There’s this weird dichotomy in online marketing today. The Internet is more and more accessible and offers more and more tools that make marketing easier. Yet it seems to be getting harder and harder to sell online.

Maybe it’s because there’s so much more competition now. Or perhaps it’s because consumers are more savvy, and more careful about how and when they spend their money. Or maybe, because we’re all bombarded with advertising all day, every day we’ve become resistant to anything that even slightly resembles a sales pitch.

If you are struggling to sell your product or service online, it’s time to stop trying to sell products and services. Instead, start selling yourself as somebody who is trustworthy.

This free report, Relationship Selling – How to Sell Yourself Online shows you how to do just that.

“The one thing you must realize, and if you get nothing else from this report but this, it’s that you can’t sell somebody a product or service until you really do have their trust.”

Start building trust today. Click here to instantly download your free copy of Relationship Selling – How to Sell Yourself Online.

Enjoy! And please come back and leave a comment to let us know what you get out of the report and what changes you’re making.

To view and print this report you will need a PDF reader. If you don’t have one, you can get Adobe Reader for free here.

The PDF contains our affiliate link(s) to related guides. (Why tell?)

Note: Every effort has been made to accurately represent this product and its potential. Each individual’s success depends on his or her background, dedication, desire and motivation. As with any business endeavor, there is an inherent risk of loss of capital and there is no guarantee that you will earn any money.

Are you still interacting online with a username that hides your identity or are you using your real name? Have you gone so transparent that everyone knows who you are, what you’re doing, and where you are all day, everyday?

Last week’s release of Facebook Places produced a whole new flurry of discussion about social media and Internet privacy. And frankly, I’m confused.

When I first got started online (more than twelve years ago), most people tried to be anonymous and maintain privacy. I think many were like me – fearful of who would be getting our private information and what they’d do with it. While there are still people whose identity is well hidden online, I think many others have gone way too far over to the other side.

Not only are people using their real names and sharing photos of themselves and their families, but now many are using applications that announce their whereabouts to the world.

Personally I don’t want strangers to know whether or not I’m home, at the coffee shop down the street, or cruising the Caribbean. To me, it’s a safety issue. Did you see the site PleaseRobMe.com? The site no longer post tweets that announce users’ locations; now they are trying to raise awareness of potential dangers of announcing when you’re away from home.

Plus, I just don’t understand the need to tell anyone besides my immediate family where I am.

But that’s me.

At the same time many are sharing their every move online, I think most people would say that they highly value privacy and don’t want their private information shared. Perhaps we have a false sense of security because we use privacy settings to determine who can see what we post. Or perhaps we’ve just given in because the “bad guys” seem to be able to get our information no matter how much we try to protect it.

I’m pretty middle of the road when it comes to what I share online. I use my real name, and I post my picture, and I’m sure other information about me is pretty readily available. But I don’t post much about my family, and I don’t share my exact location or announce when I’m going on vacation.

I’m still of the mind that if you post it online, it’s available to the world. If I don’t want the world to know, I keep it to myself.

How important is privacy to you? How much Internet privacy do you want and how much information are you willing to share?

[Image courtesy of Faithful Chant.]

With the Internet becoming more and more of an everyday convenience for most people, and with more and more interest in running an online business, turning to the Internet to market a direct sales business naturally follows. Marketing online can be very effective, but sometimes direct sellers become so engrossed in Internet networking tools that product sales takes a back seat.

Social media marketing can be particularly tricky. It works if worked right. And it’s fun. But if you aren’t careful, it can consume a lot of time – time that could be spent direct selling for immediate profit.

As Lisa Young says in Twitter Tips For Direct Sellers, “…social media and online marketing does not replace your home party business.” Marketing and selling is a balancing act. Use online social media to build relationships that can lead to business, and continue to sell use the proven, basic direct sales methods like home parties and face-to-face sales.

I have another free gift for you as a token of my appreciation for being a loyal reader. Thank you for making the time to read iRepNetwork’s blog, Business Opportunity Connection.

Melissa Ingold, the Internet Marketing Sweetie is one of my favorite mentors. She always produces high quality, effective business guides and this one is no exception. And her newly released, The Top 10 Words that Say Buy and Why They Work is another great guide.

Melissa lists the top keywords that “make us want to purchase” and explains why they work. If you incorporate these words into your promotions it’s likely that your sales will increase.

Grab your completely free copy of The Top 10 Words that Say Buy and Why They Work. You don’t even have to supply your email address to download it. It’s my gift to you, courtesy of Melissa, to thank you for reading the Business Opportunity Connection.

