with a handy dandy app and tweet out sales spam 24/7. You need to be over there “live” tweeting more than “auto” tweeting. Folks know that you are “auto” tweeting and trust me, they hate it! If you don’t have time to interact with your followers, why the heck should they interact with you or give you the time of day when you don’t do the same!

* I am one of those who are really against the “Tweet Old Post” app that a lot of wordpress bloggers are using. Why? Because many of them ABUSE IT! They will have that app do all of their tweeting for them on auto-pilot and rarely show up on Twitter to do any live tweeting or to interact with their followers. TERRIBLE.

* Those of you who are using the keyword function over on Twitter and looking up keywords related to your niche is great, if you use it to just go follow those people on Twitter. However, if you are using the keyword function to just send out spam tweets or direct messages to people because they were discussing a keyword that you are trying to market for, well…shame on you! I can guarantee you that it pisses people off and they will report and block you for keyword spam.

What do I mean? Here is an example:

A few days ago I was discussing web site hosting with my business partner on Twitter. Within 5 minutes of me mentioning the word “hosting”  I had 27 @ mention tweets to me from various folks who were not following me giving me their recommendations, coupon codes, affiliate links, blah blah blah blah. All of those tweets got reported as spam by me and those folks got blocked!

If you want to market your business on Twitter, I suggest you learn how to do it the correct way. Otherwise, people will just label you as another Twitter spammer who spams nothing but junk on Twitter. Folks will NOT do business with those who spam them and that is the bottom line!

Twitter is one of the hottest and fastest growing online Social Media web sites and when used properly it can indeed help you grow your business and interact with clients/customers who are craving for your attention.

However, many direct sales consultants, home business owners and even big name brand corporations are improperly marketing their businesses and products on Twitter to the point that it’s overkill. What do I mean?

Well, way too many people & companies are sitting on Twitter 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (including weekends & holidays) and are spamming out promotional message (tweets) constantly. These same people and companies are not interacting often with their followers so all of their promotional tweets/messages are coming off as nothing but SPAM.

Twitter is a NOT a big old classified ad site. It is a big Social Media Networking site. Notice…I said NETWORKING site which means you and your company needs to be interacting and chatting it up with those who are following you. Chatting/Interacting means actually having a 2-way conversation. It does NOT mean you sit on Twitter and spam out promotional messages/ads all day and night long and never have a conversation with those who are following you.

If you want to market & network on Twitter you need to do it the right way so that you are not irking off those who are following you. If you take the time to “chat it up” over on Twitter you will find that your followers will appreciate you and your company a lot more!

10 Ways to Boost Your Online Mailing List by Terri Seymour

One of the most powerful ways to build a successful online business is by creating relationships with your visitors so they can begin to trust you and feel comfortable ordering from you. One way of building these relationships is by having a mailing list so you can keep in contact with your subscribers. This helps form a bond and will start to build that foundation of trust and credibility.

Sending out weekly online newsletters or mailings is a great way to solidify the trust relationship. But who do you send it to? Taking the time and effort to build a responsive email list is not easy but it certainly can be done.

The ten tips below will help you get started building that all important list of names and email addresses!

1. Privacy Guarantee – One of the most important things you can do is guarantee the visitor’s privacy. Be sure to let them know their information will never be given out or sold to anyone under any circumstances!

2. Easy Sign-Up – Be sure to put a quick and easy sign-up form for your visitors. You do not want your potential subscribers chased away by having to click through a maze of forms. Make the sign-up as easy and fast as possible.

3. Multiple Forms – Don’t make the mistake of just putting one sign-up form on your site. Be sure to have one on every page. Not everyone will go to your homepage. Also, be sure to add subscription forms to your Facebook page and other social networking sites.

4. In Plain Sight – When putting the sign-up form on every page of your site, be sure to put them on the top of the page on either the right side or the left side. I have read that the left side is more effective.

5. No Life Story – Don’t ask for a ton of information when trying to get people to sign up for your mailing list. You don’t need to know their phone number, address, gender, birthday, etc. The person is going to wonder what you want all that information for and they will be inclined not to give it to you. A name and an email address is all you need.

6. Double Opt-In – Always provide double opt-in for your subscriptions. So after they sign-up, an email will be sent to them to give them a chance to confirm their subscription. This will protect your subscribers from being added to unwanted lists and it will also protect you from being reported for spam.

7. Free Gift – Always offer a quality free gift to everyone who signs up for your mailing list. Show them you appreciate them and are willing to give something to them as well. I usually offer a free ebook with helpful, quality content. Put the download link in the welcome subscriber email you send out so they can access their gift immediately. Don’t make them contact you or wait for it.

8. Email Signature – Be sure to offer a sign-up form or link in your email signature. A lot of people will sign-up directly from an email.

9. Forward to a Friend – Encourage your subscribers to forward copies of your mailings to their friends and associates. Offer incentive contests. For example whoever gets the most people to subscribe gets a free gift or big discount on their next order.

10. Ad Swaps – Contact other newsletter publishers and ask them to do an ad swap. You will run a blurb about their newsletter if they do the same for you. You can also exchange blurbs on your welcome email that is sent to all new subscribers.

Bonus Tip: Be sure to offer quality content and products in your mailings. Add some contests (for example: a trivia challenge), some fun and encourage your readers’ interaction with you. This will go a long way in building that foundation of trust which in turn will bring you much more business!

