Tim shared his disappointment about a prospect he spent money and a lot of time on, educating him about his product and then in the end, lost to his sponsor. The prospect’s reasoning, Tim’s sponsor was a “bigger deal.” Huh? Are you for real?

Sound familiar?

If you’ve been in the network marketing industry long enough, I bet it has happened to you too at least once. I know it happened to me before.

Yes it stings. Your ego gets rattled a bit, but you can’t let that get to you. And for God’s sake, don’t let self-doubt creep in. It has nothing to do with you.

When someone passes you by and joins with your sponsor instead, because “he’s a bigger deal” there’s nothing you could have done. Don’t worry, karma will take care of it. What goes around comes around.

Besides, every big shot started out as a little shot that kept on shooting.

But on to the story I was going to tell you….

The Donkey in The Well

One day a farmer’s donkey fell into a well. The poor thing cried piteously for hours as th farmer tried to figure out what to do.

Finally he decided since the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway, it just wasn’t worth it to retrieve the donkey. So, the farmer invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed shovels, and began to shovel dirt into the well.

All the other farm animals were very upset about this, because the donkey was their friend. But they discovered there was nothing they could do to help him. At first, when the donkey realized what was happening, he cried horribly. Then, to everyone’s amazement, he quieted down. A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well, and was astonished at what he saw.

With every shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off, and take a step up on the dirt as it piled up. As the farmer’s neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well, and trotted off!

Takeaway from this story: Life is going to shovel dirt on you. All kinds of dirt. But each obstacle, road block, and yes, lost prospect can be a stepping stone. What happens to you isn’t nearly as important as how you react to it. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not giving up!

Shake it off, and take a step up!

There will be many more detours on our way to success. Taking the “scenic route” can be a great learning experience. I am a strong believer that everything in life happens for a reason.  Sometimes we find out what the reasoning was for certain things that happened in our life, and sometimes we don’t.

So, never let self-doubt creep in. Keep believing in yourself…
and keep on shooting!

To Your Massive Success!

Ilka Flood
The Enlightened Networker

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So let’s say you are sending out an email to your list in which you would like to introduce your subscribers to the new product line your company just released. And let’s say you want to send them to one of your company’s videos.

The easiest way to do this would be to add a hyperlink in the body of your email and hope that people will click on it and go through to the video. Right?

Well yes, that might work. But often subscribers don’t click on our links because they don’t like to be taken to another website. They think something like, “Oh, I don’t have time for this right now. I’ll just come back to it later.” And we all know how that goes. They’ll click away never to return again.

So how about a little teaser?

You know how the saying goes about how curiosity killed the cat?  Not only cats, but people as well are curious by nature. Some more than others, but if we are tempted enough most of the time our curiosity gets the better of us. Wouldn’t you agree?

So, here’s a sneaky little email trick
to make your subscribers want to
take a look at your video and click through.

How about taking a screenshot of the video and add a little play button to the image to make it look like your video is actually embedded in your email. Then insert the image into your email and hyperlink it to your video, so when people click on the image they are directly taken to your video? (I use Aweber as my autoresponder, but you can use this little trick in any email client.)

In the example above I used SnagIt to take the screenshot and then using the arrow tool added a “Play Button” to the image.

You think someone would click on that?

I would, and I bet you a soda pop so would most people. There’s just something about that little “Play” button that makes us want to click on it. We just can’t help it. Especially if the image of the video itself is enticing.

Now, some people have their email client set so it doesn’t show images. So to make sure that these people still get a chance to click through to your video, include the hyperlink underneath your picture or somewhere in your text as well.

Go ahead try out this “sneaky little email trick” in your next campaign and check your stats to see if your click through rate doesn’t go up. I betcha it does.

To Your Massive Success!

Ilka Flood
The Enlightened Network

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There are 36 million kids ages 5-13 in the United States, and more than 93 percent of them report going trick-or-treating, according to the Washington Post.

Do you realize that all of those little ghosts and goblins who will be coming knocking at your door for some tricks or treats can help you spread the word about your business?

Absolutely! Halloween presents a great opportunity to get really creative and think outside the box as far as your marketing is concerned.

Here are 5 creative marketing ideas that will
make this Halloween both fun and profitable for you….