Click this link to get your free copy.
To view and print this guide you will need a PDF reader. If you don’t have one, you can get Adobe Reader for free here.

Are you new to our blog or did you miss our other gifts? Find them all here.

Thanks again for sticking with us and as always, we welcome your feedback. You can offer your opinions and make requests and suggestions by leaving a blog post comment or by contacting us.

Enjoy!

To view and print this report you will need a PDF reader. If you don’t have one, you can get Adobe Reader for free here.

Please note: the guide contains my affiliate link to other Sweetie resources.(Why tell?)

Note: Every effort has been made to accurately represent this product and its potential. Each individual’s success depends on his or her background, dedication, desire and motivation. As with any business endeavor, there is an inherent risk of loss of capital and there is no guarantee that you will earn any money.

For many direct sales consultants, selling at craft shows is a great supplement or alternative to home parties. Success starts with choosing the right craft show and in her article below, Chris Carroll offers tips to help you choose.

Why Use Craft Shows in Your Direct Sales Business? Part 1
by Chris Carroll

The greatest thing about home businesses and the direct sales type of business is the flexibility in how you can market your products. We are not relegated to one type of selling so therefore the opportunities are endless! Brick and mortars stores are somewhat limited as they wait for the customers to find them. We on the other hand, go and find ours.

One of my favorite ways to increase customers, hostesses, business partners and newsletter signups is through craft shows and expos. Looking at the venue of the show, it becomes apparent that this IS your target market ~ Female; usually with extra disposable income And looking for unique products. All of these attributes fit our business perfectly.

Choosing the right venue will be important to your success. Make sure the show is in your market area. Traveling 50 miles to do a show looking for customers may not be a good idea if you have to deliver products after the show. Think about parties as well. If your hostess is an hour away and then her guests are a no show Or maybe you get 5 bookings, Are you willing to keep driving to that area to service those customers? Set yourself a radius of how far you are willing to travel.

Another thing to check out when choosing the right show to do is the amount of the booth. Figure out how much you have to sell to re coop your expenses. If you are doing a one day show for $150 and you sell $2 – $5 items, you are going to have to move a heck of a lot of items to break even.

Make sure that you are selling product that goes along with the theme of the show before writing that check for the entry fees. Specialty shows like scrapbooking or quilt shows may not be the best return for you if you are selling makeup. Several years ago I did a Home and Garden type of show and while my product line fit in wonderfully; there was a cosmetic company there. She was not moving a heck of a lot of product and did not do very well at all. I am actually surprised the promoters allowed her in. So make sure you are not wasting your time with the wrong show.

Check to see how long the show has been in existence. What type of turn out do they get? Sometimes doing a newly formed show is a good risk if it is a local show. Traveling great lengths to go to a new venue may not be something I would recommend. Also check on how they advertise the show. Very important in that you can have a huge amount of vendors attending, but if the event is not publicized well, you will not so well.

Overall, craft shows are an awesome tool for your business if they are researched and handled properly. Building your business in unique ways is the key to the longevity with your business.

Copyright Chris Carroll All Rights Reserved
Chris Carroll is a sales professional that has made direct sales her business of choice and enjoys sharing with others. You can sign up for tips on managing and increasing your business at her site DirectSalesTalk. You can also find her at her business site ShopOnYourSeat If you would like to use this article for your newsletters or website, all links must be live and clickable.

How to Use StumbleUpon to Grow Your Online Business

StumbleUpon operates like a social networking and bookmarking website allowing users to rate and rank pages and share them with fellow users. It also helps users find relevant and useful websites based on the pages they like and share.

As a business owner, StumbleUpon’s unique user driven approach can drive tons of traffic to your website. It’s ranked as one of the thirty largest social bookmarking sites with almost 10 million members and more than 500 topics to search through.

This report breaks down how you can use StumbleUpon to grow your business, step-by-step. And it includes a handy checklist to help keep you on track.

Claim your copy today for just $2. Subscribe to our mailing list and get a 50% off coupon.

     

Links in this post direct to products we sell or are affiliate links. (Why tell?)

Downloads are processed through our carefully selected 3rd party shopping cart service, e-Junkie.com.
Payments are processed through PayPal even if you don’t have a PayPal Account.
To view and print these files you will need a PDF reader. If you don’t have one, you can get Adobe Reader for free here.
Note: Every effort has been made to accurately represent our product and its potential. Each individual’s success depends on his or her background, dedication, desire and motivation. As with any business endeavor, there is an inherent risk of loss of capital and there is no guarantee that you will earn any money. Click here for complete terms of use and disclaimer.

