Turning Things Around

My first Success Story webinar last night was fabulous!  (And yes, I will be sharing the video here on my blog later.  But if you don't want to wait, you can find it on Facebook in my Ninja Marketers Group.)  Andy Shepherd was an amazing guest.


We talked about all sorts of things.  But one of the things we spent quite a bit of time on was mindset.  Because it's HUGE!  If you are struggling - with your business, your health, your relationships, you LIFE - and you want to turn things around, there is a way.  You have to flip how you think.


You can control how you see things.  If you focus on the negative, that's all you'll see.  But when you flip it and focus on the positive, it's just the opposite.  It's like God suddenly decides to lay out all the pieces for you and you just have to pick them up.  But the truth is they've been there all the time.  You just couldn't see them through the cloud of negativity. 


Let's start with your business.  This is a business blog after all.  I hear it all the time.  "I can't _______!"  (Fill in the blanks.  Blog.  Speak.  Do Facebook Lives.  Promote.)  "No one will listen to me.  I'm not successful yet."  Well you know what?  You're probably right.  Because you don't have confidence in yourself and that will come through in everything you do.  So if you are waiting to be successful before you have the confidence to put yourself and your business out there, you will be waiting for a very long time.  But what if I told you that success doesn't make you confident.  Confidence actually makes you successful!  Think about it.  Who would you rather do business with?  Someone who is confident in themselves and what they offer or someone who seems unsure and hesitant about their business? 


Or a theme that I see (no kidding) on social media repeatedly.  "I'm so unhappy.  I wish I could find that special guy (or girl) to share my life with.  Then I would be happier."  Really?  That's all it would take to make you happy?  Feel sorry for you.  You're going to be alone for a long, long time.  No one can fulfill all your needs that way.  Which is probably why you're still alone.  But what if I told you that relationships don't make you happy?  Happy people make relationships.  Again, think about it.  Who would you rather hang out with?  Someone who is positive and cheerful or someone who is needy and despondent?


"Yes, but you have been through so much.  It made you strong and courageous."  Well, yes...I have been through some STUFF!  But it didn't make me courageous.  Being courageous helped me face and overcome those challenges.


"I'm waiting for some results before I take more action."  Well action breeds results.  So what exactly what are you waiting for?


So here is the big mind flip that I got from my talk with Andy last night.  Whenever you feel a negative thought coming on, turn it around to something positive.  When you make a choice based on negative ideas, stop and make the opposite choice.  If you do that consistently, you will soon be surprised at the person you have become.


Remember, results don't inspire to take action, action inspires results.  This works, if you do it.  Let me know if I can help you.


Have you experienced this in your own life?  Please share in the comments.  Let's have a conversation! 

So What Exactly Do You Do Anyway?

That’s the question on everyone’s mind when they land on your site for the first time. Obviously, your header, tagline, and front page should give them a pretty good idea about you and the services you offer, but your services page is where you want to go into much more detail.

Service Page Slipups to Avoid
While it’s obvious you need a services page on your site, what’s not so obvious are the blunders you can make that might end up costing you business.

The Kitchen Sink Page:   This is a page that lists every single thing you can do, want to do, thought about doing, and have been asked to do. Simply put, while a big list of services might seem like a great idea, it can be confusing for potential clients. They won’t know what you’re really good at, or if you’re a good fit for them.

Instead, list your core strengths, include some explanation about each, and if you feel you need to expand, add a line such as “If you need other services not listed here, please contact me for a quote.”

There’s one exception to a pared down services page, and that’s if you’re operating business that truly does offer – either through subcontracting or by partnering with others – a multitude of services. If that’s the case, consider breaking up your services page into categories, such as writing, technical support, graphic design, social media management, and transcription. That will give your visitors all the information they need without looking like a laundry list of jobs.

