Interview With a Network Marketing Master

Christopher Terry. By day, stocks trader. By night, network marketing genius. Because of his second "night" job, Terry will be resigning from his primary day job. The really amazing part of that is he will have done this within 5 short months of joining his network marketing company.

Within the network marketing company itself, Terry is a leader and a mentor. He does not abandon his downline members. He keeps us informed of company events and policies on an almost daily basis. He lets us know he is here to support us; as long as we are willing to do the work, he will do anything within his power to help us succeed. He is a network marketer's dream upline sponsor.

How did he do it? What is his secret? I sat down with him to find out and share with you his ideas for success.

Denise: Thank you for granting me this interview, Chris.

Christopher: Thank you, Denise!

D: How long have you been working at your career as a stocks trader?

C: I have been a Stock and Futures trader since the mid 1990's. I owned a construction business prior to that. I wanted to be able work and make money from home. Although I started trading in 1995, it was not until 1998 when I was able to walk away from my construction business and trade full time.

D: How successful were you at doing that?

C: I have done very well. I find it fascinating that I can create wealth from home. I love the fact that a person can take a relatively small amount of money and create a growing stream of income; however, it's all based on your own efforts. For example, in my business if I don't trade, I do not earn income. Also, trading takes years of dedication, time and effort to become successful; in other words, there is no such thing as an overnight success.

D: I understand you became a leader and motivational speaker in your industry. Share with me how you rose to that level.

C: I was actually in Amway for several years in the 1990s. I was fortunate to hit levels of success here in the United States in that company. I then went overseas as Amway opened up new markets, which gave me the opportunity to have an international business. I owe my "positive thinking" to that network marketing experience, since the leaders in Amway always recommended we read positive thinking books and listen to positive thinking tapes. At the time many considered it "brain washing." Today it is called "Laws of Attraction." So, l was into positive thinking and Laws of Attraction before it was a cool thing to do. That time period in my life gave me the foundation to grow both mentally and financially. I started a business outside of Amway, and then I went into the trading business.

D: What qualities do you see within you that helped you achieve success in your trading career?

C: I would have to say vision and foresight. I look at the future of what things can be, not as they are, and then I take action. I have always taken action, I am not afraid of whether that action turns out right or wrong. The worst thing to do is to have an idea and a plan but never actually do anything to put that plan into action. It is better to do something and fail than to never have done anything at all. I have always had a drive for success once I realized I have the power and the ability to become whomever and whatever I want. There is a four-letter word to success, and its spelled W-O-R-K; the reality is anything worthwhile takes work, trading and network marketing included!

D: Do you think those same qualities helped you build your network marketing business?

C: Those, and also reading positive thinking books and books on success, as well as overcoming my fear to speak to people. I was very shy growing up, so I learned to say "Hi" and start a conversation, to truly become interested in other people and what they had to say. I also am not afraid to work; if I had to dig ditches for a living, I would be the best ditch digger I could possibly be. I believe once you get your mindset right and you learn to ask the right questions, the game is 90% won, and success will be yours.

D: Tell me how you got involved in network marketing.

C: Interesting story! I was dating a girl and she was bragging about how her boss was making $5,000 a month in some business and that I should talk to him, so I did. He signed me up, and then my girlfriend, the very one who told me to speak to him, wanted me to quit because it was Amway! I told my sponsor that I had some problems and I had to quit. He told me, "Get rid of the problems." So, I broke up with my girlfriend and built Amway, and as you already know, I became very successful in that business!

D: Were you familiar with network marketing before that?

C: No, I was not.

D: What were your thoughts and, perhaps, preconceived notions, about network marketing in general, prior to joining your first network marketing company?

C: I had no idea what it was, all I knew was I had to bring people in the business with me, sell some products and I would get rich. Unfortunately, though, it does not work that way!

D: Could you elaborate on that idea? Most of us are brought into this industry with that same notion, and we all eventually experience the same rude awakening that you just described, that it is not as easy as they make it sound. So please, for the people reading this who are not yet in network marketing and are considering it, as well as for those who have started and perhaps are failing, explain what you mean.

C: Well, of course you do not just get in and get rich, this is the most common misconception about network marketing. There are people who enter the business and think everybody they know will get in with them. Then there are people who come in saying they have this "one guy that if he gets in, he will make us all rich, he knows everybody!" and it is the furthest thing from the truth. This business is a numbers game. To be successful, you must expose people to the business every single day, to be consistently meeting new people and telling others about our dynamic opportunity. The more people you come in contact with, the more likely you will find people who want to become a part of your team and earn an income with you. This is true from day one; even though you may have a list of 100 or 500 people that you know, you still want to always be in the creative mode and working what I like to call the ABC's - Always Be Contacting. You do not know where the next million dollar earner will come from.

The hardest thing for me is I cannot take the feelings inside my heart and mind that motivate me and give them to someone else, although I wish I could. The truth is, everybody has to find their own will, desire, and hunger to succeed; without them, they will end up like the rest, having some success, but not truly creating wealth. We all know or have heard the hard, cold fact that 98% of the people in this great country are broke and do not have a backup plan; if they lose their job or business, they will be 90-120 days away from poverty. People can blame it on the government, but the responsibility ultimately falls on each one of us. We should be proactive when we do not actually need to be and start our own home based businesses, which will get us out of that 98% and into the 2% income earners.

One final thought on this topic: I think the reason most people fail in the network marketing industry is that they treat it like a job and not like their own business. When you act as if it is just another job, you do the least amount of work possible for whatever pay you can get. These people want to work very few hours and get rich right away. Unfortunately, this does not happen in network marketing. Those who invest their time and effort into growing the business, even if there is no income at first, can see the vision of the future. At the beginning they will work 20 hours a day for zero pay, because they see that putting in 20 hours will pay the equivalent of 2,000 hours' worth of work one day, and eventually zero hours will pay 10,000 hours. Fortunately, in our business the compensation for our work is amazing, but if you do not expand with people, you will not take advantage of the true income potential of network marketing.

D: Thorough and well said. I would like to add that when you said one should always be in the creative mode, in addition to working the ABC's, I think the creativity part should apply to marketing your business. Be creative in your marketing efforts. Think outside of the box and create many different marketing campaigns. Utilize technology and the internet. The more you put yourself out there, the more you achieve exactly what you are saying, Chris, which is maximum exposure of the business to as many people as possible so you can increase your odds of signing up significant numbers new members into your downline. I do this on a daily basis myself, and I also make it a point to talk to people every day to make new contacts, as you have recommended.

Getting back to my questions, what were your first thoughts when you were introduced to the specific business we are in together?

C: I was actively looking for an online business to get into. I was not looking for network marketing/multi-level marketing, I was searching for an online business that was cutting edge and in which I could earn a residual income. When I saw this business it was in a cutting edge industry, doing business in 170 countries, it offered a strong income opportunity without having to sponsor people, yet by sponsoring people, it offered the ability to create wealth and long term residual income. They say to be successful you need a product that people want, need and can afford, that will be used over and over and is desired in the market place. I found it!

D: As we already know, this is not the only network marketing business you have ever been involved in. Were there any others besides Amway and ours?

C: I looked at a few others along the way, but I did not join any.

D: Why not?

C: Well, I am a high income earner in the trading world, both as a trader and an educator. I have been doing this for 17 years, and nothing really struck me as good enough for me to give it my full attention. I have seen MANY companies, products and services. When I saw the opportunity in the industry you and I are in together, I saw an industry that was young, dynamic, and that people loved. It has a place in the market because it meets people's desires to find a bargain and/or make a deal. Also, it is VERY profitable, so I wanted to be a part of it. I got in first, and then I learned about it as I grew with it. I have not looked back. I have built an incredible team that's growing in leaps and bounds. You are a part of that team, Denise, an amazing student and downline member.

D: Thank you, Chris! How do the other network marketing companies you've analyzed compare to the one you and I are in together?

C: They cannot compare.

D: Besides what you have already stated about our company when you actually found it, what made you think that this was the company to join?

C: I have no products to carry around, no juices or vitamins to purchase or sell, I did not have to sneak up on my family and friends, and I do not have to sell expensive products that I can buy in the store cheaper. We get paid to advertise. Period.

D: Now, I would like to share with our reading audience your own personal tips for network marketing success. Please tell me, what works for you?

C: Relationships are everything; your network is your net worth. I am always in the creative process and always opening doors to new people, saying hello and breaking the ice to get a conversation going. In network marketing, our job is to leverage time and money; without people on your team it becomes impossible. I would suggest genuinely becoming interested in others, going to events, whether it is a show or a business event, or any gathering where good quality people who you may want to work with will attend. I also suggest speaking to people who you would not normally speak to and might even make you feel a little uncomfortable; those are often your best prospects. We tend to feel heroic because we got the number of the drive-through window guy at Mc Donalds; meanwhile, we get false impressions of success when we see somebody dressed in a nice suit and tie and just assume they are already successful, so we say nothing to them because we think they've got it all already and don't need a change in their lives. Both of these people may be your best prospect, or your worst, but you will never know unless you open up the door and say something to break the ice. With the "successful business man" (or so we assume) who we are often afraid to approach, you can start with something as simple as, "Hey, nice tie, where did you get it?" Then see where the conversation leads.

D: Is there anything that you've done that didn't work so well?

C: Yes. As I've mentioned before, it takes years to become an "overnight success." I have made, will make, and will continue to make mistakes. It is okay to fail; the more you fail the closer you will get to winning. Becoming immune to failing is the key to success. You may wonder why I say this. Well, if you have somebody who is not used to failing and thinks failing is bad, then when he/she hears "No" enough times, it damages his/her confidence, and that person is afraid to keep trying. However, if you are not afraid to fail, you will not let those "No's" stop you. Instead, you will become more motivated to find the people who will say "YES" to your opportunity or presentation. Become a failure to become a success. This goes for ANY business!

