Internet Marketing Basics for Work at Home Moms & Dads

Part 1 – An Introduction

Whether you have a brick and mortar store or work out of your home, advertising on the internet will allow you to reach millions of people with your ads. Books and courses have been written on how to use the internet effectively for marketing, and each one of the tips below can be the subject of an article or even a book chapter. What I have attempted to do in this article is to provide you with some basics on getting started with internet marketing.

In my own internet advertising, I have used a combination of methods for getting quick results such as paid advertising, as well as internet marketing that takes longer to gain traffic such as creating my own website. Below are some ideas to help get you started in internet marketing.

1. Paid Internet Advertising – Paid internet advertising can take the form of classified ads, text ads, featured ads, and banner and button (square graphic) advertising. Which method you choose will depend on the website that you decide to advertise on, location on the website, and, of course, your budget. The site that you choose to place your ad on should receive good traffic and be preferably on page 1 of Google. The best place for your ad is above the fold i.e. that part of the website that is visible when you first view the website. In general, I like button and banner advertising because graphics easily attract the eye. If you need to create a banner or button, you will find that there are many good banner creators available on the internet. To save money, try a free trial of a banner maker and make the buttons and banners that you need during the free trial period. Some other paid internet advertising methods include advertising on ezines (internet newsletters) and solo mailings.

2. Start a Blog – It’s easy to get started with blogging. Blog articles are usually indexed in Google much quicker than websites. I have found that blog posts can become material and content for future articles and websites. It is just as important to use good search engine optimization (SEO) techniques for your blogs as well as your website. I will discuss SEO below. Both

www.wordpress.com and www.blogger.com provide good blog platforms. Both are favorably ranked by Google. WordPress is known for all of the plug-ins that are available to help your site look its best. On the other hand, I have found the Blogger blogs very easy to set up and have received quick Google ranking for my blog articles.

3. Write Articles – Writing articles establishes you as an expert. Your articles can help you gain exposure for your product or service. Most article submission services allow you to have a resource box where you can place 2 or 3 links to you websites or blogs. This helps you with search engine optimization. The best article directories are

www.ezinearticles.com and www.goarticles.com. Articles submitted to these 2 services do get listed on Google. After receiving approval from Ezine Articles or Go Articles, revise and vary your article, and submit to several additional article directories. Some internet marketers use article spinning software. This can be very effective; however, do be careful when using this automated software. Make sure that your finished (spun) article makes sense and reads easily.

4. Select your Keywords carefully - Be sure to find the keywords and keyword phrases that people actually search by. There are many good tools to use when doing keyword research. Just Google “free keyword research tools” and you will find several that you can use for keyword suggestions. You can also type a keyword or keyword phrase into Google and see how many searches actually come up. If there are over 1 million searches, the keyword might be too competitive for you to rank high in the search engines; however, with fewer than 10,000 searches, not too many people will be able to find you.

5. Create a Good Title – One of the methods that have helped my website and blogs to achieve good ranking in the search engines has been selecting a good title. Be sure to have some of your selected keywords in your title. Remember that title is more than your domain name. When you sign on to a website or blog, you will notice writing in the blue bar at the top of your website. That is your title. Stuff that with keywords. For example, I was able to achieve #1 in Google for my

www.healthplansplus.net website for the keyword: “discount health plans.” Although the main title of my domain name and website is “Health Plans Plus,” notice that the title in the blue bar reads: Health Plans Plus – AmeriPlan Discount Affordable Dental and Health plans.

6. Content is King – Be sure to write quality content in all of your articles, blogs and websites. People will revisit your site if you provide good content and solutions to their problems. Your advertising message should be subtle, and your focus should be on providing a solution to the reader’s problem. Also remember to proofread for grammar and spelling errors as well as readability. If English is your second language, have someone read and edit your finished work.

Part 2 of this internet marketing basics primer will discuss creating your own website and building traffic to your websites and blogs through social networking. For more information on marketing your home based business, visit http://www.workathomemom-dad.com/.

The Work at Home Family Carnival June 8, 2009

Welcome to our very first edition of The Work at Home Family Carnival. The purpose of this carnival is to provide moms, dads, and grandparents with resources and information to help manage their busy households and businesses. Some of the topics to be covered include working at home, internet marketing, family management, marketing and advertising tips, and quick and easy recipes.

I look forward to the growth of this carnival and your future submissions. To be accepted, all articles must be appropriate to the subject matter of this carnival, have good content, not be spammy, and be family friendly.

Working at Home

Helene Zemel presents Finding a Great Home Based Business posted at Work at Home Mom and Dad, saying, "Now that you have made the decision to work from home, how do you go about selecting a suitable and profitable home business?"

Shawn M. Driscoll presents Stop! Don’t Throw in the Towel Just Yet! posted at Shawn Driscoll. Editor’s note: The author focuses on the importance of having a clear mission, a good business model to follow, a good working environment, and the need to have a plan of action to implement your business.

