How To Make Attraction Marketing Work for You- Part 3

http://www.sheldonskingdom.com/blog In this article you’ll find out three tips on getting yourself motivated to take action. You’ll know how to think big and using attraction marketing to make money.

Ensure Satisfaction for Your Customers and Downline Members

http://www.sheldonskingdom.com/blog This video talks about why you need to keep everyone who does business with you satisfied of their decision to ensure your future in business and to profit.

A Great Attraction Marketing/Leadership Conversation I Had

http://www.sheldonskingdom.com/blog This is a quick audio recording of a conversation I had with a buddy of mine who's into attraction marketing. It's a nice entertaining and valuable listen. 

Using Creativity When Providing Value

http://www.sheldonskingdom.com/blog This video talks about the importance of value marketing, and ways you can give back to downline members and customers who do business with you.

Utilizing Twitter Marketing for Your MLM Home Based Business

http://www.sheldonskingdom.com/blog Find out in this article how using Twitter can explode your MLM business. You will know what Internet MLM Marketing is all about through using this site.

Never Shut Down Your Marketing

You'll find out the one thing had hinders most people from being effective leaders & achieving success. For more Attraction Marketing & Leadership Tips, visit my blog at www.sheldonskingdom.com/blog.

How Probing Questions Are a Way of Handling Objections

This is a article there are tips on what to ask prospects when they’re not ready to buy. For more Attraction Marketing & Leadership Secrets, check out my blog at http://www.sheldonskingdom.com/blog.

Twitter-Email Marketing & Leadership

I have 3 blog posts on increasing followers on Twitter, An email mistake to avoid, & having vision. For more Attraction Marketing & Leadership Secrets, visit my blog at www.sheldonskingdom.com.

The Difference Between Organic SEO & PPC

You will find out the difference between SEO & PPC, & why SEO techniques are very important on ranking on top of Google. For more marketing tips visit http://www.sheldonskingdom.com/blog.

Check Out My New Blog www.sheldonskingdom.com/blog For Attraction Marketing Secrets

To all my Readers,

I want to let everyone know that I'm not longer going to be posting any content on this blog. The reason being, is now I have a new blog hosted under my own domain name under Word Press. I encourage you to go check it out (http://www.sheldonskingdom.com/blog). I'm going to be posting a ton of content in regards to general marketing, attraction marketing, business, and leadership.

These are free tips and strategies for you to have in order to boost your business. And they are tips you can find no where else. Also stay tuned for I'll also be posting product reviews that you can either use for your business, and that you need to stay away from. Thank you for taking the time to read my content on sheldonmarktingguru.blogspot.com. Now I found a new home, and I encourage you to read further more on the content. Again the new website is http://www.sheldonskingdom.com/blog. Hope to see you there. God bless.

The Power of Content Marketing

How would you like it if you got paid just form providing value to your prospects? How about in such a way that you're top ranked in popular search engines like Google, you're known everywhere based on your content, to the point where you're generating endless leads.

Trust me this is all possible. But if you're one of those people that has been pitching your business opportunity to your prospects whether it's through word of mouth, or through wall posts on Facebook, it's time for you to stop. You're probably one of those people that's struggling to even get one lead this way.

I see it happen all the time on Facebook, and on Twitter. People post links to their sales pages, but don't realize that the people they're sending it to either are already part of a different business, or they're already part of their opportunity that they're promoting. Worst off, posting the same content over and over again makes them look like spammers, which prospects resent.

If you don't want to be a part of the 98% of Network Marketers that struggle in the industry, set yourself apart and provide content that targets your specific audience. The type of content can include: articles, blogs, videos, charts, documents, step by step instructions, etc. In order for you to generate leads and profits, you must learn to give. Givers always receive ten times the fortune for what they provide.

If you don't know what to provide, start educating yourself through reading books and courses, and then apply what you learned to your audience. The few Network Marketers that are doing it this way are getting the big time profits, and are leaders of their primary business. Now it's time for you to be one of those people.

How Google Wave May Change How You Market Online

Social media sites like Twitter and Facebook have made their mark in the Social Media industry. They have their own special niche and usage to marketers and prospects. The use of videos and photos have changed, with social media sites allowing people to organize and create photo albums. And with the option to join and create groups, there's plenty of options with interaction and sharing content.

Think of Google Wave like a social media site, with the option to share a wave of content with other people, organize the content, all in real-time. Think of Google Wave as a instant messenger, only with the option to see what other people are typing and the photos, documents, and videos that they post for other people to see. Not only that, but with the ability to edit content people post on Google Wave, makes this service all the better. Not only that, people can jump into a "wave" or conversation that's taken place, and you'll be able to enter waves of interactions with other people.

For anyone that's used online conference programs like Go-To-Meeting may find Google Wave useful. Marketers can find this option as a delight for handling projects, having group meetings, and brainstorming, while gamers and families can use them to share photos, and even play interactive games. How does this service sound? Sounds great given the many things people will be able to do with it.

Though Google Wave may not fully change the way people use Social Media, it's definitely going to be a new and innovate way for people to interact, share content, and market their small business. It's like a new wave technology is being introduced, and Google continues to stay innovative. Yahoo and Microsoft may try and play catch up, but Google will continue to stay a step ahead of them.