D: What is the ONE business building idea you can share that you think is the MAIN reason you are where you are today, about to retire from trading, and about to embark on some major journeys in life, both literally and figuratively?

C: First, let me clarify something very important. The word "retire" is loosely used in the network marketing industry. I have been trading for 17 years and it is time for me to take a break. Do I think I will stay out of it for long period of time? No, it has always has been and will always be a passion of mine. I have built my name and reputation as a trader and educator, so I will most definitely return to the industry; however, I welcome a break in the action right now.

I love to help and give to others, so this is my current mission. There is nothing better than creating a profit in network marketing and helping others create wealth in the same fashion. Then, bringing my profession back into the mix, profiting on those profits as a trader too is a home run! However, I really do have the freedom to either work or not work; that is how large the income that I have created in our network marketing business is already. The MAIN reason I am where I am today is I will do whatever it takes; I will work 100 hours in a 24 hour day until I make it. As I said earlier, the main ingredient for me is that four-letter curse word, W O R K... and I have a LOW "IQ" ("I QUIT") level!

D: Lastly, you are extremely jazzed about the network marketing company we are in together. What are the defining qualities of this company that makes it so good? Based on that, what should people look for in their own network marketing company or when deciding to actually join one?

C: Well, it seems lately I am sleeping no more than 3 hours per night! The energy of the team, of the company, and of the industry has taken the world by storm, and this keeps me "jazzed" as you say! I believe I had already mentioned earlier the reasons why I like our company, because there are no products to lug around and there is no trying to sell to friends and family a product or service they do not want. I have been approached by other network marketing companies that involve selling legal insurance, utility companies, juice companies, vitamin companies, weight loss companies, you name it! I have found that ours is so simple; our work is to advertise and it takes no more than two minutes per day. I am from the Amway world. I got my PhD in network marketing. In my opinion, the most ideal situation is the one that does not require a person to sponsor people to become successful, yet offers the opportunity to earn larger income because you do sponsor, train, and motivate others, and once you help them earn income, you earn additional bonuses. I come from a world where, when you help enough people get what you want, you in turn will get what you want. Everybody has their own version of what is best for them. Some may like a particular industry. My advice? Do your due diligence, figure out what you are passionate about, and run with it. That's all.

I want to thank Mr. Terry for taking the time to answer these questions so thoughtfully and thoroughly.

On a side note, Christopher Terry is one of the most benevolent and philanthropic men I've ever met, and he does it without creating great publicity or accolades for his generosity. He believes very strongly in the idea that "it is in giving that you shall receive." I am honored to know him and very glad we have gone into business together.

So there you have it. Christopher Terry's story and his tips for helping you create success in your own network marketing company. If you want have any questions or want to learn more, please email me at denise@bettermlmsuccess.com.

How to Create a Business in a Brand

These days many businesses are thriving and chasing hard in order to create their presence and enjoy higher sales. The business branding overall has become an eternal need of every business and without which it would be more difficult for any business to survive.

Earlier, people thought that branding is only required for the large businesses, but as the time moves on it is proved that branding is not just required for large businesses, but also for the small businesses.

However, it does not matter whether you are heading a large business or a small business, but most important is that you should have a detailed strategy of branding your business in order to achieve success.

Below are the steps that will help you to create a better business brand

Follow KISS:
KISS is a most prominent branding term which stands for Keep it Short and Simple. Use Kiss while defining the name of your business because it plays an important role in your business branding. Most of the successful business brands usually have very short and simple names which are easy to pronounce and remember. Just remember the names like BMW, Audi, Intel, Google etc. The longer or complicated business names are much difficult to pronounce and recall.

Use a creative logo:
People usually identify a business not only form its name but also from its logo. A business logo is the identity of every business that why special cares to be taken while designing the business logo. Remember, if somebody takes the name of Mercedes then the immediate thing that comes to the mind is the very famous three heard Mercedes Benz logo. Same is with BMW and Audi. But this is not limited to the automotive brands only, but other companies also like Microsoft, Apple, Nike, Mac Donald's etc.

Choose the right color combination:
It's not just the logo or business name, but the color theme of your business also plays a major role in its branding. Once you have identified your business name and logo then all your branding and promotional material should revolve around the color scheme that you have used in your logo. For example, most of the Mac Donald's outlet uses the shades of Yellow in their interiors and promotional merchandise and even on the food packages because that color represents their business. Same is done by other brands like Dominos, Shell and DHL etc. The color of your business has a psychological impact on the minds of the consumers and that's why it is important not to choose more vibrant or difficult colors. Use solid and simple colors like Blue, Green, Red, Yellow, White and Black in their different shades.

Choose your USP and stick around it:
USP or a Unique Selling Proposition is a small small word but it has made a huge impact on many businesses. These days competition is intense and therefore in order to stand out from the competition, you need to have a USP of your business and your entire branding strategy revolves around the USP. The brand like BMW and Mercedes has its USP, as they offer premium and high safety products. While brands like E bay and Ali Baba has the USP as they offer a wide selection of very affordable products. Similarly, Mac Donald's have their USP of providing the delusions burgers. The USP helps people to identify your business with a product or services. For example, when someone talks about a burger then first thing comes to the mind is the Mac Donald and when someone talks about the sports shoes then brand name comes to mind are the Nike, Reebok, Adidas, and Fila.

Do brand hammering:
One of the most important things for every business is the brand hammering. The brand hammering involved continues to push to the brand to its target audience so that people could easily connect with the brand. Although sometimes a brand hammering proves quite expensive because it requires many promotional and marketing exposures. In order to make your brand stand apart from other brands, you need to create a chain of TV commercial and print advertisements so that it will hammer deep into the minds of the consumers. Although, today in the modern age there are many digital marketing channels which are very much affordable and good for brand hammering.

Bring emotion to your brand:
These days because of the excessive stress and hectic lifestyle people are getting more emotional even for the small things. Anything that connects to their emotion brings out more success to the brand managers. If you have a product or services then create an ad commercial keeping in mind the emotion of the consumer. These types of emotional ads would more connect with the consumer. The people who are emotionally attached to a product or a service were more likely to remain loyal towards them for many years. Example of an emotional connection could be seen in many car advertisements these days in which marketers put more focus on the safety of your family, especially your kids instead of talking about the luxury features of the car. This brings a sense of emotion and responsibility in the parents towards their family and that highly influencing their purchasing decision. Sometimes they even ignore the most important factor ie price while buying a car based on their emotional concern.

Life Success Learning to Create Positive Habitual Behavior & Overcoming Negativity

The first and sometimes most important success habit that must be formed is one of positive thinking. Dwell on the positive exit that's desired and avoid thinking about anything that's not wanted. Nothing will ensure failure faster than the very thought that the failure will occur. People say that it's absolutely normal for negativity to creep into our thoughts. Be that as it may, any negative thought has to be banished immediately and replaced with a positive one. This simple, yet effective technique, practiced regularly can help you move towards success like nothing else.

Forget about the past, it's gone and there's no going back. Regardless of what's happened before, today is a new day. Holding onto the past ensures that you'll stay right where you are in life. Letting go of past failures allows you to see the potential for future success and to move towards it. Realize that any past failures, real or imagined, were purely lessons that you thought to this moment in time. Appreciate the education you received and bravely move towards success with the knowledge you've gained.

Overcome the desire to put things off until another time. For most people that procrastinate, another time never comes. Things pile up over time and there's no way to catch up, adding to frustrations and even more procrastination. Whether it's taking out the trash or calling a client, get to it right away. Only by getting straight to work and finishing tasks can success really be accomplished. Practice this non-procrastinating lifestyle and you'll soon find not only that things are being accomplished, but that you have time left at the end of the day too.

Another important aspect of success is the ability to manage time. It can be very easy to lose track of time and difficult to get back on track. Keep track of everything you do during an average day and how much time it took to do it. Go through an entire week of this. Now evaluate and see what should be adjusted or eliminated for optimal time management. Continue to develop a schedule that allows maximum time for every activity. Include all your business and personal time in this and you'll soon find a workable and even profitable schedule for yourself.

Develop the confidence to go forth and conquer. Knowing a thing can be done and believing you can do it are two entirely different things. It's vital to your success and the success of all of your endeavors that you are confident in your self. Confidence shows through everything you do and it affects your ultimate success more than you think. Carry yourself importantly, speak with authority, be secure with yourself and walk tall. Believe in yourself and your ideas and present them with passion. Do these things and others will recognize your confidence and want to be associated with you.

Success is not a matter of predestination, it depends upon the will of the seeker. With the will to succeed, it's possible to do anything you desire. It really is as simple as that, despite the general tendency to believe otherwise. Over and over again, success stories appear that portrait down and out individuals that executed their own free will to rise above. Exert your will over the situations in your life, change them to suit you and your goals and success will follow.

What is success? Is it money, power, health or spirituality? Success means different things to different people. For some, success can only be seen in the form of financial gain and power. For others, success means a happy, healthy family with only the basics of life. Regardless of how it's defined, success is possible with the proper application of some basic habits and the development of key character traits.

Honest Online Business - Can You Start One?

Why does it seem so difficult to find an honest online business? Do they exist, or are they all set up to take your money and give you nothing in return? Yes, they exist, and they actually are a lot more prominent that many people think. It's simply a matter of locating that real, authentic honest online business opportunity.

I see many people struggle to break into the online market place with a home based online business. There are really not that many things stopping any average person from creating success online. One of the major hurdles that I see people struggle with is the over abundance of information, which is mostly incomplete. They start signing up for all these courses and get rich quick business opportunities and soon they are walking around in a fog of information. The problem is they do not have the simple process to put all that information together and into practice.

It seems like many outfits offering business ideas and ways to make money online are trying to blow fluff and ensure that you do not get the full picture. As long as you only get part of the picture, you will keep coming back to buy more parts, hoping to put it all together. Again, this causes the fog that affects so many who are trying to succeed with an honest online business.