Fiona Lohrenz presents Guidelines For Preparing A Day Care Safety Statement posted at Child Care Only. Editor’s note: If you are considering starting a day care or pre-school business, you need to read this important article.

Brian McKay presents Business Insurance Basics posted at MonitorBankRates.com, saying, "Whether you’re a business owner, a risk manager or an executive, have a large or small business or employ five people or 500, purchasing the right insurance coverage is essential to your business plan."

Ruoall Chapman presents Everything you need to know about how to Make Online Beats posted at Make Online Beats. Editor’s note: The author provides good information for those interested in the music industry.

Patti Blevins presents Are You Driving Your Life Blindfolded? posted at Patti Blevins, saying, "Believe In Yourself and Enjoy Life!"

nissim ziv presents How to start eBay business from scratch posted at eBay Business Guide. Editor’s note: If you are thinking of starting an Ebay business, you will find this step-by-step guide very helpful.

Catherine VanWetter presents To the Heart of the Matter - The Myth of Busyness posted at To The Heart of the Matter, saying, "Have you ever wondered who you are if you are not busy? Busy taking care of other people, busy working, busy doing “stuff”? In everyday life, how does one step off of the “dread mill” of busyness? Are you present?"

Sarah Scrafford presents 100 Terrific Productivity Tools for the Bored or Unemployed posted at Online College.org, saying, “These 100 tools will help you get busy doing just about anything from organizing your DVD collection to planning your potential future, giving you no excuse to be bored or unemployed for long.”

Internet Marketing

nissim ziv presents Best EBay business ideas for home based business posted at eBay Business Guide. Editor’s note: The author provides 7 helpful tips and ideas for making money selling on Ebay.

Jim DeSantis presents How To Get Low Cost Products To Sell At Fair Prices On Ebay! posted at Work At Home Programs Reviewed, saying, "If you have been selling products on eBay, you know how difficult it is to find products cheaply enough to sell for a fair profit these days. You may not have considered several good sources right under your nose in your own hometown. But, the question is: Which promise the least amount of hassle for the most profit? Let's consider the most popular sources."

Diego Cervantes presents the Ultimate Guide to Web Marketing for Real Estate Agents posted at Real Estate Agent Database Blog. Editor’s note: You will find some excellent sources in this blog post for marketing your real estate business. The author has also included some web sources that are helpful for all businesses including article marketing and social media.

Quick and Easy Recipes

Helene Zemel presents My Tomato Rarebit Recipe A Good Source of Lycopene posted at Health Plans Plus, saying, "Here is a very simple but tasty recipe that has been in my father’s family for many years and is a good source of vitamins A, C, K and lycopene. It is also very quick and easy to make for busy parents who work at home as well an inexpensive, budget lunch."

Family Management

Jacquelyn presents Financial Concerns For a Stay-At-Home Parent posted at WParent.com - Wise Parenting Guide, saying, "This article gives suggestions on how to make the transition to a one-income household when one parent decides to stay at home."

Jack Schmidt presents Health Insurance Can Improve Your Love Life posted at SectorMatic Money Journal, saying, "Personal Finance - Everything for the Big Spender on a Budget. Now you can live like a fat cat, even if you're on a money diet. Laugh all the way to the bank with Jack Schmidt and SectorMatic. It's for you!" Editor’s note: A humorous look at a serious subject.

Nancy Miller presents Top 100 Blogs for DIY Home Improvement posted at Construction Management Degrees, saying, Hiring a contractor can be expensive. With monthly bills climbing and income shrinking, the “do it yourself” movement has gained momentum. Below are the best 100 blogs for home improvement that provide inspiration, design ideas, advice, and much more from those just starting out or those that have a lifetime of experience.”

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of the work at home family using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Technorati tags: the work at home family, blog carnival.

Introducing The Work at Home Family Carnival

Due to the success of the Take Charge of Your Health Care Carnival which appears monthly on my Health Plans Plus Blog, I have decided to publish a new blog carnival on this blog: The Work at Home Family Carnival.

This carnival is for busy moms and dads who work from home and manage a family at the same time. Accepted articles should focus on business solutions and tips for moms, dads, and grandparents who work at home as well as suggestions for managing a busy household while working from home. All articles must have good content, and no more than 2 articles will be accepted per author.

I am looking for blog posts in the following areas: working from home, internet marketing, marketing and advertising tips, quick and easy recipes, family management. I promise to promote the carnival to gain traffic for your posts.

To submit an article to the carnival, visit www.blogcarnival.com and look for The Work at Home Family Carnival under business or click here. I look forward to reading your submissions.

Despite the Weak Economy, Sales of Nutritional Supplements are Up

Since the start of the economic recession, we read every day how retail sales are down for almost every product category including cars, restaurant meals, clothing, jewelry, and movies and entertainment. Despite the gloomy economic picture, there is one bright light. Sales of nutritional supplements have been increasing. According to the Nutrition Business Journal: “Dietary supplements appear to be bucking the negative sales trend in the United States, according to the most recent sales data from Nielsen Co. For the 52 weeks ending December 27, 2008, vitamin and other supplement sales were up 5.9% to $3.8 billion in food, drug and mass merchandiser stores, Nielsen reports.”