Lacking Detail:   If your services page includes packages, it’s important to spell out exactly what is included in each. Don’t say “a) Member installation and configuration” without listing everything that is included in that package, otherwise you’ll wind up with “project creep” where clients ask for more and more time for things you never intended to provide with that package. Be very specific when promoting packages, and add a line such as “Any services not listed here will incur additional charges.”

The Sticky Question of Prices
Should you or should you not include your prices on your services page (or anywhere else)? Ask a dozen service providers and you’ll likely find they’re split right down the middle on what’s the correct choice. Ultimately, it’s up to you, but be aware that if you choose not to include prices, you may find that potential clients won’t contact you to request a quote.
 
On the other hand, if you do include your prices, you may feel you’re “scaring off” future customers.

Here’s the thing: Good customers know the value of a great virtual service provider. Your hourly or project rate will not frighten away a real customer, but they may in fact deter the “tire kickers” from wasting your time.

If you’re not comfortable naming a set price, or don’t want to be locked into a rate just because it’s stated on your site, you can simply state, “Prices start at $XX per hour. Contact me for a custom quote.” That way potential clients will know what to expect, and those who aren’t really serious won’t bother you.

How Advertising Network Marketing Will Help Your Business

If you've decided to go into network marketing, advertising is very important!  


And if you have not begun to create a website of your own, you should think about it now. Because hosting, promoting and adding good content to your own internet site or blog is the best way to make a killer advertising, network marketing, lead generation machine! 


There are platforms and tools available today that make it a snap to create an online presence.  I'm going to tell you a bit about my favorites.


The first, of course, is Blogger.  If you are reading this, then you are acquainted with it because it is the platform that hosts this blog.  I've been here since 2007.  And trust me - back then I was about as technologically challenged as they come!  I've gotten a bit better over the years - but I still like simple.  If you do too, then Blogger is the platform for you.  It is free, easy to use, and best of all - it is owned by Google.  That helps with search engine ranking!


Blogger lets you share text, photos, or video.  It has a gadget tool which makes it a breeze to add html code or simple apps to your blog.  You can also create multiple pages.  Blogs will be hosted by Google at heir subdomain of blogspot.com but you can also use a registered custom domain if you have one.  Once you set up your account, you can have up to 100 blogs!  Of course, then you have to consistently maintain 100 blogs...
 
Next is WordPress.  WordPress was first created for the purposes of blogging, but many people realized fast that a WordPress blog can be employed as a totally functional website, on which you can include a blog capability or not.  I do have a WordPress site at MelodieannOnline.  You will notice, however, that it is woefully out of date.  I personally find WordPress more difficult than Blogger.  That does not mean you shouldn't check it out.  It does have some amazing capabilities - which is why I have not completely abandoned it!  You never know - I might just figure it out one day!  WordPress has both free and paid options, depending on what functionality you are looking for.


Last we have SoloBuildIt.  This is my platform of choice for may main websites, Boomer Business Ideas and MelodieannWhiteley.com.  (If you check these out, you may have to be patient while navigating as I just hired someone to give them both a major overhaul!)  I am not going to go indepth about SoloBuildIt  here.  I wrote a post about The BoomerBizCoach Tested and Approved Tool That Makes Online Business Success Doable.


These tools are easy to use to build your site.  But it still has to be promoted just like any website.  It's never going to be found and get traffic if you don't get out onto the web and publicize or promote it.



Forums and other Blogs for Advertising Network Marketing




Take part in forums that permit "do follow" links. This implies that each time you post on a forum relevant to your service or product, you can place a link to your website, and people can click thru and get more info.



 Social Media Sites for Advertising Multi-Level Marketing



Facebook lets you set up a page devoted to your business, and your business actually should ideally be kept separate from your private page.



You can promote your products on Facebook thru paid advertising. The facility Facebook offers for choosing the proper demographics for your network marketing advertising makes it extraordinarily easy to reach your exact target market. 


Video Advertising on YouTube


Though YouTube is a social media site, it is one of the finest places for advertising your network marketing efforts.



