Worth Waiting For

Patience is not my strongest virtue.  Waiting is hard.  It's especially hard when you have so much riding on an outcome.  When days, weeks, months, or sometimes even years go by, seemingly with not much progress, it's easy to feel like a failure.  Sure, you continue to struggle through the day.  If you don't you would have to admit to everyone that this just isn't for you.  That it's too hard and you are too old and too tired to keep pushing.  Better to keep up the charade then admit defeat.  But the thoughts are still there.  The worries.  What if I really can't make this work?  What if I lose everything I've put into this?  What will my family think?  WHAT IF I FAIL?




I first started in network marketing in 1993.  (Unless you want to count the summer I played at Amway between high school and college).  I had just retired from the Navy and was having a difficult time finding work.  What does a former Navy spook and Russian linguist do in Northwest Arkansas?  It wasn't like I had a lot of marketable skills.  Network marketing seemed like the answer to my prayers.  And so I signed up, got my starter kit - and waited.  I waited for someone - my sponsor, my upline - anyone, to tell me what to do next.  I grew more impatient and frustrated as I waited for the help that never came.  I felt abandoned.  I felt like my sponsor knowingly took advantage of my need just to sign me up and get his next recruitment bonus.  When you're waiting for help and for answers, it's easy to get angry and discouraged.  Far easier than trying to move forward on your own.  You think that things will never change.  So why bother to try?




I was fortunate and did find work, good work for a free health and dental center that served the less privileged in our area.  I was doing something that was not only financially rewarding, but also spiritually and emotionally fulfilling.  I was making a difference and that was an amazing feeling.  But always in the back of my mind was that nagging feeling of failure.  And so I eventually stopped talking about my network marketing company.  I didn't quit because I loved the products.  And if anyone asked, I would be happy to sell them an item or two.  But I stopped actively pursuing it.  I focused on my new job, telling everyone that I was just so thrilled to be doing this that I had no time or desire to worry about my business.  At least that way I could say I had made the choice instead of having to admit that I had failed.




Life was good after that.  I left the health center for a series of jobs, each one a step up the pay scale.  These didn't have the social impact of a free health center, but the money was good.  But when you are not doing what you are called to do, it catches up with you.  And some years later it did just that.  My heart was not in what I was doing and it showed.  And so, once again, I found myself in need of income.  And once again I fell into the trap of network marketing.  Only this time I had no choice.  I had to be able to work from home.  Now I had someone depending on me to figure this out.  And as I have always said, it's amazing what you can do when you have no choice.  This time I had the answer.  I had been working with an event planning company and through them I had met many of the top internet marketers of the day.  I had the opportunity to sit in on their events and to talk with them and learn from them.  And while I did not use the internet to build my new business in the beginning, I did learn some things from them.  Persistence.  Focus. That success doesn't always come overnight.  Sometimes it takes days, or weeks, or months, or even years.  But it is definitely worth waiting for.




If you are struggling in your business, feeling frustrated and discouraged, stop.  If you are feeling abandoned and forgotten by your sponsor, stop.  If you are ready to give up because you've just been struggling for SO LONG with nothing to show, stop.  Refocus.  Find a mentor - one that will be there for you and hold you accountable for your own success.  Learn all you can - about your business, your products, marketing techniques, and whatever else you need.  Ask - ask questions, ask for help, ask anyone who will listen.  There are lots of us out here who have been where you are and are willing to guide and mentor.  Above all, don't quit.  Because success will come.  And it's definitely worth waiting for.


If you're ready for a mentor and coach who will be there for you, who will set the bar high and help you reach it, then perhaps we could work together.  Let's find out!

Hanging Out with Friends Makes for a Fantastic Video Blogging Experience

Not every video blog has to be polished and professional. In fact, some of the most engaging content is off-the-cuff, personality driven, and just plain fun. Google Hangouts makes it easy (and free) to create a vlog that showcases you and your unique personality. And all you need is a Google+ account to get started. (Hint: if you have a Gmail account you already have a G+ account as well!)

