July 28, 2006

Home Business Quote of the Week...

"You've got to see things from your Prospect's point of view! Today, people are unwilling to get involved unless they're convinced you have their best interests at heart."

July 22, 2006

An Important Motivating Factor...

Here's a great little motivator from one of my favorite Network Marketing experts, Tom Schreiter:

An important motivating factor.

I had breakfast with Kay, a networking leader in Brisbane, Australia. When I asked her how she became a leader, she said:

"I worked 70-hour weeks. My sponsor asked me when my husband and I finally planned to spend time together. That really hit me. There wasn't going to be any time unless I changed my
business."

Think about it.

People get married to spend time together, but dual careers make it difficult. If a relationship is important to a couple, time together could be a powerful reason for them to become leaders in a network marketing business.

Guaranteed Traffic, Guaranteed Hits: Do They Really Work?

Guaranteed Traffic and Guaranteed Hits
Do They Really Work?

This particular question came up on one of the home based business forums...

So here's some crucial information that you'll want to know about these so-called guaranteed traffic, guaranteed hits, guaranteed visitors and guaranteed signups programs before you spend any of your money on this type of advertising.

The Question:

"Has anyone had any success with the various websites out there that promise to redirect targeted traffic to your website? If so which ones? What sort of conversion rate do you get? One sign-up or product sold per 50, per 1,000, per 100,000, etc.?

Most of them seem to involve the use of pop-ups or pop-unders, which I would guess just annoy people. I know I ignore pop-ups and pop-unders.

Thanks"

The Answer:

"There are literally thousands of websites that offer these types of guaranteed hits, guaranteed visitors, and guaranteed traffic services.

As for their conversion rates or ROI (Return on Investment), I can say that I know many, many people who have tried them, but know of no one who's had any luck with them at all.

Why They Don't Work

The main reason guaranteed traffic, guaranteed hits and guaranteed visitor programs don't work is because the traffic generated is not "organic" traffic. Basically, the hits to your website are simply "generated" via pop-ups or pop-unders on some other site.

And that's where the problem begins.

People hate pop-ups and pop-unders. You even said yourself that you ignore them. ;)

Bottom line, they're a complete waste of your time and money. You'll pay for something like 10,000 or 50,000 hits/visitors, for example, and most likely not see a darn thing as a result of them!

If you want to generate quality, targeted traffic I'd suggest trying PPC (Pay-Per-Click) instead and using more reputable companies like Google or Yahoo!. Google's PPC program is called Google AdWords. Yahoo!'s is called Sponsored Search.

And if you don't yet have a blog that you post to regularly, be sure to start one as that can also be a good source of generating traffic for you, as well as an additional income source. Anyway, good luck with everything!

Aaron"

So, if you purchase guaranteed hits, guaranteed traffic, guaranteed visitors (the terms are entirely interchangeable) or guaranteed signups for your website or home business, I can pretty much GUARANTEE that the only thing you'll have is a much thinner wallet.

You'll be seeing Red instead of seeing Green. Grrr!

Guaranteed Traffic & Hits - What to Know

  • What are guaranteed hits?
  • What is guaranteed traffic?
  • What are guaranteed visitors?
  • What are guaranteed signups?

Guaranteed hits, guaranteed traffic, and guaranteed visitors are basically hits (visitors) to your website that are purchased. These "visitors" are generally directed to your site through the use of either pop-up ads or pop-under ads.

The companies offering these services have so-called "networks of websites" in which the webmasters have agreed to display pop-up and pop-under ads on their sites. When someone visits one of these sites, your website would open up as either a pop-up or a pop-under window.

The Problems

One of the first problems with this is that no one likes pop-up or pop-under ads. In fact, people hate them! This is why pretty much no one will buy anything from your site if they've come across it via pop-up or pop-under advertising schemes.

Another huge problem with these guaranteed traffic and guaranteed hits programs is that just about everyone online these days has some type of pop-up blocking software running on their computers that totally BLOCKS these pop-up and pop-under ads.

So what this means is that your site will be blocked from loading and opening fully before anyone even sees it! Talk about money down the drain! Oh, it'll count as one of your hits or visitors, but NO ONE will have actually SEEN your webpage or what you have to offer!

Another Ugly Problem

Beyond that, there's another very UGLY problem with the guaranteed hits, guaranteed traffic and guaranteed visitor programs. And it's something that the numbskulls selling them conveniently neglect to tell you...

They're selling you traffic. So they need to get the traffic from somewhere, right? Of course. So, many times they actually use their own website to gather the traffic. Other times, they just buy traffic from other companies and resell it to you!

