Posts Tagged "Blog writing"
Let My Nerium Journey Begin!
Just got back from the Nerium Spring Bash! What an encouraging and fun weekend in Nashville, Tennessee at the Opryland Resort. Why did I drop everything and go to Nashville? Well, as a single Mom pushing 50, I was not very happy with the fine lines, extra wrinkles, redness, and other signs of aging on my face and neck. So, like many other busy Mom’s and professionals, I was seeking a simple to use product that would give me REAL RESULTS. I had been dreading the discovery of my next new wrinkle and my inevitable trip down the escalator at Macy’s to face a sea of beautiful and intimidating cosmetic professionals. That is why I was open to a product that my friend was sharing. Can you relate to my story? Well, I will never make that trip again! I am on a new journey and that is the story that I want to share with you today. My good friend Kathy Myers, shared NeriumAD with me. It is a blend of some of the most effective ingredients in the skincare industry, already known to show age defying benefits. Added to that blend is the revolutionary NAE-8 extract, which has been clinically proven incredibly effective in reducing the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, discoloration, texture and helping the skin look as silky and smooth as possible. Do you want to look your best? I do!! As an busy Mom and business owner the REAL Business Opportunity offered by Nerium also appealed to me. My clients are all great, but I am caught in a trap of trading hours for dollars. Trying to please everyone and getting very tired in the process. Can you relate? For the last few years, it has been up to me to keep my business up and running. A few month ago my Father had a heart attack and then a stroke. I went back and forth to Chicago over the weeks to follow and was there when my Dad died. This was the most painful experience of my life and I am still recovery from losing him earlier this year. He was a wonderful person and we had a very close relationship. My life will be forever changed. Not having my Dad as an active part of my life is challenging, yet I am blessed with the memories and his words of love and inspiration. In my last blog I shared, “There are many things in life that we have no control over, yet we do have a powerful capacity to change ourselves and to make healthy choices every day that will make us happy, successful and that are in harmony with our long-term goals.” I am a Mother of a wonderful son with high-functioning autism or Asperger’s syndrome, the condition presents daily challenges. I want to be able to spend quality time with my son and it is part of my “Why”. The leadership team at Nerium International are devoted to supporting their sales representatives (called Brand Partners… like me ), providing us with resources to help our businesses grow. That’s because Nerium Brand Partners are the heart of the company, and their success is the success of Nerium, as the company continues to improve people’s lives through breakthrough products rooted in REAL SCIENCE. My friend, Kathy Myers that invited me to the Nerium Spring Bash, has been my friend for a long time and I saw her enjoy real success in another “Network Marketing” company years ago. She had enjoyed success and had the freedom to pursuit her love of helping people by going back to school to become a nurse. Being the overachiever that she is, she got her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree (B.S.N.) from UCF in record time. After being back to trading hours for dollars, she began to miss the money and free time she had when she was in the “relationship marketing” industry (new way to say “Network Marketing”) . Well, as a busy nurse that was seeing the signs of stress on her face. Her Sister Sharon gave her a bottle of NeriumAD and she not...
Read MoreWho Else Wants to have a Retweetable Blog?
Do you have a Blog? Have you wondered: Why is having a blog such an important part of a profit generating online presence? Wouldn’t be great if more of your Twitter followers, Facebook friends and Linkedin connections shared your blog? Sharing insider tips, news worthy information, product releases, deals and information about your monthly specials are ideas for writing a sharable blog article for your website. In this blog, I want to help you to create great content that others will want to share. To write a great blog you will need to sit down at your laptop, dig deep and share a great story about how your company helped a client, got involved with the community or tell your readers what is remarkable about the service they will get from you. What is in it for the reader? Writing for the benefit of your target audience is the key to a successful blog. Compelling stories in articles or as they are called online “blogs” have the power to build trust and move prospects, clients, partners and brand advocates to action. So, the saying goes… if you can’t tell it, you can’t sell it. What is “it” that you are trying to “sell?” Is it a vision, dream, cause or simply your products or services? Purposeful storytelling can motivate and engage our target market to “buy-in” to whatever “it” is that you are selling. Speaking of selling, let’s change that word to “investing in”. That goes along with the Everybody B.U.Y.S philosophy. On the contrary, most people do not like to feel that they are being sold. Is that also true of you? That brings us back to creative story telling that touches the mind and heart of the reader. The oohs and aahs of relating to another person’s experiences, insights and recommendations offer us the opportunity to overcome strongly entrenched reasoning and gain a competitive advantage in our marketplace. For example, I am the queen of “Cold Calling”… Would you like to know how I originally earned that title? Here is my Story: When