We all know that connecting with our target market is important in online business. The problem is a lot of us only use surface strategies to “connect” with our prospects. To really connect with your target market, you’ll want to dig deeper and build a stronger relationship that’s mutually beneficial.

Here are three important steps to help you do just that:

1 – Engage your audience. Once you know who your ideal customer is the next step is to really engage them. Have you noticed how some people can have many, many friends yet each friend feels as though they are the most important friend to that person? It takes a real knack to accomplish this on and offline, but if you can then you are well on your way to building a strong relationship with your audience.

One way to accomplish this online is by writing in a way that implies you are speaking to only them. Write in a friendly, clear tone appropriate for your chosen market. Share some information about yourself if necessary to let your customers know that you understand their needs and situation. A good tip is to write as though you were chatting to a good friend over coffee.

2 – Know their motivation. People are motivated by different things. When you do your market research an important point to focus on is what motivates your target prospect to act – in other words to buy something. Some people are motivated by social status, others want to feel good about themselves while others simply want to feel part of something.

By knowing the motivation trigger of your target market, you’ll know how to communicate in a way that gets better results. You can also cater your products and services to help your ideal prospect resolve their problems. A win/win situation for all involved.

3 – Take a “real” approach. Online people do business with people they like and feel a connection with. You can accomplish this by taking a personal and “real” stand with everything you do. If you’re a small business say so. Let people know a little about you, your business, why you started it and so on. If you have a family then it’s fine to say so too. In other words, be “real.”

People will appreciate that you are a real person and not just some entity flowing in cyberspace. Connect with your customers in a similar way you would with a neighbour or friend. This is one of the best ways to build a strong connection with your audience. Of course, you’ll want to make sure you do this in a professional manner but with a little practice getting the balance right isn’t difficult.

Connecting with your target audience means better profits, long-term customers and the satisfaction of running a business which helps people. It’s really worth taking the time to do this right from the beginning and you’ll reap the benefits for years to come.

And if you’re looking for a great tool to help make building a website that helps you connect with your market effortlessly, try the Internet Based Family Easy Website Builder. It includes online support and full training to help you build a profitable website from the ground up – no technical or previous experience required!

Affiliate link (Why tell?)

By Jimmy D. Brown, InfoProfitShare.com

What if there was a magic bottle that you could rub and a traffic genie would pop out to beckon to your every internet marketing command?

After the initial shock wore off, you’d be quite happy to have it in your possession, right?

Well, in a manner of speaking, such a genie exists. She exists in the form of an “affiliate manager”.

An “affiliate manager” is someone who oversees the operations of an affiliate program in exchange for compensation.

And, out of all the traffic “tools” on the market, the affiliate manager is the one that you should be using daily in your business if you own your own product.

Why?

The bottom line is: more traffic, which results in more revenue for you.

But, specifically, there are 3 reasons why you need an affiliate manager…

1. Recruiting. Your affiliate manager can recruit new affiliates into your program for you. Instead of you spending time trying to find (and then convince!) affiliates to join your program, your “affman” can do this for you while you focus on other things.
2. Rewarding. Everyone knows that simply getting people to join your affiliate program is not enough. It takes a lot of effort to get passive affiliates to become (and stay!) active. An affiliate manager is responsible for motivating your team to remain involved in your promotions.
3. Running. Beyond getting affiliates into your program and making sure they stay active, your affiliate manager can “run” as much of your operations as you want her to. Here are just a few things my affiliate manager (props to Nicole!) does…

   * Creates training materials
   * Write follow-up mailings
   * Communicates with affiliates
   * Answer affiliate support questions
   * Monitors contests and incentive programs
   * Posts to our blog
   * Clerical stuff (creates rebrandable files, etc.)
   * Circulates content (article directories, etc.)

   I could go on and on, but you get the idea.

Perhaps the best part of hiring an affiliate manager is the fact that it doesn’t have to cost you a penny in out of pocket expenses. That is, you can setup your agreement to be performance-based: you pay the affiliate manager a percentage of the overall revenue generated through her efforts … the more revenue she brings in through the affiliate program, the more she earns.

Now, the question is –

** Where do I find an affiliate manager? **

There are actually quite a few ways to find quality (emphasis needs to be on “QUALITY!”) affiliate managers for your program. Let me share just one…

One of the easiest ways to find an affiliate manager is to visit your favorite affiliate marketing (or internet marketing) forum and post a request asking for recommendations or responses for your needs.

