Archive for September, 2007

Recruiting, Selling and Targeting

Tuesday, September 11th, 2007

A subscriber wrote this question and said I could post the answer here.

Hi Carrie,

Thank you for sharing your free ecourse, so I can learn more about you before I buy. And that is what I want to do with my website. But, when I sit down to write my homepage, I always feel like I am being preachy – rather than friendly.

How do I introduce myself and my mission without sounding like a know-it-all? I am working toward getting people in my MLM businesses, too. So, figuring out how to work that in, is not easy either.

DeAnna

DeAnna, I think that is an important question, because if you’re not careful you can confuse or turn people off with a message that confuses them or that comes on too strong. This is what I would recommend:

Don’t try to do two things at once.

In my opinion, it would be best for you to have one website that spotlights your product line, that gives valuable information about your product line and helps lead your customer to a buying decision. And another separate site designed to recruit for your business opportunity. Let me explain it this way.

If you walked into the health food store to browse the selection of blue-green algae in order to make a buying decision, and a sales person walked up to you, how would you feel if the conversation went like this:

Salesperson: “Hi, welcome to Shiva Foods. Can I help you fill out your application?”

You: “No, I’m here to look for a good blue-green algae supplement, can you help me find one?”

Salesperson: “Yes, the blue-green algae is on this shelf. But are you sure you don’t want to work here? You can get a discount.”

You: “No thanks, I just want to buy the blue-green algae. Can you tell me the difference between these two brands?”

Salesperson: “Sure (goes into explanation of the benefits of each brand of blue-green algae). Now, when you’re ready to start working here, I can help you get an appointment with the manger for an interview.”

You: (With increasing irritation in your voice.) “No, I SAID that I wanted to buy the blue-green algae, but I think I’ll just go to the grocery store to get it. Maybe someone will help me without trying to make me into a salesperson!”

Then you leave the store.

Now. I don’t mean to say that you shouldn’t be engaging in recruiting for your business. Thousands of people are out there on the internet who are looking for a network marketing opportunity. What I’m saying is that when people want product, sell them that. When they want a business, sell them that. Don’t confuse and distract them.

Using the above example, if you were looking for a way to earn extra income and walked into the health food store to get an application, you would be equally irritated if the employees kept trying to sell you product. The time for that is after you’re hired and need to have more knowledge of the product line.

I hope that helps and I wish you all the best in your business :)

I also recommend MomWebs for inexpensive hosting for multiple domains.

Feedback for Full Time Wahm

Tuesday, September 11th, 2007

I thought I would share some of the unsolicited feedback I’ve gotten from women who have read the Full Time Wahm report.

Carrie,

I love it! I have to admit it has given me an idea for my own project! I am going to interview some great soap people and find out their keys to success. Natural soap making is a great business, but so many very talented women fail at it.

Thanks so much for the inspiration today!

See and I read it before bedtime. (I kicked the kids outside!)

The next day she wrote back and said:

I love your e-book. I have gone back and reread it. There is so much inspiration there. Good idea you had to compile this.

Judi (I don’t know her website, but here is Judi’s Twitter page)

Nell Taliercio blogged about Full Time Wahm over here: Work at home full time income

Nicole Dean talked about it here: What are Successful Wahms Doing That You Aren’t?

Diana Walker shared her thoughts here: Full Time Money at Home

Michelle Waters interviewed me on her podcast here: Product Sellers Talk Radio

Amanda Compton blogged about the report here: Do you want to be a full time wahm?

The ladies at Mom2MomLounge wrote this: Learn the secrets of successful work at home Moms

Kelly McCausey asked: Does it seem like some have what it takes and some don’t?

If you go to the Full Time Wahm website you’ll see that I’m only making 100 copies available and it’s flying off the virtual shelves fast, so go grab yours now. :-)

How Do I Get Inside the Mind of my Target Market?

Monday, September 10th, 2007

I hope everyone is starting off their week well this Monday morning!

Today on WahmTalkRadio, Kelly McCausey is talking about a new service she and Lynette Chandler of TechBasedMarketing are launching, called Easy Internet Survey.

Have you ever wanted to know just what your target market’s wants, needs, likes, dislikes, passions, questions and difficulties are?

How powerful would this kind of information be to your business?

*How much faster and easier would it be to create products?
*How much easier would it be to write informative content?
*How much easier would it be to be considered an expert?

Kelly and Lynette’s new service could help you do just those things. Have a listen as they explain how:

http://www.wahmtalkradio.com

Carrie

All On One Site or Multiple Domains?

Wednesday, September 5th, 2007

Hi Carrie,

Is it okay to sell drop ship natural products, ebooks, have articles and a blog all on one website?