All you need is a microphone and a camera, or these days just a quality smartphone, and you will quickly brand yourself and your product and if you do it right, it's the best destination to gain a following and make some sales.



By showing your face, you are effectively branding yourself and if you do it properly you may gain a large following.  Many marketers make thousands of dollars a month from YouTube.



 Article Writing is Extremely Important



Write informative and helpful articles about your product and these can be submitted to article sites. There are some sites that will submit your articles to many article sites at the same time, and these will save everyone a lot of time.



They are the best method to get your articles out onto the web. Each article contains a link to your internet site, so you can get plenty of traffic from them.



Thoroughly chosen keywords from your articles can get picked up by the major search engines and come up in searches, so that they can be great exposure and bring you good traffic.



Why you need to create an advertising network marketing machine is to help generate leads.



Lots and lots of leads. Because leads are the name of the game. Without leads you do not have a business.



There are many different ways to publicize your business, some much more effective than others.  Here's the best advertising network marketing system I have used to literally create leads on demand and build my groups fast.

The Fat Lady is Singing!

Did you like that title?  I hope so!  I used it to get you to read this blog post.  And if you are - it worked!  A perfect demonstration of how a good title or great headline can increase your open rate.

But that is not what I wanted to write about today.  Today I really wanted to talk about being fat.

Because I am fat!  In fact, that's how I got into the whole network marketing thing.  Looking for that perfect weight loss product that was going to make me skinny again, but still let me eat whatever I wanted and not work out.  By the way, I'm still looking for that one.  And I'm still fat.  But hopefully not for long.


If you follow me on Facebook, then you recently saw my video and Facebook Live where I publicly announced my goals - yes, including my weight loss goal - for the coming months.  Why would I put myself out there like that?  Won't I be embarrassed if I fail?  Well - yeah.  Probably.  And that's why I did it.  Extra accountability.  Now everyone on Facebook knows my goals.  And if I don't reach them, I'd better have some solid reasons why.  It sure is an extra incentive whenever I want to watch TV instead of write or eat that Brownie. 


It has been scientifically documented that publicly announcing your goals means you are much more likely to achieve them.  And I think this is partly why!


Now of course I can't just embark on a weight loss program.  You know I have to try to help others along the way.  And so I have decided to document my journey.  You can read all about my story here if you like.  I just started that blog.  Two posts so far.  But it's going to be a juicy site!


I'm tired of watching all the hype about products that don't work and diets that fail and meanwhile, we just get fatter and sicker. 


And that's the purpose of my blog post here.  To introduce you to my new weight loss blog.  To encourage you to join me if you have the need.  To watch as I use the blog to promote my weight loss products (you didn't think I was going to skip the business part of that did you?)


I am hell bent on changing some lives this year!  Are you one of them?  Let me know!  Share your goals in the comments.  Remember, publicly sharing means your much more likely to achieve them!

Marching To the Beat of My Own Drum

You know what's fun?  Reading back through blog posts from the very beginning of my entrepreneurial journey and seeing how I have evolved.  You can see all the zigs and zags, the trial and error.  And you can see where I stopped trying to be like everybody else and decided to just be me.

That was, of course, when everything started to fall into place for me.  The day I decided what I really wanted, what I needed, and what I had to have in order to achieve my goals - that was the day that my life started to change.  I had spent a lot of time trying to look and sound like other marketers I knew.  And I couldn't.  And that kept me from doing what I needed to do.

Write a blog post every day!  That was the success formula for one of my mentors.  Well you know what?  I couldn't!  And so since I couldn't do one every day, I sometimes wouldn't do them for weeks.  I mean, if you can't do it right, why bother to do it at all. 

Always sound like the expert.  More advice.  Well I'm not.  Yes, I have a wonderful vocabulary.  I can throw out multi-syllabic words with the best of them.  And I even know what most of them mean!  But I don't talk like that.  Most people don't.  And I don't write like that most of the time.  I write just like I talk.  Simple. Easy to understand. Blunt and in-your-face when needed.  Casual.  But that would mean that people wouldn't take me seriously, right?  So better not to publish anything.  Don't want to look silly!

