I used to think Multi-Level Marketing was bad. All of it. All the companies. My parents joined one and had a terrible experience, and several people pitched me over the years. Very pushy. I joined one a few years ago, and was told to be pushy.
I'm not pushy. I don't believe in pushy.
As you might read in my blog, I am an Instructional Designer by trade. I was given the assignment to develop a course of instruction that would teach people how to be successful in Multi-Level Marketing companies, so off I went to do research. I found an organization, Mentoring -for-Free, that convinced me that Multi-Level Marketing is by itself not bad or evil. There are scams and unscrupulous people, but if you have the right information you can choose a good company to join and you can find success. I joined Mentoring-for-Free, and promote it.
Mentoring-for-Free is not an MLM. It is a teaching organization that will train anyone from any company. There are even parts of the training that are relevant and open to people who want to succeed in other industries - not MLM at all. If you are interested, click the image to the right and download the eBook, Success in Ten Steps.
If you do, you will learn that only 15% of the general population likes pushy and thinks a pushy salesman is a good one.
My mentor, Michael Puskas, has as his "day job" a sales job. He has been in traditional sales full time for over 15 years. He has been very successful. He taught me yesterday that his success comes from not being pushy, but by finding the true need of potential clients and offering a sincere, valuable solution to their need. "They sell themselves," he says.
The same goes for Internet Marketing. You see a lot of hype on the Internet. Hype must work, because like spam, it would cease to exist if it didn't work. But I couldn't sleep at night if I used hype in promoting my network marketing (MLM) business or on my websites. Not only do I not like pushy, I think it is wrong. At least when it results in a customer buying something they don't really want, that isn't what is promised, or isn't what they really need.
It is possible, and in my opinion more lucrative in the long run, to present what you have to offer and let people sell themselves. If your product or service is of value, it will happen value is always rewarded. Your marketing purpose is to get potential customers to see you. You need them to see you often enough to remember you. This way, in the moment when they realize they need what you offer they will then buy you. This is the source my pen-name for this blog. I say buy "you" because people buy people, not stuff. If they are going to buy stuff they will go to Wal-Mart or Amazon.
You can get people to see you, remember you, and buy you without being pushy. Here are some sound tips to sponsoring.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Friday, September 5, 2008
Thinking Outside the Box
Some of the most profitable marketing comes from thinking outside the box. For a long time, I have not considered any Cost-Per-Click (CPC) advertising other than Google Adwords. However, in the Fall 2008 issue of Search Marketing Standard, they suggest that there can be advantages of using CPC services of the other popular search engines.
Speaking of MSN, Yahoo!, and Ask, they say,
The pragmatist in me says I should also use CPC to increase targeted traffic. By targeted traffic, I am thinking that someone if more likely to click on a sponsored ad if they are shopping.
Speaking of MSN, Yahoo!, and Ask, they say,
"A substantial number of people out there are fiercely loyal to one of the engines and never use Google, so avoiding these traffic sources means you are missing some potential clients."The artist in me says to only rely on traffic from natural searches via the search engines. This is because I know that valuable, original content is what the search engines reward with high rankings.
The pragmatist in me says I should also use CPC to increase targeted traffic. By targeted traffic, I am thinking that someone if more likely to click on a sponsored ad if they are shopping.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Cleaning House
One of the barriers to effective productivity is mess. At least for me. I'm known as one of those people with piles of paper around their desk. I used to find this effective because I would spend an extra day, maybe come into the office on a Saturday once a month, and go through the piles.
Those days are long gone. My desk at the office is clean compared to my old habits. There is one small pile of papers, and it's gone by the end of each week.
There is also a spiral notebook. If I need to take hand-written notes, it goes in the notebook. Usually, though, my notes go into our company's software for keeping track of our interactions with clients.
But working at home has taught me that I truly need to make a place for everything and keep everything in it's place. I need a filing system for hard copies of papers and files.
I use software to keep track of my contacts. I use Highrise from 37 Signals. This tool is for keeping track of people, entering notes of each communication, and even has tasks so you can tell it to remind you when to follow up with the person next.