Well, there is hope, and you can get out of that fog. I have seen it happen many times, and the fix is ​​much easier than you may think. Simply start with action. Learning is great, but if you never apply what you are learning, you overload with information that is not completely processed. Start applying what you learn every day. Then those things very soon become second nature and the fog slowly starts to lift. Do not worry about making mistakes, or getting everything perfect. That will come as you put pieces of the puzzle together and clear your head of the unwanted information.

It is really important to remember that creating an honest online home business is simple. It does take work and effort as does any worthwhile thing in life. If you put in the time and effort you will see that marketing online is easy and certainly not complicated. It does not have all those challenges of a brick and mortar business, and it certainly does not have the costs associated with traditional business.

OK, so you say "yea, right. I've tried and it's not easy." With the right tools and education, it is very, very easy to do. Most fail because they do not get the proper information and education. They jump into an online business opportunity without getting the correct direction and help to put them on the right path. Please get the education you need, which is simple, and easy to if you take the time to find the right place that is going to educate you on the basics. Once you know the basics, the internet market place is yours to conquer as long as your running an honest online business.

Advertising Network Marketing

Advertising is essential for any business to succeed. This is also true for a network marketing business. Have you run out of leads for your personal business? Have all your friends, family and co-workers finished looking at your advertising? Are you tired of wasting money on pamphlets, magazines, business cards and other advertising methods such as expensive advertising in newspapers and mail?

In network marketing it is about reaching large numbers of people since only 1 to 3 % will join your downline. To reach a large number of people this way of advertising becomes very expensive. By the way, not many people read newspapers anymore. Newspapers are closing all the time or they are not printing a paper anymore but they are charging a fee to read it on the internet.

There are literally thousands of people looking for what you have available by using different tools on the internet. You have a way to increase advertising their network marketing business. All business owners know that an effective advertising method is the key to success. That is why companies spend a lot of money advertising on television, the radio, flyers mailed, and by making phone calls. Without advertising businesses fail. Whether it is a business with a store front, an internet based business, a health care business, or a construction business, they will fail without advertising.

After many years of minimal success in network marketing businesses many network marketers are finding these features offered on the internet to increase advertising results in their business beyond their wildest imaginations.

The largest audience to advertise to is on the internet and there are many new ways to expand advertising and automatically build relationships with those who are looking at network marketing. Some of these advertising tools available are: banners, personal websites, capture pages, blogs, email and autoresponders. You have the power of the internet at your finger tips to grow leads by using these advertising techniques.

These advertising tolls are very self explanatory. They provide easy to follow simple steps to create these advertisements for your business that will work for you while you sleep. The internet never sleeps so neither do your advertising tools you set up for your personal business. The autoresponder will send emails to your leads automatically when they hit your link on your capture page or blog.

Theses are wonderful new features found on the internet for any business to use to increase their productivity. They will work while you sleep building your network marketing business. Check it out.

Writing Your Affiliate Home Business Plan

Here's a typical scenario: You are deciding to start a home business and suddenly everyone you know has his nose in your business, literally. What do you tell them? And how do you answer your own questions? What should you expect from the company in terms of stability, longevity, vitality, trust, income, and so forth? First the bad news: there are no guarantees. Then the good news: there is plenty of information from which to draw your own conclusions. The internet is huge, and any good company will offer free marketing tools and training.

But back to the WHY of that business plan. You're going to be starting small, slow and boy! is there a lot to learn. What's the point of actually sitting down and writing a business plan? You're not Bill Gates, this is not Microsoft, just you in your home office a few hours a week, slowly building an online business presence, not really understanding what the heck you'll be doing.

Relax and breathe. Unlike Mt. Rushmore, your plan will not be designed to withstand the weathering of the ages. You can expect it will change and bend with the flow of your real experiences, which will be totally yours, not identical to anyone else's.

What writing your plan will do is cause you to pause, think, dream, study and focus. The written document, whether it is one page or twelve, will give your business a framework to work within. The internet is vast and seemingly endless. It is easy to lose focus and drift away on a different whim or idea every day. Understanding where you are today, what tools you have to work with, what your goals are, and how you can best achieve them and measure your success, will help you stay on target and not waste what few hours you may be investing in your business at start-up.

Whenever you feel lost or confused, you can return to what you have written. When you analyze your situation and decide to make a change, rewrite that part of the plan. Understand that it's a living document, intended to grow with you and your business. Your business plan is your friend.

Getting Started with the Business Plan

First you need to study the company and its management. You need to read and learn about the products, the compensation plan and the network structure. See you next month. Just kidding.

Plan on doing SOME reading each and every work day for the next few months, if not indefinitely. Keep up with the company forum entries every day; read something in the training reports every day. Your education will continue. Plan for it.

When you are ready, open up a Notepad window and answer these questions:

What service / products does your business provide and what needs does it fill?

Who are the potential customers for your product or service and why will they purchase it from you?

How will you reach your potential customers?

Where will you get the financial resources to start your business?

Ok. Maybe your company offers many products and services. What do you want to focus on? I suggest that, at first, you focus on one or two products and / or the affiliate opportunity. In other words, keep is simple. Once you get the hang of what you're doing, you will KNOW when it's time to expand. Do only what you are comfortable with, every step of the way. This is YOUR business, it's your right and privilege to decide on your approach.

Internet marketing hinges on building trust. How will you do this?

Reaching customers means marketing. Your decision, once again. And again, the options should be in your company's training materials.

So we're talking developing a reading / study schedule. Here's a possible list, once you've read enough to make your own decisions to answer the above questions, start writing. Your writing can be lists of words and phrases, free-form brainstorming, outlines, mind maps, whatever works for you. Just write it down, and do not forget to save often. If your home office is affiliated by cats or small children, they have the tendency to press on random keyboard keys. Documents do occasionally just disappear. Saving avoids total disaster.

1. Study the products.
2. Read the training materials.
3. Read about decisions, bonuses, etc.
4. Study the marketing aids and strategies
5. Find out what free tools are available.
6. Visit the forums on a regular basis. Read everything about getting started.
7. Ask questions.

Your final written business plan will have at least four parts:

Introduction / background: history of the company and its founder, internet marketing trends, why THIS company and why NOW, and so on.

Goals: I suggest you think of what you would like to be learning in two years, but mainly focus on goals for your first year. Realistic goals can be planned based on info on the company website, in newsletters, searches on the forums, and focused questions to other affiliates.

Marketing plan: based on your answers to the first 3 questions above and your study of marketing aids and tools.

Action plans: the specifics of what you will do on a monthly, weekly, and / or daily basis for the next year.

I can not tell you what your answers should be, because you have to decide how much money you have to invest. Only you can decide how many hours per day, week or month you can invest in your business. What products you feel most comfortable marketing, and who you decide to target as your customer base, are all decisions only you can make. If you get stuck and do not understand a question, do not know where to find information, or do not know how to ASK a question, contact your sponsor or someone in your upline. If they can not help you, they should be able to send you to someonewho can.

You should NEVER feel alone. Work should be FUN! ...

Business Retreats - Good for You, Good for Your Business

A business retreat is a holiday location specifically designed to allow corporations to send employees to allow them to pursue business development and / or strategic planning activities in a relaxing and support-filled environment. They are typically geared towards upper-management and CXO level employees, although it is also quite common to hold leadership development and team building weekends at business retreats.

Such retreats are not only good for the continued growth and development of your business - they also provide a relaxing and refreshing environment for attendees to recharge their batteries. A corporate retreat will often provide recreation activities either at the retreat or in the near vicinity. Such activities include things like golf, hiking and swimming. Many retreats (especially those located outside of city limits) will also have a strong focus on providing healthy, nutritious and organic food.

There are a number of business development activities employees who can undertake at such facilities, including:

• Strategic planning meetings
• Board or upper management meetings
• Leadership development activities
• Team building activities
• Individual / team coaching

It is easy to see that a Business Retreat is not just an excellent way to ensure your business is moving towards its goals and objectives, but to also ensure that your employees are happy and healthy while doing this. A retreat is an excellent way to reward your most valued (or most senior) employees, helping them to relax and increase their value to your business.

When choosing your venue, make sure you look into more than one option. Calling the director of each is also a necessity to ensure not only that they support your requirements for the retreat, but also that the retreat and its operators suit you and your team. Following these simple guidelines will help you to ensure your next corporate retreat is a success.

Generate 49,784 Dollars Monthly - Turn Your Computer Into A Money Making Machine

When it comes to the 2017 and beyond, there is a new method and innovated way to earn income all from the comfort of your own home. This way I am talking about will allow you to turn your computer into a money making machine that can generate 5 digits or more for you every month. Most major companies around the world have changed every aspect of their business like marketing and their products and services. They market and put all their products and services on the Internet for the consumption of the masses.,

If you join a home business opportunity, in my opinion, you can generate 49,784 dollars or more for yourself every month for life. The way this is possible is by joining a home business opportunity. Home business opportunities are opportunities that award average people the chance to build their own brand all from scratch. Unlike starting your own company from a physical office or building, starting an online business is cheaper and can give you wallet-busting results.

Here Is The Way To Making 49,784 Dollars Or More Monthly

Home business opportunities come in all shapes and sizes. One opportunity may sell products to help the masses lose weight and another may sell home essential services like high-speed internet and cable. In addition, every opportunity that is legitimate comes with a compensation plan. A compensation plan is a general outline that displays how you will get paid. Home business opportunities allow you to make 49,784 dollars or more from home by selling products and services through a website.

Bonus Tip -

Most people fail every year when they attempt to build their own brand via this type of opportunity. The reason as to why they fail is simple. They fail because they are not educated properly. In addition, they are not determined, organized, and discipline. The phrase "Rome was not built in a day" has some relevance here. Do not expect to get a check within the first two years. the average person starts to see profits in the first two and a half years.

In order to see success in this type of business or any type of business is to educate yourself. You must take the time and figure out what type of opportunity you might want to join.

