Online Marketing Forum

Is it worth spending time in online marketing forums? Does forum marketing really work?

I would definitely say “YES!” Considering you are following the forum marketing tips below.

You can make some great connections there. Find answers to your questions by posting threads. Well, even find prospects for your business opportunity.

However there are some rules you need to follow.

Some are common sense but still I see people violate them all the time.

Just like blogs, or social networks, online marketing forums are very public. People can follow and observe you without you even knowing it. So it is of utmost importance that you are at your best behavior at all times.

I think it goes without saying that you should be treating people with courtesy and respect.

Here are some forum marketing tips that will make your experience in online marketing forums more fun:

1. Read the rules. That should be a no brainer, as not following the rules can get you banned from online marketing forums altogether.
2. Be transparent. Don’t hide behind an avatar, company logo, picture of your dog or any other such nonsense. People want to know who you are. They are much more likely to connect with you when they can see your face.
3. Be kind and polite to fellow members. Think twice before cutting someone down, leaving a rude comment, or being darn right nasty. Remember, these are real people you are interacting with. Just like you, they do have feelings. Offensive language doesn’t get you anywhere. It can actually get you banned from the forum as well.
4. Never sell or promote anything. People don’t like to be spammed. An online marketing forum is not an ad board, but a place to communicate, share experiences and help and support other members.
5. Always give value. If you have helpful information that you can add to forums, or the solution to someone’s problem ,  by all means share it. Share freely without expecting anything in return. The more you contribute the better people will get to know you.
6. Be appreciative. If someone helped you out, please let them know that you appreciate their help and support. A little “thank you” can go a long way.
7. Create an attractive signature file. This is the place where you can link to your opportunity, your website or your blog. The only place where you can toot your own horn. So make it interesting for people to want to find out more about you or your business.

There you have it. It’s not rocket science. Most of it is common sense.

Remember, whatever you say in online marketing forums is public and out there for everyone to see.

I hope these forum marketing tips have been helpful.

Oh, by the way, you can find some great online marketing forums by doing a search on Google.

However, the best online marketing forum I have found is BetterNetworker.

If you are already at Better Networker, make sure to connect with me. I’d love to meet you.

To your success!

Ilka Flood
The Enlightened Networker

P.S. If you found value in this article please share it with your friends on Twitter and Facebook. Thank you!

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Positive MLM Prospecting

We’ve all heard it that dreaded “NO” when we were out presenting our opportunity. Maybe our presenting skills where still a bit rough, maybe the timing wasn’t right, or maybe our prospect just wasn’t interested. Whatever the case might have been we heard that devastating “NO.”

Yes, it can really sting and it can really hurt and sometimes it really can let the air right out of your balloon.

However, if you know that it is coming then you are way ahead of the game.

And if you have been in the network marketing industry for a while, you know that it’s coming. You can prepare for it.

Network marketing professionals know, that it takes at least 8 NO’s before they hear a YES. They know, the more NO’s they hear, the closer they are to a YES. So it doesn’t bother them when they get those NO’s.

But, for someone that is just starting out in the network marketing industry, 8 NO’s can be devastating. Most of the time it doesn’t even take 8 NO’s before they throw the towel and quit.

They just signed up for their new home based buisness. All excited they run to their family and friends and they get shut down by NO after NO, after NO. They are disappointed, think network marketing doesn’t work and that’s the end of that. They haven’t learned to not take rejections personally yet.

So again, how do you get past that devastating NO?

Know that it’s coming. Know that it is just part of the game. Better yet, try to avoid it in the first place.

How do I do that you may ask.

There are two ways you may avoid a NO in the first place.

The first way is through “qualifying” your prospects. This business isn’t for everyone. Anyone can do it, but not everyone will. Chose wisely whom you want to work with. Joe Sixpack isn’t right for this business. Don’t sponsor people who need the money, but those who want it. Stay away from negative people. Always sponsor up, meaning sponsor people that are a level higher than you.

The second way is, never ask for a “YES”. By never asking for a yes, you’ll never get a NO. When you approach your contact with your opportunity, don’t firehose them with all the info and then ask if they’re interested. Instead, ask if you have their permission to “educate” them on something you are excited about. Most people like to be educated but hate to be sold. They’ll say, sure, send me some info. It’s a totally non-threatening way.

To your success,

Ilka Flood
The Enlightened Networker

P.S. Before you go, please share this article with your friends on Facebook or Twitter.