I also use Basecamp from 37 Signals. This is a project management tool that is suited for a small business like mine or a large business with many projects. You can track time, show clients your progress, and upload files related to many projects.
For scheduling my home business meetings and events, I use Backpack. Backpack is a calendar that allows you to share your schedule, your ideas, and files.
With these three tools, my piles of paper and the need to go through them are a thing of the past. There are other tools out there, but these are inexpensive, and scalable. As your business grows, you can upgrade to the next level of each tool.
If you are serious about working from home, you need a place to work. This place needs to be just as formal or informal as needed to get you to actually work. With Basecamp, for example, I keep myself focused by tracking my time. Tracking my time also helps me know if I am charging the correct prices for my services.
Whether you use these tools or not, get organized, so that unlike me, you don't waste time looking for things when you need them. From today on out, I'm staying organized, using these tools and The Slight Edge.
Those days are long gone. My desk at the office is clean compared to my old habits. There is one small pile of papers, and it's gone by the end of each week.
There is also a spiral notebook. If I need to take hand-written notes, it goes in the notebook. Usually, though, my notes go into our company's software for keeping track of our interactions with clients.
But working at home has taught me that I truly need to make a place for everything and keep everything in it's place. I need a filing system for hard copies of papers and files.
I use software to keep track of my contacts. I use Highrise from 37 Signals. This tool is for keeping track of people, entering notes of each communication, and even has tasks so you can tell it to remind you when to follow up with the person next.
I also use Basecamp from 37 Signals. This is a project management tool that is suited for a small business like mine or a large business with many projects. You can track time, show clients your progress, and upload files related to many projects.
For scheduling my home business meetings and events, I use Backpack. Backpack is a calendar that allows you to share your schedule, your ideas, and files.
With these three tools, my piles of paper and the need to go through them are a thing of the past. There are other tools out there, but these are inexpensive, and scalable. As your business grows, you can upgrade to the next level of each tool.
If you are serious about working from home, you need a place to work. This place needs to be just as formal or informal as needed to get you to actually work. With Basecamp, for example, I keep myself focused by tracking my time. Tracking my time also helps me know if I am charging the correct prices for my services.
Whether you use these tools or not, get organized, so that unlike me, you don't waste time looking for things when you need them. From today on out, I'm staying organized, using these tools and The Slight Edge.
Friday, August 8, 2008
You read a lot of hype about what it takes to make money online. Here is a gem of a description of "What Google Wants" from Super Affiliate Mindset
Period.
"The bottom line is that Google is looking for advertisers that are building a long term business & a real site off of one or a handful of domains. Google does NOT want advertisers that are launching one thin site after another, just to make a quick buck."I think Amit hit the point squarely. Long term. Business. Not quick buck efforts. Original Content.
Period.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Expert or Not?
With the high volume of scams on the Internet I am not surprised when I am at times challenged whether or not I can call myself an expert. Yes, I earn a living by teaching people how to use the Internet to earn money. That in and of itself does not make me an expert. Having a combination of formal education, private training, and experience over time does. Still, this does not mean that I know more than anyone else, or that I need to show my earnings to qualify as an expert.
While it is true that one should get marriage counseling from someone who has been married, or car advice from someone who has experience successfully fixing cars, it is also true that when one has a Mastermind, the issue of expertise becomes moot.
A Mastermind is a group of people who readily share their experience and skills for the benefit of each member of the group. Henry Ford, the innovator and founder of Ford Motor Company, once sued a local newspaper because it labeled him as 'ignorant.' He saw his credibility coming under fire. During the trial, the attorney for the newspaper kept asking Mr. Ford questions he could not answer. Finally, Henry said something like, "What does it matter that I don't know the answer? I have a group of men available at my disposal such that any question that comes up, all I need to do is push a button and I am connected with the expert in that field. With the combined knowledge I have access to, I myself do not need to know every piece of data you have asked me here today."
Henry Ford won his case. In many subjects, Internet Marketing included, it is not possible for one person to know every single aspect of the subject. Nor should one be expected to, even one such as myself who earns a living passing on what I have learned.