It's About Your Mindset

You may hear from a lot of people that skills and having good technique will help you to become successful in business, but it's much more than that. I was listening to an audio book today while working out at the gym, and it was telling me about what most people think in their minds when it comes to business is illusional.

A lot of people focus on what it looks like, instead of the end results they can receive from hanging in there. Examples of what it looks like are: no generating the amount of leads in a day that they would of liked, receiving rejection from prospects, not a lot of people showing up to your business event at first, etc.

What I also learned today is that 90% of what takes place comes from the mind first, and 10% is from taking action. Your mind thinks about 2,000-3,000 different things a day on average. It's very easy to cloud your mind with endless thoughts, and ending up not getting anything done.

When you wake up in the morning your main focus should be your tasks for the day. You should write down everyday what you need to get done the next day. Write down at least five things you need to get done the next day, and remember that your day doesn't end until all five things are done that day, no matter what it takes.

Boost Your Marketing Productivity on Twitter by 300%

Ae you using Twitter but like a faster way to follow more people, post tweets, and respond to direct messages, while also having the ability to post messages on auto-pilot? Well read on. I just started using this software called Tweet Adder, and let me tell you it's a great piece of software for anyone using Twitter to to market themselves and their business.

For only $50, you can use this software to explode your business. Upon using the software, my production increase 300%. I spend less time having to follow every individual person and sending every person a message. One example of how efficient this software is, is that I did a search of other network marketers. I just typed in the search box "MLM," and it wielded over a thousand results of potential prospects. Then based on the results from my search, I'm able to follow all those people just from the click of a button. Aside from that, you can also follow people that are follow you. This software keeps tabs of everything taking place, from followers to conversions, etc.

You get these great benefits you can use for Twitter marketing for only $50. That's it. This is a great bargain for your buck to save up a lot of time when marketing on Twitter. By doing this, expect to see some great results. This software is also Mac and Windows compatible, and comes available as a download after purchase. To view the software, or make a purchase, click here: Tweet Adder.

Plan Your Marketing Methods to Last

You might have several marketing methods (ads, commercials, etc.) in place you plan to use for marketing yourself or your business. However, how long do you plan to implement those strategies? What if you aren't seeing the results within a month after implementing those methods? Do you plan to drop the plan and pursue other methods?

If you're one of those people I'm talking about, please read on. Whatever you do, keep your marketing plan consistent. You can't expect quick results after only three months of advertising. Remember prospects are exposed to thousands of marketing messages daily. And guess what, a lot of those messages are downright terrible. Instead of offering value to prospects, traditional marketing is about pitching their products and services to them in hopes of gaining access to their pocketbook.

What does that mean for you? First off it's your chance to separate yourself from the pack. One method is writing effective headlines in your ad copies that explain benefits to your target market.

More importantly, in the times where people are cutting back on marketing, you should be focusing on executing an all out marketing attack on your prospects. And lastly, make sure you set your marketing methods and marketing budget to last a good year before revising. That means if you plan to use Facebook and Pay-Per-Click as your methods, be sure to put in the time and money needed to last a year and track your results.

Again, prospects are exposed to several marketing messages daily. There's so much clutter that they aren't going to remember your ad right away. They need to see it several times before they finally take the initiative to find out more about you. That said, definitely get started now if you haven't already. If you need help on setting up your marketing strategy, email me at sheldon.marketing@yahoo.com.

Make Money By Walking to Your MailBox

Hi everyone just over a week ago I heard about this new social networking website where you can receive money just by receiving mail from marketers that are trying to advertise their products and services to you.

I decided to check it out, and the set up is very easy and straight forward. You don't have to pay to join this site at all. Also, you can get paid by referring other people to sign up under your account. So you are able to form a downline of people. Not only that, you can get paid from their earnings as well.

This is a great way to build a small amount of income that can keep you in the MLM industry for awhile. Most Network Marketers are spending more than what they make. This is the time to turn that around. To find out more info on this great website, or to sign up, Click Here Now.

An Important Question You Should Ask Your Prospects

If you're using several marketing methods to help grow your business, here's something you should ask yourself: "How do I know what marketing methods are working, and which ones aren't?"

Now if you're advertising on magazines, using Googles Adwords, or sending out online press releases through a online press release distributor, then you definitely need to know the answer to this question. The reason why you want to know, is so you can save money in the long run.

You have the marketing methods in place that you want to use, and your phone is ringing off the hook all day. You're flooded with emails from prospects interested on what you have to offer. The problem is, you don't know where they're coming from. So how do you know where they're coming from.

You don't necessarily have to have the most advanced database management program to find out. All you have to do is when on you're on the phone with a prospect or when emailing them back, is ask them this simple question: "How did you hear about me?"

Seems simple? It definitely can be. Prospects are more than happy to tell you how they heard about you. If their response is "I don't know," then you need to ask more specific questions like: "Did you find my ad from Business Opportunity Magazine?" or "What radio stations do you listen to?" By asking specific questions, prospects will tend to remember where they heard you from.