P.P.S. If you are on Facebook I would love to connect with you. Send me a friend request and let me know you’re  coming from my blog. This way I know you are a friend and not a stranger.

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Don't Assume Anything About Your Propect

Have you ever totally ‘messed up’ a meeting or conversation with a prospect? I mean, it seemed so promising. And then you got into your car to drive home (or you hung up the phone) and you thought to yourself, “man, I totally messed this one up”. What the heck happened?”

Could it have been that you have been “assuming” things about your prospect?

Someone once gave me the definition of “assume” and it’s not the one found in the dictionary or Wikipedia.  It goes like this …

ASS-U-ME = When you assume something you are making an ASS out of U and ME.

Yes, it’s a bit strong language and I normally don’t talk that way but … it hits the point spot on. Don’t assume things about people. Especially those you don’t know or have just met.

When we assume something about our prospects we come to false conclusions which can lead to misunderstandings, non-understanding and mis-communication. And that messes everything up.

Also, how often do we say to people, “I know exactly what you’re thinking?”

How can we know what someone is thinking? We only know what we ourselves are thinking. We could assume (there’s that word again) what someone may be thinking based on certain circumstances or our own experiences, but then again, that would get us exactly to what I mentioned above.

So the best thing to do when meeting a prospect for the first time, either in person or on the phone is to ASK QUESTIONS. Ask lots of questions.

The more questions we ask the better we get to know our prospect and the better we can assess what his or her needs are.

That’s what we’re there for.  That’s our job. To find out what our prospects problems are and then find a solution to fix them. We can’t do that by assuming but only by asking questions.

So do yourself a favor, don’t assume anything.

To your success,

Ilka Flood
The Enlightened Networker

P.S. You don’t have to share this on Twitter, Facebook or Digg, but if you do, I surely appreciate it. Thank you!

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Fun way to get backlinks

Did you know that backlinks increase your page ranking in search engines?

So, the more backlinks you have pointing back to your blog the better off you will be.

There are many different ways to build backlinks.

But today I will show you a way that is not only very easy, but it’s also a lot of fun. And an added benefit is that it is totally FREE.

Build backlinks with blog comments.

Yes, you read that right. Blog comments are a great way to get backlinks.

Here’s how to do it …

Find some blogs that you like and/or are relevant to your niche and you start commenting on people’s blog posts.

TIP: It’s best to comment on blogs that have a lower Alexa ranking versus a higher one. Because a lower ranking means that the blog receives more traffic. (You do want people to read your comments, don’t you?)

And here is why…

When you leave a comment on a blog you get to leave a link back to your own blog. A backlink. It’s usually linked to your name. So, do leave your full name when you leave a comment, because this also helps with branding yourself.

While commenting, leave something of value behind. Don’t just say, … “nice article” or “nice post.” If you give value in your comment your chances of getting your comment approved by the blog owner are much higher. And remember, never, ever, spam.

So go ahead, leave me a comment below, and besides a backlink I will also give you some blog love back.

How do I do this?

Well, I have two plug-ins installed that give my readers back some blog love when they leave me their comments.

The first one is “CommentLuv”, which shows a link to the commentator’s last blog post.

The second one is called “Top Commentators” and it shows … well, you guessed it… the top commentators for the Enlightened Networker. Thanks Ken & Melisa West for your awesome suggestion!

Anyhow, now you know of a fun way to get free backlinks, increase page rank and build relationships with other bloggers at the same time.

Have fun!

To your success,

Ilka Flood

P.S. Don’t forget to share this post if you found value in it.

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Patience is an essential business skill every network  marketer needs to be successful.

Unfortunately, it  is something I personally was not blessed with at birth. I do have to work very hard on it. The good news is, it can be learned.

Wouldn’t you agree with me that anglers would make great network marketers?

They definitely would have the patience for it. Just think about it. They sit there for hours on end with their fishing poles in the water and wait for a nibble. Sometimes they catch something. Sometimes they don’t. And sometimes they get lucky and catch “the big one”. But they never get upset if they don’t.

Network marketing – especially prospecting – is pretty much the same as fishing, isn’t it?

We sit there with our fishing poles in the water, that juicy bait attached to the hook and we wait for that nibble.

Some of us are not patient enough to wait for that nibble. So we keep checking the bait on the hook or even get so frustrated that we change the bait all together.

