Are You a Sales Lady?

As you gain more experience in sales you will find techniques with different personalities to get you the sell but there are a few things that I have applied to my outside and inside sales and it works.

My dad owned a company and I was moved to outside Sales when I was 18 after he watched me sell a black and white telvision that only went up to 13 channels for 120.00. I sold the tv not on the price but on trust. I convinced the person this was such a great deal. I even plugged it up and let them watch the tv. I had a very successful Garage Sale that weekend.

Years later I have made very good money in outside sales. I know selling isn't easy but there is one thing you can deliver if you believe in your product. How this is going to make their life better. I am delivering a solution for the hot flashes they suffer from. I am solving their problem with OSHA. No matter what the price was I first told them what my solution would be for them. NEVER start talking to a customer about the price. When you watch A coke commercial on tv ....Do you see only 1.39? No they make the coke look good. The solution of the Coke is it takes care of your thirst. Some people do buy things because it is buy 1 get 1 free but most of us buy products because we have an interest in it.

Don't cut the prices so low to get them to buy that you suffer from it in the long run. I believe you should treat all customers the same. Can you afford to cut a deal for this person and the next 300 customers? I believe if you do you will see your income suffer. You are in business to make money and you can sweeten the deal but don't go so low that you sacrifice your relationship with your customer. What do you do to get the price you desire? You solve their problems and watch they will be willing to pay what you want!

Article by:
Chaele McMillan is a work at home mom. She owns a consulting company and Mom State University (ww.momstateuniversity.com). Visit her site and sign up for her FREE newsletter.

Building Your Mailing List - Creating Repeat Customers

Large successful companies know that creating your mailing list is a valuable asset. It's also the key to getting a higher rate of repeat customers. Online business is no different. It's the same basic principle.

Building your Online Mailing List:

If you haven't started your own list yet, you can start an affordable one online with your own ezine or online newsletter. Offer an incentive for signing up to build your list at a quick rate.

The foundation of the internet was to make information accessible to everyone. Today, information is still the number one motivation of internet users. Capitalize on this by offering your own information through your ezine or newsletter.

You'll have a chance to get your product infront of your subscribers time and time again. This creates new customers for you as well as repeat customers.

Autoresponders are also a great way to create informational access. You can set up several messages to follow in a sequential order for all new subscribers. This is a great way to automate your business -- "handsfree' as they say. Your autoresponder takes care of sending out your messages one by one in a set order..and you are worry free.

You can use the same autoresponder system to create your newsletters. People aren't necessarily looking for "fancy" they want information and they want it fast without hunting around all your fancy graphics or banners.

You can save money by finding an "unlimited" autoresponder system for all your mailing lists compared to the cost of the normal mailing managers online which usually allow you to only create a limited number of lists or limited subscribers. Normal mailing managers require you to pay a hefty fee for a large subscriber base. I use my ultimate marketing center which provides my hosting, ad tracking, and unlimited autoresonders, plus alot more all in one location. (Check it out at: http://mommyaffiliates.com/ultimate_marketing_center.htm )

Building your Offline Mailing List:

-Replies to your own advertising can become leads
-Ask your own customers to recommend friends
-Business directories -Civic association memberships
-College alumni groups
-Contest entrants
-Convention attendees
-Birth notices in the newspaper
-Create your own referral program, rewarding those who refer your business to others.
-Holding your own free informational classes

Living on One Income - Setting a Clear Budget

Setting a Clear Budget

There are lots of reasons why families have to live on one income, a new baby, single parent, husband loses his job or simply because one of you wants to spend more time with your children. Whatever your situation is, living on one income can mean it’s time to cut back, or it can mean that now is the opportunity to slice your spending in half by making a few clever budget changes.

To start at the very basics it is absolutely essential to look at your cash flow, what money is coming in and what money is going out. The first part should be easy, simply list every penny of income you receive on a regular basis every month. This might be before you give up a second income to see if you can afford it, or this may be your single income that you are living on now.