If you have Notepad, Word, or Excel on your computer, list all the methods that you use on one of those programs, and jot down the answers from your prospects. So if more people are hearing from you on magazines, and very few people are hearing from you on Google Adwords, then you should stop advertising on Adwords and focus your marketing dollars and time on magazines.

When you follow this simple method, expect huge profits in the long run, and a whole lot of time and money saved.

A Must Read on How to Provide Value and Be a Leader

There's a lot of people in the Network Marketing business. And many of them are struggling in the industry because they don't know about marketing. Even if some people in the industry do know about marketing, what are they marketing exactly?

If you're reading messages from people on their business opportunity, how their company is brand new and growing fast, and how they have the best product that dominates the competition, then they're pitching their business opportunity, and that's the wrong way to do it.

People who have their own Networking Companies don't care about your opportunity. They care about learning how to succeed and what value you can provide to them.

If you like to learn more on how important it is to become a leader and provide value to every prospect you come in contact with, then you must read this book I read on Magnetic Sponsoring by Mike Dillard, who is a mogul in the MLM industry. I read it throughly and can say it's a great book. You'll want to read it again after you read it the first time. It's that good. To get this book and also Seven Free Boot Camp videos: Click Here.

You won't be disappointed after reading it. I hope it'll motivate you to take action.

Learn How You Can Generate 50 leads a Day in Complete Auto-Pilot

I used to market a company replicated website and these were the results:

- I was pitching my opportunity to unqualified prospects, friends and family.

- I was cold calling to prospects only to experience objection.

- It was a constant struggle and I was chasing people all day.

- I created ZERO profit and LARGE Expenses over 6 years doing business this way.

That was 6 years ago. Then I finally learned what the top earners were doing (and keeping secretively from the rest of the 98% of struggling networkers) and a whole new range of possibilities opened up.

I quickly have learned and implemented this simple formula that can allow you to generate 30, 50, 100, or even 200 leads a day. With this system, you can be generating 30 leads a day within 30 days or less.

Not only that, but I can teach you how to generate endless leads for free using strategies I learned from using this system.

Generating leads is incredibly simple if you know how to do things right... Are you finally ready to stop struggling online, chasing your family and friends, calling prospects you don’t know??? Are you ready to make endless profits from the endless leads you bring in???

http://www.leadmarketingsystem.com

You can use the exact systems, tools and marketing strategies we use to rake in over $10,000+ every single month with our businesses.

You can do it too, once you learn how.

Learn how to generate leads online with ANY MLM business: http://www.leadmarketingsystem.com

To Your Success,

Sheldon Alexander

916-647-7039

Attraction Marketing Expert

sheldon.marketing@yahoo.com

http://www.leadmarketingsystem.com

Achieve Great Health and Financial Independence

I just joined this great company called The Trump Network. Just a few weeks ago Donald Trump partnered in his own wellness, weight loss and anti-aging networking company, which provides customized health products give your body the right amount of nutrients it needs. What that means is no longer buying health products that are meant for everyone. You can have your own health products that fit your specific needs.

Also, there's a great business opportunity of being a part of the Trump Network. This November, Donald Trump will be announcing the business through a mass media campaign. He'll be appearing on shows like Oprah and Larry King to talk about this business. Once this company is announced, there will be a giant blitz of people eager to find out more on the opportunities.

By being a part of the company early, you have a chance to build the foundation of the company early, while achieving financial wealth. There's an opportunity to make huge amount of money in this business. We are looking for people who are sharp and determined to make a difference in the health and wellness industry. If you are ambitious, goal driven, and looking to join a team that will help you to reach your financial goals, then this business is just for you.

To find out more on this great opportunity, contact me at 916-647-7039 or at sheldon.marketing@yahoo.com. You can also check out my website at www.trumpnetwork.com/sheldonalexander.

Need a Personal or Business Loan? Check out this Site.

Have you been going to the banks asking for loans with little to no success? Are you getting turned down every time, but really need funds for personal and/or business purposes? Well I found out a good site you can check out.

When I was coming home from working out my mom, who's the owner of Heavenly Essence, Inc. (www.heavenlyessence.net), was looking through the website www.prosper.com, where millions of investors can be reached that are willing to invest in your company. Best of all, the base rates for what you lend from investors are lower than what you would get from if you received a laon from a bank.

All you need is to set up and account, and list some info about your business, how much you need, and what you'll be using the funds for. In addition, I suggest you forecast what you plan to make within a long term period. This way investors will believe you'll make a profit and will be able to pay them back.

Never Shut Down Your Marketing

Marketing is one area companies may tend to put on the back burner when times are rough. But if you run a business, and you want to set yourself apart from the rest, be sure to never take marketing out of your plans. Despite how things are going on in the economy, even if people aren't showing interest in your product or service, you should not cut down on your marketing.

What you should do is find the right marketing methods to use for your business. Use methods that target your audience, which means research what media outlets your audience watches or reads. And you should put in from 7% to 10% of your funds into marketing. Don't have the budget? There are ways you can market your product or service with little to no cost.

One book you can read that has more info on that is Guerrilla Marketing For Free by Jay Conrad Levinson. There's 100 ways to market your product or service free of cost. All you need to do mostly to put in your time and energy to make the marketing methods explained in that book to work for you.