Luckily for you, there are organizations of experts who offer free reports to those who are dangerously curious in finding out what this industry is all about.

Obviously there are many resources on the internet but the important thing to take away is how to judge whether an opportunity is legitimate and if the compensation plan for this opportunity is fair.

Crucial Factors That Decide The Fortune Of A Mobile App

While businesses had long ago embraced website development to go online, with the advance of smartphones, they leapt further to become mobile-friendly. Having only a website is no longer sufficient enough to catch the attention of customers, but there's need for some mobile-friendly approach too so that customers could access their services on the go. It becomes a paramount necessity for businesses to develop their own customised business app, with which they could target specifically and increase their outreach on the market.

However, despite mobile apps becoming inseparable and pivotal part of businesses as a marketing strategy, a mere percent of apps actually get through the success among the several million listed in the app stores. This is owing to some critical factors that can either make or break a business application. Here's quick recount of some of them.

Faster loading

The first thing app owners need to assure is whether their apps are loading quickly or not. Their loading time, in no way, should exceed more than 15 seconds. An app that works at a snail's speed and take 16-20 seconds to load, is destined to fail because users will be uninstalling it and download an alike app that loads with high-speed.

User-friendly apps are clear winner

An ideal app is that which is exceptionally easy-to-use. For attaining far-reaching attention in the market, it should be intuitive and users could use it without needing anyone's help. Further, with a plentiful of apps available in the same business line, no one is actually interested to spend time in taking instructions on how to use one. They will simply abandon it to find some other app that is simple to use and understand. The best way to keep it simple is incorporating as fewer features as possible, by prioritising only the crucial ones.

Lesser technical faults

Besides being faster, apps that are hard to crash have more chances to become successful and can sustain a longer life cycle. An app needs to pass through several tests to deem perfect for use. Bugs and other technical issues will never allow an app to get closer to their goals of user acquisition. Thus, app makers should ask for assistance from a reliable development team that will not compromise quality or testing for the budget.

Frequent updates are imperative

To affirm success in the long-run, an app maker must commit to release updates of the app consistently to bring new features, advanced functionality or fix the bugs that users earlier experienced while using. No updates after the first release is a major turn-down factor because that shows the absence of credibility from the maker and can cause download rates to decline. It is thus inevitable to release updates at frequent intervals as that keeps users interested.

Easy registration interests the users

One major reason people prefer using apps over a website is its convenience on the go. The makers of the app should try to make their every experience convenient, from signing up to checking out, to make sure of its success. Henceforth, keeping the registration process short and simple with few pieces of information looks fine and more compelling to the users.

These are a handful of influential factors for considerations to make an app successful enough. However, there's always have to be some expert team for real implications of these and to help an app to bear fruits.

How to Design and Layout a Coffee Shop Or Espresso Bar

If you are planning to open an espresso bar/coffee shop, then developing an efficient store design and layout will be one of the most important factors in positioning your business for success.

Speed of service is critical to the profitability of a coffee business. An efficient ergonomic store design will allow you to maximize your sales by serving as many customers as possible during peak business periods. Even though your business may be open 12 to 16 hours a day, in reality, 80% of your sales will probably occur during 20% of those hours. Coffee is primarily a morning beverage, so your busy times of day (those times when you are most likely to have a line of waiting customers), may be from 6:30AM to 8:30AM, and then again around lunchtime. If you have a poor store layout, that does not provide a logical and efficient flow for customers and employees, then the speed of customer service and product preparation will be impaired.

Think of it like this; if someone pulls open the front door of your store, and they see 5 people are waiting in line to order, there's a good chance they'll come in, wait in line, and make a purchase. But, if they see that 20 people are waiting in line, there is a high probability that they may determine that the wait will be too long, and they will simply get coffee somewhere else. This is money that just escaped your cash register! And, if they come to your store multiple times, and frequently find a long line of waiting customers, they may decide you are not a viable option for coffee, and will probably never return. Poor design slows down the entire service process, resulting in a longer line of waiting customers, and lost sales. So in reality, your daily business income will be dependent upon how many customers you can serve during peak business periods, and good store design will be essential to achieving that objective!

The financial impact of a poor store design can be significant. For the sake of this example, let's say the average customer transaction for your coffee business will be $3.75. If you have a line of waiting customers each morning between 7:00 AM and 8:30 AM, this means you have 90 minutes of crunch time, in which you must drive through as many customers as possible. If you can service a customer every 45 seconds, you will serve 120 customers during this 90 minutes. But, if it takes you 1 minute 15 seconds to service each customer, then you will only be able to serve 72 customers. 120 customers x $3.75 = $450.00 x 30 business days per month = $13,500. 72 customers x $3.75 = $270.00 x 30 business days per month = $8,100. This represents a difference of $5,400 in sales per month ($64,800 per year), coming from just 90-minutes of business activity each day!

So how should you go about designing your coffee bar? First, understand that putting together a good design is like assembling a puzzle. You have to fit all the pieces in the proper relationship to each other to end up with the desired picture. This may require some trial and error to get things right. I've designed hundreds of coffee bar over the past 15 years, and I can truthfully tell you from experience, it still usually takes me a couple of attempts to produce an optimal design.

The design process begins by determining your menu and other desired store features. If you plan to do in-store baking, then obviously you'll need to include in your plan an oven, exhaust hood, sheet pan rack, a large prep table, and perhaps a mixer. If you plan to have a private meeting room for large groups, then an extra 200 sq. ft. or more will need to be designed-in, in addition to the square footage you are already allocating for normal customer seating.

Your intended menu and other business features should also drive decisions about the size of location you select. How many square feet will be required to fit in all the necessary equipment, fixtures, and other features, along with your desired seating capacity?

Typically, just the space required for the front of the house service area, (cash register, brewing & espresso equipment, pastry case, blenders, etc.), back of the house (storage, prep, dishwashing and office areas), and 2-ADA restrooms, will consume about 800 sq. ft. If space for extensive food prep, baking, coffee roasting, or cooking will be required, this square footage may increase to 1,000 to 1,200, or more. What ever is left over within your space after that, will become your seating area.

So, a typical 1,000 sq. ft coffee bar, serving beverages and simple pastries only, will probably allow for the seating of 15 to 20 customers - max! Increase that square footage to 1,200 sq. ft., and seating should increase to 30, or 35. If you plan to prepare sandwiches, salads, and some other food items on site, 1,400 to 1,600 sq. ft. should provide enough space to seat 35 to 50, respectively.

Next, you will have to determine the tasks that will be performed by each employee position, so that the equipment and fixtures necessary to accomplish those tasks can be located in the appropriate places.

Normally, your cashier will operate the cash register, brew and serve drip coffee, and serve pastries and desserts. Your barista will make all your espresso-based beverages, tea, chai, hot chocolate, Italian sodas, as well as all the blender beverages. If you'll be preparing sandwiches, panini, wraps, salads, snacks and appetizers, or will be baking on-site, then a person dedicated to food prep will be necessary. And, if you anticipate high volume, and will be serving in or on ceramics, a bus-person/dishwasher may be a necessity.

After you have determined what you will be serving, the space you will be leasing, and what each employee will be responsible for, you will then be ready to begin your design process. I usually start my design work from the back door of the space and work my way forward. You'll need to design in all of the features that will be necessary to satisfy your bureaucracies and facilitate your menu, before you make plans for the customer seating area.

Your back door will most likely have to serve as an emergency fire exit, so you'll need a hallway connecting it with your dining room. Locating your 2-ADA restrooms off of this hallway would make good sense. And, because delivery of products will also probably occur through your back door, having access to your back of the house storage area would also be convenient.

In the back of the house, at minimum, you will need to include a water heater, water purification system, dry storage area, back-up refrigerator and freezer storage, ice maker, an office, 3-compartment ware washing sink, rack for washed wares, mop bucket sink, and a hand washing sink. Do any food prep, and the addition of a food prep sink and prep table will be necessary. If doing baking, gelato making, full cooking, or coffee roasting, all the equipment necessary for those functions will also need to be added.

After all the features have been designed into the back of the house, you will then be ready to start your design work on the front of the house service and beverage preparation area. This area will probably include a pastry case, cash register(s), drip coffee brewer and grinder(s), espresso machine and grinders, a dipper well, possibly a granita machine, blenders, ice holding bin, blender rinse sink, hand washing sink, under counter refrigeration (under espresso machine and blenders), and a microwave oven.

If serving food beyond simple pastries and desserts, you may need to add a panini toaster grill, a refrigerated sandwich/salad preparation table, soup cooker/warmer, a bread toaster, etc. If you plan to serve pre made, ready to serve sandwiches, wraps, and salads, along with a selection of bottled beverages, an open-front, reach-in merchandising refrigerator should be considered. Serving ice cream or gelato? If the answer is yes, then an ice cream or gelato dipping cabinet will be necessary along with an additional dipper well.

Finally, when all the working areas of the bar have been designed, the customer seating area can be laid out. This will, of course, include your cafe tables and chairs, couches and comfortable upholstered chairs, coffee tables, and perhaps a window or stand-up bar with bar stools. Impulse-buy and retail merchandise shelves should be established, and a condiment bar should be located close to where customers will pick-up their beverages.

A quick word about couches, large upholstered chairs, and coffee tables. Living room type furniture takes up a lot of space. If you plan to be opening evenings, and will perhaps serve beer and wine, and having comfortable seating will be important for creating a relaxing ambiance, then by all means do it. But if you have limited seating space, and are not trying to encourage people to relax and stay for long periods of time, then stick with cafe tables and chairs. The more people you can seat, the greater your income potential!