Then comes the slightly harder part of listing everything that you are committed to spending on every month, this includes your mortgage, car payments, loans, utility bills like electricity, cable and water. Make a full list of everything that you absolutely must pay for every month.

You should add a realistic amount for food and other essentials such as diapers for your little ones or any other costs that you have to pay on a regular basis. These are your essential monthly costs.

Then simply take away your monthly costs from your monthly income. The difference between these two amounts is you disposable cash or how much you have to spend on everything else. Of course this amount might actually be negative and this is actually more often the situation for many families where you suddenly realize you can’t afford your living.

But don’t worry because there are lots of things you can do to reduce the costs. The first place to start is on the list of items that you made for you essential monthly costs.

We all usually have a long list of essential monthly costs so if you can reduce each one by ten dollars here and twenty dollars there and it will eventually all add up to make a significant difference.

Saving Money on Groceries

There are two ways to save money on your groceries, buy less or pay less. But it doesn’t end there because there are lots of different ways to do these two things.

Buying less always sounds like you have to cut down on what you buy but this isn’t always true. Spending less always sounds like going into the supermarket with a bag full of coupons.

True, these are ways to cut down on your grocery shopping bills but with a little bit of thought you could probably cut down your spending many other ways too.

You may be able to buy less because you are using less or reusing the same things more than once like plastic bags and containers. You can also buy less by making things last longer like diluting fruit juices. This will help you save money and calories.

Another way to buy less and save on your grocery shopping is to buy smart and think about all the things that you might be wasting because they’ve gone bad or expired before it gets used. Large yogurt pots and some fruits and vegetables can cause this problem.

Also think about all the disposable items you might be buying that could be replaced by a one off permanent item, for example permanent coffee filters, plastic food containers instead of disposable bags, razors for shaving, even water filters. There must be tons of people throwing money away because they buy bottled water instead of using a water filter that dollar for dollar gives you probably ten times the same amount of fresh filtered water.

The most common ways to pay less for items is to buy the items on sale, buy cheaper brands, or buying in bulk. Often items that are reduced to clear are perfectly suitable to consume it’s just that the store has to sell them quick or face throwing it out.

Also avoid impulsive buying. Many people buy impulsively because the products are there on the shelf in front of them. You know what they say, never go grocery shopping when you are feeling hungry or without a list.
You can also shop around different stores to find the bargains and you might be surprised by how much you can save.

Be weary of supermarket tricks. Things like raising the price of a popular brand for about two weeks then ‘price cutting’ to just below the original price to make it look like it’s on special offer.

Supermarkets can raise and lower their prices to match the supplier’s situation. So if a product supplier is struggling to supply apples one week, then the price will go up, and when the apples start flooding back in again, a special offer price will appear.

But don’t make the common mistakes that many people make. When supermarkets put things on special offer, such as ‘buy one and get one free’ people think this is a great deal. It often is, but this may make you simply consume more so you really won’t be saving much at all.

The best ‘two for the price of one’ offers are on things that you can only consume at a certain rate like bathroom and cleaning products, such as toothpaste and soap powder.

The same thing goes for coupons. Sure coupons are a great way to save money on groceries but if you’re buying things you normally wouldn’t buy or twice as much to get the special sale price then you may actually end up spending more. Often times the coupon offers are higher priced items than the store brands.

By the same token, be careful of store brand or value products that are cheaper imitations of the real thing. Buying lower quality can be a money saver if you choose wisely, but if you end up using twice as much and the product lasts half as long, then you might as well enjoy the real thing.

