Your Address Book

At just about every dollar store in the country you'll find Address books for about a buck, sometimes less. These are one of those items that everyone walks by thousands of time every year and never puts in the buggy. Well, the next time you head to the store, make a point to find one you like.

Why? Because an Address Book is a HUGE asset to your business, one that is usually over looked and forgotten about. How is something that costs about a dollar such a big deal? Well, if for no other reason, because it will help you keep all your customers, potential customers, up line, down line and who ever else all organized.

Now, if you're super anal about things like yours truly, you'll get separate books for all these areas, but there really isn't any need for that.

Keeping your customers and everyone else in order is an asset for many reasons, but mostly because if you can contact them quickly and when ever you choose, it means you never forget them when it's time for sales, new catalogs, specials or other times when it's important to remember them - which means you never miss a sale!

Simply make a point to write down the Name, Address, Phone & Email information for everyone you come in contact with in your business. And DO NOT forget to make down where they stand - Customers, Up-Line, Down-Line, Advertiser, Other Contact... That way you aren't sending your New Spring Catalog to someone who sells the same thing you do.

You also want to make sure that you make a note of everyone's Birthday's, Kids Birthday's, Wedding Anniversary and whatever else you can fit in there. This way you can send cards (from your business) for the appropriate events. And don't ever forget to send good customers extra savings whenever you have an opportunity too! A "Happy Birthday here's $5 in savings" card will almost always get you a sale, just because "you remembered." 

It's a very simple thing to do. Yet it's something that people tend to forget to do, and they loose business because of it! Think of how many times you have lost a potential sale because you lost their number... Or how many times you wanted to do something or call someone and couldn't figure out where you put their number. Do you think your customers don't do the same thing? SO, never loose another sale! Make a point to jot down contact information, and send cards, letters and catelogs to those who need them - when they need them.

One last tip - If you haven't heard from a "good customer" for a few weeks/months, it's always a great idea to call and see how they are. Even if they don't order, the fact that you called to check will open the door for future orders, or will let you know if they aren't interested any more.

Website Set Up How Too...

If you have your own business of any kind, be it Avon or Massage Therapy, your business should have a website at this point. Many people, myself included, want to come home and check out a companies site before actually calling for an appointment. If I like what I see on the site, it ups my chances of calling because I am already comfortable with the business...

For many people the thought of building a website is terrifying. They hear words like Java Script and HTML and want to run screaming. At one point you needed a college degree to build a fully functional website. Today, that's just not the case! I have personally build a number of websites, none of which required a lot of headaches. In today's world the idea of creating a website shouldn't be scary at all.

Websites like FreeWebs and Yola all by walk you through the process. My personal favorite is Yola, but I have used others as well. It really is very simple to do. Once you sign up for an account you will pick a style. There are a number of free options and some more complicated ones that you have the option to pay for. Go through them and find one that fits your needs. If your website is more about jewelry than it is trees, don't pick one that is covered in forests... It's really that simple.

The next "challenge" is actually creating content, or the stuff on the page. Again, this part will vary a bit depending on what your business is... But generally you will need the following pages in a good website:

1. Welcome/Home Page - This page will be the first thing that visitors see when they type in your web address. It should be colorful and eye catching as well as have a simple and informative message that welcomes new and old visitors. 
2. Business Overview - This can be combined with the Home Page, but that can get to be a bit overwhelming. So I generally recommend a second page for this. You'll want to write a few informative paragraphs to introduce your business or company. Make sure to include your mission statement (if you have one) as well as a little about how you got started. The more people know the better and safer they will feel using your business over another.
   
3. Product or Service Overview - This page is exactly what it sounds like. You will want to review your products or services in detail. If you make jewelry, talk about how it's made and what you use, if you clean houses make sure to cover how you got started, what area you cover and what you can do for a person's home. Of course these are examples, so, make sure that you tailor your page to your business.
4. Business/Employment Opportunity - If you are someone that has started a business from scratch and isn't looking for employees, skip this one. But if you have a franchise style business, will be needing employees or are looking to expand through others this is a must have page. Explain what you are looking for in potential employees or business partners and how they may contact you if interested. What are the benefits of working with you? And why should they choose you over a competitor?? These are very important things to include!
5. Contact Us - No matter if you have a multi million dollar corporation or a small home based business visitors to your site are going to want some way to contact someone be they have questions. On this page you'll want to thank them for visiting and invite them to contact you with questions or comments. List whatever contact information you are comfortable giving out. This should include at least a business email and or business phone number. You could also list the business address if you have a store front.

Of course these are simply the "should haves" for a website. You can include as much or as little as YOU want. Remember to keep it colorful with lots of pictures. You'll also want to do your best to keep it informative without being to bulky... A new potential customer wants to be able to visit your website and get comfortable with you and your business, they don't want to read a novel.

Generally I also advise against listing any prices on your site, unless they will be ordering directly from it. The reason for this is simple. If your cost goes up and your prices change you don't want to be loosing money because you listed a price six months ago...  You'll want to show some examples of your work if you are selling things or describe the services you provide. But I generally suggest a "call for pricing" notice. Offer a "free consult" or "free estimate" which will leave them the option of calling, listening to your prices and still saying no without feeling like they are cheating you. If people feel like they are roped in to buying something just by calling with questions, they won't call.