And worse yet, they may even go as far as to use spam emails to generate your traffic. And when your name and website is used in a spam email or spam advertising campaign, your business could be shut down entirely. You could be charged for violating the law.

What are Guaranteed Signups?

Guaranteed signups are prospects who sign up for your program. They generally join for free. In other words, they're just leads... and poor quality leads at that. For the most part, they're "incentivised" to join. -So they won't make you any money, they'll only end up costing you money.

Guaranteed Signups Spell Danger

It's common for companies to promise you guaranteed signups. But instead, they deliver harvested email addresses and personal information. This basically means that you got a bunch of people who didn't really sign up for your business.

Translation: Possible spam complaints against you!

The bottom line is this... These such guaranteed traffic and guaranteed signups programs don't work! They'll only cause you to lose money... or much worse, your business and your reputation.

Generating Good Traffic and Leads

To generate leads, "quality" traffic and quality, targeted traffic to your website, be sure to use only reputable companies and time-proven advertising mediums and marketing practices.

Advertise by using Pay-Per-Click advertising, writing and submitting articles, blogging, being an active member in online business forums, and good old-fashioned person-to-person communication.

July 21, 2006

The Internet... "It's a series of tubes"

For this week's comic relief I give you Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska.

Yep, it's simply amazing that tubes... I mean people... can actually be this friggin' stupid...

It's a series of tubes, you know.

Senator Ted (Tube) Stevens Audio
The Internet... "It's a series of tubes."

No, Ted, YOU are a tube. And you're totally clogged.

The scary thing is that this moron is the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation which is in charge of all Senate matters relating to, among other things, communications and commerce!

Since this taping, many writers and commentators mockingly cited several of Ted Stevens' total misunderstandings of Internet technology, pointing out that his speech showed that he had apparently formed very strong opinions on a topic which he knows very little about!

Now for the funny stuff...

The Daily Show Video
Jon Stewart Exposes Stevens on Net Neutrality


What is Net Neutrality? Here it is in a nutshell.

July 19, 2006

Dinner in the Sky?

Dinner in the Sky...
Anyone, Anyone?

Well, I think this pretty much takes the "cake" as one of the most bizarre ideas I've seen in a long, long time. Yep, nothing says "gourmet" like eating your dinner with 20 or so other strangers, while suspended high above the ground by a crane.

Hungry for some moist and succulent airtime? Well, Dinner in the Sky (based in Europe) will only cost you 7,900€, or about $10,000.

Holy shiitake... mushrooms, Batman!

Here's basically how it works: Dinner in the Sky seats 22 people around the table. In the middle of the table there are 3 other people: a chef, a waiter and an entertainer. Then, once you're strapped in, the table is lifted about 50 meters (164 feet) into the air by a crane.

Dinner in the Sky also comes with a second crane, that is, as the company says, "for entertainment such as a music band or a car that is being presented at the same height as the table."

Huh? A car? I think perhaps they've been cooking with the wrong type of mushrooms.

Now, I do have a few questions here: What happens if someone starts choking or gets sick? Remember, you're strapped into a chair 164 ft. about the ground! What happens if it suddenly gets real windy and rainy? And of course, what about lightning? You're essentially eating dinner while attached to a GIANT lightning rod!

Dinner in the sky? FORKget about it. -Nice hats by the way, folks.

July 17, 2006

Networking Bloggers are... well... Networking!

Network Marketing Today
MLM Today
Dave Stone Today

Gotta give a shout out to a very respectable member of the Network Marketing Industry, Dave Stone. Dave is the author of the MLM Today and Network Marketing Today blogs, and in my opinion, he's one of the more insightful individuals around when it comes to MLM and Network Marketing.

Dave was kind enough to mention me today on his Network Marketing Today blog, and I wanted to write about it here simply because of this insightfulness of his.

An Eagle-Eye for Details

See, what I've observed over time is this: Dave has an extremely sharp eye for details, trends and issues when it comes to Network Marketing and MLM. And this is portrayed most recently in the actual title of his post...

"Networking Bloggers are ...well.....networking." -Scroll down his page for the post.

A Growing Trend...

He's picked up on what I've also noticed to be a growing trend... Networking bloggers networking with each other... and networking more and more. This is definitely a good thing.

The most recent example of this is my invitation to be a regular contributor on Ty Tribble's well-known blog, The MLM Blog... as well as Dave's recent invitation to join a "team blog" that'll discuss MLM. Very, very cool.