Positive Selling Words - For your Website, Correspondence and Customer Service

It's great to always use positive and descriptive words on your website, correspondence and when communicating to a customer. Here's some positive and descriptive words to get you started:

agreeable
affordable
anxious
appealing
appetizing
artistic
attractive
beautiful
bountiful
breathless
bright
bubbly
charming
cherish
choice
comfortable
communicative
composed
confident
considerate
convenient
cost efficient
courteous
delectable
delightful
dependable
direct
durable
eager
easy to use
spacious
sparkling
streamlined
sturdy
stylish
suave
subtle
successful
talented
tasteful
tasty
tender
thoughtful
timely
time saving
tested
touchable
trustworthy
unforgettable
valuable
warm
welcoming
well-done
well-dressed
well-groomed
well-judged
well-kept
well-matched
well-organized
well-structured
wise
worth

Are you one of the 5% who will succeed at a home business?

Mommy Revenue's Top Article Pick for the Day:

Having a home business could be the lifestyle you’ve always dreamed of. No more getting up early to rush around trying to look your best. No more sitting in traffic hoping you will get to work on time. No more putting up with that unpleasant boss or working on days you really wanted off. No more letting someone else raise your kids and cheer at their soccer games. No more wondering where the next house payment is coming from. No more of “That would be nice, but we just can’t afford it.”

The problem with this dream is that most people who attempt to start a home business, don’t ever end up making a significant income. In fact, a lot of them end up losing money. The statistics are grim. 95% of the people who start a home business fail.

So how can you know whether you will be one of those fortunate 5%? It doesn’t make sense to start something you are destined to fail at. What do the success stories have in common?

Are you the right kind of person?

Successful business owners know what they want. They have a big visible ‘reason why’ that makes them feel like they have to make it work. Why do you want to move your job to your home? Do you want a bigger income? How much? What will you do with it? Do you want more time with your family? What will you do with them when that happens? The fortunate 5% have a reason they are working a home business that they can envision. Do you?

Successful business owners are committed to making their business succeed. They are going to reach their goals or know the reason why. Are you committed to working longer hours on less income for the first few months while you are getting things going? If your schedule is full right now, what are you going to give up in order to make your business work? Do you have the self discipline and patience to keep at it even if you encounter some temporary disappointments along the way? Do you have, or do you think you could develop the organization, planning, and marketing skills that will be necessary?

Successful business owners are willing to take the time to research an opportunity, weigh the costs and likelihood of a profit, and then take risks to make their dreams come true. How are you at making decisions on you own and taking risks? Do you feel uncomfortable about trying new things when you can’t accurately predict the outcome?

Do you really enjoy the general buzz of people around you at work? Remember, when you move your work to home, those people won’t be there anymore. Some people thrive if they are left alone to work on their own. Others go crazy just thinking about the isolation. Which are you?

Do you have the resources necessary to start a business?

Any new business takes a certain amount of cash to get set up. A MacDonald’s franchise would cost you several hundred thousand dollars. Most small home businesses require only a few hundred dollars to get off the ground. But a few hundred dollars is a few hundred dollars. It’s very difficult indeed to start a business with no budget at all. Indeed, I’ve heard some reliable authorities say that it may be impossible. Do you have a plan to come up with a budget to get started? If not, you may need to think about saving until you do, or at least starting small and working up to a full-fledged business.

You also will need to make sure you can spare the time. There is a lot to learn before you will be making a significant profit from home. Would you be able to set aside 10 to 15 hours a week to do the research, training, and marketing necessary to get started?

Don’t forget the simple logistical needs you will have. I got a letter recently from someone who wanted to start an internet marketing venture, but he didn’t have a computer, or access to the internet. He wanted me to find a way to make it work for him anyway! Do you have access to the internet, an adequate computer system and a place in your home you could realistically work from? Is there anything else you will need to purchase or install in order to get started?

What about environment?

Whereas the final outcome of a successful home business is truly glorious, there will most certainly be a series of bumps and bruises along the way. Do you have the support of your family or close friends, or will they say, “See, I told you it wouldn’t work.” every time you have a setback or a dry spell? You need at least one person in your life who will encourage you when the going gets tough.

Do you pass the test?

How about it? Could you be one of the 5%? If one or two of the above qualities are problem areas for you, you might just make it anyway. But if you have a problem in four or five areas, or even all of them, you may do better staying with your day job.

