Work At Home Business Options

Posts Tagged ‘network marketing’

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 Maximize the Power of Your About Us Page by Terri Seymour

If you own an online business, you need to provide an About Us page. Unfortunately, many sites neglect to give this page the attention it needs and deserves. Many people do not realize the importance of an effective About Us page.

Your About Us page has the distinct purpose of letting people get to know your company, which will help build the foundation of trust and respect that is needed for a successful online business. For certain businesses, the About Us page can also be used for recruiting new employees, sales reps, etc.

So, take some time, look over your About Us page and see if it utilizes any or all of the ten features listed below.

1. Company History – Give a brief history of your company and how you got started. Explain how long you’ve been in business, the purpose of your business and your experience. This is also a good place to add your mission statement.

2. Focus on Benefits – Be sure to focus on the benefits your company will provide the customer. Your potential customers want to know what you can do for them, not how you do it.

3. Introduce Yourself and Crew – Be sure to give your name and the names of those who work with and/or for you. You would be surprised at how many About Us pages I have read that contain no names whatsoever! Give a very brief background on yourself and your workers so your visitors can get to know them.

4. Special Skills and Accomplishments – Highlighting any special skills you have or accomplishments can help to build your credibility and separate you from your competitors. If your company is a green company be sure to highlight that as well. Let people know what your company stands for and against.

5. Toot Your Horn – Provide testimonials, awards and names of notable clients. Don’t be afraid to let people know exactly how accomplished you and your company are. This will also help build credibility and trust.

6. Use Photos – Be sure to add some photos of yourself and your workers (if any) so people can feel get more human contact. Actually seeing the person or people behind the website will make it more believable.

7. Personality and Passion – Give your company some personality. Accentuate the passion and commitment your company possesses. Let your readers see the human side of your company.

8. Social Media – Be sure to add your social media site links. This will give your readers another avenue to keep in touch with your company.

9. Coffee Clutch – Write all of this information as if you were sitting over coffee and chatting with your visitors. Don’t make it sound like a dull cookie cutter page. Add life, vigor and sparkle to your writing.

10. Contact Info – ALWAYS thank your visitor for coming to your site and offer your contact information. Let them know you are available to answer any questions or concerns. Adding your physical address is shown to raise the level of confidence in your company as well.

Although the About Us page is often overlooked by the site owner, it can be a very powerful way to attract customers and increase your conversion rate. Do the research and take the time to write a compelling and powerful About Us page that will boost your credibility and gain the trust and respect your business needs to survive!

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

Today I thought I would share with you all a question I received via email from a Direct Sales consultant with a gourmet food company who had an issue with a party host.

Question: “Shelly, I had a home party that I did last week and the party host and several guests at the party were chain smoking cigarettes almost on a constant basis. Do I have the right to discuss this matter during my host coaching sessions?”

Here is the answer I gave to Jane Doe:

Jane,

This is a serious problem and you most certainly should be discussing this with your party hosts during your hostess coaching sessions. Cigarette smoking is not only bad for their health but it is also bad for your health and the health of the non-smoking guests at the party.

When discussing this you do need to be tactful because cigarette smokers can often times get defensive about this topic as they feel it is their god-given right to smoke in the privacy of their own homes. While that is true, they don’t have the right to poision the non-smoking guests with second hand smoke!

During your host coaching session bring up the topic of cigarette smoking and politely ask your host if she/he is a smoker and if so, could they designate smoking to be outside during the party. If the host gets defensive about it you might want to suggest an alternative location for the party (one that doesn’t allow smoking indoors). If the host insists that he/she will be smoking during the party and/or they will be allowing guests to smoke during the party…you have the right to “refuse” that party booking if you choose do so.

___________________________________________________

Today I thought I would share her question and my answer with all of you who read my blog. What are your thoughts on this topic?

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

As with any type of business, competition can be good if it is used a motivating factor for you to work harder and smarter. However, competition can also be very bad for your business and your health if it isn’t kept in-check.

What do I mean? Well, over the years I have seen various Direct Sales consultants within various Direct Sales companies, get downright mean and ugly when it came to competing for the same customers or new team members.