Features from the front door to the condiment bar should be arranged in a logical, sequential order. As your customers enter the front door, their travel path should take them past your impulse-buy merchandise display, and the pastry case, before they arrive at the point of order (where your cashier, cash register, and menu-board will be located). Exposing customers to your impulse items and pastries, before they order, will greatly increase their sales. Then, after the order and payment has been taken, they should proceed down-line away from the cash register to pick-up their beverage, and finally, the condiment bar should be located beyond that point. Be sure to separate your point of order from the point of product pick-up by at least six feet, otherwise customers waiting for their beverage may begin to intrude into the space of those ordering.

Don't make the mistakes that many inexperienced designers commonly make. They arrange these features in a haphazard way, so that customers have to change direction, and cut back through the line of awaiting customers to proceed to their next destination in the service sequence. Or, wanting to make their espresso machine a focal point to those entering the store, they place it before the cashier along the customer's path of travel. Customers inevitably end up trying to order from the barista before they are informed that they need to proceed to the cashier first. If this happens dozens of times each day, confusion and slowed beverage production will be the result.

On the employee's side of the counter, work and product flow are even more important. Any unnecessary steps or wasted movements that result from a less than optimal design will slow down employee production. All products should flow seamlesly in one direction towards the ultimate point of pick-up. For example, if preparing a particular item is a 3-step process, then placement of equipment should allow for the 3 steps to occur in order, in one linear direction, with the final step occurring closest to the point where customers will be served.

Equipment should be grouped together so that it is in the immediate proximity of the employee(s) who will be using it. Beyond the actual equipment, empty spaces must be left on the counter top to store ingredients and small wares (tools) used in product preparation. Counter top space will also be needed where menu items will actually be assembled. Think of the grouping of equipment for different job functions as stations. Try to keep different stations compact and in close working proximity to each other, but make sure that there is enough space between each so that employee working-paths don't cross, which could contribute to employee collisions.

Creating defined work stations will allow you to put multiple employees behind the counter when needed. When it is busy, you may need to have 2 cashiers, another person just bagging pastries and brewing coffee, 2 baristas behind the espresso machine, a maybe even a dedicated person working the blenders. If you're preparing sandwiches and salads to order, then another person may need to be added to handle that task. Keeping your stations in close proximity to each other will allow one employee to easily access all equipment during very slow periods of business, thus saving you valuable labor dollars.

When you arrange equipment in relationship to each other, keep in mind that most people are right handed. Stepping to the right of the espresso machine to access the espresso grinder will feel more comfortable than having to move to the left. Likewise, place your ice storage bin to the right of your blenders, so when you scoop ice, you can hold the cup or blender pitcher in your left hand, and scoop with your right.

As you create your store layout, the equipment you select should fit your space and the needs of your anticipated business volume. A busy location will most likely require a dual or twin, air pot, drip coffee brewer (one that can brew 2 pots at the same time), as opposed to a single brewer. If you anticipate selling a lot of blended and ice drinks, then an under counter ice maker, one that can only produce 100 pounds of ice or less per day, will not be sufficient. You should instead locate a high-capacity ice maker (one that can make 400 or 500 lbs. per day) in the back of the house, and transport ice to an ice holding bin up front. Plan to bring in frozen desserts and ice cream? Then a 1 door reach-in freezer in the back of he house will probably be inadequate for you storage needs, so you'll need to consider a 2 or 3 door. I always recommend a 3-group espresso machine for any location that may generate 150 drinks per day or more. And, I can tell you from experience, you can never have too much dry or refrigerated storage space!

Make sure that any equipment you select will be acceptable with your local bureaucracy before your purchase and take delivery of it. All equipment will typically need to be NSF & UL approved, or have a similar, acceptable, foreign certification equivalent. Your bureaucracy will most likely want to see manufacturer specification sheets on all equipment to verify this fact, before they'll approve your plans.

ADA (American's with Disabilities Act) compliance will also come into play when you are designing your coffee bar. In some areas of the country, this will only apply to those areas of your store that will be used by customers. However, other bureaucracies may require your entire store to be ADA compliant. Following are some of the basic requirements of compliance with the code:

• All hallways and isle ways must be 5 feet wide (minimum).

• All countertop working heights must be 34 inches high (instead of normal 36 inch height).

• 18 inches of free wall space must be provided on the strike-side of all doors (the side with the door knob).

• All hand-washing sinks must be ADA friendly.

• All bathrooms must be ADA compliant (5 foot space for wheelchair turnaround, handrails at toilet, acceptable clearance around toilet and hand washing sink, etc.).

• No steps allowed, ramps are OK with the proper slope.

• If your space has multiple levels, then no feature may exist on a level where handicapped access has not been provided, if that same feature does not exist on a level where it will be accessible.

You can find the complete regulations for ADA compliance at the following website:

http://www.access-board.gov/adaag/html/adaag.htm

Beyond the basic Equipment Floor Plan, showing new partitions, cabinets, equipment, fixtures, and furnishings, you'll need to produce some additional drawings to guide your contractors and satisfy the bureaucracies.

Electrical Plan

An electrical plan will be necessary to show the location of all outlets needed to operate equipment. Information such as voltage, amperage, phase, hertz, special instructions (like, "requires a dedicated circuit"), and the horizontal and vertical location of each outlet, should all be specified.

A small, basic coffee shop might get away with a 200 amp service, but typically 400 amps will be required if your equipment package will include items like an electric water heater, high-temperature dishwasher, or cooking equipment (ovens, panini grill, etc.).

In addition to the electrical work required for your coffee business-specific equipment, you may need to adjust existing electrical for additional or reconfigured lighting, HVAC, general-purpose convenience outlets, and exterior signs. Also, have your electrician run any needed speaker wires, TV/internet cables, and cash register remote receipt printer cables at the same time they are installing electrical wires. Finally, make sure your electrician makes provisions for lighted exit signs, and a battery-powered emergency evacuation lighting system, if needed.

Plumbing Plan

A plan showing all plumbing features will be necessary. At minimum, this should show stub-in locations for all needed water sources (hot & cold), drains, your water heater, water purifications system, grease interceptor (if required), bathroom fixtures, etc.

While a typical P-trap drain should be acceptable for most fixtures and equipment, some will require an air-gap drain. An air gap drain does not go through the "S"-shaped twists of the P-trap. Instead, the drain line comes straight down from the piece of equipment or fixture, and terminates 2 inches above the rim of a porcelain floor sink drain. This porcelain drain basin is usually installed directly into the floor. The air gap between the drain line from your equipment or fixture, and the bottom of the basin, prevents any bacteria in the sewer pipe from migrating into the equipment or fixture. I drain the following pieces of equipment to a floor sink drain when creating a plumbing plan:

• espresso machine

• dipper wells

• ice maker

• ice holding bin

• food prep sink

• soft drink dispensing equipment

To save on the life of your water filtration system, only your espresso machine and coffee brewer should be supplied by with treated water. Coffee is 98% to 99% water, so good water quality is essential. Your ice maker should only require a simple particle filter on the incoming line (unless your water quality is terrible). There is no need to filter water that will be used for hand and dish washing, cleaning mops, flushing toilets, and washing floors!

Be aware that many bureaucracies are now requiring a grease interceptor on the drain line from your 3-compartment ware washing sinks and automatic dishwasher. A grease interceptor is basically a box containing baffles that traps the grease before it can enter the public sewer system.

Also understand that a typical retail space will not come equipped with a water heater with enough capacity to handle your needs. Unless your space was previously some type of a food service operation, you will probably need to replace it with a larger one.

If cutting trenches in the floor will be necessary to install porcelain floor sinks, a grease interceptor, and run drain lines, then establishing a few general purpose floor drains at this same time behind the counter, and in the back of the house, will prove useful. Floor drains will allow you to squeegee liquids away when spills occur, and when washing floors.

Finally, if you added some new walls during your remodel, you may need to have the fire sprinkler system for your space adjusted or reconfigured.

Cabinet Elevations

Drawing cabinet elevations, (the view you would have if you were standing in front of your cabinets), will be necessary for your cabinet maker to understand all the features they will need to incorporate into your cabinet designs.

These elevations are not meant to be shop fabrication drawings for your cabinetmaker, but merely serve a reference, showing needed features and desired configuration. Where do you want drawers, and under counter storage space; and, where do you want cabinet doors on that under counter storage? Where should open space be left for the placement of under counter refrigeration and trashcans? Will cup dispensers be installed in the cabinet face under the counter top? These elevations will provide your cabinetmaker with a clear understanding of all these features.

While your kitchen base cabinets at home are typically 24 inches deep, for commercial applications they should be 30 inches deep, and 33 inches if an under counter refrigerator is to be inserted. Also, when specifying the size of an open bay to accommodate under counter refrigeration, be sure to allow a couple of inches more than the physical dimensions of the equipment, so that it can be easily inserted and removed for daily cleaning.

Dimensions Plan

You will need to create a floor plan showing all the critical dimensions for new partitions, doors, cabinets, and fixtures. This will, of course, help make sure that everything ends up where it is suppose to be, and will be the right size.

A final thought about design; unless the space you will be designing is a clean vanilla shell (meaning, nothing currently exists in the space, except perhaps one ADA restroom), you will have to make sure that all the features that you are considering keeping, will be acceptable with your local bureaucracy. Many older buildings were not designed to present codes. If the business type remains the same (your space was occupied by a food service establishment before you), then some times any non compliant features will be grandfathered-in, meaning you don't have to bring them up to current requirements. But don't count on this! You need to check with your bureaucracies to make sure. More and more I see bureaucracies requiring new business owners to remodel, so that all features are compliant with codes. This means you may have to rip-out bathrooms and hallways, add fire sprinkler systems, and provide ramps where there are steps. Better you know all these things before you begin your store design!

I always tell my consulting clients, that if I produce a perfect design and layout for them, they will never notice... because everything will be exactly where you would expect it to be. Unfortunately, if you create a less than optimal design for your coffee bar, you probably won't realize it until you start working in it. Changing design mistakes or inadequacies after the fact, can be extremely expensive. Not correcting those mistakes may even cost you more in lost potential sales. For this reason, I strongly suggest using an experienced coffee business space designer to create your layout for you, or at very least, to review the design you have created. Doing so will payoff with dividends.