About the Author:
Don’t be one of the 95% of people who fail at their online business. Terri Seymour can help you make money online. Find out how to increase your traffic and sales with her popular “How to Build Your Online Business” ebook for FREE at: ==> http://www.SeymourProducts.com
Article Source: WAHM Articles

A few days ago a candle consultant emailed me and asked me for some tips in regards to building a large downline team and with recruiting good members for her team. After exchanging a few emails with this consultant I was completely flabbergasted at what I learned from her. She has given me permission to discuss this topic on my blog as long as I don’t mention her name or company. So here we go!

After a few email exchanges with Jane Doe she finally admitted to me that she had spent over $800+ dollars buying consultant business kits for 7 people she recruited early last year. She also admitted to me that none of the 7 are working the business and only one out of the 7 ever sold anything. (and that one sale that the consultant did do was only for $34.17).

Wow! First of all, it is NOT your job to purchase business kits for those who want to join your company. Don’t get me wrong, there are people out there who can’t afford a start-up kit but would like to get started in a Direct Sales business and I understand that. However, you should NOT be purchasing their kits for them. There is NO guarantee they will pay you back nor any guarantees that they will work the business to the point you would earn enough commission off of them to pay back your expenses. It is a “very” foolish decision to be buying business kits just to “rack” up your team member numbers!!!!

If someone can’t afford to join your team “today” then I highly suggest you set up a payment plan for them. Once they have paid you in FULL for the business kit, then you can go ahead and order it for them. You should NEVER be laying out the dough for them since their is NO guarantee you would get a return on your investment. Let’s face it, you are in this business yourself to MAKE money, not lose it!

While some people may disagree with my opinion on this…I am firm on it. When I first started in Direct Sales over 23+ years ago, I had no one to guide me or teach me the right way to do things. I was stupid enough to pay for three people to join my team within a 5 month period of time because I was going for a promotion. Yes, I got my promotion but those three people didn’t do anything or they did very little so I never earned my investment back! While that might sound bitter, it is the truth.

If you want to “help” someone join your team who can not afford it today, set up a payment plan and only order the business kit once it has been paid in full. Trust me, if they want to join badly enough they will be grateful for the payment plan that you are offering to them and in addition, you will be less stressed out if they don’t follow through.

Do You Need More Bookings? If so, check out that site!

10 Ways to Secure Your Customer’s Satisfaction by Terri Seymour

As we all know customers are the core of any business in one way or the other. Without our customers, we would be nothing. So, it would be a wise decision to make sure all of our customers are properly taken care of and satisfied when they do business with us.

Listed below are ten ways we can begin to secure our customers happiness and satisfaction.

1. Always be attentive towards the customer. Be sure to listen to them when they tell you what they want or of any problems they are having with your products and/or services. Never dismiss their opinions or questions.

2. Reward regular customers and new potential customers. I like to treat my regular customers but be sure not to neglect potential and new customers. They deserve special treatment as well. Offer special discounts, free gifts, points towards more free gifts, coupons, money-saving bundles or packages, etc. The more options you provide, the more sales you will probably get.

3. Respect your customers! I cannot stress this one enough. Treat your customers, one and all, like they were your family. Give them all the respect and care they need from you and then some.

4. Earn their trust and respect! If you promise something, deliver! If you say you will give them a special deal, deliver. Always be true to your word and do not make false claims or promises. People are not stupid and they will see through deceptive marketing practices.

5. The customer is always right. Unfortunately this is not true. The customer is sometimes wrong and in that case, you should handle it properly. Be calm, polite, supportive and helpful. Explain the problem and let the customer know what you will do to rectify the situation. Your calm demeanor can sometimes calm the customer. Never lose control of your emotions.

6. Don’t make your customers feel like an annoyance. I have been to some places where the person taking care of me has acted like he/she didn’t want me there. This is not how you want your customers to feel! Talk to your customers, not at them. Smile and be friendly and courteous at all times. Just because your kids are acting up that day, it is no reason to take it out on your customers. Always separate your business from your problems in your own life.

7. Don’t make your customers jump through hoops! Make their experience with you and your business as easy and pleasant as possible. Don’t make them write their life history or click a million times to get through your ordering process. Let them know the prices and any shipping and/or taxes upfront. Make sure they know exactly what to expect.

8. Answer questions. Customers need to know what they are buying so be sure you are able to answer any and all questions they may have. If you do not have the answer readily available, assure them that you will find out the answer ASAP. Make sure they know how to contact you so they are more comfortable in your availability.

9. Build confidence. Your customers need to be confident in you and what you offer so be sure to come through. Be straightforward and do not offer anything you cannot give. Be honest at all times. Do not try to sugarcoat things by stretching or twisting the truth. Customers will appreciate honesty and their confidence in you and your business will soar.

10. A bad customer? Is there such a thing as a bad customer? Unfortunately there is. With some people, no matter what you to do try to make amends or make them happy, it just won’t be enough. All you can do with these customers is treat them with respect; be polite and let them know you will do anything you can to help.

Even so, there are times when you just have to let a customer go. After doing everything you can with no end in sight, politely inform the customer they should perhaps go elsewhere to find what they are looking for. I have had to do this a couple of times in the five years I have had my ebook store. The first time really upset me but when I came to grips with it and went over everything I did, I realized I could not have done anything more for this person. Do not let this interfere with your business or get you frustrated or depressed; it does happen.

Satisfied customers are our best advertisements so be sure to treat them all as you would want to be treated. Customers are intelligent individuals and need to be regarded as such. Doing this will bring your business to new levels!

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 and $2 resell ebooks & software, affiliate programs, free ezine and free business ebook with Master Resell Rights. http://www.seymourproducts.com/free.shtml

Article Source: WAHM Articles