I was thirteen years old, I started my first business. It was one of the worst winters in the history of Chicago “The blizzard of 1979.” (Now you can figure out my age and understand what I mean when I say I have 20+ years of sales and marketing experience.) Well, cars were buried and people could not even open their front doors. The glistening snow, was as beautiful as it was a crippling reality to the frustrated parents, professionals and political representatives of Chicago. As I watched the snow fall, I saw the need of a “Snow Removal Business” and called a couple of my friends: hard-working boys from my neighborhood. With shovels in hand, scarves on our faces and determination in our hearts we approached our first door. As the natural-born salesperson of the group, I rang the doorbell and asked the homeowner if he wanted us to shovel for him. He asked “What areas are you going to shovel and how much more would it cost to clear out my car?” This was my first “Cold Call” and I learned an important lesson. At that moment, I learned the importance of a marketing plan and that there was more to going into business than just knocking on a door with a shovel in my hand and a smile on my face. Therefore, I replied “Well sir, what would you like us to do for you and what do you think is a fair price to pay?” Since he knew me, he offered some neighborly business advice on pricing and how to approach the other neighbors. He said to offer three options and prices and then “be quiet” as they pick one of your options. Great advice, don’t you agree? That is why I have it as part of my current pricing and marketing strategy down to today. So, that is my story and I’m sticking to it. Some people have had to travel rocky roads, but mine began on a snowy road to a sales and marketing career. And that is why I can say that I’m the “Queen of Cold Calls.”...
Read MoreSeven Steps to Launching a New Company
Here are seven steps to launching a new company that will have lasting success. “First impressions last the longest.” Do you agree with that statement? If you do, than as an entrepreneur ready to go into business for yourself it is important to build your business on a solid foundation. “When I started out in business, I spent a great deal of time researching every detail that might be pertinent to the deal I was interested in making. I still do the same today. People often comment on how quickly I operate, but the reason I can move quickly is that I’ve done the background work first, which no one usually sees. I prepare myself thoroughly, and then when it is time to move ahead, I am ready to sprint.” Donald Trump After over 25 years of gaining general business, public speaking, sales and marketing experience, I began to take on clients as their Business Marketing consultant. This has been a real learning experience. Now, with a more clearly defined direction it is time to take my business endeavours to the next level. More on that in upcoming blogs. Meanwhile, with the earlier quote from Mr. Trump in mind, here are the 7 Steps that I am taking to launch my new Company this spring. Step 1: Find Your Niche What can you do better than anyone else for a defined target market? Start researching to discover a niche market that has a need that you can address better than anyone else in your market. Finding that right niche market that is being under-serviced can be a goldmine for a hard-working entrepreneur like you. Step 2: Make a game plan. Do your homework to find best practices and write your Business Plan for your first three years. Determine a budget, CRM, bookkeeping, marketing plan and then put that plan into action. Over 90% of entrepreneurs do not start out with a 3 year plan and most of them fail as a result. Michael Gerber is the author that all entrepreneurs need to be familiar with as a mentor. In his book The E-Myth Revisited and his other insightful books he stresses thinking and acting like a business person. This means having systems and processes in place as part of your business plan to keep you organized as you grow your business. Step 3: Name your Company. Get your domain name before you register your business. Find a .com name that is available and brand yourself around that name. This will save you from confusing your target market and frustration later. You want prospects to find you easily online. Step 4: Create a Website with a blog. Google is now a verb. Your prospects will “Google” you and your business. As we begin 2012, relevance and “Social Sharing” are vitally important to SEO – Search Engine Optimization of your website. This means that your website needs to be an online hub that is part of your interactive web presence. Maintaining a website with a blog that you add content to monthly is no longer an option for someone that wants to to have a thriving business. Being found, “liked” and trusted by your prospects begins many times with online search of you and your business. You need to be in control of “relevant” content that they find! Step 5: Engage online Tap into Social media to interact with clients and prospects in your market. Configure your Twitter, Facebook Business Page, LinkedIN Business and personal profile. Find out where your target market “hangs out online” and become a part of that community. Listen at first and make positive comments on other people’s blogs. Step 6: Network to gather your CoDreamers Share your dream, vision and game plan with your family, friends, Networking partners, vendors and suppliers. They will then become your CoDreamers and provide the support you need to be successful in life as a business owner. Network with non-competing professionals to learn about business opportunities, share best practices and work on your public speaking skills in a friendly environment. Join a...
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