1. If you are planning on giving out Halloween themed suckers, (or any other kind), they work really well with your business card tied on to them.
2. The pumpkins on your front door make for ideal advertising spaces.  Just carve your company logo into them. Or if you are really talented with the carving tools then carve in a QR code leading to your website.
3. Hand out little bags of candy with your company logo printed on it or use Halloween themed baggies and include your business card.
4. Send Halloween cards to your customers and clients to keep on top of their mind. Maybe attach a coupon for special Halloween savings on your favorite products.
5. For those of you who love marketing with videos, why not make a special Halloween marketing video. You could dress up as your favorite scary character and present your marketing message in a frightful way they’ll be sure to remember.

One of my favorite Halloween marketing ideas I shared earlier on this blog, but I’ll repeat it here again.

Trick or Treat…

Why not make your own Halloween Mix? Here’s my favorite recipe…

2 cups of candy corn
1 cup of nuts
some M&Ms
some salted peanuts
& some Apple Jacks cereal

Each of these stand for something. Mix them all up and put them into a fun plastic back or other fun container. Tie your business card to it and a note that reads:

“Are you mixed up thinking about how you pay for Christmas gifts this year? Consider a mix that’s the answer. If you like to have fun and you are a little nutty consider joining XYZ company. You decide how many zeros you want on your paycheck. If you’re curious about mixing it up and making a little more money, let’s get together so I can tell you about our treats.”

I hope these ideas gave you some inspiration. For more creative marketing ideas for the holidays and beyond check out my post … “Thinking Outside the Box in Your Marketing? | Creative Marketing Ideas for the Holidays and Beyond.

Do you have any other  ideas  for creative marketing you would like to share? If so, feel free to leave your feedback in the comments below. (PLEASE READ the Commenting Rules here!)

Have a safe and happy Halloween!

Ilka Flood
The Enlightened Networker

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In the past my husband and I had been using web conferencing software to do live presentations with our prospects and it worked extremely well for us averaging about 7-8 sign ups per 10 people who watched our presentation.

Wouldn’t you agree that people understand things better when they actually see them? Well I do, as I am a visual person.

Now it wasn’t GVO Conference that we used back then but another very popular web conferencing software. The problem was, that this competitor was quite expensive and allowed only up to 15 attendees for a little under $50 a month.

Since most of the time we were doing one-on-one meetings, that was fine. But what if we wanted to invite our downline leaders … or our whole downline for that matter? Then we had a bit of a problem.

When I found out that I can get a 50 seat room with GVO Conference for less than a third of the price I paid at the competition, it was a total no brainer. (Currently it’s even cheaper, just $8.97/month for early birds. Yes, you read that right!)

I have long since wanted to get back into doing online presentations and training again as it was so much fun and I’m so glad that I found an inexpensive solution.

It’s a totally different experience when you can invite a long distance prospect to join you in a web conference and show pictures, even stream videos of your opportunity. Heck, we had even done presentations for prospects in Europe before. It makes it a lot easier to establish rapport as well.

In the past, when a team member or customer ran into a technical problem or couldn’t quite figure out how to do something I either had to explain it over the phone, in an email or take some screenshots. Now I can just invite them into my online conferencing room and show them live, ready to answer any of their questions.

Pretty cool!

So what are some of the features of GVO Conference?

• Audio/Video Conferencing
• Hands Free Moderating
• File Sharing
• Desktop Sharing
• Converts and Presents your Power Point
• Record Full Audio/Video of Presentation
• Chat with Guests
• Show Live Streaming Video
• Presently comes in 5 languages
• …and more

So let’s wrap this up …

GVO Conference gives me a conference room with 50 seats all features included for just $8.97/month (Early Bird Special) PLUS …and I haven’t even mentioned that yet ….the opportunity of earning a residual income when referring others?

Sounds like a great deal to me and I just had to tell you about this awesome business tool!

Oh, and by the way, now you can add cool webmaster graphics to your power point presentations, eye-catching video skins to your videos and more to really help you stand out from the crowd. All for a very low low price!

To Your Success!

Ilka Flood
The EnlightenedNetworker

P.S. So let’s hear it. Have you done online presentations using web conferencing software before? And what was your experience?

P.P.S. If you liked this information please be sweet and retweet and share it. Thank You!

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Build Your Own List

When I first started my internet network marketing business about ten years ago, I heard about the importance to build your own list. “The Money is in the List” was a popular phrase back then and it still holds true today. It made sense to me. The larger my list the more people I would be able to market to.

So I signed up with some of the biggest list builders back then and started building my list. Or so I thought, because some of the advertising claimed “Build Your Own List of Leads.”