Each of my students knows that I present myself as both a student and a mentor. I have clients who know more than I do. These clients are wise enough to understand intuitively the power of the Mastermind and include me in their Mastermind group.
If you are considering purchasing training, do your due diligence, and see what background your potential mentor has, yes. However, also consider what resources come with that mentor or resource. Get referrals in addition to testimonials. See if you can actually talk to clients of whomever is giving you a sales pitch. Stay away from promises of earning large sums of money in a short period of time. Stay away from promises of virtually no work.
For myself, my Mastermind Group includes people from different disciplines. I know enough to teach what I know and I have access to people to answer questions I have. More expertise will cost you more money. Most people I've met who are really making the good money aren't really interested in mentoring others, they are too busy playing! So a mentor who is also a student is just fine. I will teach you what I know and we will learn together.
Here are some resources I recommend. I use these regularly to learn and to teach:
The Wealthy Affiliate University This website is a membership website that will teach Internet Marketing. It is the best resource I have found with the lowest price.
Site Build It SBI offers a website builder and education. A builder is a combination of software and hosting. This product takes you step-by-step via text and video instruction.
Omni Business Solutions is the company I work for, my "Day Job" if you will. I am a Trainer as well as an Instructional Designer. Omni has teamed up with "Internet Money Map" to provide a builder and coaching. When you go to Internet Money Map, the trial is a temporary access to the Omni Site Builder--be sure to cancel if you don't want it for longer than the temporary period. The Full Package is to purchase the builder right from the start (monthly fee), and the Premium Package gets you the builder plus telephone training with a trainer like myself. Who knows, it could even be me.
Both Site Build It and Omni Business Solutions offer website builders. This is hosting plus software that allows you to build a website without knowing HTML or other programming. The Omni product is easier to use and costs more. The Site Build It product costs less and requires that you pay a year at a time rather than monthly like the Omni Site Builder. So they both have advantages.
While it is true that one should get marriage counseling from someone who has been married, or car advice from someone who has experience successfully fixing cars, it is also true that when one has a Mastermind, the issue of expertise becomes moot.
A Mastermind is a group of people who readily share their experience and skills for the benefit of each member of the group. Henry Ford, the innovator and founder of Ford Motor Company, once sued a local newspaper because it labeled him as 'ignorant.' He saw his credibility coming under fire. During the trial, the attorney for the newspaper kept asking Mr. Ford questions he could not answer. Finally, Henry said something like, "What does it matter that I don't know the answer? I have a group of men available at my disposal such that any question that comes up, all I need to do is push a button and I am connected with the expert in that field. With the combined knowledge I have access to, I myself do not need to know every piece of data you have asked me here today."
Henry Ford won his case. In many subjects, Internet Marketing included, it is not possible for one person to know every single aspect of the subject. Nor should one be expected to, even one such as myself who earns a living passing on what I have learned.
Each of my students knows that I present myself as both a student and a mentor. I have clients who know more than I do. These clients are wise enough to understand intuitively the power of the Mastermind and include me in their Mastermind group.
If you are considering purchasing training, do your due diligence, and see what background your potential mentor has, yes. However, also consider what resources come with that mentor or resource. Get referrals in addition to testimonials. See if you can actually talk to clients of whomever is giving you a sales pitch. Stay away from promises of earning large sums of money in a short period of time. Stay away from promises of virtually no work.
For myself, my Mastermind Group includes people from different disciplines. I know enough to teach what I know and I have access to people to answer questions I have. More expertise will cost you more money. Most people I've met who are really making the good money aren't really interested in mentoring others, they are too busy playing! So a mentor who is also a student is just fine. I will teach you what I know and we will learn together.
Here are some resources I recommend. I use these regularly to learn and to teach:
The Wealthy Affiliate University This website is a membership website that will teach Internet Marketing. It is the best resource I have found with the lowest price.
Site Build It SBI offers a website builder and education. A builder is a combination of software and hosting. This product takes you step-by-step via text and video instruction.