I have seen consultants fight with each other on work at home mom forums (wahm forums), I have seen them fight with one another on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, and I have seen them bash one another via blogging and emails. Holy Cows! Yes folks, this does happen from time to time.

My advice for all of you is to stay out of it and don’t do it! If you feel like you are competing with another consultant then use that “feeling” to work harder and smarter. Don’t let it fester into something spiteful and hateful. If you feel angry or hurt with that person or company it is best kept to yourself and just work your business harder.

There is no need to get caught up in the rat race that others sometimes thrust upon us. Getting caught up in an unhealthy competition can damage your health (high stress levels) and can damage your business if others see you participating in an unhealthy and unprofessional competition.

Some people by nature are just very competitive and they will do anything and everything to succeed. While I understand wanting to succeed, I believe success comes to those who work hard and do so in a professional and ethical manner.

So the next time someone online starts throwing stones at you or trying to thrust upon you an unhealthy competition, just hold your head high and walk away! Always keep your business ethics and professionalism in-check and you will go much further than the mud slinger in the long run.

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

10 Major Online Marketing Mistakes by Terri Seymour

Online marketing, also called internet marketing is forever evolving and if you own an online business you need to keep abreast of all the options available to you and your business. Building a business is a learning process and we all will make mistakes. The main thing is to learn from our mistakes so as not to make them again. In my years of online marketing I have learned a lot and want to share with you, what I think, are 10 of the major online marketing mistakes.

1. Not Collecting Email Addresses – Have you ever heard the statement, the money is in the list? Your list can be your goldmine. If you are not collecting email addresses, you need to start now. Put a sign-up form on your site so people can sign up to your mailing list, newsletter, RSS, articles, etc. Offer them a free bonus for signing up. You will be able to collect a list of names with which to send your special offers, sales, etc. and greatly increase your income potential. Be sure to include an opt-out in all mailings. This will give your subscribers the chance to remove themselves from your mailing list if they so choose. Also, never add a person’s email address to your list without their permission.

2. Not Being Social – Social networking has exploded on the internet. Millions of people use Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and many other popular sites. If you are not using these sites for your business, you are making a grave error. People will be finding other businesses and not even know you or your business exist.

If you are not yet social, start now by opening an account on the top three:

Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

3. Not Being Available – I have so many people tell me that they have emailed websites and never receive a response. I know from experience this happens way too often. Make it a number one priority to answer email inquiries as quickly as possible. I try to answer within minutes, if possible. This does get a huge response of appreciation. Your visitors need to know that a person is available if they have questions about your products and/or services. This will help in building the relationship and trust needed for an online business.

4. Not Studying Your Web Stats – Your web stats can help you determine how many visitors you get, where they are going, how long they are staying, if they are returning and so on. By analyzing this information, you can develop your website into the most efficient website it can be. One of the best site stats you can use for free is Google Analytics.

5. Not Using Viral Marketing – Viral marketing uses the same concept as the snowball effect. You start with one tiny snowball and roll it down a hill and it turns into a great mass of snow. Viral marketing can do the same thing for your site. You can give away free ebooks, free reports, free articles and other helpful resources. You give one person a free ebook with your name and link info in it and this person passes it onto their visitors and those visitors pass it on to their visitors and so on. One big giant snowball of traffic!

6. Not Keeping Up with Changes – Over the years internet marketing has changed immensely. Some methods become outdated and new innovative marketing concepts come into play. Even though some of the older methods might still work, you still need to keep up with the new innovative changes in marketing such as social media and video marketing. Always be learning and always keep up with new marketing methods.

7. Ignoring Your Competitors – In business you always have to keep an eye on your competitors. You can learn a lot from your competitors and about your own business as well. Visit forums where you and your competitors might be discussed and learn from what is being said. There is software that will help you find such forums called Boardtracker. Visit your competitors’ sites often to see how they are evolving and how it is working for them. Find out their strengths and weaknesses. Find out what works and what doesn’t. Don’t ever ignore your competitors!

8. Not Being Professional – Your business is a business and needs to be treated as such. Your site needs to look professional. Be sure to proofread all your content and add a Privacy Policy page to your site. You should also have a policy page with your shipping, return, exchange, etc. policies so buyers know what to expect. Make your site look, feel and read like a professional site. You also need to respond professionally in emails, forums, social sites, etc. Be polite, courteous, fair and never let your emotions get the better of you.