Ultilizing the Power of Twitter

When using social networks, be sure to fully understand the features of the social network you're using. Most importantly, make sure you check and see if your target market uses certain sites.

Recently our company Heavenly Essence found out a lot of people who've been following us are health conscious and are seeking green products. Also, other people who followed us were companies who supported natural products, and promoted free samples from their sites.

If you offer free samples or free trails of your products or services, I highly recommend using twitter to get the word out about what you have to offer. For the people that follow you will actually re post your message of your free samples on their site. And if they have a massive amount of followers on their profile, what do you think may happen? You guessed it, potential business.

That was the case on our company, which experienced a massive amount of requests for free samples, just because of how our followers were promoting our free samples for us to their followers. And now from those people who requested free samples, will lead to potential lifelong customers. So if I were you, take advantage of how Twitter can help generate potential business.

If you like, you can follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/HeavenlyEssence.

Sign Up for Our Look Great Feel Good Email Newsletter

Heavenly Essence, Inc., creators of Pure'ity hair care products, provides the solution for people with hair problems and sensitivities to allergy causing hair products. Want to find out how to keep your hair, your health, and your body looking and feeling best? 

Now you can. If you like tips on improving and maintaining your hair, body, and mind, you can sign up for our FREE Look Great Feel Good Newsletter. You'll also get updates and offers on Pure'ity hair care products, and how they benefit your hair and your health. 

To sign up for this newsletter, click here. 

Events: VRC Health Seminar

Sacramento, CA – Heavenly Essence, Inc. announces its sponsorship of a health conference hosted by Victory Restoration Center (VRC) on July 11, 2009.

There will be a special guest speaker that will talk about chronic illnesses that affect the Sacramento community, as well as health instructors and a health minister. This will be an event of how to deal with any illnesses, stay healthy through proper eating and nutrition, and to

Heavenly Essence, Inc. believes in maintaining good hair but also good health. They will push stress that beyond just providing the right ingredients into a consumer’s hair, that people should also take into account of eating healthy, ways to remove stress levels, and also to help prevent cancer.

The cost of admission for this health conference is $30.00, and it includes a meal, some gifts items, a Conference bag, and free samples from Heavenly Essence, Inc and other sponsors.

The event location and time is at:

 Victory Restoration Center

1969 Burnett Way,

Sacramento, CA 95818

9:00AM-3:00PM

For more information of the event, you can visit the Heavenly Essence website at www.heavenlyessence.net, or contact Gigi Ogans, the Health Minister of Victory Restoration Center, at 916-647-1860 or at Ladyhealth@vrcvip.org. 

Offering Value

This is an area companies don't provide. If you're a small business owner, you should ask yourself, what can I provide to my customers as a bonus for them doing business with me? What our company does is give customers thank you cards. Something as simple as a thank you card is enough to make the customer feel appreciated for their time and money they spend on you. They'll remember you for that, and it's crucial so that you stand apart from everyone else.

Whatever your product or service is, offer something that'll make the customer feel glad they did business with you. Take into account also that you could provide something that is of no cost to you that can make a consumer's life better. 

That no cost method is free information. Offer that in a chart, checklist, or a step-by-step procedure that's easy to read and that offers good instructions that the consumer can use right away. One example a marketing free lancer we know offered was twenty snacks that are under 200 calories. This is perfect for people looking to lose weight and get in shape, but still need a snack here and there to get through the day. 

Make a list of at least five things you can offer of value that is low cost. Offer one of them to each person that purchases and track to see which of those five things offers the most value, and stick with that item. Track them by following up with existing buyers and ask how they like that item you gave them extra. 

What can you offer of value? How will your customers who buy from you remember you? How can you get them to keep coming back for more? Provide value, and see how you'll stand apart from your competitors. 

Customer Satisfaction: Something Hard to Receive These Days

I'm recently having a moment of dissatisfaction with a company who has not delivered my items I ordered two months ago. And as I keep calling them to ask for my refund (for they charged my card without ever shipping the packages) my calls aren't being returned. Not going to name the company, but I will say this, it's the worst type of situation I've ever had with a company.

And they have a voicemail message with part of it saying "Your call is very important to us." If it was important they would call back. And as I continue to deal with them I may have to take further action. This is a company with no structure for good customer service. This is a company with lack of communication. And this is something that may drive them out of business, for they lost my business forever, and they will lose other people's business as well. 

I am writing this because there are several companies out there that don't place emphasis on customer satisfaction. Customer calls aren't returned, there's long waiting periods, customers are directed to several departments for no reason, and customer service reps are sometimes outright rude. Companies don't realize that they lose potential repeat revenue from satisfied customers. Without customers purchasing their products, companies can't survive.

Fed Ex, the shipping company, pays $100 for every customer that's upset and dissatisfied over their package shipments. No questions asked. Why is that? Because for example, if you keep a satisfied customer, and he's paying $185 a week to ship packages out, $9,620 a year, $96,200 in ten years, and then he's dissatisfied with one package, it's better to pay that $100 and apologize for the situation rather than angry him more through remarks and lose the potential revenue off that one person alone. 