Biggest Growth Seen in Specialty Nutritional Products

Much of the growth was seen in the specialty nutritional supplement market, for example supplements targeted to specific conditions or specialty juices such as acai, mangosteen, and Goji. GeneWize is the ultimate specialty supplement. The GeneWize supplement is custom made just for you, based on a DNA assessment. No two customer’s supplement formulas are exactly alike. In fact, there are over 177,000 possible ingredient combinations in the GeneWize product.

GeneWize will save you money too! If you were to go out and buy the natural ingredients in the GeneWize formula, it would cost you hundreds of dollars per month, yet the GeneWize supplement is available for approximately $3.00 per day. Antioxidants such as bilberry, green and white tea, blueberry extract, resveratrol, lycopene, pomegranate, alpha lipoic acid, and broccoli are important ingredients in the GeneWize supplement as well as Vitamins C, E, and selenium. The damage to the body that free radicals can cause is well documented. Scientific research has documented that antioxidants can destroy these free radicals in the bloodstream, so having a supplement high in ORAC value (a measure of antioxidant strength) will help prevent this damage. The supplement also includes Goji fruit, Mangosteen, and Acai extract. AC-11, folic acid, and various B vitamins have been scientifically proven to repair DNA damage and are also part of the GeneWize product. Your customized product may well contain over 65 ingredients specially formulated to your DNA assessment. For more information on the GeneWize product visit:

www.yourbetterhealth.dnawellnesssolutions.com.

Receive Your Supplements for Free

Not only is the GeneWize LifeMap Nutrition affordably priced, but you have the opportunity to receive your product for free. Customers receive a discount for each person that they refer on auto ship. If they refer 4 customers on auto shipment, they pay no more for their product. As we like to say at GeneWize: “Enroll 4 and Pay No More.” For affiliates who wish to join our growing company, just refer 4 customers and/or affiliates on auto shipment, and your product is free as well.

Paul Zane Pilzer, economic advisor to 4 U.S. presidents, predicted 10 years ago that the first company to provide fully customizable nutrition according to each person's DNA would be the BIGGEST Company to hit the industry. The opportunity is right now with GeneWize Life Sciences. GeneWize is a member of the Direct Selling Association and the Women's Direct Selling Alliance.

If you are interested in starting a home based business in the growing health and wellness industry, visit www.yourbetterhealth.genefreedomtours.com for detailed information on our product and opportunity.

Free Work at Home 101 course from CWAHM

CWAHM.com Announces Work At Home 101 A FREE online 3 week course designed to give moms a work-at-home starting place. Most people are curious about working from home. We know others do it, but aren't sure how they do it. CWAHM.com's Work at Home 101 is designed to give you an overview of the choices available that will allow you to work from home. This online course will give you the starting place you've been searching for. Best of all - it's completely free! CLICK HERE! Some of the things covered during Work at Home 101: * Where to Start * Telecommuting * Home-Based Businesses * Avoiding Scams * Entrepreneur Tips *AND MUCH MORE! To My Readers: CWAHM is one of the top ranked Work at Home sites on Google. Jill has been helping people find legitimate work at home opportunities through her CWAHM.COM and CWAHD.COM sites for years. She has personally helped me with my advertising, and I know that this course will provide you with excellent information on starting a successful home based business.

12 Tips for Effective Phone Presentations

You’ve done your marketing and now have leads to work with. Most likely you have snail mailed or e-mailed your client or customer additional information describing your product or service. You might have even sent your prospect a sequence of e-mails through an autoresponder. At some point in the marketing process, you must pick up the phone and actually talk with the customer. People new to telemarketing or direct marketing often feel like the phone weighs a thousand pounds, but with the right techniques, you can become confident and successful on the phone. Remember that with your phone call, you can do what is so essential to the network marketing process—build a relationship.

Here are some tips that you can follow for effective phone presentations:

1. Good Quality Leads. Be sure to start with good quality leads. When working with leads purchased from a lead company, get the best quality leads available. The best purchased leads will be phone verified or surveyed and exclusive to you. It is even better if you can purchase leads that have seen an overview of your specific opportunity. The adage that “you get what you pay for” is especially true of leads. Get the best quality leads that you can afford.


2. Self Generated Leads. Most network marketers find that the leads that they generate through their own advertising and marketing efforts are the best. When people see an ad that you have written and posted yourself, they are usually eager for the information that you have to offer and welcome your call. When people are truly ready to buy your product or join you opportunity, you won’t even have to sell them.