Anyway, just wanted to give props where props are due. So again, thanks Dave. It's this type of stuff that invigorates, improves and brightens the Network Marketing Industry as a whole.

And that's pretty sweet!

What's Cool About Dave?

Well, here's what I like about his overall perspective and thought process. This is directly from his personal profile...

"I believe that Network Marketing is entering a renaissance. The days of promoting our business through hype and BS are fading. Instead, values such as honesty, integrity, dedication, and commitment are again the only real tools needed to build a successful business."

Dead on, my friend. Dead on.

July 15, 2006

The MLM Blog Welcomes Aaron Cook...

The MLM Blog Welcomes Aaron Cook

Well, I've been keeping this somewhat "under wraps" for quite some time now... ever since the end of May, actually. As George Costanza would say... I put it, "in the vault." :P

Back in May I was asked by Ty Tribble to write for the MLM Blog, which I officially started doing today. And it's definitely an honor to do so.

Now, in case you don't know about the MLM Blog, it's actually the Internet's original MLM blog. It was founded way back in 2003 by TY Tribble and thrives today as one of the main and most-visited MLM blogs. Ty himself is also the one who runs the MultiLeveler blog. Definitely a cool dude.

So I'm certainly honored to be a regular contributor to the MLM Blog. And I'd like to say thanks again Ty for having me. :)

July 14, 2006

Professional Inviter by Tim Sales

Professional Inviter
Say the Right Thing to Every Prospect

Tim Sales is well known for his MLMBrilliance website, which is home to the much-celebrated Brilliant Compensation® video. But Tim Sales has yet another killer product to help you. It's called Professional Inviter and it's unquestionably one of the best training tools on the market, bar none.

So how good is it? Well, instead of just posting a long, drawn-out description of all of its accolades and whatnot, here's what the well-known, master marketer John Milton Fogg (author of The Greatest Networker in the World) has to say about Professional Inviter...

"We featured Tim in the First Issue, October 2005, of The Network Marketing Magazine. All about Professional Inviter, plus a review of the product. And Tim made us a 12-minute tutorial audio clip of a prospecting call, just like in the Professional Inviter package. It is superb!

In my 20 years in this bus', I think Professional Inviter is one of the top five training products I have ever heard... ever! Brilliant (as in Compensation). I and we highly recommend it." - John Fogg

July 13, 2006

Blogger and WordPress Make The 100 Best...

Blogger and WordPress
Make "100 Best" List

I was reading through the new issue of PC World magazine the other day - and no, I'm not a nerd. Gosh! I mean, I did spend the whole summer with my uncle in Alaska hunting wolverines. And I shot like 50 of 'em! :P

Anyway, in the issue they named the "100 Best Products of the Year." And out of the 100, two blog publishing systems actually made the list. Sweet! So which ones were they?

Coming in at #33 is Blogger

BLOGGER Blogging Service
"It's not the most sophisticated blogging tool around, but it is free and easy to use. It works with Google's Hello to support no-cost photo hosting and posting, and you can upload pictures from your camera phone to your Blogger blog."

Coming at #95 is WordPress

WORDPRESS Blogging Tool
"Two free practical controls make this product stand out: Photos and art are resizable on the fly in side the editing space, and dividing a blog entry into two parts is simple."

So there you have it. And I think it's pretty cool that both of them actually made PC World's 100 best list. Heck yes I do!

Spy Sweeper Sweeps Up the Competition...

Spy Sweeper Sweeps Up the Competition

This month's issue of PC World magazine names the 100 best products of the year. And it's really no surprise that the antispyware program Spy Sweeper made the list.

PC World: "Spy Sweeper catches more stuff than its competitors do, and it provides sound advice on which adware and spyware pieces to remove."

PC Magazine also rates it the top antispyware program. In their words it's, "Easily the best choice for protecting PCs from spyware."

So if you want the absolute best sypware protection for your computer (and who in their right mind doesn't!), then Spy Sweeper it is.

Top 5 Ways You Can Avoid Spyware...

Top 5 Ways You Can Avoid Spyware

Are you unintentionally exposing your PC or laptop to harmful spyware, without even knowing it? Actually, most people are. So how can you avoid a nasty spyware attack?

Here are the Top 5 Ways to Avoid Spyware, courtesy of Webroot Software, Inc., makers of the well-known Spy Sweeper, which is heralded by PC Magazine as, "Easily the best choice for protecting PCs from spyware."

As spyware grows more dangerous, they've identified the top five things you can easily do to prevent malicious spyware from infecting your computer.