Once companies realize that, they'll look at providing customer satisfaction a lot differently. Since customer satisfaction has gone untapped, those who provide that first will come out on top. 

Education Really Matters

I was reading this article posted in April 22nd of this year (you can find it on here on http://www.ballerstatus.com/2009/04/22/retired-nfl-coach-tony-dungy-spending-retirement-in-prison/) and it was talking about how there's a 67% chance that you can end up incarcerated if you didn't have a high school diploma. This is from an interview with Tony Dungy, the retired coach of the Indianapolis Colts. He spends hie time now visiting prison facilities, and inspiring inmates to change their direction in life.

I look at that article and what he says seems very true. For some people I knew from high school are either dead, in prison, or physically impaired for life. A few are probably still living the street life. None of these people I knew graduated high school. Some of them dropped out of high school and went out on their own, living the life they wanted. A few gave up at the last minute. 

I had said to myself, that we would walk into the real world right after high school. And it's real indeed. So it is time for us as adults to inspire children to stay in school, and stay focused. If you're a parent, you have to keep them focused, and teach them how to behave and what is right and wrong. 

Because once someone has a diploma, they don't necessarily have to go to college to be successful. They can choose to be entrepreneurs, go to trade school to learn a profession, become proficient in singing or dancing, or work a 9 to 5 job. Overall, it's important that kids be taught that they can succeed and don't have to go the wrong path. 

Why Objections Are Necessary in Sales

When I worked at Apple Computer as a Sales Rep there, I used to hate objections. Still now I get bothered by them, but they are what you need in order to sell effectively. Often I would build rapport, ask open ended probing questions, and offered the right computer for a particular prospect, with the right software and accessories to suit their needs. 

I would then ask if that's what they are looking for, and they would say yes. I would ask them if they could see themselves using the computer and items I recommended, and they would say yes. But when I said, "Great let's check out now so we can get this order placed," the prospect would then say, "No." 

So why is it after I asked them if they are confident in my solution and that they can see themselves using the computer they still stay no? The reason is there's still a grudge the prospect is holding that is keeping them from completing the order process. People hate making decisions, especially big decisions. And if you purchased an Apple computer, you made a huge investment. 

So you have to asked something like, "Ok I asked you the kind of work you'd be doing, and you approved of the solution I've given you related to what you'll be doing. What's holding you back from completing this order?" I've used to ask these types of questions to dig in to see what was keeping them from saying yes. And at that point, they'll be open to explain why. Sometimes however, you have to back track and ask them questions pertaining to their current lifestyle. A question like, "Now you said you have a current project for school, when is that project due?" is a good way to find out how you can convince them that purchasing now is better than waiting. 

One important thing though. If your prospect maps out several reasons why they can't buy now, you either didn't do a good job at probing, didn't provide the right solution to their problems, didn't listen to their answers, or didn't map out the benefits that'll suit their particular needs. So now you will have to back track and start all over again, which can be a factor in terms of time to the prospect. I'll have an example of an objection that I overcame in my next posting. 

Stay Consistent in Your Goals

Consistency means unchanging in achievement or effect over a period of time. That means when you start something, prepare to finish it. Many people I have know said they have gone to school to pursue a major, or don't know what major they want. And eventually they drop out. 

In the past when I was trying to gain weight one of my friends was very inconsistent with working out. He would want me to pick him up and go to the gym. Many times I called him and he said he didn't want to go. It was time consuming for me so I started working out on my own. 

If you're looking to look your best, and also feel good about yourself, be ready to be challenged. Be ready to work for it. Be ready to be consistent. It's one of my favorite words, because it's the opposite of quitting, and also procrastination. Quitting isn't in my DNA. There's a difference between quitting and striving for something that may not be worthwhile at the end. When I feel something isn't working out, I move on. I weigh my options before making a decision. 

Remember its easy to be consistent in whatever you're working for if you're a dreamer. See yourself where you want to be at in the future. Have a picture in your mind. Even if you don't have it yet have that photograph in your mind so that you've stay motivated to achieve it. Believe me it's great knowing when you're progressing. Consistency will help you see the results overtime. 

Using Your Resources Wisely

There's some of large corporations that are dominating their perspective markets. They make big but they also spend big. They can easily spend millions of dollars easily on expanding their operations, advertising, researching, and developing new products. Much of those dollars are easily spent at a big risk of losing tons of money. 

Large corporations that are successful today can afford to gamble and lose their money. But small businesses can't. A lot of small businesses must use their money wisely. For the most part one gamble that turns unsuccessful can lead to a small business shutting its doors closed permanently.

Our small business Heavenly Essence, Inc. (www.heavenlyessence.net) has been expanding slowly but surely. One of the reasons why is because we use our resources and money wisely. When we needed pictures for our brochures, we had my dad's co worker, who had taken photography classes, take the pictures for us. With the help of our former graphics designer, we managed to have a great photo for the brochure for the fraction of the cost of a professional photographer.