3. Have a Good Marketing Plan. Beginning network marketers often complain that they are having trouble signing people up, but they have invested little time and money on advertising and marketing. Building a successful business, be it an internet marketing business, a service, a product, or brick and mortar store starts with a good marketing plan. See my blog post: http://workathomemom-dad.blogspot.com/2008/06/formulating-marketing-plan-for-your-at.html


4. Show excitement and enthusiasm about your product or opportunity. Start with a product, service, or opportunity that you truly believe in. What is unique about the product, service or opportunity? Be enthusiastic when you describe these unique features, and your client will feel your enthusiasm.


5. Choose a good script and rehearse it. Do some role playing with your mentor, enroller, or even a close friend. Rehearsing your phone presentation will give you the confidence that you need for an effective presentation.


6. Your presentation should flow and sound natural. Know your script well enough to not sound like you are reading it. The best presentation will sound natural and not forced. Basically I do my presentation extemporaneously. I work with a 6 step outline on a 4 x 6 card which I use just to make sure I don’t forget any important points.


7. Build a relationship. Begin to build a relationship with your client, customer, or future team member. People will buy from or sign up with someone that they can trust and relate to. Type out notes so you can remember that their child was sick or that they have an upcoming birthday or event, etc. You can ask your prospect about it in a subsequent call. Building relationships is the essence of network marketing.


8. Be a good listener. Try to address the customer’s needs. Explain how your product will solve a problem that he or she may have. If you are in a competitive market, you can compare your product with a competitor’s product to show why your product or service can best meet the customer’s need, but do not be overly harsh or critical of another product. This will have a negative effect on your ability to close the sale.


9. Listen for signs that you are ready to close. Avoid a hard sell. People will buy your product or service or join your opportunity when they are truly ready. There are subtle ways of asking for the close. After my presentation, I will ask if the prospect has any questions. If I feel that they are really interested, I might ask them if they are ready to get started. If they are not ready, I always set a date and time for a follow up call.



10. Do have a good follow up system. Do not be discouraged if you do not close on your first presentation. It has been said that it takes at least 7 marketing exposures to close the deal. That is why good follow up techniques are so important. For more information on follow up see my blog post at: http://workathomemom-dad.blogspot.com/2008/07/importance-of-good-follow-up-techniques.html



11. Post Sales Follow Up. Post sales follow up is very important but often neglected. A buyer may have cognitive dissonance about what they have just purchased or signed up for. Cognitive dissonance can be definite as the “second thoughts” that buyers sometimes get after completing a purchase. Did they make the right selection? Can they really be successful with this opportunity? Be sure to send post sales literature. An after sale follow up phone call will certainly be appreciated. If the prospect will be joining your opportunity, be sure to provide him or her with adequate training. Keep your holiday list of customers and teammates up to date.


12. Ask for referrals. Referrals are your best source for enthusiastic customers.

Ground Floor Opportunity with GeneWize Life Sciences

I recently joined an innovative company that has been in the news. The name of the company is GeneWize Life Sciences, a subsidiary of Gene Link, a 14 year old publicly traded company. The GeneWize LifeMap Nutrition™ System is the first scientifically supported nutritional supplement program that utilizes YOUR DNA to create a custom nutritional supplement formula that contains the nutrients your body really needs. The LifeMap nutrition is formulated just for you based on an analysis of your specific DNA.

Here's What Healthcare Professionals and the Media are Saying....

"…A tremendous advancement in nutritional sciences"



" If there is such a thing as High-Def nutrition, this is it.”"…Look out folks, there's a new player in town...with real science"

“ There is a major buzz around nutritional genomics…a sea change is underway.”

“…Good News in our DNA: Defects You Can Fix With Vitamins and Minerals."

After hearing the Fox News report on scientific studies showing that customized nutritional supplements can fix DNA flaws, I jumped aboard this opportunity. GeneWize is attracting some of the leading internet marketers in the field, and you will have the opportunity to work with 6 and 7 figure earners in the growing health and wellness industry.

For more information visit my website at:

http://yourbetterhealth.genefreedom.com

The Importance of Your "Why"

One of the first things that the leaders of the company that I represent tell new Independent Business Owners to do is to write out their “Why? What are their reasons for wanting to go through the trials and tribulations of starting a home based business.

Starting a brand new business can be difficult and even frustrating. In order to stay focused through all of the difficulties of getting a new business off the ground floor, you need to understand why you chose to go into this new business in the first place. Any new business will fail if your “why” or reason for going into this business is not that strong. Having a strong purpose for your business will give you the drive and determination that you need to be successful.

As an exercise, find a quiet place and take out a pen and a notebook. Write out your main reason for wanting to start your new business. What do you want to accomplish with this new business? Who will be your customers? How will this product or service help or benefit them? How will you and your family benefit from this business?

After you write out your primary reason for starting your new business, write 3 or more additional ways that you will benefit by having started this new venture. Type or write out this reason and review it from time to time. Even post your “Why” where you can see it every day. If your “why” is strong enough, you will have the necessary resiliency to succeed.