7 Top Tips to Car Salesman's Or Saleswoman's Success

Given that car sales account for 19% of total US sales in 2000 (source: US Small Business Administration), a lot of people are buying cars which mean that they are a lot of people selling cars. Additionally, new car sales have dropped from 63.4% in 1989 to 60% in 1999. Selling cars is not easy given that many still have a negative perception of car salesmen or women. Hopefully, these 7 tips may help you to sell more cars.

1. First and Foremost YOU need to think of yourself as a business. Car sales people work for an auto dealership, but most work on a salary and commission basis. When your compensation is commission based, this means you have more control of your destiny and should view yourself as a business instead of just a sales person.
2. Adopt a Planning Attitude. If you do not have a plan, then you are on some else's plan - usually the successful car saleswoman or salesman. As a practicing performance improvement consultant or coach for the last 10 years, I have observed that most people plan less for their own lives than they do for a simple visit to the grocery store.
3. Learn how to prospect. There exists a fundamental belief that the auto dealership is responsible for bringing traffic through the door because the dealership owners have all those "big bucks" for media advertising. Given that 80% of all new sales comes from referrals, would it not make more sense to prospect individually rather than simply on outside resources to control your destination? Those media efforts usually bring in suspicions, not prospects. Use your time wisely by focusing on prospects those who have a need, dollars and are a decision-maker. Do not rely only on the auto dealer to send out letters. Take the time to write some handwritten notes.
4. Improve your sales skills to make more money. Today's buyers are far more savvy than years ago. Learn how to cultivate and develop long term relationships. Consider a proven buying / selling sales process where marketing and selling skills are united to deliver to the desired results of another sold car. New car sales to used car sales are far more relationship based selling than years ago when car sales was a commodity sale.
5. Establish your sales goals using your great planning attitude. If you are a car salesman or car saleswoman and have 300 customers and the industry average sales cycle is 3 years, then every year you should be selling 100 cars. Focus your efforts of those who will be buying a car this year, but remember to continue to touch those who will potentially be buying another car in 2 or 3 years. HINT: Use the WAYSMARTcriteria for goal setting.
6. Identify the attitudes or beliefs that are obstacles to your success. Working with those in the auto industry, I have heard countless reasons why sales can not be made. However, when these reviews are reviewed, they are usually unfounded reasons based upon existing attitudes and beliefs. For example, "corporate has ruined the car industry by posting prices on the Internet. Everyone knows everything about the car." My response is "if price was a real objection, then everyone would be driving a Yugo or a Chevette. HINT: When you change how you look at things, the things you look at will change.
7. Make managing yourself priority number one. You must learn how to maximize your time especially in the area of ​​time management, ongoing professional development such as through business coaching training and personal life balance. The auto industry is truly a 24/7 business given that cars are with us each and every day of our lives. However, it is important not to lose sight of your personal life including family, friends, physical health, etc.

Yes, you can be an incredible car salesperson who can increase sales through these 7 simple car salesman tips. Just remember, sales regardless of industry is all about knowing your numbers and then multiplying your activity to secure those desired results.

Evaluating Stocks: Fundamentals and Technical Analysis

Certainly, a "complete" course on security analysis is well beyond the scope of this text. There are many excellent books devoted to the subject of how to analyze the value of securities - both from a fundamental as well as a technical standpoint. The goal here is simply to provide a basic understanding of the methods and theories behind each type of stock analysis.

It should be pointed out early on that Fundamental Analysis and Technical Analysis of securities are two fairly radically different approaches to determining the correct [or fair] value of a company's stock. Let's start with a general overview of each method and then look into the specifics of each area. Again, for a more detailed examination of each type of analysis, we suggest you refer to our book list and / or the books specifically mentioned throughout this document.

The definitive work on Fundamental Analysis is broadly considered to be the classic book "Security Analysis" by Benjamin Graham and David Dodd. This book, which was first published in 1934, is considered by most on Wall Street to be the 'Bible' of security analysis.
In fact, it was Benjamin Graham that Warren Buffett studied under when he first started in the stock market. Much of Berkshire Hathaway's success can likely be traced back to the information and ideas provided in the book Security Analysis and by the teachings of Benjamin Graham (although, it's widely acknowledged that Warren Buffett put his own spin on things over the years as well).

Fundamental Analysis is just as it sounds. It is based on examining the fundamental pieces of a business and its operation. There are no exotic formulas used. You do not need to be a mathematician. Anyone with a simple calculator and some basic information about a business should be able to employ Fundamental Analysis quite effectively.
The basic idea is if you put a dollar into the business (in the form of buying the stock) how much of a return can you expect. How much yield will you likely see and / or how much growth will you experience based on the operation, markets, competitors and costs of the business. Obviously, not all aspects of these fundamentals can be quantified. Such such as "good will" or changes in the economy or the consumer can be difficult to nearly impossible to calculate. However, to a large degree Fundamental Analysis throws these items out as concerns and simply looks at the cold hard facts which you do have available to you. Things such as costs of goods sold, margins, tangible assets, expenses, etc.

Armed with these basic and tangible numbers, one should rather easily be able to calculate the value and profitability of any business (given the numbers available and / or provided are accurate of course). Once a valuation is arrived at, the person performing the valuation can decide whether or not the market place (in this case the stock market) is applying what could be considered a fair market value to the stock. Certainly, when trying to make a profit on Wall Street, it is advisable to search out stocks which are (or at least appear are) being improperly or undervalued by the market. For the Fundamental Analyst, once an undervalued security is found, it's simply a matter of buying the stock and waiting for the market to realize the "more accurate" value of the security (assuming of course he / she is correct in their assumptions).
Find a cheap security, buy it and become rich. If only it was that simple. Or maybe it is? Just ask Mr. Buffett.

If the definitive work on Fundamental Analysis is provided by Graham and Dodd, then perhaps the definitive work on Technical Analysis is provided by Martin J. Pring in his book "Technical Analysis Explained". To quote this well regarded book on the definition of Technical Analysis:
"The technical approach to investing is essentially a reflection of the idea that prices move in trends which are determined by the changing attitudes of investors towards a variety of economic, monetary, political, and psychological forces. is an art - is to identify trend changes at an early stage and to maintain an investment post until the weight of the evidence indicates that the trend has reversed. "

Technical Analysis is nothing new. It has been used in one form or another for as long as stocks have been traded. In fact, the star character in one of my all favorite favorite books ("How I made $ 2,000,000 dollars in the stock market" by Nicholas Darvas) used mainly Technical Analysis principles in his investing - whether he knew it or not. However, "Charting" also commonly called "Chart Reading", which Technical Analysis is also referred to as, has become much more popular and broadly used inhaps only the last 20 to 30 years on Wall Street. This may be a large due in part to its more wide spread teaching and acceptance in colleges in more recent years.
If, based on my own experience and knowledge of this method of analyzing securities, I had to summarize all of the technical analysis down into one central idea, I would put it like this:

The corner stone of Technical Analysis is the concept that no single individual can ever hope to know as much about a security as the whole of Wall Street does at any given time. Because "Wall Street" is made up of everyone who is invested in - or may invest in - the stock market, their collective knowledge about any specific stock and / or the market is such that this mass of people and combined knowledge (ie Wall Street ) can valuate securities nearly instantaneously and far more accurately than any single individual.

As such, in the mind of the Technician, it follows that there must be no need to use something as "archaic" as Fundamental Analysis to value a stock, when everything known about the stock (and this includes the business fundamentals) is almost instantly reflected in the stock's price. In this situation, it would make much more sense to use the recent and historical trends and movements of the stock price to deduce not only the current fair market value of the stock, but where the price "may move" in the future. This future price movement is large extrapolated based on historical chart patterns and how the stock has recently expired in relation to support and resistance levels. Any Technical Analysis book worth its salt will quickly introduce you to chart patterns such as "double tops", "trend lines", etc. It is these patterns which are the core of Technical Analysis.

However, the question of whether or not these patterns on charts can always accurately predict future price movements of a stock is (and probably always will be) up for debate between Fundamental and Technical Analysts. If there is one fundamental (again no pun intended) flaw to Technical Analysis, it is that over the years Technical Analysis has been [incorrectly] extrapolated to mean that the market will "always perfectly" evaluate a security based on all information known by the markets. Unfortunately, that is not "always" the case.
This leads to mind a funny joke I once ran across in a book (I believe the book was by or about Warren Buffett) regarding how technical Analysis has been elevated to levels beyond its true capabilities:

A Technical Analyst and his friend were walking across the street. His friend noticed a $ 10 bill laying in the middle of the road and exclaimed, "Look, there is a $ 10 bill in the road". At which point the Technical Analyst said "If it were really a $ 10 bill, it would not be laying in the road".
This joke underscores the idea that Technical Analysis may not always evaluate the market without error. However, as long as you keep this point in mind, then Technical Analysis and chart reading can be a helpful tool in both investing and trading.

Finally, we should point out that the term "Quantitative Analysis" on Wall Street simply refers to someone (also sometimes referred to as a "Quant") who employs a mixture of both Fundamental and Technical Analysis in trying to properly evaluate stocks.

Good luck in the markets!

No permission is needed to reproduce an unedited copy of this article as long the About Author tag is left in tact and hot links included. Questions and comments can be sent to Ray at articles@daytraders.com .

How to Make a 6 Figure Income Online in 3 Easy Steps

Feeling overwhelmed by all of the different methods of making money online? Not sure who to trust? Believe me, I've been there! It's very frustrating when people tell you that they are making x amount of dollars online and yet you still can not make a dime. This one of the worst feelings I experienced when I first ventured into the world of making money online. But guess what? I've learned from my failures (yes, there were many of them) and am now making a comfortable living off of the internet. And I am willing to tell you exactly how you can do the same in just 3 simple steps!