My dad did the programming of our website, and has our website running on his custom built server at home. The cost? Nothing at all being that my dad is a professional website programmer and is proficient with computers. My mom's friend is a marketing freelancer, and has met up with us in several occasions to assist us in development of our marketing materials and to convey our marketing message to our target market. The cost for that? Absolutely free. 

Those are examples of using your resources wisely. You may know people pursuing careers in sales, marketing, financing, accounting, computer engineering, etc. Or you may know people already involved in this fields and are very good at what they do. Maybe you or someone else have some equipment that can be used for business. 

Whatever the case maybe, if you're a small business you need to be creative and take advantage of the resources that you already have, so that your small business that maybe small on the inside will be big to your target market on the outside. 

Getting Funds Through Getting to the Consumer

Last Thursday I was at a Small Business Administration (SBA) class on how to get loans from banks and lenders offering SBA loans. At least that's what I thought the class was about. 

Unfortunately when some of the reps of a few banks went out there, things didn't go as planned. They were talking about how they weren't going to lend money to small businesses because of they don't trust them, it's not making the banks much money from offering small loans, and because of the economic slump. Small business owners at the class were not too happy. 

I didn't look at being at that class as a waste of my time or money. I looked at it as confirmation. Confirmation that banks and lenders are not going to lend to start up small businesses that don't have income coming in. At this point small businesses can't rely on banks and SBA lenders to lend the funds. They have to get the funds on their own.

My plan to do that is simple, getting the product to the consumer. We have free samples of our Pure'ity hair care products. Through offering samples, getting contact info of people who try the product, and through countless following up, we plan on getting prospects to because brand loyalists. 

If you're a small business owner, and you offer a product or service that has great benefits and a competitive advantage, it's time to start showing people why they should be using your product or service instead of a different company. Remember you are your most effective marketing weapon. Your time and energy you put into getting prospects converted into customers is important. You have to have that drive to succeed, and go out of your comfort zone. 

Don't have a lot of time to do it all yourself? Start considering hiring independent sales reps. Independent sales reps will help sell your product or service. The benefit is that since they're not an employee of your company, you don't have to pay employee compensation, unemployment, or health care expenses when hiring them. You just pay them the commission amount they receive for every sale they make. 

One last tip, do not cut back on your marketing. Without marketing, you'll have no prospects that'll know about you. If you're a small business and been in business for awhile, cut back on expenses that you don't need. For example, if you don't have customers calling in much for service, it'd be time to downsize your customer service department. The strength of your marketing determines the strength of your profits at the end. 

And Article on Living Well...

Here's an article from a health minister I know, Gigi Ogans. She's a young African American woman who's looking to help people be in shape, live well, and be stress free. Read below. Her contact information is on the bottom should you have any questions for her.

Living Well

 

In a society of instant gratification and convenience we easily become creatures of habit. We forget to slow down, exhale, regroup and enjoy the good life! We forget to take time to treat ourselves well. With a few lifestyle changes and a new mental perspective we can evoke change. Following are a few simple suggestions:

           

           

            é Inspire               Be an example of excellence! You deserve the very best! Every one counts and every heart matters.  Just taking time to let someone know you care makes others smile! The gift of sacrifice not only shows that you care, it   inspires others to do the same. Open a door, give a compliment, give an unexpected gift, just because and watch someone light up with pure joy. No matter how great or small the task,  displaying thoughtfulness and kindness never get old. When you encourage…you inspire!

 

é Breathe     Exhale…let it go!!! Forgive, move on and get some air. Walk, enjoy the fresh air, take the time to think and clear your head. This not only means in a physical sense, but some times it is good to just walk away from a situation; especially when we are hurt, confused or offended. Usually we react. with family, spouse, boss, unhappy people, bad drivers, etc. Don’t be a reactor, take time and THINK!!! It creates an atmosphere for good choices and decisions.

 

é Enjoy          Take time for YOU!!! You cannot lead others if you don’t know the way yourself! There are so many free things to enjoy, (that are drama free!!!) First of all surround yourself with good things and good people. A dear friend says   don’t complain about what you allow!!!  Don’t just talk about it….…do something about it….action!

 

When we change our mindset and attitude, the possibilities are endless. Live well, feed your mind body and spirit with things that promote positive thoughts, positive energy and a positive atmosphere. Live the good life; choose to live healthy, wealthy and wise!!!!

 

From: The Desk of

Gigi Ogans

Health Minister

ladyhealth@vrcvip.org

(916) 647-1860

Why Offering Free Samples to Prospects are Important

Last Saturday I went to an Asparagus festival with my parents and a couple of my parent's friends in Stockton, CA. We went inside a building where there were booths of several different products and services. I was just waiting on my parents and their friends when all of a sudden my mom told me to come over to one of the booths. 

She told me to try a sample of Cosmos Caramel Corn a company called Planetary Food Group, Inc. was offering (www.cosmoscaramelcorn.com). When I went over there the man that offered the samples was energetic, friendly to everyone, and had a sense of humor. He also was putting the product out there for the people to try out, which was why a lot of people were around their booth. I tried a sample of the caramel corn and it was very delicious. I was sold right then and there, and I normally don't even eat caramel corn. 