Here are some reasons why many people start their own homebased business:

1. The ability to spend more time with children and family members. For many people this is reason number 1.


2. Earn additional income to help with family expenses.


3. Replace a full time job that is no longer satisfying.


4. The ability to have true financial freedom, to work when you want to work, to be able to travel and see the world, own your dream home, not have to worry about paying the bills or mortgage, send your children to the college of their choice, etc.


5. The challenge of being your own boss. Being able to run the business the way you think it ought to be run. Following your own time table. The ability to be creative and appreciated.


6. Not having to face the rush hour or work that 9 to 5 routine. As a New Yorker, I certainly don’t miss the railroad or the subways, and driving into Manhattan can be a nightmare.


7. While there are some great forward thinking and considerate bosses out there, in some cases people have had to put up with verbally abusive bosses and even sexual harassment. When you start your own business, this is a thing of the past.


8. The ability to bring needed goods and services to others. For example, as a Senior Regional Sales Director for AmeriPlan, I have the satisfaction of knowing that I am bringing affordable dental and medical benefits to people that truly need them. I market these dental and medical benefits through my website: www.healthplansplus.net.

Get Started for $25 with the AmeriPlan Opportunity

• Have you ever dreamed of a career in the healthcare field?



• Have you ever dreamed of being in business for yourself?



• Have you ever dreamed of firing your boss some day?



• Have you dreamed of having the financial freedom to do the things that you want and spend more time with your family?



• Have you dreamed of being able to earn a lifetime of residual income from the comfort of your own home?

What if you could do all of this for just a $25 start-up fee?

I have some really great news for you! During our September Spectacular, you can start your AmeriPlan business for just a $25.00 startup fee. This is a $70.00 savings from our regular startup cost of $95.00. This promotion begins on August 29, 2008 and ends September 30th, 2008 at 5:00 p.m. Central Time. This is an excellent opportunity to try a new business and see if it is right for you with minimal financial risk. Visit my website at: http://www.bestnewhomebiz.com/ to find out more about the AmeriPlan opportunity.

What You Will Be Doing?

As we are all aware, there is a growing healthcare crisis in the United States. There are over 47 million Americans with no health insurance at all, and even more Americans are underinsured. Insurance companies hold the reins and will cancel you if your expenses are too high. They can even refuse to insure you if you have a pre-existing condition. Even more people have no dental insurance. It is estimated that 7 out of 10 Americans do not have a dental plan. Of the 30% of Americans who do have dental insurance, most plans are inadequate and have serious limits on coverage. People need dental and health insurance policies, yet the high price puts this protection out of the reach of many Americans.

Discount health plans can provide individuals and families with a low cost and effective alternative to expensive medical and dental insurance coverage. At AmeriPlan, we have 4 great affordable plans to choose from. Prices range from just $14.95 to $59.95 per month and provide you with important benefits for your family. These plans include:

1. Dental Plus – Save up to 80% on all dental services. Our plan includes discounts on prescriptions, vision care, and chiropractic treatment. Savings are available on cosmetic dentistry, dental implants, orthodontia, and LASIK eye surgery.



2. Basic Health – Discounts on doctor visits, lab tests, imaging studies, hospital advocacy, hearing aids, diabetic supplies, a 24 hour Nurseline, and much more.



3. Total Health – Includes everything in both the Dental Plus and Basic Health programs.



4. Total Health Plus – This is our complete package. It includes everything in the Dental Plus and Basic Health programs plus the AmeriPlan Auto Club, the AmeriPlan Identity Theft Assistance program, and AmeriPlan Legal Services.

As an AmeriPlan Independent Business Owner, you will be signing up members in our affordable medical and dental plans and helping families save money on their benefits and healthcare. To learn more about our discount health plans visit: http://www.healthplansplus.net/. You will also have the opportunity to introduce other people interested in a homebased business to the AmeriPlan Business Opportunity.

About this opportunity

As a new Independent Business Owner, you will receive the Dental Plus plan for your entire family. This plan will help you save up to 80% on dental, vision, prescription and chiropractic services. You will also receive additional benefits including an Accidental Death and Dismemberment policy, membership in various discount programs, direct deposit, and a 401K plan. You will also receive 5 professionally designed websites, a computerized back office, full training and staff support, and a broker's kit containing brochures, DVDs, and application forms to help you make those sales. In addition you will receive two $25 certificates redeemable in our sales aids store for additional sales tools and supplies. I will personally mentor you to make sure that you get your business off to a great start.

AmeriPlan has been in business for 16 years and is a member in good standing of the Consumer Health Alliance, the National Association of Dental Plans, National Association of Health Underwriters, the Direct Selling Association, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Well-known companies such as Lenscrafters, Pearle Vision, J C Penney, Sears, CVS, Walgreens, and Rite-Aid are vision and prescription providers for AmeriPlan. In addition, we have extensive networks of doctors and dentists throughout the United States.