9. Not Having a User-Friendly Site – I have seen many sites which have caused me to immediately leave.

Some examples would be:

Blaring music that comes on with no way to turn it off.

Flashy irritating graphics all over the place.

Ads plastered all over with no clear way to navigate the site.

No contact info.

Basically no professionalism of any kind.

Don’t let your site fall into these categories. If you have music on your site, give the option of music or not. Always make the pages clean, easy to read and navigate. Be sure to have your contact info on all pages. Don’t have a lot of flashy graphics that will drive your visitors away. Control the amount of ads you have on your site as well.

10. Don’t Give Up! – In my opinion, one of the biggest mistakes people make when they start an online business is giving up too soon. Building a business takes time and you have to commit to it and stick with it. Unfortunately, I have seen many people give up prematurely and then wonder why they can’t make money. I thought of giving up myself many times but stuck with it because I wanted to help my family while being able to stay home and take care of them. I kept on and was persistent and it slowly started paying off. Once I started with ebooks, my business really took off and now I am very grateful I did not give up when I felt discouraged!

If you have found the business you are passionate about, stick with it and do not give up! Keep your passion alive and you can be a great success!

Terri Seymour has over twelve years of online experience and has helped many people start their own business. Visit her site for free articles, resources, information, resell ebooks and more. Sign up for the RSS Feed for a free business ebook with MRR. http://www.SeymourProducts.com
Article Source: WAHM Articles

A year or so ago I talked about desperation marketing tactics here on my Work at Home Business Options blog and how those type of tactics do not work when it comes to marketing your direct sales business.

Today I wanted to discuss the topic again as I have been seeing a lot of direct sellers making these types of mistakes when it comes to marketing their home businesses.

When I talk about desperation marketing tactics here is some examples of what I am talking about.

* Firing off emails to people you don’t know and spamming them with your direct sales business information. It is illegal to send people emails advertising your business if you don’t know them or if they didn’t request the information from you. When people get these unsolicited emails from you it turns them off and I guarantee you…they won’t do business with you.

* Calling people up via phone that you do not know and this includes random cold-calling people from phone books. These days many people are on Do Not Call lists and you can land yourself in hot water by just calling up people and pitching your business to them when you don’t know them!

* Firing off hundreds of business messages on social media sites and not engaging or chatting with those who follow you on those accounts will really hurt your business. It is okay to post some messages advertising your business but if all you do is spam business message (business advertisements) after business message at your followers on Facebook and/or Twitter, many of those people will quit following you and will quit doing business with you. At least 50% of your messages on social media should be engaging with those who follow you, posting tips, offering helpful advice and just chit-chatting will reap you more rewards than spamming your followers all day long.

* Repeatedly contacting people who have purchased from you before or hosted a party with you before, and harassing them to no end to make another purchase or to book another party will hurt your business in the long run. Yes, you should contact them every few months but not every day or every week. I once had to “tell off” a direct sales consultant who was calling me and/or emailing me once a week asking for another sale. That is over-kill and it does irritate your established party hosts and customers. Keep in contact with them YES…but don’t go overboard with it.

* When speaking with someone face to face about your business you need to walk a fine line with harassing them/pressuring them to book a party, order a product or to join your team. If they tell you no, well…no means no, and you should leave it at that. (at least for that time and in a few weeks/months you can talk to them again about it). With that said, I once witnessed a beauty consultant at a networking event harass another woman who was there about joining her direct sales company. This went on for over 40 minutes with this woman giving her a “firm” no but yet, this consultant continued to “pound” this poor woman with her business opportunity info. Folks, that is a turn off!

I want you all to think of a time that an “aggressive” sales person irked you off by not leaving you alone, harassing you, repeatedly contacting you for a sale and so forth. You didn’t like it (and most of us have experienced it at least once in our lifetimes) so please don’t do it to others.

Desperation sales tactics and desperation marketing tactics do not work. They irritate those who you are doing it to…so that means you will lose credibility and lose sales.

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