Once your website is set up and ready to go you will have just a few things to do before you are ready to list it on your business card. FreeWebs, Yola and most other website creator sites will give you the option of a free web address. This will look like www.YOURSITENAME.yola.com, it's long and hard to both remember and refer to... They will also give you the option of buying a "domain name" through them. However, I do not generally suggest doing this. Instead you'll want to go through a site like GoDaddy to purchase your domain name. Again, it's a very simple process.

You'll want to visit www.GoDaddy.com and sign up for an account. There will be a box where you can search for a domain. This is where you will type in what you want your site name to be. However, there is a chance that someone else has already taken it, and you will have to try again. You will also have the option of having a .com, .org, .biz, .info and more. Choose the one that best fits your business. Although .info tends to be the cheapest, .com tend to be the easiest to remember.

Your cost for a domain name will vary from as little as must $1-$2 to as high as a few hundred depending on what you want. Obviously I suggest finding one that's not already owned this way you can get a .com for about $10. This will give you the highest amount of views.

So, once you have built your site and purchased a domain name you will need to connect the two. If you are using Yola this is very simple. You will simply click on the Publish My Site button in the top right hand corner of the site builder.  It will give you 3 options, the last of which is I already own my domain name - choose that. Then it will ask you to "Please make sure your domain name is pointing at Yola" and you can click "How do I do this" that will walk you through it. It's very simple to do.

Once you have built your site, chosen and bought a domain name, linked the two and published the site it will take about an hour for everything to show up...  You will have the power to update and add to your site at any point, so don't worry that it may not be perfect. Just remember that after you add content or change anything in the future that you remember to click the update button (which is where the publish button was) so that visitors see the changes.

And you're done. Feel free to use your new business website on business cards, signs, ads and more... You will be surprised to see the growth!

Is Direct Sales Hard??

The following article is an excerpt from a speech given by a direct seller at a local meeting. I was told she was asked to speak on how direct sales compares to working a "regular" job. I have edited it to share with you. As you read it count the many blessings we have in this business.

Lately, I have heard so many people say how difficult direct sales is.
"Its hard." "I can't get any opt-ins." "I can't get people to sign up." "This just isn't for me." "I didn't know how difficult it would be."

Well, I am a single mom of three who, before joining the direct sales family, held down two jobs. I would get up at 4:00 in the morning and not get to bed until midnight most nights, after returning from my part-time retail job, packing lunches, checking homework and relieving my mother, who helped out with the kids.

That, my friends, is difficult.

It is difficult always having to lower your dreams to meet your means. It is difficult to miss your son's football game because you have to work. It is difficult knowing the rust bucket you call a car is eating you alive in maintenance, but you can't afford a new one. It is difficult to realize that someone else is going to watch your daughter take her first step or have your son say mama to the preschool teacher.

It is difficult knowing that you have spent 40 years of your life working for someone else, only to realize that you will be retiring on one-third of what you can live on today. Or, worse yet, it is difficult knowing that you have diligently worked all your life, only to be given an early retirement and replaced by someone younger, more capable.

I will tell you what is difficult. It is difficult waking up one morning and realizing that your children, the most precious things imaginable, no longer need bottles, diapers, have tea parties, or are shorter than the baseball bat they are trying to swing. It is difficult realizing it is too late and that the time frittered away can never be retrieved. It slips
through our fingers one second at a time.

It is also difficult watching the spark in your partner's eyes fade because both of you realize the house you have been wanting is just a dream because someone else is controlling your finances.

We have nasty habits about rationalizing, procrastination and skirting important things, rather than facing the issues. Too often we allow others who do not pay our bills, who do not share our dreams, to direct our futures.

As children we have absolutely no freedom; we rebel in our teens and scream for freedom. We reach adulthood and are finally free, only to relinquish that freedom because we think it is too difficult. We do not want to take responsibility. We do not want to make a wrong decision, so we obligingly give that awesome power to someone else. We wake up too
late. We hear ourselves uttering phrases like: "I wish I had only . . ." and "If I could do it over again."

You have no one but yourself to blame. You had the chance. Perhaps the opportunity was presented many times and each time you elevated the trivial to a higher priority than yourself.

Let me ask you: Is direct sales really difficult?

Is it so traumatic to show someone an exciting product or idea? Is it so difficult to understand that if you work this marketing idea for three to five years, you just might finally be able to send your children to a college chosen by excellence, rather than one chosen by price? That you could finally put your family in the home of their dreams?

Would you work really hard for eight to ten years, so you could mold a lifestyle of your choosing, so your family could live a lifestyle of their dreams, rather than trying to live how someone else thinks you should live?

How difficult is it to pick up the phone and call your prospect? How difficult is it to place ads? How difficult is it, really, to share what you love with others? Think about it.

Realize the awesome power you have in your hands with direct sales. There are people out there working three jobs. There are people drowning in debt; or agonizing through bankruptcy, realizing they only needed a couple hundred more dollars per month. That is difficult!

This business you have chosen has the ability to change lives. Direct sales cannot do anything. But YOU can change lives with it. You are the one with the life-changing ability. What are you waiting for?

There is difficulty and pain in success, and there is difficulty and pain in failure. Difficulty and pain in success will last a short period of time; but pain in failure lasts a lifetime. Which one is really more difficult?

You will pay a price for your actions, and your choices.

Which choice will you make?