Earn True Residual Income

With AmeriPlan, you have the opportunity to earn true residual income. In other words, you can keep getting paid on work that you did months or even years ago. Because our plans are so affordable and save people significant money on medical and dental care, our members keep our plans for years. Each time one of your medical or dental plan members makes a payment to AmeriPlan, you will receive commission.

Visit our website for more information about the company

Great Time to Become an AmeriPlan Broker

What a time to get started with AmeriPlan. Not only will you be able to start your own AmeriPlan business for just a $25.00 start-up fee, but you will also be able to sign up new Independent Business Owners for your team for just a $25.00 start-up fee. In fact, the sooner you get started, the more new brokers you will be able to sign up and the more you will earn. Remember that the promotion ends September 30th, 2008 at 5:00 p.m. Central Time.

Get Started Today

For more information on the Ameriplan business opportunity visit my website at: www.freedomathometeam.com/workathome. Please do not hesitate to contact me toll free at (800) 635-3394. You can also self enroll at: www.iboplus.com/hlz.

10 Reasons Why People Fail at Network Marketing

It seems like a reasonable enough task. Just start a homebased business and success will come your way. Unfortunately 95% of all homebased businesses fail in their first year. In fact many people don’t make it past their first 3 months in a network marketing or MLM businesses. Yet, many people go on to become successful and make much more money than they would have in a traditional business.

Here are 10 reason why people fail in network marketing or MLM businesses:

1. Don’t have a good marketing plan – Many people fail at homebased businesses because they fail to do their planning. To be successful in your own business, you must take the time to create a sound marketing plan. For more information visit my blog post entitled: Formulating a Marketing Plan for your At Home Business.





2. Don’t treat your homebased business as a real business – As a Senior Regional Sales Director at AmeriPlan, I have come across many people who want to do the business but only treat it as a hobby. Remember that this is a real business. Treat it like one.





3. Don’t invest the necessary time and money to make the business work – There is no successful business that did not take a lot of hard work and an investment of money to make it work. I have seen too many of my business builders not spend sufficient time and not even make a minimal investment in some advertising or leads. Advertising does work, and you must drive traffic to your business whether it is a storefront, party plan, or internet based business.





4. Don’t stay in it for the long run – Every business takes time to build. There is definitely a learning curve involved. Your business skills will get better over time. Also, it takes time to build traffic. People have to learn about your business. Imagine if you shut down your store or quit your MLM business just before you found a really great salesperson or business builder.





5. Don’t focus on the product or service – Remember that your main responsibility is to sell the product or service. Building a team is great and can lead to substantial income as you grow your team. However, building a team takes time, and the money you make selling the product or service can create income for you while you wait for your team to build.





6. Don’t follow up with your clients and prospects – To quote a familiar saying: “The fortune is in the follow up.” Every good advertising executive knows that it takes a number of exposures to your ad before a client or customer will buy. For effective follow up techniques, see my blog post: The Importance of Good Follow Up Techniques with Prospective Clients and Customers.





7. Don’t know how to get people to contact you – This is sometimes called attraction marketing and there has been much written about it. Rather than you cold calling prospects, you will be much more effective if you utilize marketing methods where people seek you out because of the information, products, or services that you have. I will have more to say about this in an upcoming blog post.





8. Don’t test different marketing strategies – To use another cliché: "Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket.” Try a variety of different marketing strategies. Keep careful statistics on results. Stay with the marketing strategies that work and discard those that don’t work.





9. Don’t invest in continuing education – Learn all that you can about your business. If you are with a reputable direct sales or MLM company, the company has most likely invested extensively in the training of associates and independent business owners. It does not come as a surprise, that those individuals that attend training calls and classes and come to company events tend to do better than those that don’t.





10. Don’t spend enough time around positive, but do spend time around the negative people in your life – There are many people who just have a negative attitude. They will tell you that you can’t succeed at your homebased business. Sometimes these people can even be close friends and family members. Don’t let them steal your dreams! Be sure to always stay focused on your “Why” for starting the business whether it is to earn extra money, have flexible hours, or be home for your family.

For more tips on running a successful home business, visit www.workathomemom-dad.com.

The Importance of Good Follow Up Techniques with Prospective Clients and Customers

In both my career as an insurance agent and my present career as a Senior Regional Sales Director for AmeriPlan, a discount medical and dental benefits company, I have always been quite aware of the importance of following up with prospects and clients. As any good advertising professional will tell you, it takes a number of exposures to your marketing or advertising to make that sale no matter which industry you are in.

While we have all experienced those customers who are ready to buy as soon as we finish our presentation, and some clients will even buy directly from your website without even calling your 800 number or requesting more information via e-mail, chances are that these customers have already done their homework, have a need that your product, service or opportunity satisfies, and are ready to buy when they come across your advertising or website. There is always the impulse buyer too, but in my experience they are the first to return the product or only use your service for a short period of time.