Here’s how Hangouts work. Simply log into your Google+ page and look to the right of the screen. Click “New Hangout” and choose the people you want to invite. You can have up to 10 on camera, and dozens more watching, but for a video blog, two to three speakers is more than enough. You could even do it by yourself, simply using Google’s technology to record the event.

One tip: be sure to enable the “Hangouts on air” option. As soon as you do this, your Hangout will go public and a recording of your Hangout is actually going to automatically go your YouTube account!  Once your hangout has been sent to your corresponding YouTube account, you can then embed that video into a blog post on your site and voila... a new vlog for your audience. Talk about a quick and easy way to produce some fresh new content!

One thing to keep in mind is that you Google Hangouts are all about engagement. People like to feel like they are a part of something. Giving them the opportunity to ask questions and have you answer them is a great way to bring your audience into what you're doing.

There’s more to Hangouts than just face time, though. You can also record your screen using screen capture software, so it’s a good way to demonstrate software. You can share PowerPoint presentations for a more formal look. There are also several different apps that incorporate with Google Plus to enhance your hangouts. 

While this is all done in real time and things can be unpredictable - especially if you're going to have other people on with you - don't fret if you want to share the content later on. Yes, it is live but that doesn’t mean you have to publish it as is. You will have the option to edit the content after the hangout is over. You can edit the video by going to your video manager in your YouTube account and doing it from there.

Some ideas for Google Hangout video blogging include:

• Interviews with a guest – think of it as a podcast, but with video.
• Q & A with your market – this is a great way to interact with your audience live, then repurpose the content later in the form of a blog post.
• Demonstrations – whether software, cooking, or crafting, Google Hangouts are a good choice for live video demonstration. As long as you can use your webcam to film, it’s a good candidate for a Hangout.

One drawback to Google Hangouts is the quality of the video. If a crisp, clear picture is important to your event, it might be better to choose a different solution, such as GoToWebinar or Camtasia (depending on your needs). But when you’re just starting out, or you’re looking for a fun, interactive choice for video blogging, Hangouts are definitely worth a look.

Network Marketing Advertising Made Easy

You will have to invest a certain amount of cash into network marketing advertising. That is just a fact of business. But there aren't too many other ways of promoting a product without it. Many new network marketing specialists fail to realise this concept. Advertising is essentially an investment if it's working and they miss their chance at making a reasonable income.

You may not see advertising as an investment, but methods of advertising that are chosen sensibly and closely monitored, can make a large ROI. Bad advertising brings poor returns.

Just like any business, online and off, network marketing advertising is one of the keys to success.  It can often be confusing online particularly with the other millions of internet sites, blogs and ads all competing against you. Unless your product is completely unique and new, you're going to need to learn where to put your advertising.

The very first thing you should do is figure out your advertising budget. Fortunately, this does not need to be a large amount. For example, you can advertise on Facebook for as little as $5.00/day.  Put aside a specific amount each month, and be pragmatic. When you find the most successful style of advertising for your business, you can then raise your monthly budget.

Most people that are new to network marketing only have tiny budgets, but the good news is there are many different ways to publicize for free online. Some are effective. Some are downright pointless. Keep experimenting and find what works for you. 

 These are the results you will be looking for from your network marketing advertising:

1. It should be bringing you a flood of leads
2. It'll be a medium for you to advertise your product
3. It will be a technique for branding your company and growing brand recognition
4. It should be a route for you to effectively and efficiently close sales.

By far the best and least expensive form of advertising is recommendation by friends, and online generating a buzz about your product can pay enormous dividends, but it's going to be up to you how you go about this. Social networking sites, particularly YouTube, are glorious places for getting heaps of eyes on your product, but though this strategy might be free, you need to plan everything you do thoroughly or it can backfire.

Do not expect to go on Twitter and make 1 or 2 posts saying your brand is the best, or buy one of these, because you'll be un-Tweeted and ignored.  Neither should you post on Twitter every minute or two.  You wouldn't do it at a cocktail party, so do not do it on social media sites, blogs or forums either. 