I didn’t realize until much later, that I was actually not building my own list of leads, but the list of the program owners. They had access to each and every one of the people that joined under me and were marketing to them and even recruiting them into their own programs.

Shucks!  That’s not what I had signed up for! Once I found out I was pretty mad.

I’ve learned from that mistake but I paid a hefty price and I’m sharing my experience so you don’t have to. Over time I had generated a ton of leads which where not really my own.

So what did I learn from all of that?

Never use a system that is not building your own list.

What does that mean? It means you need to build a list of leads that are truly unique to you. Nobody else has access to them.

You have to generate your own leads and capture them to build your own list so only you are the one who can market to them for as long as they remain on your list.

You can still use a system, but the leads that you generate have to be funneled through to your own list.

How can you tell if you “build your own list” of leads that are unique to you?

• When your leads are connected to your own personal autoresponder
• When you have full and total control over your leads
• When they are receiving your own follow up messages which you can customize

Let’s face it, it’s hard enough to build an internet network marketing business.  The last thing we need is having the leads we generate be marketed to by somebody else.

Does it take a while to build your own list?

Well yes, if you are starting from scratch. But it is very well worth it. Remember Rome wasn’t built in a day either. But building your very own list of contacts that are unique to you is worth money in the bank. The late Corey Rudl once said that if his house was on fire and he only would have time to save one thing, it would be his list.

So go on, build your own list, and much success in your internet network marketing business!

Ilka Flood
The Enlightened Networker

P. S. If you like this article please re-tweet it and share it with your friends on Facebook. Thank you!

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1. Are You Still Acting Like a Secret Agent in Your Network Marketing Business?

Creating a Blog Site for Your MLM Business

One question I hear quite frequently lately is…

Should I be considering creating a blog site for my MLM  business?

The answer that pops into my head first then is actually another question … Do you want to earn an income?

If the answer is, YES, than this is really a no brainer. If you are in business to earn an income and it’s not just a hobby than you do need a central location, a hub or a “nerve center” to send your contacts and prospects to.

This nerve center should be a place where you can interact with you prospects. Where they can get information but at the same time leave you feedback/comments and start a conversation with you as well.

Creating a blog site is the best way to accomplish that. You do need a way to build that relationship with your prospects. I am sure you have heard about know, like, trust. People who know, like and trust you are much more likely to buy from you or join your business than those individuals who don’t.  Think about it, would you buy from a stranger?

There are a few things to consider however when you make your own blog.

For one, do stay away from free blogging sites such as Blogger and the free version of WordPress.com.

Remember, you are creating a blog site for your business so you want your blog to look professional. The best blog platform I found to make your own blog and have it look very professional is WordPress.org.

While it is free to download your own templates from WordPress.org, (by the way you can find thousands of really cool-looking blog templates there,) you would need to host your own blog. I use HostGator to host my own blogs, because they let me host unlimited blogs for a very low monthly rate with their “Baby” account and I have been very happy with them.

Another point to consider when creating a blog site for your business is to add and opt-in form on your site so you can capture your visitors’ information and keep in touch with them through an email series or a newsletter. (I use Aweber.) Make sure you place this opt-in form at a prominent spot. The best place is the right-hand site above the fold. “Above the fold” is everything you see on your screen without having to scroll down.

So, what do you think?

Is creating a blog site for your MLM business a good idea or not?

I happen to think it’s a great idea

Did you make your own blog yet? Share your experience and give us your feedback in the comments below.

To Your Success …

Ilka Flood
The Enlightened Networker

P.S. If you found this article of value please be sweet and re-tweet and also share it with your friends on Facebook and Digg.

Image Credit: Salvatore Vuono

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Overcoming Objections with Feel, Felt, Found

Overcoming objections is one of the top business skills you need to learn how to master in your mlm home based business.

I know I struggled with this issue when I first started.  But then someone introduced me to “Feel, Felt, Found” a really cool method to overcome objections.

It is only natural that people have objections when they are confronted with something new and unfamiliar. It is our job as their future sponsor to help them overcome these objections. Oftentimes the objections we hear from our prospects aren’t even real, but more of a way to say “hey, I’m not ready for this,” without actually coming out and saying it.

“Feel, felt, found” lets you empathize with your prospect. Most likely you were in their shoes at one time and you can relate to what they are going through.

Here are some examples of the most common objections we may hear….