Sometimes we get a nibble and then JANK that fishing pole out of the water … and by doing so lose the fish on the hook.

(In other words … We had an interested prospect and then totally threw up on him or her. Or we bombarded them with phone calls and emails pushing our business opportunity on them.)

Sound familiar?

Fishing takes patience and so does prospecting.

Once our prospects take the bait we want to be really careful and gently reel them in.

That’s where ‘Follow Up’ comes  in to play.

Make sure you have a good follow up system in place …(give value)….so you can keep in touch with your prospects. Because, very seldom will your prospects buy or join with you on the first bite.

“All things being equal, people will do business with and refer business to those people they know, like and trust.” – Bob Burg

I would like to add one more … REMEMBER

People need to REMEMBER you.

And the only way they will is if you keep yourself on the top of their mind.

They say “the money is in the follow up”.

That is really true. Remember, I said earlier, very seldom will people buy or join with you on the first bite. (Or after the very first contact.) It can take weeks, months or sometimes even years before a prospect is ready to join you.

So, go ahead … put that fishing pole back into the water. And when you get that nibble, reel that fish in ever so carefully.

Happy fishing! …uhm prospecting!

Ilka Flood

P.S. Have any fish tales you would like to share with us in the comments below?

P.P.S. If you liked this post and would like your peers to reel in some big kahunas … tweet this post and/or share it on Twitter or Digg it. Thanks!

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Are you barking up the wrong tree in your MLM prospecting?

If you are still fairly new to network marketing the following scenarios may sound painfully familiar to you. But don’t feel too bad. Most of us network marketers have experienced them or something similar. As time goes on and you get better, none of this will be an issue anymore. So, here’s my question …

Has any of this ever happened to you?

1)   You just drove over an hour to meet with a prospect. When you got there they were a no-show.

2)   You gave what in your opinion was the best network marketing presentation of your life and your prospect tells you they are not interested.

3)   You got over your fear of picking up the phone, called your prospect, gave an excellent presentation for your network marketing business and as soon as you were finished they started pitching THEIR business to you.

4)   You know someone would just absolutely be perfect for your program or service, but when you approach them they’re giving you the cold shoulder.

5)   You made several appointments with a prospect to get feedback on the DVD you send him/her, but they keep coming up with excuses why they haven’t watched it yet.

In all the scenarios above you have been just wasting your precious time.

I should know, because all of them happened to me.

Not only that, they all delivered a big blow to my self-confidence. I felt like a complete idiot. A total failure!

And I could have prevented all of them from happening … If I had pre-qualified my MLM prospects.

But at the time, I didn’t know any better. I just followed what my upline told me to do.

Network marketing today is a bit different from when I first started.

You can google just about anything and find the answers to your most pressing questions.

Or you can hang with the right people … Like “The Better Bunch” and learn from them. Don’t know who the Better Bunch are? Read “The Story Behind The Better Bunch” by Dwayne Huggins. I highly recommend you read his article and find out. It could shave  years off of your network marketing learning curve. And YES, there is one!

Sorry, I got a bit off track.

So, how do you qualify your MLM prospects?

By asking questions like…

“If I can show you a way how you can add additional income to your monthly paycheck and you feel completely comfortable with it, would you be ready to do business?

“If I can show you a way how you can get a pay raise without going to your boss, when would you have 30 minutes to have a closer look?”

“If I could show you how you can take advantage of tax benefits like the rich people do, would it be worth your time to spend 30 minutes with me? And when would be a better time for you, Monday at 7:00PM or Wednesday at 6:30PM?

Notice that these questions nail your prospect down to either give you a simple yes or no answer or a commitment to meet with you.

No more wasting your time on lookiloos or tire-kickers. Your time is way to precious.

Hope this helps you separate the good prospects from the bad ones.

If you would like to share your own personal experiences or you have more tips on qualifying mlm prospects, please share them with us in the comments below.

To Your Success,

Ilka Flood

P.S As always if you found this post helpful, please share it with your friends on Twitter and Facebook or Digg it. It’s much appreciated. Thank you!

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Knowing Your Network Marketing Numbers Can Save You A Lot of Frustration

Many new networkers get frustrated because they don’t know their numbers. But knowing them has a lot to do with their success in network marketing.

If you are just starting out in the network marketing industry (or in your new home business) you must know your numbers.