In any case, since there is no way to know how long it will take you to make a profit, it would probably be wise to stay at your current job, (or get one if you don’t have one) until you are making more money in your business that at your job. Doing well at your job while at the same time learning a whole new world of skills on the internet just could turn out to be the busiest and hardest months of your life, but the rewards will be well worth whatever sacrifice and effort you have put into it.

Imagine getting up whenever you want, working a few hours in your sweats, and then having the rest of the day to actually live life instead of just working to sustain it! Imaging never having to worry again where the money you need will be coming from! Imagine being able to give yourself a vacation whenever and wherever you chose!

I hope this gives you a little more ammunition to make an informed decision, and whatever you choose to do, may you enjoy a rich and full life full of small delights and big successes!

Debbie Penner is a member of Strong Future International, and the owner of Exponential Profit dot Com which is committed to helping people find the right home employment or home business, and providing the training, information, tools, and personal help to bring them to a place of significant monthly profit. Check out her homepage at http://www.ExponentialProfit.com

From Revenue to Reality

Most online business owners create their first website with the anticipation of becoming quite successful. They vividly dream of this success as they launch their new website in hopes of earning large stacks of money. Some entrepreneurs do indeed become quite successful and others finally give up in hopelessness.

Reality is that many of us are “wannabes”. We dream of successfully earning enough revenue that will send us on long vacations to far away exotic beaches, soaking in the sun with a grin on our face as we relish in our accomplishments. Most of us will never make it that far. There’s a bright side to that, too. I believe success should not be compared to someone else’s accomplishments. A mom who can stay home with her children because she is frugal and wise in her spending is a successful mom. A woman who starts her own business and earns her first paycheck is successful. They are successful if they have accomplished their quests and are happy with their achievements. Success has no price tag.

Steps to Successful Revenue:

1. Set Goals.

Setting goals are the little stepping stones to success. Without goals we mold into one spot never reaching the next spot. Goals are what help you reach the bigger achievements. One does not build the world tallest steeple over night. There are many plans in the process, many individual goals to reach, many deadlines to meet. The mere “push” to reach these numerous goals and tasks is what helps us achieve the ultimate goal. Small goals help us arrive to that final point that will make us say, “Ah, it is finished” with the emotional translation meaning, “I’ve succeeded…I’m successful”.

Set your goals for what you want in life. Having a backyard swimming pool is not for everyone. So, determine what success means to you. Success does not have to have a dollar sign with six figures next to it.

2. Get Motivated.

Success is accounted to about 70% motivation. Talent is great, too. Yes, there are lots of talented people surfing our internet. Sadly, talent won’t make us successful. Some talented people lack motivation and character. Lacking these unique skills will certainly deny us success. My husband is a great fan of motivational and inspirational books. I recently asked him which book what his favorite motivational book. He quickly replied, “Over the Top” by Zig Ziglar. I asked him to expand on why he would choose this book as his favorite. He said that, “The book is extremely simple to understand. It’s straight to the point, giving you step-by-step examples of how to make goals and how to reach them.” I know that Zig Ziglar offers some of his motivational speeches and books on tape as well. You can find them at your local library (for free, of course). We use tapes like these to listen to while we travel. Listening to tapes in your car while you run errands can be a real “uplifter” and help you start your day off motivated, not to mention it’s a great way to occupy yourself at the stoplights. Staying motivated is an ongoing process. Finding some tapes that you can listen to over and over again will save you some time and help you stay motivated.

3. Get Some Character.

When I was a young adult, “character” was one of my favorite words. I liked people who had character. Character is doing what is right even when you don’t want to. Character is doing what you need to do even when you don’t feel like it. Character helps you stick in there even when you want to give up. Character is success in itself. If you are so poor that you cannot even afford bread for your bologna sandwich, character will help you rise above it. Character makes you a valuable human being in society. Character, combined with goals and motivation, will help you become successful in whatever you wish to accomplish, with a little hope of earning some revenue along the way.