You must build a following before even mentioning what you are offering.  Just like a party where almost everybody is a stranger to you, you have to build relationships and trust before you try and pitch your product.

You can also rely on others to offer you referrals, and again, this comes thru social interaction, both offline and online.

It is essential you build a relationship with that person first. Leads are valuable, and no one is going to reach in his pocket if he doesn't know anything about you!

Mailing programs are so yesterday, but if you're marketing off-line it's so unusual to get mail nowadays, this might be an effective way of marketing. especially if you have a local brick-and-mortar location.

List-building is one thing that many don't understand, especially off-line businesses. A large amount of information can be gathered by doing a direct mail-out, but the drawback is it is extraordinarily pricey and can frequently be ineffective.

The easiest way to build a list is online.  If you can somehow get people to visit your capture page, and leave an email address when they come, you can then use this list for future marketing campaigns. The easiest way is to offer something of value in exchange for their e-mail address. This can be something as simple as a free report or eBook, product sample, or complimentary service.

 It is difficult to run an efficient network marketing advertising campaign if you actually don't understand how it all works. There is an enormous amount of psychology behind selling effectively and if you do not understand the fundamentals of network marketing, now is a very good time to learn. Or tap into a marketing system that has already done all the learning and use it to do your marketing for you until you learn to do it yourself/

One of the most highly respected marketing systems in use today is My Lead System Pro.

MLSP gives detailed insight into how network marketing advertising works, and also useful information about the best way to generate qualified leads. It is written both for beginners and for experienced network marketers.  But mostly it is for those that are trying hard to get their network marketing businesses off the ground!  Click here to find out more about MLSP.

The 3 C's of Social Media

Guest post by Brandi Spencer
 

Did you now that only 3% on people on your social media feed are ready to by from you?

As you know, were living in the tech age.  Everything’s automated, digital, and designed for speed.  It seems like every article you read discusses the power that social media has in building a business. 

From what I've observed, most business owners use their social media profiles like billboards for the services and products that they currently offer.  This strategy only attracts 3% of people who are following you.  This 3% know they have a problem, want to solve the problem, and are willing to invest in solving the problem right then and there.  The other 97% need more TLC.  You still need to gain their loyalty and trust.

The C³ method of social media addresses the other 97% of you followers at any given time.   The method allows you to nurture the 97% and prepare them to work with you!  Sound Interesting?  Keep Reading!

The C³ Method of Growing Your Business with Social Media

1. Content - Create valuable content that educates your customers around their problems and struggles.
2. Conversations - Start authentic conversations with the people that you want to serve and find out how you can serve them.
3. Capturing the Email Address - Provide opportunities to access information, tools, consultations in exchange for their email address.

What type of content should you be sharing via social media?

•  Podcasts: Record a simple audio delivering content to solve one specific problem.

•  Blog posts: Write your heart out and share your knowledge and expertise to help your prospective clients.
•  Social Media Posts: Posts, images, and quotes that entertain, inspire, and speak for your ideal customers (and dream for them).

How Do You Start these conversations?

Don’t forget, it’s called social media!  Platforms like Facebook and Instagram were created to help people form relationships and build connections.  No matter how intimidating and scary some of the people on social media may look, they’re just people.  Strike up natural conversations.  Ask them about their day.  Find out what type of problems they’re struggling with.  Extend a hand to help them solve a problem.  Talk to them like normal, everyday people with a problem that you can possibly help them solve. But remember, the only way to help is to learn more about them, so always end your responses with another question!  Dig deeper!

You’ll be surprised how effective it is to say hello and ask if you can help them with anything!

What types of content and experiences (freebies) can I create to get their email address and allow them to experience more of you?

Create invitations for your ideal customers to connect with you and consume more content, in a more personal setting in exchange for their email addresses.  This allows you to communicate over time and nurture the 97% of potential customers who weren’t ready to buy on your social media.  By sending more valuable content consistently over time you are able to build the Know, Like, and Trust factor which translates into more sales for you!  Here are a few ideas of some freebies that you can offer.