Dress for success!  Now I don't mind getting dressed up when I have a reason.  But when I'm home, I'm in T-shirt and sweat pants in the summer, and sweatshirt and sweat pants in the winter.  Sometimes, if I have to go into town for something, I'll put on a pair of jeans.  And there are many days when I never get out of my jammies.  That's one of the bennies of working from home!  But no videos, selfies, or Facebook Lives because people would see how I really was and that couldn't happen.

The list of things I was told I should do goes on and on.  And I discovered I couldn't do most of these things,

But I have a book that's a number one best-seller!  And a blog that has lots of loyal readers.  And I have had more positive comments on the spur-of-the-moment videos I've done while still in my jammies then my more scripted formal presentations.  And my Lives?  They are downright entertaining at times!

How is all of this possible?  I'm not doing any of the things my early mentors told me I should. 

On the day that changed everything for me, I got one piece of advice - the most important advice I have ever received.  Be yourself!  Stop trying to be what you think you are supposed to be and start being yourself.  If something doesn't feel right or natural, don't do it!  Because then you just look phony.  And people dislike phony - a lot!

Looking back at my early mentors, I see now that this is what they were doing.  Each of them followed their own path.  They led the way in their areas of comfort whether it was blogging, or video marketing, or public speaking.  And they weren't trying to create a "mini-me."  They were just sharing what worked for them.  My problem was that instead of taking what they shared and giving it my own personal touch, I tried to look and act just like them. 

So now I march to the beat of my own drum!  Which includes videos and FB lives in jammies, sweatshirts, T-shirts, and some even in my Sunday-go-to-meeting attire.  My book is a bestseller because it speaks to people like a friend or trusted teacher, not some stuffy know-it-all.  Look through my FB feed and you'll find selfies of me with some internet marketing bigwigs and I am looking good in some of them.  But you'll also find some of me soaking wet from the rain or the dogs, in costume at Sci-Fi conventions, sweaty from a workout, and yes - in my jammies.  But when I speak or write, it comes from my heart.  It is filled with something I need to say to help others who are still struggling.  And because of that, people listen.  They aren't fixated on what I look like or sound like.  And those that are?  Well - they probably aren't anyone I would want to work with anyway!

That's the message I have for you today.  Be yourself.  Create a plan that's right for YOU.  Do the things that feel comfortable and natural for YOU.  And as you become for successful and more experienced, stretch that comfort zone a little.  Try something new.  If it works, yay!  If it doesn't or it just doesn't feel right, forget it and move on. 

Just remember - you are not alone!  There are a lot of us out here that are marching along to the beat of our own drums.  Care to join us?  Here is where we hang out!

An Even Faster, Easier Way to Instant Credibility

I published my book for one reason - street cred.  Credibility is CRITICAL to your success.  Especially now when so many people are tired of all the internet hype, instant "experts", and "gurus" who provide no value.  Yes, social media and social proof is great.  But it's not enough anymore.  And that's why I published my book.

I wrote about this back in 2015.  I recommended everyone publish a book because it was the best way to raise your perceived level of expertise.  And some of you have. 

But some of you are still shaking your head, thinking no way. That's great for you.  You know someone who owns a publishing company.  You aren't working two jobs to make ends meet.  You don't have a family that needs your attention.  But I don't have time to do this. I don't know what I'd write about. It's too hard to get a book published. Nope, I just can't do this.
 
But what if you could?  Think how cool that would be!  Adding "author" to your list of accomplishments is an amazing feeling and opens doors you never dreamed of. 