For most sales, people will want to think about it. Sometimes the timing is just not right. Perhaps they have some extra bills to pay, their life is too hectic at the moment, or there is even a family crisis going on. Your prospects may be ready in the future to make the purchase, but if you don’t keep your advertising in front of prospective customers, you will lose them as future customers when they are ready to try your product, service or opportunity.

Here are some tips for following up with your prospects:

1. Keep an accurate and up to date database of all your customers and prospects. You can even subdivide your database into various categories e.g. age group, income level, type of product purchased, etc.



2. Set up a system of drip mails or repeat promotional announcements to send to your prospects and customers. Do this in a tasteful and subtle way. Send a drip mail or announcement frequently enough to keep your name in front of the potential customer but not so often that your messages are annoying.



3. I make it a point to follow up until the prospect unsubscribes from my list or tells me they are no longer interested.



4. Purchase an auto responder. I use Constant Contact for my drip mailings and newsletters. You can easily create beautiful promotional mailings, announcements, and newsletters with this program. Be sure to use only opt-in leads with Constant Contact otherwise purchase a more general type of auto responder.



5. Have promotions from time to time. It is not surprising that people will make that purchase when the price is right.



6. An informative, content rich newsletter makes a good follow up piece to send out. Your prospect will appreciate the timely information and good content.



7. Remember to send out holiday cards, not just at Christmas and New Years, but for other important holidays as well.

For more marketing tips and ideas check out my website at: http://www.workathomemom-dad.com/.

Finding a Great Home Based Business

There are many reasons to make the decision to work from home. For many parents, it is the desire to spend more time with children and family. Even if you have the best quality child care available, there is no substitution for the love and care that you can provide as a parent. It is so rewarding to watch your child take those first few steps, speak those first words, and later on to be able to attend school events. For other people it is the flexibility of being in charge of your own schedule and earnings. For people with disabilities, the opportunity to work from home can allow you to be able to earn a living without the hindrance of commuting to a work place. And with today’s high gasoline prices, working from home makes more and more sense with the money that you will save by not having to commute.

Now that you have made the decision to work from home, how do you go about selecting a suitable and profitable home business? Here are some suggestions:

1) Telecommuting – You might already be working for a company and like your job. There are many jobs that can be done just as well from home such as bookkeeping and accounting, data entry, advertising, editing, and many others. Discuss with your manager the feasibility of being able to work from home for all or part of the work week.

2) Special knowledge and expertise – If you have special knowledge, experience, or talent, put this to work for you as you start a home based business. For example teachers can start a tutoring service. People talented and skilled in music, art or theater can give lessons out of their home or even start a small school or studio. If you are skilled in market research, accounting, advertising, human resources, website design, computer programming, or other business related areas, consider becoming a free lance consultant or starting your own advertising, accounting, internet marketing, or other business service.

3) Choose a service or product you are passionate about – When choosing a totally new business, be sure to choose something that you are truly passionate about. If you are passionate about ecology, choose a product or products that benefit the environment. As a Senior Regional Sales Director for AmeriPlan, the discount dental and medical benefits company, some of my best team members are those that are very passionate about wanting to help people save money on their health care.

4) Hobbies – If you have hobbies like making jewelry, sewing, writing, and various crafts, consider turning these into businesses.

5) Work at Home Jobs – While there are many legitimate work at home jobs, do investigate them thoroughly before signing up. Generally, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Beware of such schemes as envelope stuffing, mailing letters, and assembling products. In some cases they are just trying to get your money for the purchase of a kit, and then there is no real work behind this. From my own experience, filling out surveys is time consuming, and most turn out to be just contests. Filling out surveys is very unlikely to pay your bills.

As with any important decision, be sure to do your research when selecting a home based business. Read as much as you can about the company, and speak to people who have been successful in similar businesses. If you will be working for or representing a company, be sure to qualify this company. How long has the company been in business? What credentials does the company have? Are they members of any professional or industrial associations? In addition, learn all that you can about their products and services.

Successful Flea Markets and Outdoor Shows

Whether you are selling a product or service, exhibiting at a flea market or outdoor show can bring some extra sales revenue. If you are lucky enough to live in an area like Florida or Southern California, you can do this all year long. For those of us who don’t, take advantage of these nice weather months and see what exhibiting at a flea market or outdoor show can do for your business.

Even if you do your business from a brick and mortar storefront or sell your product through the internet or by having parties, exhibiting at a flea market can bring in some additional sales. Even if you sell a service, exhibiting at a flea market is a great way to meet prospective customers and get leads. For those of you who are just getting started in direct sales, you will find that interested prospects will actually walk up to you to request information about your product or service. If you do this on a weekly basis, it actually gives you an inexpensive storefront.

Here are some guidelines for a successful flea market or outdoor show:

1. Make your flea market stall as attractive as possible. You can use a holiday or seasonal theme to draw people over. Cover your table with a bright colored table cloth and invest in a banner displaying your company name and logo.

2. Invest in some large readable signs. Make sure that they are easy to read from a distance and weatherproof. You can use an easel to display your sign, but make sure that it is weighted down so that it doesn’t blow away. If you are offering great prices or deals, let people know about this through your signs.