And here they are:

Tip #5: Update Your Operating System Frequently

Install security updates for your operating system as soon as they become available. Many spyware programs target vulnerable PCs using outdated or un-patched operating systems. Trojan horses or other nasty programs can easily get onto your PC through holes in the operating system.

Close the door on these threats by keeping your operating system patched and up-to-date.

Tip #4: Use a Software Firewall

A computer without a firewall is easy prey for hackers, worms, remote access Trojans and other online threats. Think of your PC as a revolving door of constantly streaming communications – some desirable, other dangers. A firewall watches this activity and alerts you to suspicious traffic.

Use a firewall to keep your data safe and intruders out!

Tip #3: Practice Safe Surfing

When you're online, pay attention to the sites you're surfing. Keep in mind that the more suspect the site, like adult Web sites, the more likely it is to contain spyware that could infect your PC.

If you're browsing to these sites, don't say "Yes" to anything. These unscrupulous spyware writers frequently try to trick you into downloading infected files.

Avoiding "alternative" Web sites is an easy way to prevent spyware infections.

Tip #2: Just Say NO! to Freeware

Freeware programs are notorious for including nasty spyware programs that create pop-up ads and redirect your Internet browser home page to their search page.

Many users pay the painful price for installing freeware when the bundled spyware slows their system, corrupts their hard drive or bombards them pop-up ads.

Tip #1: Use an Anti-Spyware Program

Using Spy Sweeper is the easiest way to prevent spyware infections. Spy Sweeper detects, removes and blocks more vicious spies, like 'Elite Keylogger' and 'commonname' that other programs miss.

And if a new threat comes along that doesn't match Spy Sweeper's signature files, no problem. Spy Sweeper will build a defense on the fly and neutralize the threat before it can do damage to your PC.

It provides this 360 degree protection to make sure your personal information remains confidential, your PC keeps running, and your identity stays secure.

Get a free spyware scan of your computer... Free Spyware Scan

Related: Spy Sweeper Sweeps Up the Competition

July 8, 2006

Important FTC Update: Business Opportunity Rule

Important FTC Update:
Business Opportunity Rule

If you're running a home based business opportunity, then there are definitely some "new" legal issues to which you need to pay very close attention...

As I posted back in April (Know What's Legal... and What's Not!), the FTC has very strict regulations regarding earnings claims, earnings representations, testimonials, etc.

So What's the Update?

Well, the FTC has recently released some newly-proposed rules that can greatly impact you and your home business opportunity.

The newly-proposed Business Opportunity Rule - FTC File No. R511993 (if passed) further tightens the restrictions on home business opportunities and how they're marketed and advertised.

And parts of it are not only ridiculous, but downright dangerous. They could possibly expose women (and their children) to sexual harassment, as well as sexual predators (MLMWatchDog, D.R.A.).

But aside from those grossly overlooked factors...

How Does This Effect You?

Well, to save you the time and headache of deciphering all of the legal jargon, here's are some FAQ's (and their answers) regarding the FTC's Business Opportunity Rule Number: R511993.

Direct Selling Association:

Frequently Asked Questions:
Proposed Business Opportunity Rule

Q: What is the proposed rule?
A: The proposed rule is a set of suggested regulations drafted by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) that may place certain limits on the way you do business. Like some current state laws, this rule proposes to place limits and/or additional requirements concerning earnings statements and the dissemination of information to potential sellers, among other things. This proposed rule, however, adds additional requirements on direct sellers that exceed any current state or federal law.

Q: How will the proposed rule impact my business?
A: If enacted as currently drafted, the proposed rule will do several things:

1. Require all prospective sellers to be provided with a disclosure document. This document must include information including (but not limited to):
a. The distributor’s identification information
b. Legal actions involving deceptive practices or other matters filed against the seller and/or the company in the last 10 years
c. Whether or not earnings claims are made (see section 3 for more on earnings claims);
d. The number of all direct sellers who have canceled within two years; and
e. A list of the 10 closest current or past distributors to the prospective purchaser, with personal information so that prospective purchasers may contact these references

2. Require that the disclosure document discussed above be given at least seven days before any potential seller signs a contract or makes any form of payment;

3. Under the proposed rule, an earnings claim can be considered anything from a picture of a boat or car purchased with earnings from direct sales activities, to actual dollar amounts. If earnings claims are made, additional information must be provided, including:
a. The beginning and ending dates when the earnings were achieved;
b. The number and percentage of all sellers represented by the claim; and
c. All “special characteristics” of those who made such earnings that may distinguish those sellers from others, such as geographic location.

Full List: Proposed Business Opportunity Rule FAQ's

To view the full 44-page document (PDF) in the National Archives and Records Archive Administration's Federal Register, click here.