Though I hesitated at first to buy a bag of their Cosmos Caramel Corn, I decided to buy two bags of it, just because I didn't know where their products are located. They offered one bag for $6, and two bags for $10, which meant they were offering a package discount. Though I bought two bags just so I could have two in stock for myself in case I ate one bag too fast, most people would have purchased the two bags for $10 to take advantage of that discount they offered. But from a consumer's perspective, had they not offered a free sample, I would have not purchased their product, mainly because I don't know who they are, and how they product differs from their competition. 

There was another booth right next to the reps of Planetary Food Group, and there were three people running that booth. Their products were caramel apples and chocolate apples with nuts and sprinkles on them. They were selling them for $6 per Apple. Immediately my mom thought that the price was too high, and I don't blame her. The price was too high for the apples, when you can purchase one bag of the caramel corn that tastes good and has more quantity and value. Second, they didn't offer a package discount like the reps of Planetary Food Group did. Most importantly, they offered no free samples of their products. 

So they weren't able to bring any people to their booth to even see what they had to offer, primarily because they didn't offer any free samples for them to try out. In fact I don't even think they had contact info in their booth, just the products they were selling. They were behind their booth just waiting for someone to come to them. In fact, one lady was asking them, "No free samples? Where's the free samples?' and one of the guys at the apple booth told them in a serious tone, "We don't have any samples. Go over there," and pointed to the Planetary Food Group's booth. If it was one thing the people at the apple booth did a good job at doing, it was referring people to Planetary's booth for them to get all the business. 

This is an example of how important it is to offer free samples to prospects, and let the product sell itself. But you also have to communicate effectively, have some sense of humor, and be friendly to prospects. If you do that people are more receptive to what you have to offer. Otherwise you won't get any business like the people at the apple booth, and your efforts and money would have been a waste. 

Having the Drive to be Successful

I had a lunch meeting with a marketing freelancer earlier this week,and she was talking about going with your inner gut, and doing everything from your heart. 

The reason she mentioned that was because I was asking her how to structure a campaign, how to sell, and how I was planning on sending flyers to a business association. She said to stop doing a lot of planning, stop reading a lot of books, and just go for it. 

She also mentioned about Paul Mitchell, and how he started selling his hair care products from his van. She said he got to where he is now because of he had the inner drive and will to succeed. He was putting himself and his product out there in front of the people. He took initiative. It's one thing to dream about where you want to be, but you have to also have goals and implement. 

From my experience, I've read a lot of books, and have developed plans and campaigns, but our business still needs to get off the ground through getting out there to our target market. If you own a business, you have to put your face and your product out there. Here are a few ways you can do so:

                 

                  - Through networking events

                  - Special events

                  - Setting up shop in front of a store 

                  - Trade shows

                  - Through Clubs

                  - Parties

                  - Through help of outbound sales reps

The main thing you must do, is eliminate the fear of rejection, eliminate the fear of what other people think of you. To be successful, you have to get out of your comfort zone, and do things you normally wouldn't do to get business.

Are You Sweating the Small Stuff??

Last Friday I was talking to a marketing freelancer that's assisting us with our Pure'ity hair care product business. We have talked about health tips, fitness and how important it is to have the right attitude. 

One of the topics she brought up was about how people get angry and frustrated over small stuff. One example is when driving on the road. When someone cuts you off, what is your reaction? For some people it can be very frustrating, and for some they maybe used to it. What about when someone close to you like a brother or aunt says something that offended you? Are you annoyed by that certain co-worker that won't leave you alone? 

The point that the marketing freelancer was making that day was the small stuff that happen to people has an affect on their attitude, their mood, and even their health. The small stuff that happen similar to what I mentioned can bring frustration, stress, anger, fear, etc. And when those little things happen all the time, it can add up. 

Like my Pastor once said when he was preaching, sometimes you gotta take a hit and keep it moving. So when you get hit with small stuff, learn to just let it go, and stay focused. I know it's hard. It's a struggle. People can be a pain at times. My Pastor also said that if people that are in your life are causing your frustration, stress, heartache, stay away from those people. They are a decrease in your life. Jealousy is also a factor. When people see that you're in a good mood, and they're in a bad mood, so they'll do something to you that'll ruin your mood. 

If for instance you're arguing with your spouse, walk away, get some fresh air, and come back and talk things out. Sometimes you have to get away from a situation, even those that are small, so that you can breathe and clear your mind. Tell yourself you're gonna have a good day. Ignore the people and the things that normally bother you for your sake, and for the sake of your health. 

How are you handling Depression?

This is a area a lot of people may not want to cover on. The economy has crumbled within the past two years. People are losing their jobs due to downsizing, losing their homes from failed payments of their high mortgage, losing their investments to the stock market, losing their 401Ks, losing their health care benefits, and are losing their minds cause of grief, loss, regret, and most notably, depression. 

The economy has gotten such a big grip on people today and are affected by it. People are killing their families and themselves due to their losses. People are regretting their choices they make and are dwelling off of it. Past experiences have got a grip on some. Fear has made people not want to go out of the house. 

But no matter what's going on in your life, you can get the things back that you lost and more. But you can't get your life back. And depression has caused many to take their own lives. Depression has caused sickness in people's bodies to the point that they have to be hospitalized. Depression is real. Depression can have a bad affect on your health. How are you handling it?