Omni Business Solutions is the company I work for, my "Day Job" if you will. I am a Trainer as well as an Instructional Designer. Omni has teamed up with "Internet Money Map" to provide a builder and coaching. When you go to Internet Money Map, the trial is a temporary access to the Omni Site Builder--be sure to cancel if you don't want it for longer than the temporary period. The Full Package is to purchase the builder right from the start (monthly fee), and the Premium Package gets you the builder plus telephone training with a trainer like myself. Who knows, it could even be me.
Both Site Build It and Omni Business Solutions offer website builders. This is hosting plus software that allows you to build a website without knowing HTML or other programming. The Omni product is easier to use and costs more. The Site Build It product costs less and requires that you pay a year at a time rather than monthly like the Omni Site Builder. So they both have advantages.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
This is an email from one of my mentors. We read the book, "Think and Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill, and these are his thoughts about the last chapter.
"Fear is the most insidious of all emotions. I like
the way Dr. Hill put it: "Indecision is the seedling
of fear." Indecision gives birth to doubt and doubt
manifests itself as fear. When fear sets in, it will
paralyze you. I know that it did me.
I used to be captive to all the fears (at least more
so than I am today) that Dr. Hill mentioned. I feared
poverty, criticism, ill health, loss of love, old age
and the biggest fear of all: Death.
When I was young, money was always tight in the family.
I always heard Dad or Mom say that we didn't have
enough. My Dad worked two jobs just to make ends meet.
As I grew and entered adulthood the fear of lack grew
with me. I thought that just making ends meet was
normal or maybe just the curse of our family. To make
matters worse, I bought into the religious philosophy
of poverty being a virtue.
I came to believe that riches were "of the devil" and
I should not seek riches or wealth but be "content"
with what I had.
Every time I attempted to do something to gain wealth
the religious beliefs, that I held, stopped me. I
always wanted to make a go of network marketing because
I knew that was a great vehicle to gain wealth and
financial freedom.
My aunt and uncle were in network marketing and they
seemed to always have money, nice homes and cars.
However, I never could follow though with my desires
because of the lingering fear that wealth was some
thing bad. Thus I remained broke and unfulfilled.
By God's mercy, about 3 years ago a chain of events
took place that changed my life forever! I believe
it was God working "all things together for good."
Sandy and I became quite tight financially.
I was making good money, but no matter how much I
made, it seemed to disappear. Actually, for a college
drop out, I was doing VERY well, but my pockets had
holes.
Now I understand what the "hole" was; it was the Fear
of Lack. The fear of lack kept me in lack. I began
seeking the Lord for the way. Eventually I was intro
duced to Mike Murdock and that lead to many other
teachers and writers on the subject of wealth and
abundance.
I began a quest to study wealth from both the Biblical
and secular perspective. My studies began to open my
eyes, big time.
God is rich and abundant.Lack isnt in His comprehension.
Everything He touches produces MORE.He touched 5 loaves
and 2 fish and ended up feeding over 5,000 people! He
came that we would have life and have is MORE ABUNDANTLY
He touched a withered hand and it became whole. The
dead were raised and the blind saw. Why, because
He know no lack. So why was I buying into being
broke as the "way it should be" philosophy?
What can a "broke" person do to augment their own
life or the life of another?
I am come to realize, for me, that it is okay to
gain wealth.Even the Bible says that God gives us
power to gain wealth. For the first time in my
entire 53 years I am free from this fear...the fear
of poverty.
I have an abundant Source within me who WANTS me
to be wealthy and share my wealth with others.
Abundance is from God and is limitless and He want
be to enjoy all the riches He has for me.
With this freedom came the freedom from criticism.
Man, was I living in that! I was always concerned
about what "they" thought of me.I always wanted to
make a "good impression." I never wanted to be
considered a "failure" or "money lover" or anything
like that. But NO MORE!
Today I am learning to not be concerned about what
others think of me. What's important is what God
thinks of me and what I think of me. I know God
thinks I am awesome, so why should I feel any
different than He does?