Related Terms: 178 FTC Matter No.: R511993 16 CFR Part 437 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking: Business Opportunity Rule, Home Business Opportunity Rule, MLM Home Business Opporunity Rule, DSA

July 4, 2006

Happy 4th of July Everyone!

~July 4th, 1819 Celebration in Philadelphia~

Happy 4th of July Everyone!

Have a safe and exciting holiday!!!

July 1, 2006

Why You Should Start Brand New - Part I

Why You Should Start Brand New
Part I

If you've been in a Network Marketing/MLM home based business long enough, then you're probably no stranger at all to Tim Sales. Tim is definitely one of the "white hats" in the Network Marketing Industry.

He devotes much of his time and focus to helping people succeed in Network Marketing through his newsletter, as well as with his live conference calls.

He also helps countless thousands of people every month with his MLMBrilliance website, which is home to his much-celebrated Brilliant Compensation® and What the Wealthy Buy on Payday® movies.

So here's some soundproof advice from one of the best in the industry:

Start Brand New

Start "brand new" each time you make a phone call to a prospect...

  • Don't carry baggage from one call to the next.
  • Don't adopt your prospect's beliefs - even slightly.

If you're going to be successful you have to be solid in who you are and what you believe in. You can't be lured into believing what your prospect believes. To be really successful, you have to do just the opposite. I will tell you more about that later. Let me get back to my first point.

Don't Carry Baggage

Treat each call as if it were your first - "Don't carry baggage from one call to the next." Make yourself new again when you hang up with one prospect and get on the phone with another prospect. Let's suppose you call prospect #one and he jumps into complaining how network marketing is a pyramid. Then you go to call #two and you're actually defending network marketing to an entirely different prospect [who doesn't have that objection] instead of trying to make that person's life better. That is wrong!

Each prospect is unique, and you have to ensure that each call is unique.

Part II is here...

Also, be sure to check out Tim's highly-acclaimed Professional Inviter.

Mary Kay and GM Think Pink

General Motors and May Kay, Inc. continue to work together in a relationship that's nearly 40 years old. That's right folks, the pink Cadillacs are still going strong.

To date, GM has built approximately 100,000 pink Cadillacs for Mary Kay. An example of the attention GM shows the Mary Kay account is on full display at its factory in Hamtramck, Michigan.

The plant builds about 800 pink Cadillac DTS sedans (the top award for Mary Kay's star sellers) each year.


The Detroit News:

THINK PINK
Mary Kay loves GM for its eye-popping Cadillacs
Brett Clanton / The Detroit News

Right now, hundreds of thousands of Mary Kay cosmetics sellers are competing for a unique trophy that has distinguished the best among them for nearly 40 years -- the keys to their very own pink Cadillac.

And next month, on a stage in Dallas, a few misty-eyed winners will claim their reward.

The honor of producing the Mary Kay Cadillac has not been lost on General Motors Corp., which through the years has fought to keep the account amid competition from suitors and a slump at its Cadillac brand during the 1980s and 1990s.

But the relationship may be equally important to Mary Kay, whose brand identity has been tied to the luxury car marque from the cosmetic company's earliest days. Rewarding top sellers with, say, a pink Lexus just wouldn't be the same.

While the pink is not so pink anymore and GM is not the same company it was when the program began, the pink Cadillac has endured as the ultimate prize for the Texas makeup purveyor as the company has grown into a global empire.

Along the way, the pink Caddy has also become an American icon, immortalized in songs by Bruce Springsteen and Aretha Franklin, dropped in movies and used as a ride for Barbie. But it is perhaps best known as an unmistakable symbol of the self-made businesswomen.

Why You Should Start Brand New - Part II

Why You Should Start Brand New
Part II

Continued from Part I

Don't Adopt Your Prospect's Beliefs...

Tim Sales:

My second point of discussion- "Don't adopt your prospect's beliefs and views"- simply means that you should be secure in what you do, because no one will ever buy something (product, service or business) from someone who is wishy-washy. Many times you will hear your prospect tell you, "I'm not a natural salesperson," or "I wasn't wired that way," or "Network marketing doesn't work," and hundreds of other comments. Does that mean you should adopt (or even contemplate) their views? No! By having a strong conviction, nothing anybody says can or should sway you.

So when you talk to a prospect who has never really studied network marketing and doesn't know the business like you do, there is no way that person can be more knowledgeable than you. Don't let their opinion throw you off on what you know and why you're in the business - no matter how "successful" they've been in other businesses.