1) Will You Allow Yourself Success?

One common mistake that people make when trying to make cash online is that they just jump right into it with little or no background knowledge. This is the thought process of many when they come across a potential method of earning money online. "Oh affiliate marketing, that sounds interesting! I think I'll try that out." But, hey! I was guilty of this too when I first started out. It's very easy to become attracted to something when it has already worked for others. So what is the correct way of starting your home based internet income?

A realistic mindset. Alright before you start regretting that you ever started reading this article let me further explain what I mean by this. Having a realistic mindset means that you have to realize that you will not get rich quick on the internet. As with any other business, the money will come after hard work. And that is another thing, just because you will be working on the internet does not make the work easy. If you want to be successful online you need to realize that you will actually have to put forth an effort. The, "I make $ 500 a day doing only 1 hour of work on the internet!" testimonials are complete crap. So if you are expecting the money to start rolling in with little effort, you mine as well give up now.

2) Consistent Work Will Equal A Consistent Cash Flow

In order to be successful at making money online you need to work hard. There is no way of getting around this. But while this may seem unappealing it can also be directly beneficial to you. One of the great things about making money online is that for the most part you get what you put into it. So if you are working hard every day then you will see equal results in terms of money. So how can you take advantage of this principle?

You need to be consistent. Yes, working hard a few days a week will provide a decent amount of cash to you, but if you are putting in work every single day or even every other day you will see amazing results. And the great thing about consistent work online is that it will ever create a snowball effect. At some point your efforts will begin to work for themselves. Once you get the snowball rolling, the possibilities are endless! This is how people are able to make 6 figure incoming online.

3) There Is Still Something Missing ...

You're probably still wondering what exact method you should be using to make money online. And you should be, because without a model my 2 previous methods for success are useless. But I did this for a reason. Covering the basics is actually more important than how you actually go about making money online. Do not worry though, I'm about to reveal a very reliable method of making a 6 figure income online. All you need to do is implement my previous steps and are guaranteed success.

All I did was use a proven method of making online. For a long time I had tried to research free methods of making a living online and soon realized that it was not likely. So what did I do? I searched different guides available that help kick start your success with a home based internet business. Granted, I did have to spend some money but it was well worth it. Why? Apart from the fact that I am now making a living off of the internet, the system that I used offered information and resources that I would have never been able to access otherwise.

How to Use Article Marketing to Conquer the Search Engine

Successfully marketing your business online comes down to one very important factor: making search engines work for you. With a well planned article marketing strategy, you can use your knowledge of the product or service you're selling to boost your page rank and conquer the search engine.

Phone books, newspaper ads, and mailed fliers are things of the past. These days, when a consumer is on the hunt for the perfect product they often turn to their computer and the internet. The first place they go is a search engine like Google, Bing or Yahoo. With article distribution, search engine success leads to business success.

Identify Keywords

Identifying and learning to use the best keywords to promote your website is the first step to a successful marketing campaign. Looking at other sites offering similar products and services to the ones you offer can be a great way to start determining strong keywords.

Another strategy is using online keyword tools to determine the keywords customers search most in your genre. Think about the words you would use for a search if you were looking for your own product or service. Make sure you think about everyday people and the terms they would realistically use to find your merchandise.

Once you've got a sturdy list of promising keywords, you'll need to do a little bit of research and learn about how to place and use keywords in the articles you distribute. Keyword density is a very important factor when working with article distribution.

Websites should generally never contain more than 7 percent keyword density. The optimal keyword density for website content is 3 to 4 percent, meaning that for every 100 words you write, no more than four should be a keyword. For articles you write and distribute, it's best to stick below 2 percent.

Keyword stuffing, or using too many keywords, is highly frowned upon by article publishers. It can cause rejected content and can also trick spiders and crawlers into wrongly indexing your site or article. Using too many keywords in content can also cause your content to sound a lot like spam.

Article Marketing Strategy

Once you've got the keyword game down, a good article marketing strategy is one of the best ways to increase your search engine results. Distributing original content to publishers online creates opportunities for search engines to find your material and lead customers back to your website.

One important aspect of your article marketing strategy is focusing on multiple products. Product reviews on a single topic are often considered unobjective spam. To highlight a specific product in an article, you must include at least two other comparable products.

Consumers are looking for a merchant they can trust, and good communication skills and relevant information pave the way to that relationship. Articles should be designed to share your knowledge and information with your niche of potential customer.

The bottom line is that websites filled with quality, custom content are going to receive much higher page ranks than those filled with random, biased, and questionable information. Focus on keeping your content simple and relevant at the same time.

Article Distribution

This is where the difference comes in between advertising with banners, graphics and forums with backlinks and advertising with original content through article distribution. At first glance, more seems like a good strategy, but search engines actually like links that are relevant.

The relevancy of a link is based on the content of the website on which it appears, and the content of the website it links back to. Posting a link to a dog food website from an auto parts website will definitely not lead to high page rank. However, posting a link from a dog food website to a dog health and wellness website earns points for being relevant and useful.

Search engine results are important for many reasons, but they can also be a great way to judge how your articles are doing. By searching for your own articles by title or a specific section of content, you can see how many times they've been republished. Every article marketing strategy must include a strong article distribution service.

Winning Formula For Logo Design

To get a winning logo design is the biggest desire of every company. You would always be looking for secret tip or tips to design a winning logo. Why not just follow the foot steps of successful brands. Logo designs of successful brands have become icons that are embedded in the minds of general consumers.

But always remember that your winning logo design will definitely help in building brand and corporate identity.

Before starting on with the process of designing logo, you should first consider why your company needs a logo.

a) To build corporate image

b) To build brand identity

c) To create market identity

d) To create and build consumer awareness

This is a lot to think about. But the things mentioned above are a path to achieving great logos that can help in your business growth and success.

Secret tips for a winning logo design

Many companies spend loads of time and money on their creative logo designs. But the result is a complex and sometimes misunderstood logo that becomes a part of a company's stationary. This logo is then often redesigned with the timely change in the business strategies.

Great, creative logo is not difficult to design. Follow the following step and you will finally get a good creative logo design that will help you to build your brand identity and be with you for a long time.

o Keep your product in mind. Logo must have relevance to your product and services.

o Your perception of where you would want your see your company in future

o Focus on your target market

o Corporate color theme.

o Identify some successful logos that you like

o Keep your logo design simple

o Try and incorporate your business name, message or sell line.

o Avoid complex designs

o Make sure that the logo fits your stationary and all marketing promotional materials

o Keep in mind the adaptability - make sure that your logo is made with the flexibility to adapt to all business situations, markets etc.

o Your logo design should have the ability to be memorized.

Last but not the least, you should choose a cost effective logo design company that has the capacity and ability to create your great, creative logo. You will save your precious time.

Looking For a Logo Design? Browse Logo Design Directory

How to Make Email Marketing Works for Your Business

Topic 1 ~ Your Email Subject Lines ~

How To Write A Good E-mail Subject Lines That Works?

Here are the 5 tips:

1. Ask a question. One of the best ways to get a reader's attention is to ask a question. But like a trial lawyer questioning a witness on the stand, make sure it 'll get you the response you're looking for. "What's the best way to grow your business?" is a great subject line for business owners. After all, what business owner would not want to grow his or her business? Or let's say you run a health club. An e-mail with the subject line, "How can you lose 5 pounds in one month?" would certainly be compelling. It's important your question to be relevant to your audience.

2. Be a tease. A clever subject line can be enticing. When it's done right, reader curiosity is piqued. They want to know more - and they'll open your e-mail. Writing a teaser-style subject line requires some creativity, and your content needs to deliver. A company that sells high-definition TVs could use the subject line, "You're not going to believe your eyes" as a teaser to introduce a new addition to their product line.

3. Tell it like it is. Often, what works best is to say exactly what you want your reader to know. Examples of this straightforward approach are, "Sale on all sweaters this weekend," "Master jazz pianist plays live this Friday" and "The seven secrets of a profitable business." This just-the-facts approach works especially well when you can appeal directly to your audience's interests. It's also the best approach to use when you send a newsletter.

4. Remember "WIIFM". When a person gets your e-mail, the first thing they consider is "what's in it for me?" They have a decision to make. Do they open your e-mail, leave it for later or delete it? If there is not something about the subject line that lets them know why it's worth their precious time to see what's inside, then the choice will be clear. Keep WIIFM in mind when creating every aspect of your e-mails, including the offer, content, images - and most definitely the subject line. It's all about them. They know that; just make sure you know it, too.

5. Get personal. The more you can make each contact feel you're speaking directly to them, the more effective your communication will be. Whatever style of subject line you use, you can make it personal by using the word "you." Professional copywriters know the secret of using this powerful little word. Just look at the advertisements, mail and e-mail you receive. A few examples are, "Find the right swimsuit for you," "You can save 50 percent on travel," and "You're look phenomenal in a custom-tailored suit." "You" is ideal, but "your" works too.

6. Not sure which approach is right for you? Try them all, and then show a friend or colleague to get their feedback. Pick the one you believe will be most effective for your audience. Whichever approach you choose, it's always worth spending the time and effort to write a great subject line. Because if your readers do not open your e-mail, they'll never have the chance to read the important message you've created for them inside.

Topic 2 ~ Increase Click-Through Rate (CTR) ~

How to Increases Click-Through Rate (CTR)?

Here are some guidelines:

1. Include a feature, a benefit, and an advantage in the opening. This needs to be used in a subtle way, but in the opening you're really doing a small marketing job for this issue of your email newsletter. Highlight an article or two that are important, explain what you're providing the readers that they will not get elsewhere, and tell them what the benefit will be. A great example is something like "Nokia and Sprint announced second quarter earnings today. Learn what our Wireless Week experts say about the results, and what effect you can expect them to have on the industry at large."