Realize that your numbers will be lower than someone else’s who has been working in the industry for a while.

Don’t compare yourself to your sponsor, or other people in your company.

This will only get you discouraged and frustrated, because most likely you won’t be having the same results.

Just like with any other profession there is a learning curve in network marketing also.

There is a lot to learn and things change on almost a daily basis.  It takes practice to get better.

Now let’s look at some numbers …

Let’s say your sponsor has a closing rate of 5/10 which means out of 10 people he talks and shows the business to, five will join with him.

If you are brand new, you can’t expect the same rate of success.

You may have to talk to 20, 30 or more prospects before someone joins you. But if you know your numbers then that’s no problem. Then you know that you have to talk to that many people before you will enroll a new business partner. (By the way, a lot of times it’s easier to get customers vs business partners. So you might want to keep that in the back of your mind.)

The more people you talk to the better your numbers will get.

Don’t worry your network marketing prospecting skills will get better over time. Remember, practice makes better.

To Your Success,

Ilka Flood

P.S. If you found this post helpful please share it with your friends on Twitter or Facebook. Thank you!

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Or …What not to do when you first start out in network marketing.

Let’s be totally honest here. As new network marketers just starting out in the industry we all have made some mistakes. I know I certainly have made my share. That’s just part of the learning curve. As long as we learn from our mistakes and fail forward, we’ll be alright.

So, here are probably the 7 most common mistakes we make as brand new network marketers…

1) Don’t have a Part-time Attitude

It’s certainly okay to build your network marketing business part-time and alongside your regular job in the beginning. What’s not okay, is having a part-time attitude about it. Many new networkers fail because they treat their business like a hobby. This will reflect in your commission check. So, don’t dabble in your business… Commit to it! It is YOUR future that you are building.

2) Don’t Make Yourself the Issue

When you first start out in network marketing you know absolutely nothing. Nothing about the company and nothing about the products you are selling. You are brand spanking new. So how are you supposed to grow your business? You haven’t even earned a penny in commission yet. Many new networkers feel very uneasy because they don’t know what to say to their prospects.

Don’t worry. Just take yourself out of the equation. Find either your sponsor or somebody in the levels above you who is willing to help you. Use that person as an expert to do 3-way calls with your prospects.

Don’t interrupt them while they are talking, listen carefully and take good notes on what they say and how they say it. Learn from them so eventually you can do this yourself.

3) Don’t Take Rejection Personally

New network marketers are often afraid to talk to people about their new business opportunity because they are afraid of getting rejected. What they must realize is that, it is not them getting rejected, but the opportunity might not be right for the person they are talking to. Or the timing may just not be right.

When I started out in this industry, rejection was a biggie for me. I was afraid of picking up the phone and calling my leads, because I was afraid of them telling me “NO.”

Until someone put it to me this way… “Look, when you order a Bic Mac at McDonalds and the clerk asks you if you would like fries with that, he’s not going to break out in tears if you tell him, ‘NO’, or is he?”

Well, of course not. That would be silly. Fries are not for everyone …and neither is your business opportunity. You just have to find the right people. ..Hint: Those who like fries.

4) Don’t Reinvent the Wheel

Someone has always walked the path before you. So don’t make things harder for yourself by trying to reinvent the wheel. If your sponsor or team has a system that has worked for them, by all means use it. Keep it simple! Don’t make this business more difficult than it really is.

5) Don’t Forget the Power of Customers

Often new networkers are so focused on recruiting new team members that they totally forget about customers. Retail sales count for part of your income in network marketing. Customers are the back bone of your business. They join because they fell in love with your products, and they stay because of it.

6) Don’t Alienate Your Sponsor

Your sponsor is your most valuable resource. Your ‘go to person’ who is there to train and guide you, to support and encourage you. Don’t alienate him or her by constantly whining or being negative or hanging on their shirt tails.

Don’t expect him or her to hold your hand the whole way through.  I have had sponsors who were there for me for my first week …and then cut me lose. From then on I was on my own, but I knew if I needed something they were just a phone call away. I was expected to call THEM …not the other way around.

7) Don’t Let Anyone Steal Your Dream

There is a reason why you started your network marketing business. It may be to stay home with your kids. Or to bring your husband home. It may be to buy a bigger house. A new car.  It may be that you are  getting close to retirement and want to make sure you can live comfortably after you no longer work. Or you might want to go on that long overdue family vacation. Whatever your “WHY” don’t let anyone come along and steal it. Hang on to it!