“I don’t have the time to do this business.”

“I don’t have the money.”

“I have to think about it.”

“I don’t want to be locked into a monthly commitment (autoship.)”

“I don’t like MLM, Network Marketing.”

“I have to ask my husband.”

All of these objections can be overcome with “FEEL, FELT, FOUND”

For example…

“Mary, I totally understand how you feel about not having the time to do this business. I felt the same way. But then I found that it only takes a few hours a week to get things started…”

“I understand your concern about the monthly autoship, Bill, and know how you feel. I felt the same way. But then I found that I actually ran out of the product before it was time for the next autoship to come around … that I really needed to set a good example for the team I was building and therefore needed to be on autoship…“

“I appreciate how you feel about having to think about it, Sue. I felt the same way. But then I found the sooner I started the sooner I would reach my dream of … (fill in the blank.)”

See how this feel, felt, found approach works overcoming objections? You are actually relating to the prospect. Making them feel better about having these objections, because you let them know that you felt the same way at some point but you found a solution to overcome objections like the ones they may be having.

Overcoming objections is just something that comes with the territory of having a mlm home based business. But applying the method of feel, felt, found makes it a lot easier to handle.

To Your Success,

Ilka Flood
The Enlightened Networker

P.S. If you have used the feel felt found approach in your business let us know your experience in the comments below. By the way, this is a DOFOLLOW blog so you will get some link juice back

P.P.S. If you liked this information, make sure you re-tweet and also share it with your friends on Facebook. Thank you!

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Marketing Outside the Box

Being creative and thinking outside the box in your marketing might make your offer more appealing.

Just think, a nicely wrapped gift makes much more of a statement than if you hand the gift over unwrapped.

Maybe you have a tough time getting some of your prospects to make a commitment and join you in your business.

I learned about these innovative marketing ideas below which may just create that little push they need to get them off the fence.

Since Halloween is just around the corner lets start off with that…

Trick or Treat…

If you’re really into candy … make a Halloween Mix

2 cups of candy corn
1 cup of nuts
some M&Ms
some salted peanuts
& some Apple Jacks cereal

Each of these stand for something. Mix them all up and put them in a fun cellophane bag (or some other fun container.) Tie your business card to it and a note that reads:

“Are you mixed up thinking about how you pay for Christmas gifts this year? Consider a mix that’s the answer. If you like to have fun and you are a little nutty consider joining XYZ. You decide how many zeros you want on your paycheck. If you’re curious about mixing it up and making a little more money, let’s get together so I can tell you about our treats.”

Christmas Idea…

Purchase some candy canes and put this note on them…

“Are you a bit wobbly about your financial future? Lean on me to support you in your new business.” (And attach your business card)

Valentine’s Day…

Buy some conversation hearts. Put some in a little plastic bag (you can buy some really tiny ones not much larger than a business card.) Stable to a saying and just hand it out.

“I’d like to have a heart to heart conversation with you about what XYZ business can do.” (Don’t forget to attach your business card too).

During Spring and Summertime…

Pick up different seeds…(at your local nursery)

“Seeds are the beginning of a bountiful business. Plant the seeds and watch your XYZ business grow. Do you feel SQUAHSED in your current job? Does your boss SNAP like a dragon? Then let us talk for a minute because I BEAN where you are and I know you MUSTARD things around. I know it’s a bit KORNY but PEAS listen up and don’t TURNIP your nose to what I can share with you. After all you might find yourself lucky and GREEN.”My husband (or wife) is a real gem but I didn’t MARYGOLD. With my own business I’m able to CARROT about those who matter most. I flower my family with time and attention. Not only am I growing a happy family but a profitable business.”

Send them a shoe or a sandal and say…

“I’ve been in your shoes. I know you have reservations but I’m here to teach you and walk beside you to build your business.”

Send them a swim ring and say…

“Feeling deflated about your finances? I have a life-saving idea that will inflate your monthly income.”

S’mores…..

“Do you need s’more of ….. (fill in the blank)?

Here’s a cute one for moms…

Diaper Idea….

Take a diaper put some Milk Duds in it and attach this saying….

“Is your financial outlook crappy? Then take a load off and learn how XYZ business can wipe away your financial worries.”

I think this will get your creative juices flowing and start thinking outside the box. If you can think of any other creative marketing ideas feel free to share them with us in the comment box below.

To Your Success…

Ilka Flood
The Enlightened Networker

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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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