2. Put the email newsletter in the context of your readers' day. This goes hand in hand with the last point. Your readers are busy, and if you can make a compelling case for why they should stop what they are doing and take a few minutes now to read your email newsletter, you'll get them in. We recommend editors reference important events, upcoming trade shows, or other things that say to the reader "You will find it worthwhile to stop and read this email newsletter now, because the information in it will help you stay on top of your business."

3. Keep it fresh. Do not craft a "perfect paragraph" and use it issue after issue after issue. One of the keys to success is to keep the copy fresh and highlight items in that issue of the email newsletter. If you use the same generic language repeatedly, people will stop reading it and it'll be a waste of your time.

4. Keep it short. This is critical. We recommend no more than two to three sentences - just enough to get them interested and pull them in to read the rest of your email newsletter.

Try it out and see the results! This is just one of the simple things you can do to engage your reader and optimize your CTR.

Topic 3 ~ Killer Email Sales Letter ~

How to Write Killer Email Sales Letter That Get Results?

Here are what we've found works best. Use these tips correctly and your results will skyrocket.

1. Your email "from" sender line should be your brand name or company name and stay consistent. Use your own personal name only if that is your brand image.

2. Send emails only when you have something to say that will benefit the reader. No fluff. No filler. You must be relevant. If you can not be, do not send an email until you have something beneficial to say.

3. Start your emails with the specific benefit the reader can get from your message. You have no more than 3 seconds to pass the crucial "what's in it for me?" test.

4. The copywriting tone and language should be personal and conversational, instead of stuffy and "corporate".

5. Make a specific offer to the reader and, if possible, include a short deadline by which he must respond to get it.

6. Use as much copy as is needed to fully pile on all the benefits the reader will get by ordering, answer objections, create urgency, and close the sale.

7. Test your subject lines and offers on small segments of your list before you send the email to your entire list.

8. Include "Email this to a friend" service in all your communications for pass along and viral marketing.

Topic 4 ~ Good Call-to-Action ~

Get More Clicks With a Good Call-to-Action!

The call-to-action is a determining factor of your click-through rate. It is an important component of your email copy because it answers three important questions for the recipient. They are:

1. What you want them to do

2. Why they should do it, and

3. How to take that next step.

Whatever action you want your recipients to take, you can make it happen more often with a good call-to-action. First, decide what you want them to do:

1. Buy something

2. Sign up for a service

3. Fill out a form

4. Read an article or get more information

5. Visit your website or store

6. Make an appointment

Etc ...

Then, make sure you incorporate these 6 characteristics to get the results you're looking for. Make your call-to action:

1. Visible - People read, react, make decisions and take action differently. Some make decisions right away ("You had me at hello.") And some need more details ("I'm from Missouri."). Place call-to-action links in the beginning, middle and end of the email so that recipients can click whenever they are ready.

2. Clear - Stick to simple words, short phrases, bulleted benefits and paragraphs of 1-3 short sentences. Include appropriate graphics and cut the clutter by making effective use of white space.

3. Compelling - Use action-oriented verbs and phrases: "buy now," "call today," "save" and so on.

4. Rewarding - Offer an incentive or reward for action. For example, "Act now and also receives ...," or "the First 100 responders will be entered into a raffle to win ..." The giveaway, or prize, you choose should be closely related to your product or service. That way, you will be targeting customers who are interested in what you have to offer, not just the latest gadget.

5. Urgent - The longer an email sits in an inbox, the less likely it is to be acted on. Create a sense of urgency to get a more immediate response. Try limiting the offer to a specific time period, to the "first 50 customers," "while supplies last," etc.

6. Direct - Your call-to-action links should go to the appropriate page on your website with more details on the specific product or service you're promoting. If you do not have a website, the call-to-action might be store locations to visit or a number to call for an appointment.

Keep in mind that, in addition to repeating your call-to-action, you can vary your call-to-action to appeal to different types of buyers (and to fit your sales cycle). For example: "Click here to buy now" will naturally work better with loyal customers. The softer, "Click here to learn more" may be better for newer prospects.

Topic 5 ~ Avoid Common Pitfalls ~

Read Your Email Message Backwards to Avoid Common Pitfalls

Here are some common problems to look out for:

1. Misspelled words - It's a good idea to spell-check a document, but it's not enough. A spell checker will not catch every error.

2. Wrong word used - This is why a spell checker is not enough. A spell checker will only flag words it does not recognize. It can not tell if a legitimate word is used incorrectly. Some words commonly confused: accept, except; your, you're; then, than; there, their, they're; cite, site, sight; lay, lie; loose, loosen, lose. Also, look out for missing "r" in the word "your." It's easy to overlook a sentence such as "Visit our Web site now to receive you free copy."

3. Grammar error - Again, if you know you're not a good writer, have someone else look your writing for grammatical errors. Mistakes make you look bad.

4. Punctuation error - This is another area where you'll benefit from a review by someone who knows their stuff. If you're determined to do it yourself, purchase a good grammar or style book. One of the most common punctuation problems: Too many stupid commas!

5. Vague or confusing statement - Make sure every sentence is crystal-clear. You do not want your promotional message to raise more questions than it answers.

6. Ilogical statement - Read over what you have written slowly. At the end of each paragraph, ask yourself: "Did that make sense?" Rewrite so that it does.

Topic 6 ~ Frequency of Sending Emails ~

How Often (Frequency) Should You Send Email?

There's no quick answer to the frequency question. It depends on the goals for your email and the type of content you send. Some rough guidelines:

1. Mail at least once a month. Mail less often than this, and you risk being forgotten by recipients. Monthly is the bare minimum if you want to keep your brand or company name top of mind (a common email goal).

2. Let content be your guide. Look at what you provide readers and you'll get a feel for proper frequency. Analyze how often the information changes and how quickly readers must receive it to act on it.

3. Work within your resources. A daily email requires many more resources than a monthly. Better a well-done monthly email than shoddy weekly or daily. It's recommended to start with a monthly. Once that's going smoothly, they can think about moving to weekly. You need to walk before you can run!

4. Watch for trends. Declining response, open, and click-through rates can be signs of list fatigue. Although some decrease is normal, watch carefully and cut back frequency if you see a problem. Do not assume if the unsubscribe rate is stable you're OK. Many people prefer to forward email directly to their delete folder rather than unsubscribe.

Topic 7 ~ Understanding Spam Filters ~

Understanding Spam Filters to Avoid Your Emails Get Junked!

If you send email campaigns long enough, you will inevitably run into spam filter issues. On average, you can expect 10-20% of your emails to just get lost in cyberspace, mostly due to overzealous spam filters. Unfortunately, there is no quick fix. If you want to avoid getting your emails junked by spam filters, you have to understand how they work.

Generally speaking, spam filters look at a long list of criteria to judge whether or not your email is junk. For example, they might look for spammy phrases like "CLICK HERE!" Egypt "FREE! BUY NOW!". They'll assign points each time they see one of those phrases. Certain criteria get more points than others. Here's a sample of criteria from Spam Assassin, one of the most popular spam filters out there:

o Talks about lots of money (.93 points)

o Describes some sort of breach (.32 points)

o Looks like mortgage pitch (.297 points)

o Contains urgent matter (.288 points)

o Money back guarantee (2.051 points)

o Why Pay More? (1.249 points)

It's easy to use "spammy" keywords in your email without even knowing it. Here are some common ways marketers unwittingly trigger spam filters with their campaigns:

1. Using spammy phrases, like "Click here!" Egypt "Once in a lifetime opportunity!" too many times in your email. Sometimes, you can not avoid phrases like "FREE SHIPPING!" but use them sparingly, and do not do anything else risky.

2. Going crazy with exclamation points !!!!!!

3. USING ALL CAPS, WHICH IS LIKE YELLING IN EMAIL

4. Coloring their fonts bright red, or green

5. Coding sloppy HTML (such as converting a Microsoft Word file to HTML)

6. Creating an HTML email that's nothing but one big image, with no text (since spam filters can not read images, they assume you're a spammer that's trying to trick 'em)

7. Using the word "Test" in the subject line (agencies run into this all the time, when sending drafts to clients for approval)

Topic 8 ~ Why Email Marketing Does not Work? ~

If Your Email Marketing Does not Work, Think Again Why?

Before you arrive at the faulty conclusion that email marketing does not work, let's look at this from a different perspective for a moment that would make your emails ineffective.

First there's what you are writing in the body of the email. If this is your first attempt to get in touch with a prospect, what are you putting in the email? A dissertation? If it's longer than one or two paragraphs, it's too long. Look at your emails like an initial cold call. You need to laser in and deliver a compelling opening statement that's going to grab their interest and stimulate a conversation. Because there's no one to cut you off in an email or stop you from persistent pontification, people have a tendency to ramble on and on in an email, giving the prospect the life story of the product or service they want them to consider. Keep it short and focus on the one or two benefits, opening up the opportunity to have a dialogue. That's it.

Second, are you sending attachments in the first email? No attachments! It's hard enough sending an unsolicited email to a prospect. Now you're adding more barriers and increasing the opportunities of your email winding up in their spam box or junk email folder. Some people have filters on their email that if an attachment is sent it automatically gets deleted. No attachment until that information in the attachment is solicited by the person.

Third, html or text? Once again, with all the email filters people use today, you will increase your odds by sending a text message only rather than trying to get fancy with formatting, graphics and pictures. The prospect really does not care about how beautiful your email looks; they care about the core message. Beside, they will never even get a chance to see your beautiful masterpiece in an html email if it's winding up in the trash.

Finally, you are using way too many spam words. As mentioned, the largest enemy to email marketing or selling via email is the additional security that companies and individuals have on their network or computer. As such, the specific words you are using in the body of the email can be the culprit who is sending your email directly into the trash or spam box. In other words, you are using words that are often identified is spam and in turn, you email is getting flagged and deleted. Not even eye contact! The prospect is not getting a chance to, at the very least, see your email let alone read it and have a chance to respond accordingly.

Ending ~ Please Forward ~