If people want to judge, have at it; it only hurts
them and not me. Yes, this fear creeps in every now
and then, but now I have the knowledge of what it is
and bid it farewell.
Ill health was somewhat a fear of mine. I would
worry that I had some fatal disease whenever I had
an ache or pain that I never had before.
However, since my study of the mind-body connection
and the knowledge of the power of thoughts I exercise
to keep my mind off all thoughts of ill health and on
thoughts of good health.
I don't complain or mention my aches and pains.I just
thank God for the health I do have and move on.
Eventually, when I stop pay attention to those aches
and pains, and exaggerate them by doing so, I find I
am able to go on with little difficulty.
Because of time, I won't discuss my experience of
the other Big Fears. I do experience them, but I
have endeavored to deal with them in the same fashion,
take my focus off of that thing I fear and focus on
the things I want.
Instead of worrying about the loss of a loved one,
I cherish them. Instead of fearing old age, I live
life to the fullest and laugh a lot! As for death,
no fear there because I believe in the One who over
came death that I could live forever.
The mental cleanse has been a great experience. It
is teaching me to do what MFF is all about: Learn
HOW to think; not WHAT to think. It is blessing to
all of us that you have provided this system for
us and for that I am grateful to you and Linda,
who has sacrificed so much that others could
begin to experience freedom from these 6 big fears."
Michael Puskas
"Fear is the most insidious of all emotions. I like
the way Dr. Hill put it: "Indecision is the seedling
of fear." Indecision gives birth to doubt and doubt
manifests itself as fear. When fear sets in, it will
paralyze you. I know that it did me.
I used to be captive to all the fears (at least more
so than I am today) that Dr. Hill mentioned. I feared
poverty, criticism, ill health, loss of love, old age
and the biggest fear of all: Death.
When I was young, money was always tight in the family.
I always heard Dad or Mom say that we didn't have
enough. My Dad worked two jobs just to make ends meet.
As I grew and entered adulthood the fear of lack grew
with me. I thought that just making ends meet was
normal or maybe just the curse of our family. To make
matters worse, I bought into the religious philosophy
of poverty being a virtue.
I came to believe that riches were "of the devil" and
I should not seek riches or wealth but be "content"
with what I had.
Every time I attempted to do something to gain wealth
the religious beliefs, that I held, stopped me. I
always wanted to make a go of network marketing because
I knew that was a great vehicle to gain wealth and
financial freedom.
My aunt and uncle were in network marketing and they
seemed to always have money, nice homes and cars.
However, I never could follow though with my desires
because of the lingering fear that wealth was some
thing bad. Thus I remained broke and unfulfilled.
By God's mercy, about 3 years ago a chain of events
took place that changed my life forever! I believe
it was God working "all things together for good."
Sandy and I became quite tight financially.
I was making good money, but no matter how much I
made, it seemed to disappear. Actually, for a college
drop out, I was doing VERY well, but my pockets had
holes.
Now I understand what the "hole" was; it was the Fear
of Lack. The fear of lack kept me in lack. I began
seeking the Lord for the way. Eventually I was intro
duced to Mike Murdock and that lead to many other
teachers and writers on the subject of wealth and
abundance.
I began a quest to study wealth from both the Biblical
and secular perspective. My studies began to open my
eyes, big time.
God is rich and abundant.Lack isnt in His comprehension.
Everything He touches produces MORE.He touched 5 loaves
and 2 fish and ended up feeding over 5,000 people! He
came that we would have life and have is MORE ABUNDANTLY
He touched a withered hand and it became whole. The
dead were raised and the blind saw. Why, because
He know no lack. So why was I buying into being
broke as the "way it should be" philosophy?
What can a "broke" person do to augment their own
life or the life of another?
I am come to realize, for me, that it is okay to
gain wealth.Even the Bible says that God gives us
power to gain wealth. For the first time in my
entire 53 years I am free from this fear...the fear
of poverty.
I have an abundant Source within me who WANTS me
to be wealthy and share my wealth with others.
Abundance is from God and is limitless and He want
be to enjoy all the riches He has for me.