You can do this in two ways –

1. Post a PUBLIC Request.

That is, you post a message for everyone to see, with brief details on the position you have available and that you are seeking recommendations or interest to explore further.

2. Post a PRIVATE Request.

The other option is to identify those participants at the forum who appear to have experience and/or knowledge in affiliate marketing who might be good affiliate manager material. Then, you would simply contact them privately to see if there is interest in discussing your needs.

Running your own affiliate program is a tremendous traffic generation tool, but it has a lot of parts. There are many different activities that are involved in successfully running an affiliate program, and hiring an affiliate manager to oversee your operations is a great way to free up your time to work on creating additional products and other “creative” work.

A good affiliate manager can bring in affiliates, train and motivate them, and run your operations for you. Her efforts bring in the traffic; your efforts turn the traffic into orders.

It’s the closest thing to a traffic genie in a bottle that you’ll find. Rubbing is optional. Using this strategy isn’t.

———–
Jimmy D. Brown is the author of Sales Army Secrets, full of meaty details on ways to find affiliate managers, how to structure your agreement with them and tasks to have them handle. Details here.

Affiliate link or our product link (Why tell?)

Image courtesy of Jolante.

Newsletters are an excellent communication and marketing tool for your direct sales business. They help you connect with customers and prospects, provide value to readers, and keep customers up-to-date on promotions and product offerings. Some direct sales companies provide newsletters either by sending them directly to customers or making them available for consultants to send. If you are using a company provided newsletter, I recommend personalizing it as much as possible to make it more of a reflection of you.
 

If your company doesn’t provide a newsletter, create your own. Here are the steps to take to create one.

Step 1. Frequency: How often do you want to publish your newsletter? Remember each issue involves a few hours of preparation including creating the content. Establish a schedule you know you can keep up with. It is always easier to add supplemental issues or increase the frequency however decreasing the frequency can give a poor impression. Monthly or quarterly is probably a good place to start.

Step 2. Content: What is your newsletter going to be about? What are you going to include in your newsletter? Some newsletters have a single article and a promotion. Others have 3-5 articles and an equal amount of promotional content. What are your articles going to be about? Will you write them or will you hire a writer? Take a look at newsletters you like and consider why you like them. Consider what types of content will add value to your readers. What questions or problems do they have?

Step 3. Email or print: How are you going to distribute your newsletter? There are benefits to both. Email is very cost effective and instantaneous. Print is nice because it gives something tangible for customers to hold onto.

Step 4. Email Service: If you’re going to email your newsletter, consider paying for an email distribution and list management service. There are many available online. They offer newsletter templates, automatically manage the list subscriptions and unsubscribes, and enable you to create newsletters in advance and schedule them for future delivery. The price for services vary however many base their prices on the number of subscribers.

Recommended Resource
AWeber Autoresponder and Newsletter Service

Affiliate link (Why tell?)

Step 5. Subscribe Form: If offering an email newsletter, add a signup form on your website. This not only increases traffic and visitor value, it helps build a list of contacts and customers.

Step 6. Marketing: Let people know about your newsletter. Include a link to your subscription form in all email communications, signatures, and even consider adding it to your business card, brochure, and other marketing materials.

Step 7. Graphics: Graphics are a great way to make a newsletter visually interesting. Options include adding a logo or a header to each newsletter as well as including graphics, photos, and even charts within the newsletter. Stock photo sites are a good place to get started, however it is a good idea to make sure the reprint rights are available.

Newsletters are an excellent tool for connecting with and marketing to your customers and prospects on a regular basis. To make sure your newsletter is well-received, focus on providing quality content that will keep your readers interested and subscribed.

Image courtesy of robynejay.

Direct sellers, along with many others who are marketing their businesses online, have embraced social media to connect with customers and prospects. And many continue to market on the message boards and forums that they’ve participated in for years. These are venues I enjoy and have also used successfully to build my businesses.

While many people post using their real names, I still see quite a few people posting anonymously. It just doesn’t seem right to me. How can you be social anonymously?

I understand the reasons for posting with a company name or using a keyword for your username, but when you do that be sure to put your real name in your profile or sign your post with at least your first name. I find it awkward to say, “Hi CandleBiz” or “Nice to meet you, SilverBaubles.” I much prefer “Thanks for the information Susan.” On occasion I’ve decided not to respond to a Tweet or post when I don’t know someone’s name; I’ll move on to offer an answer or introduce myself to someone who uses their real name.

In person, offline, you wouldn’t introduce yourself as “Jewelry Inc.” It’s no different online. Your prospects want to get to know you. Business will follow.

What do you think?