• Free Webinars and calls:  Teach your audience how to do something in a 45-minute webinar or teleconference.
• Ebooks: Create a 3-10 page PDF that will allow the book worms to consume your content with ease.
• Checklists and Templates:  Tools that save time and make your ideal customers life better (or easier).

Do you need to beef up your social media profiles and add more TARGETED followers who can see your content and offers? 

 

Join me next week for my FREE, Gain Your First (or next) 100 Instagram Followers in Just 5 Days Challenge!  Grab Your Seat Today

 

Brandi L. Spencer is an Entrepreneur, Educator, and Speaker that helps women stand in their power and create the life they desire! Visit Brandi at http://brandilspencer.com for strategies and tips to build your empire with online marketing and technology tools.

Begin Each Day With Gratitude

I post a lot about gratitude.  It's one of my favorite topics.  Why?  Because it is one of the key components to my success.  When I focus on what I am thankful for each day, it helps remind me of all the progress I have made.  And when I see how far I have come, it encourages me to continue working, even on those days when I  have hit a bump in the road.


Beginning each day with gratitude may sound kind of vague and "new-agey" and not a very concrete step to take when building your business.  But there actually are things you can do to help you start each day with that "attitude of gratitude."  For example, I start each morning before I ever get out of bed just stating to myself all the things I am grateful for.  As I wake and stretch and prepare to rise and start the day, I give a silent, mental thank you for all the positive things in my life.  It takes a minute and helps me start the day on a positive note.


Now in case you think I'm crazy when I say this has contributed to my success, let's look at some research.  Studies have shown that practicing gratitude makes you happier, strengthen relationships, improves health, reduces stress, and increases resilience.  And aren't all of those qualities that contribute to being more successful?  If you are happier and have better relationships, people are more likely to want to associate with you.  The better your health, the better able you are to work on your business.  Less stress?  Who can't benefit from less stress?  And resilience is a key success factor, no matter what your walk in life is.


If you need some help finding ways to practice gratitude daily, try the exercise above.  Or keep a gratitude journal.  I have also done this for many years.  Each night before I go to bed, I simply list 5 things that I am thankful for that day.  It can be something as big as a new prospect for my business or as simple as the a nuzzle from my little dog.  It helps me end the day on a positive note and reminds me of all the things to say thank you for in the morning. 


Do you need help finding things to be grateful for?  I have a recommendation for that too!  I belong to a group called the Secret Society of Happy People.  And they host a Facebook group called Happiness in Action.  Each month they post four Happiness Challenges to be completed during the month.  These are all things that are positive and fun and always help provide me something to be thankful for!  For example, one of the activities this month was to find an old picture and print it and frame it.  Coincidentally, my sister had just emailed me a photo she found of us as children.  So it is now printed and framed and sitting in my office.  It reminds me to be thankful for family and especially for the close relationship I have with my sister even though we are 10 years and 6 hours apart!


What are you grateful for?  Leave a comment and let me know. 

Video Blogging Tool: Screencast-O-Matic

If you're looking for a way to capture your screen to use it as a video blog but don't want something as expensive as Camtasia, Screencast-O-Matic is a great option. It's free and you don't have to download anything to your computer! There is an option to download, but it works either way, so it’s perfect when you’re just getting started.

Of course, there are restrictions with the free version, as there usually are with free software. The main restrictions are you can't record anything over 15 minutes and you can't edit anything you record. If you need longer videos or the ability to edit, a paid version is available. The paid version is very affordable at $15/year. But for basic needs or when you’re just testing the vlogging waters, the free option will work just fine.

Using Screencast-O-Matic is ideal for recording how-to guides to share with your audience. Because you'll be able to capture your screen, you can walk your audience step-by-step through any process that you want to teach them. This is a useful technique because a lot of people are visual learners so being able to see (and hear you tell them) what you're doing, instead of just reading about it can make learning much easier.  Not only that, but using Screencast-O-Matic to create how-to videos also gives you the chance to show your expertise.