I can talk on this subject cause I've been through it. Depression can be painful. I remember I couldn't eat at times because of depression. I felt like I was going through the motion. And past experiences had a grip on me. I didn't know who I was after awhile. 

But I refused to take any of those anti-depressants, or find my peace through alcohol or drugs. When I was laid off last year in May, I went back to church to give my life back to God. I had so much fear, and pain, and unforgiveness in me that needed to be removed so that I could live more peacefully. And through Faith and Trust in God, he helped remove the depression, stress, and anxiety out of me. That's where I find my peace and my joy. He's my anti-depressant. Better than any medication could do. 

How are you dealing with depression? For the sake of your health this is an area that needs to be dealt with. And it's a daily thing. A few other ways of dealing with it are: reading the bible, being around positive people, reading positive books, staying away from negative people, gossipers, and those who try to remind you of your past experiences, exercising, eating healthy foods, listening to positive music, and stop watching the news are some of the ways you can handle what you're going through. 

It's the little things in life that can make all the difference. Simple steps to removing depression is always over looked. Find out what's causing you to be depressed. And find out how you can remove it out of your life.

Need Up to Ten Hours of Energy?

In today's hectic hard working world, people are working long hours and are having a hard time keeping their energy levels up. 

What are some ways people are trying to get energy whenever they need it? Well the first thing that might come to mind for most people are energy drinks. The energy drink market became a $5.4 billion dollar market in 2007, and is predicted to reach $10 billion by 2010. There are the leading companies, like Rock Star, Monster and of course, Red Bull, that have been dominating the energy drink market with their set of drinks. Do these drinks give you energy? Yes. Do they provide energy for a set period of time? Yes. Are they healthy? No.

There are a few things wrong with the current energy drinks out today. For one, they have caffeine, empty carbs, and excess sugar. Two, they don't provide a substantial amount of energy. And third, and this is the most important, they are not good for you, due to the synthetic ingredients that they have in the drinks that can cause health issues from excessive use. 

And for the fact that they can make you fatigue after the drink's effects wear off as well doesn't make them effective to drink during the day. How do I know? Cause I've tried Red Bull before, and it didn't give me much energy, and plus I felt fatigue after its effects wore off.

However. One energy drink that I tried, called GotX, stands apart from the other energy drinks out on the market today. This drink has six super fruits mixed in, gives you 7-10 hours of energy, and is outright healthy. What makes it healthy is that it has antioxidants that help improve your cardiovascular system, your digestive system, your immune system, and helps reduce cancer. And the fact that it substantially increases your energy, vitality, stamina, and alertness for up to 10 hours makes it all the better. Lastly, from most people who I know that have tried it, they love the taste and think it tastes like Kool-Aid. 

Who can use this product? Anyone working tough hours at a job, athletes, body builders, etc. From drinking it one time, I was up and ready to do anything physically intensive. One tip when drinking this energy drink: Never drink it at night, unless you work the graveyard shift. Because you will have a hard time falling asleep. GotX will keep you awake. 

Want to try a free sample of GotX? Contact me at 916-647-7039. And for more information on how GotX will benefit your energy and health needs, visit www.yougotx.com/sheldon.

The Benefits of Using Pure'ity

"Pure'ity. Beauty Without Allergies." 

Like many people, I'm one of those people who can't use just any shampoo and conditioner. Everyone has their own type of hair structure. And me being an African American male, my hair is hard to manage, and requires good intake of the right ingredients for a healthy scalp and healthy hair.

Are there several different kinds of shampoo and conditioners made specifically for different types of people? Yes. Do they do a good job in washing the hair and cleansing it of the grease, dandruff,  dirt, and anything else harmful to the hair? Not all of them but most. But can I use any kind of those shampoos and conditioners? Not.

What is it about most of the hair products today that cause people like me to search for the right hair product? A big reason is because companies put in synthetic chemicals and substances into their hair products that can actually harm the hair and scalp. Also the fragrances put in the products can cause a wide range of allergic reactions. 

However, there's one hair product specifically for ethnic hair with no synthetic ingredients, limited fragrance, and is hypo-allergenic so you won't experience allergic reactions from its use. And that hair product is called Pure'ity. It's available in Citrus and Peppermint, and contains natural ingredients for manageable hair and replenishment of your hair's natural oils. 

Before I used Pure'ity, I was using other products like Head & Shoulders, Selsun Blue, and Suave for Men (the last product I used before Pure'ity).  I remember getting my hair cut six months ago. A day after my scalp was extremely irritated and I was scratching to the point that my scalp was gonna peel off. I had a large bottle of Suave left, but threw it away and said that it was time to use something better. When I used the Pure'ity, my scalp could breathe. The irritation was gone, and my hair felt soft and manageable. 

Want to find out for yourself how this new product called Pure'ity can make a difference with your hair care needs? Try a free sample of the product. you can apply for them at www.heavenlyessence.net, or call for sample at 916-501-3766. Or call your nearest beauty supply store and find out about them having Pure'ity in stock. And be ready for the great results you'll feel.