3. Do have a canopy for sun and weather protection. Both you and your prospective customers will appreciate it. A canopy also adds to the look of your display.

4. Give attention to how you display your products. If you sell a product, an attractively arranged display will bring over customers. Bring some of your more popular items for sale, and have catalogs available so that customers can easily order your products. Be sure to have catalogs and literature that the prospective customer can take home.

5. Set up an attractive display of your brochures. If you provide a service, have plenty of information available for customers to read. Display your brochures in nice holders and arrange them attractively on your table or counter. Also, have your business card available.

6. Have a system for capturing leads. Have lead sheets or cards available for your prospects and customers to fill in. Offer a free gift or DVD when they fill out the card. You can also have a drawing for a prize to help gather leads. If you do hold a drawing, be sure to award the prize to someone visiting that day. Your good reputation is very important.

7. Bring a portable DVD player. Playing a DVD about your product, service, or opportunity will attract prospects and customers to your table or booth.

8. Follow up on all your leads. As they say, “the fortune is in the follow up.” Make it a point to follow up on all leads and you will be successful.

For more marketing tips check out http://www.workathomemom-dad.com/. Good luck on your flea market or outdoor show.

Formulating a Marketing Plan for your At Home Business

As a Senior Regional Sales Director at AmeriPlan, a discount dental and medical benefits company, one of my main responsibilities is to see that my new Independent Business Owners get off to a good start. Whether you have a brick and mortar store, an online store or business, have purchased a franchise, own a business creating crafts and handmade items, or your business is an MLM or network marketing company, it is important to create a marketing plan. This marketing plan should be fluid and dynamic, and you should update it with some regularity.

Here are some steps that you can follow to create a successful marketing plan.

1) Learn all you can about your new business. Read all you can about the business and talk to people who have been successful in the industry. If you are with a network marketing company, attend meetings and work closely with your enroller. Review all company literature. Franchise businesses usually have very specific training for their franchisees.

2) Do some brainstorming and free association. Put down as many ideas that you can think up for marketing your new business. Do not censor any ideas. Think of all the ways that you can advertise or promote your business and do this over the course of several days. Even write down some wish list marketing ideas. In other words, if I had an extra $500 or $1000 or even more to spend on marketing, how would I use it for advertising and promotion?

3) Research all of the marketing ideas that you wrote down in step 2. Locate various advertising sources and find out how much each will cost. For example with magazine advertising, you will want to determine not only the price for various types of ads, but what is the circulation? What are the demographics for that magazine (income level, age of reader, interests and hobbies of the reader, etc.)? In other words, whom does this magazine target? Are your competitors in that magazine? Also speak to people who might have done this type of advertising before.

4) Choose your best ideas and come up with a marketing plan. Review your list of marketing ideas and select the 4 or 5 best ideas. (It is always good to have more than one type of marketing or advertising going on at one time. I am a strong believer in not putting “all of my eggs in one basket.” By participating in a number of different marketing activities, your odds of being successful will definitely increase. The ideas that you select become your marketing plan. Write this plan up and keep it in a safe place.

5) Develop your marketing ideas. For each of the ideas that you have selected, write down a course of action to implement each activity. For example, if you are planning to purchase some leads. Your course of action might include the following:

- Research various lead companies
- Compare prices
- Seek testimonials from people who have used this lead service.
- Purchase the leads
- What methods will you use to contact these leads?
- Set up a schedule for mailing and calling the leads.

6) Keep notes and statistics on results. This is one of the most important things for you to do. Always keep careful notes on all of the ads and promotional activities that you do. It is best to set up tracking codes, so that you can track which ads are getting the most response. Don’t make too large an advertising purchase until you have sampled this marketing technique and know that it will get you the results that you want.

7) Visit your marketing plans from time to time. Make changes as necessary. As I mentioned above, the marketing plan should be fluid and dynamic and adjust to changes in your business. Check each marketing technique for effectiveness. Add some new activities from time to time, and discard any activities that are ineffective.

Be sure to visit www.workathomemom-dad.com for some more tips and ideas for work at home moms, dads, and grandparents.

Welcome to Work at Home Mom & Dad

I am a Senior Regional Sales Director with AmeriPlan, a 16 year old discount medical and dental benefits company. I am also a piano teacher with my own homebased music studio. I have enjoyed having the freedom to earn a living while working at home, and hope to share some of my experiences with my readers.

This blog is a companion to my website http://www.workathomemom-dad.com/. This website is designed for work at home moms, dads, and grandparents and has information on marketing, work at home opportunities, and homeschooling while working at home. Inexpensive button and banner ads can be purchased on this website as well.

I hope to post articles that will help you in choosing a homebased business, marketing your new business, website management and blogging, time management, family health, fast and easy nutritious recipes, and even homeschooling advice for those homebased business owners that also homeschool their children.