During the recording process, you can pause if you need to and then click record again to pick back up where you were. This is a good option to use if there's something that you don't need to share with your audience or something you don't want them to see - like logging in to a site and your password would show and you don't want them to see that. Simply hit the pause button, do what you need to do and then hit record and pick back up.

Once you have created your video, with the click of a button you can upload it to YouTube, Screencast-O-Matic or save the video file to your computer. Again, as mentioned above, if you want the ability to edit right there within Screencast-O-Matic, there is a paid version available. With the paid version, you also get the option of uploading directly to Vimeo as well.

If you're looking for a simple way to create how-to video blogs for your audience, Screencast-O-Matic is easy-to-use software that even a beginner can master. So, whether you're a pro vlogger or a newbie, be sure to check out and play around with this simple and fun tool. Aside from making vlogs for your audience, this can be a great way to make training tutorials for your team as well.

MLM Prospecting Systems that are Proven To Work

If you're serious about building a moneymaking internet marketing business, you need to concentrate on finding a considerable number of MLM prospecting systems that will work for you.

Here are a few proven systems to help get started...

Why MLM Prospecting Systems Are Important

In the world of affiliate marketing, you're paid a commission for each product you can sell, but in network marketing you can make money from selling product, and also earn commissions from the sales of your team or downline.

So now you not only receive payment on personal sales, you also earn an income on the sales of everybody on your team.

So while you might be able to produce just a couple of hundred dollars of sales a month, your team might be able to produce tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of dollars s in volume which produces a pleasant, highly leveraged passive income.

It's a very simple concept.  The more people you have in your downline, the more money you can make. The great thing about network marketing is that you are leveraging other individuals' time and benefit financially from having a big team. Obviously, a good portion of your time is used wisely sponsoring and hiring people instead of selling product.

MLM Prospecting Systems Defined

It is recommended that in network marketing you spend at least eighty percent of your time recruiting or sponsoring other people into your opportunity. This is the only possible way you may reap huge money benefits from multilevel selling. Substantial incomes can be earned in MLM by having an enormous and successful downline, who in turn will hire and sponsor other teams below them.

So what is a MLM prospecting system precisely? It's a strategy of reaching out and connecting with people who might have an interest in becoming more knowledgeable about your opportunity, directing them to a simple presentation, then following up to with a call.

Are you in or are you out? That is it. That's any MLM hiring system in brief.

Bear in mind, there aren't any wrong methods to build a successful MLM business.

There are seven-figure income earners who've built their companies by approaching only family, friends, coworkers and associates.

There are people who have built phenomenal companies by hosting tiny home conferences and meetings. Others have purchased leads and then qualified them by telephone.

Many ran advertising. And a few focused on attracting customers and potential team leaders online.

The best MLM prospecting system in the world is the one that works for you and your team. 

 Even better, embrace a bunch of MLM prospecting systems and you can just about guarantee your success.

Do you know a large number of people or have a lot of friends or a gigantic family?  Then approaching them directly may work for you.

Perhaps you are used to public speaking. Perhaps you are best talking to a bunch of people.  If so, meetings, either in your home or in meeting rooms elsewhere, may be the way to build your team.  But if not, it's best to keep clear of that strategy.

How are you at making calls? If you're snug sitting in an office calling lists of names and you are good at it, you are in the minority. But if you ARE good at it,  this may be be the way for you to get your leads. Some people are amazingly effective at cold calling and can qualify through telephone. Most people hate this strategy and if you're one of them, it's best not to even try it.

If you are ready to spend the time building an internet site, driving traffic and waiting a while for results, then internet marketing is your calling. There are a lot of MLM prospecting systems that may be found online which will aid you in generating qualified leads, and which can produce much needed money flow, regardless of whether they join your opportunity. This is the same as putting your business on autopilot.

Here is the one I suggest.