Well I am going to tell you that it is entirely possible!  With all the technology advances and access to things like Amazon, writing a book is a lot more doable today than it ever used to be. Gone are those days of having to find a publisher to pitch your book to and waiting to see whether they'll accept it or reject it. Now, it's just a matter of writing the content - and if you've already been blogging for a while, you have a wealth of content available for repurposing.
 There's just something that screams expert when you can say you're an author. This builds a level of credibility that can't be beat. Think about it: anybody can set up a blog and start sharing their expertise on a topic. Anybody can write articles and submit them to directories or share on other blogs as a guest expert. Anybody can be a guest on a podcast. But not everybody will put in the time and effort to become an author. If you take the time to do this, not only are you building your credibility, but you're also a step ahead of many others in the market. That’s the power of publishing a book. But what if you could do all that in minutes.  Impossible you say?  Not anymore!  Because today we have the E-BOOK!

And now you can create your 1ST E-BOOK in minutes for instant authority!

My free download gives you step-by-step PDF + Video to create your 1st E-Book even if you're brand new (FREE tools included!)

Leverage your e-book to Get 11+ Leads / Day!

Easily create your e-book image

Quickly find unlimited topics for your e-books

Become THE leader in your industry
 
Best of all - ZERO tech skills required!. You know me...I'm not very techie!
 
A book is an excellent way to build your credibility. Now is the time to do it.

Click here to get your free download!

Offering Hope To Continue On

Welcome to Boomer Business Coach!  If this is your first visit, I am glad you are here.  If you are a repeat visitor, welcome back.  Your continued support is greatly appreciated!

When I first started this blog back in 2007, it was meant to be a way to chronicle my own entrepreneurial journey.  I was just starting out and truly had no idea what I was doing.  I just knew that I needed to do SOMETHING different.  I had been in network marketing and that was bringing in a decent income.  But I'll admit it.  It wasn't easy.  I knew I needed to learn to harness the power of this thing called the internet. 

Since then it has changed and grown into a blog designed to provide resources to help you live life on your terms.  I still share my own experiences so you can watch as I try something new.  But you'll also find book recommendations, business tips, personal reflections, profiles of interesting people I have met, and more.  But mostly what you'll find is HOPE. 


This blog is my way of connecting with and supporting you.  It's my way of helping find solutions to problems you might be having, answering questions you might be asking, introducing you to someone else that might just be the person you need to meet right how.  It's my platform to say, "Don't give up!  If I can do this, so can you."  It's a place to offer hope - hope that when you are about to quit, you can find a way to continue on.


I have been here for over 10 years.  I hope to continue to teach and inspire and motivate you for many years to come.


I recently celebrated my 60th birthday.  And yes, I celebrated!  Because at 60, I am still able to move and work and play with grandkids.  I am blessed beyond measure to be physically and financially healthy.  But no matter what, with age comes change.  And at a recent event I attended, I had a chance to meditate deeply on where I was and where I wanted to be.


And so some changes.  I don't know exactly what they might be.  I just know that I have been feeling restless and the event just focused a light on that.  I know there will be more travel and events.  I believe you become what you consume - whether it be food, knowledge, or experiences - and so I will be on a quest to fill myself with all that is unique, interesting, and nourishing. 


I know I will be taking more time to relax and play.  Play is critical.  And I don't do it often enough. 


And there will be family.  They are my "why".  The thing that has kept me going when I have wanted to walk away.


But one thing that will not change is this - I will still be here offering hope to anyone who wants a better life.


If you want to start a business, but don't know what or how, contact me.  I can help.


If you have a business, but you aren't growing like you want, contact me.  I can help.


If you are looking for a community of supportive, caring, entrepreneurs to hang out with, contact me.  I have a couple you might be interested in.


If your health isn't as good as it could be or your weight is more than you like, contact me.  I'll show what I did to turn mine around.


And if all you want to do is drop by this blog from time to time and check things out, feel free.  That's why I'm here.


I'm not sure what the next 10 years will bring.  But I do know that each new day gives me another reason to be grateful and to thank God for all he has provided me.  I'm excited to see what lies ahead.  Are you?  Then let's see what's out there!