With this freedom came the freedom from criticism.
Man, was I living in that! I was always concerned
about what "they" thought of me.I always wanted to
make a "good impression." I never wanted to be
considered a "failure" or "money lover" or anything
like that. But NO MORE!
Today I am learning to not be concerned about what
others think of me. What's important is what God
thinks of me and what I think of me. I know God
thinks I am awesome, so why should I feel any
different than He does?
If people want to judge, have at it; it only hurts
them and not me. Yes, this fear creeps in every now
and then, but now I have the knowledge of what it is
and bid it farewell.
Ill health was somewhat a fear of mine. I would
worry that I had some fatal disease whenever I had
an ache or pain that I never had before.
However, since my study of the mind-body connection
and the knowledge of the power of thoughts I exercise
to keep my mind off all thoughts of ill health and on
thoughts of good health.
I don't complain or mention my aches and pains.I just
thank God for the health I do have and move on.
Eventually, when I stop pay attention to those aches
and pains, and exaggerate them by doing so, I find I
am able to go on with little difficulty.
Because of time, I won't discuss my experience of
the other Big Fears. I do experience them, but I
have endeavored to deal with them in the same fashion,
take my focus off of that thing I fear and focus on
the things I want.
Instead of worrying about the loss of a loved one,
I cherish them. Instead of fearing old age, I live
life to the fullest and laugh a lot! As for death,
no fear there because I believe in the One who over
came death that I could live forever.
The mental cleanse has been a great experience. It
is teaching me to do what MFF is all about: Learn
HOW to think; not WHAT to think. It is blessing to
all of us that you have provided this system for
us and for that I am grateful to you and Linda,
who has sacrificed so much that others could
begin to experience freedom from these 6 big fears."
Michael Puskas
Friday, July 18, 2008
Get Rich Quick
No matter how you slice it, any program you see on the Internet that says you can earn large amounts of money quickly with little work, little time, and little education needs to be carefully scrutinized before you spend any money on it. I have been in business since I was 12 years old when my dad and I started Gary and Larry's Yard Care. I have never seen nor do I ever expect to see a legitimate program that is guaranteed to make you a lot of money in a short period of time.
While 85% of the people hate to be hard-sold, more than 85% of people seem to get hard-sold quite often on these programs with grand, quick promises. But when you read the guarantee, it is actually quite different.
In my personal business, I have taken point from one of my mentors, Jeremy Cobb. Jeremy is the CEO of the company I work for, and I have my own business on the side. Jeremy's company and mine both have the same guarantee: "We will work with you until you say you don't need us anymore"
If I do some work for someone as my own company and they are not satisfied, I will continue to work on it until they are--within reason. I don't want to get in any situation where I am taken advantage of. But if someone is sincerely dissatisfied, I'll do what I can to make it right. Since I give a service, I cannot give the product back, so I do a little more.
Omni, (Jeremy's company), has the same guarantee: We work with our clients by being available via email for as long as they need us.
When you are looking at programs that promise to teach you how to make money online, look for these kinds of guarantees. They are more realistic, and chances are they come from reputable companies like ours.
Gary
While 85% of the people hate to be hard-sold, more than 85% of people seem to get hard-sold quite often on these programs with grand, quick promises. But when you read the guarantee, it is actually quite different.
In my personal business, I have taken point from one of my mentors, Jeremy Cobb. Jeremy is the CEO of the company I work for, and I have my own business on the side. Jeremy's company and mine both have the same guarantee: "We will work with you until you say you don't need us anymore"
If I do some work for someone as my own company and they are not satisfied, I will continue to work on it until they are--within reason. I don't want to get in any situation where I am taken advantage of. But if someone is sincerely dissatisfied, I'll do what I can to make it right. Since I give a service, I cannot give the product back, so I do a little more.
Omni, (Jeremy's company), has the same guarantee: We work with our clients by being available via email for as long as they need us.
When you are looking at programs that promise to teach you how to make money online, look for these kinds of guarantees. They are more realistic, and chances are they come from reputable companies like ours.
Gary
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