Thanks,
Annette


Annette gave me permission to post my thoughts on her question here on the blog so here goes.

Since a blog is usually published to a directory on a domain, like carrielauth.com/blog, then there would be no problem publishing it on a domain with your other content. It would depend a little on the purpose of the blog however. Is the blog going to be mostly for product FAQs, announcements and updates? Or is it more of a place to publish personal thoughts and news that would interest your market? Which focus you decide to take with your blog will help you decide where to publish it.

When it comes to selling products (and I’m not sure if the ebooks mentioned are free or if you’re selling ebooks you’ve written, or as an affiliate), it’s usually best to do that on a website free from distraction. You don’t want your visitor to have to make too many decisions. Your products should be front and center. That doesn’t mean that adding articles and free information to your internet marketing strategy isn’t wise, however.

Publishing informative articles that educate your target market is a great idea, for several reasons. Articles bring in additional visitors to your website. They give your readers information that establishes trust in you as an expert. New articles keep visitors coming back for more.

But if you really want to spotlight your products and make more sales, you would probably be better off letting your products take the focus on a site of their own.

As an example, if I want to buy a product, would I go to a library, or to Target? And if I wanted free information, which one would I choose?

Now while I’m at the library, I might read a book that informs me that a product would meet my needs and make my life a little easier, and then I would head over to Target to buy it.

By the same token, when someone is on your content site (with all those wonderful articles) and sees you recommending a product, then you can send them to an individual product page on your other website. They’re all nice and warmed up and convinced that they need what you’re selling, and once they get there, they won’t be distracted by anything else.

Annette I hope that helps you a little. :-)


That Ebook You Don’t Have Time to Write

Wednesday, September 5th, 2007

(In case the spamblockers ate this!)

Have you added your own information product to your business yet? Or are you too busy to take advantage of this extra income stream? I know I have a lot of ideas for more products but don’t have the time to write them all (and I don’t want to sacrifice all my initial profits on outsourcing the whole thing either).

For me personally, launching my first infoproduct, Natural Mom Business Guide, was a big turning point for me. While I was earning money from my content sites, my profit margin went way up and so did my overall income from that product.

The reason information products are so great for your business, is because it means that you only have to do the work once and you can continually make money from that same product over and over again.

Once you have it set up, it’s basically hands-off. Your shopping cart system will take care of all the orders automatically, even if it’s 2am. That means you have more free time to do the things you enjoy, without sacrificing your income.

It doesn’t matter what type of business you have, whether you sell physical products, services, or are an affiliate marketer, adding information products to your business is a great way to create passive income.

Unfortunately, it can take a lot of time and (or money if you’re going to outsource the writing) to create your own product, and if you’re currently running a business, then you may not feel as though you can pull it off.

However, there is a way that you can sell information products without investing a lot of time and money. You may have even heard of it . . . PLR eBooks. I’ve never come across a tightly
niched, HIGH quality PLR eBook membership, until now, and I’m very excited about sharing this.

Nell Taliercio and Melissa Ingold have teamed up to bring you the very first PLR eBook Membership for moms. Their membership is designed specifically for the mom market.
That means that every eBook is on a topic of interest to moms, which makes it super easy for you to sell these eBooks to the market you already have.

You can use this PLR eBook membership to create an extra stream of income without spending a ton of time or money. Each month you’ll have access to a quality PLR e-book, sales page, graphics, ecourse to promote your e-book, and so much more.

It’s literally a plug in business model. Go here: Mom PLR Ebooks

In addition, Alice and Mila of All PLR have just launched a bunch of new article packs you might want to check out, on Holistic Living, Homeschool, Toddlers, and more: All Private Label Content

Here’s to getting the autumn season started with a BANG!

Carrie

The Book You Should Read This Year

Wednesday, September 5th, 2007

I talked with Kelly McCausey this morning on Moms Morning Show and mentioned a book that I’m reading that I think every one of you should read right away:

The Success Principles(TM): How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be

Later on I’ll do a full review.

Who else wants a plug in business?

Tuesday, September 4th, 2007

Yesterday I signed up to be a part of Nell Taliercio and Melissa Ingold’s Mom Ebooks PLR membership site. These ladies have really impressed me with this. (You can read my testimonial right there on the page.)

What this means is that you can have your very own information product instantly, and even have a system all set up for you to start marketing it too.

You can read more about what the membership includes and a contest they’re holding at:

Free Lifetime Membership to Mom Plr Ebooks

What Is Your Fear?

Tuesday, September 4th, 2007

I just wrote a long post over at Naturally Wahms about Fears that Hold you Back in Business.

If you’re not a reader over there, come take a look. Then share with me (since I shared with you!) what your fears are. Maybe we can help each other.