And number 8…

If you like this article don’t let it go to waste by not sharing it with your friends on Twitter and Facebook. Thank you!

To Your Success,

Ilka Flood

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“The more trustworthy you become, the more success you have the potential to achieve”  Jeffrey Gitomer

Ask any successful network marketer and they will tell you that the key ingredient to their success is TRUST.

Doesn’t that make total sense? Just think about yourself. Would you join or buy from anyone you don’t trust? Of course you wouldn’t.

So how do you go about gaining your prospects trust?

Here are some examples…

Take the focus off of yourself .

Build trust by showing a genuine interest in your prospects. Learn about them, their needs and wants by asking questions.

Make it personal.

In your conversations (especially on social media sites) talk about you not your business. People don’t like to be bombarded with info about your business. They want to learn about you as a person, your family, hobbies, etc. They want to find out if there is a connection.

Brand yourself as a leader.

Share your knowledge and expertise. Always give value. The more value you give freely and unconditionally, the more trust you gain back.

Don’t act like a hunter.

Leaders don’t chase prospects. They wait for the prospect to come to them. Wouldn’t it be great if your prospects would come to you asking if they could join your opportunity? This only happens if they completely trust you. So always build trust first.

Be available.

Nothing is more frustrating to a prospect as if they have to wait for the answers of their questions. Make sure you are readily available. Answer emails or phone calls within 24hours. 48 hours absolute maximum.

Never over-promise and under-deliver.

Be true to your word. Say what you will do and then do what you say.

Remember, know, like trust and  that trust doesn’t stop once your prospects join you in your network marketing business. Au contraire.  Now begins the real test. Will you be there for your prospects to teach them the ropes and support them in their business so they can become successful in reaching their goals? You become responsible for them as soon as they join with you. But that doesn’t mean holding their hands all the way through. Well, that’s a topic for another post.

How do you develop trust in your business? Share your thoughts with us in the comment box below.

And … if you found value in this post, please share it on Twitter or Facebook. Thanks!

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Give more in value than you take in payment.

Sponsoring new people in to your network marketing opportunity is a process that takes time. Very seldom do you meet someone who joins your team the same day you introduce him or her to your business. For example, I am a person who researches a business opportunity I am interested in for several months before I join.

Given the fact, that it may take several months before your prospect joins your team, and with the competition as tough as it is in the network marketing industry, you need to stand out from the crowd.

Be different…

I may sound like a broken record, but I say it again…

People will do business with and refer business to those people they know, like and trust.

One way of gaining people’s trust is by giving them value and by making them feel like they are the most important person in the world to you.

“Your true worth is determined by how much more you give in value than you take in payment.”
(The Law of Value, page 29, The Go-Giver.)

When I was looking into becoming a rep for my company, I was approached by several people I knew. A couple of them I have known for years. I like and trust all of them.

But they made several mistakes in trying to recruit me.

1) They used the “Hit and Run” approach, which means, they hit me up with the opportunity and then ran and waited for my reaction.

2) They didn’t follow up with me. None of them did.

I still wanted to get involved with that company, because I could see the benefits of the product and I knew I would have a lot of fun with it. But now I had a problem. Whom would I choose as my sponsor? I wanted to make sure I joined someone who cared about me. Someone who was plugged in to the company training and was committed to their business. Someone who would be there to train me and show me the ropes.

Luckily, another person entered the playing field, a complete stranger.

He introduced me to the company and product the same way those other people did, by sending me a greeting card that included a DVD about the opportunity.

But, … here’s the BIG difference … He kept in touch and followed up with me.

He sent me another card and then called to introduce himself.

He kept following up with me. He even sent me brownies for my birthday. A month later he sent me a magazine about the company … which by the way, I read cover to cover the day I received it.

Then again a month later he sent me a book about network marketing.

He didn’t have to do all this. I had already told him that I was going to join him.

And besides … He already had me at the brownies =) I could tell then that he really genuinely cared about ME as a person. (And yes, I felt a bit guilty too.)

Here is my point , …. give more in value than you take in payment.

Make your prospect feel special. Remember when you were dating your husband or your wife? You brought flowers. You went out to dinner. You watched a movie together.

Well, prospecting is a lot like dating.

Do me a favor … if you like this post, please share it on Twitter and with your friends on Facebook. Thank you!

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