Phone prospecting is often a “scary” thing for people who are in positions where this is part of their job or if they have their own home-based business and this is critical to their success. There are several very important things to take into consideration when you on talking to prospects on the phone.

First of all (and this is VERY important) you must be in the right mindset whether you are talking to leads you have purchased, if you are calling a client base or if you are making cold calls.

Go through the reasons in your mind why you are calling this prospect and what result you want from the call. It’s a good idea to make a list of pros and cons of the type of people you want in your organization or as a client. Take a piece of paper, put a line down the center and write the pros on one side and the cons on the other. Read this list often – it will become an automatic sorting tool for you, and you will not waste your time on people who do not fit your criteria. For example, a “pro” would be someone who has energy and drive. A “con” would be someone who has low energy or is unsure of what they want. Believe it or not, this is an excellent way to attract the people you want.

Always have a pleasant and upbeat voice when you talk to prospects. Be excited about your reason for calling. If you don’t feel particularly excited at the time, think about what made you excited when you first heard about the business you are in and what it was that made you decide to join the organization. Was it the product? Was it the income opportunity? Was it the strength of the organization? Was it the quality of the people there?

A smile on your face comes through the phone. When your prospect answers the phone, always greet them by their first name ? “Hi Bob” ? then introduce yourself and tell them where you’re from ? “This is Mary from DeMoines, Iowa,” or from your company name.

After you have introduced yourself to a prospect, don’t immediately go into your presentation. Ask them questions about themselves, what they are looking for, etc. That’s also a good sorting tool. Maybe when you learn more about them, you’ll decide they don’t fit your criteria. Believe me, you will never sell anything to anyone by blasting your opportunity without taking the time to show your prospects you are interested in them. And you should be ? they will either be someone in your organization or a client, so you need to know if they are someone you want to do business with. You’re in the driver’s seat here.

Work on your presentation posture. If you have a script you are working from, know it so well it rolls off your tongue. Then, use it only for reference, because you want to sound natural and not scripted. You don’t become a phone pro overnight ? you must work on your delivery until it “works” for you. It’s a good idea to get a recording device where you can record your presentation, listen to it and critique yourself. Or if you have someone you trust who will be honest with you, present your dialogue to them and have them critique you.

Your phone posture is critical, especially if you are talking to professionals. They want to work with someone who they feel is professional as well. In fact, this is critical regardless who you are talking to ? people respond to strength, and if you don’t develop this in your presentation, you will lose a lot of potential sales. Is this easy to develop? For some people it is, but for most everyone, you acquire this through practice, practice, practice. Don’t become discouraged; just know that when you acquire this, the world is your oyster.

As they say, the fortune is in the follow up! Always follow up with a prospect when you say you are going to. This makes you look professional. Life happens, so don’t be discouraged if they are not available at that time. Give them at least three opportunities to be available for a follow up. And, if you feel they are a particularly good candidate for your organization, give them a couple more calls. Schedule your follow-up calls in your calendar, either virtual or on paper.

When someone has missed an appointment with you, call them (or leave a voice mail) and let them know they missed the appointment, that you realize life happens, but you allotted this time for them, and you are willing to reschedule at another time. If you leave a voice message, ask them to get back with you so you can set up another appointment for them. Remember, they were interested enough to set up the first appointment. If you don’t hear from them, call them and set up the next appointment. A good way to avoid this situation is to tell them at the time you set up the appointment that you would appreciate the courtesy of a call or email if they are unable to make it.

An enjoyable work place has a huge influence on our success as well as our emotional and physical health. Perhaps the most important reason for placing such importance on this is the influence it will have on your stress level. There is compelling evidence everywhere that stress damages our bodies as well as our relationships which, in turn, diminishes our productivity and success.

Finding the ideal location for a home office is sometimes not easy since it requires enough space to move about comfortably and have the necessary equipment to operate efficiently.

Some entrepreneurs combine a guest bedroom and their home office. If you do not have a lot of overnight guests, this could work very well. Adding a desk, small filing cabinet and bookcase are often all that’s needed to turn a guest room into a functional office.

Other possibilities are a small area in a family room, dining room, etc. Depending on your climate, even a small area in your garage would work to get you started. And, if you have an extra room in your home just waiting for “someone” or “something” to claim it ? there you go! That would be the ideal situation. Here are some recommendations for your home office.

1. One thing that is absolutely necessary and can fit into any office location is a comfortable and supportive desk or office chair. This is imperative because you will spend many hours a day in your office, and if you end up being uncomfortable or get a backache, you will avoid spending time there, and your productivity will surely go down.
2. If you do a lot of your business by phone, you MUST have a good-quality cordless telephone system with at least two additional handsets located throughout your home. That will prevent missing that all-important phone call, and you won’t need to run to your office to answer your phone.
3. A good headset for your phone will save you a lot of frustration, will make you more comfortable and more conversational. There are many choices out there. When I was looking for a good headset for my business phone, I tried MANY different models ? all the way from $30 to over $200. I finally found the perfect one for about $40 and recommend it to all my team members. When you are choosing the right headset for yourself, make sure you can exchange or return it if it doesn’t meet your expectations.
4. A temporary desk often works well for awhile; however, you must always have your computer keyboard at a comfortable level that works for you. After you have decided on the location for your home office, it is then time to look for permanent furnishings. In addition to office supply stores, check out the consignment shops. There often are great bargains there!
5. When you have moved into your permanent home office, be sure to put pictures on the wall, bring in a plant or two and make room someplace for your “Vision Board.” There you will build your dream life by putting up magazine clippings, photos, etc., on a cork wallboard ? anything that represents the life you are working towards.

Just keep that stress level down by enjoying your surroundings!!

Multi-level or network marketing is nothing more than a distribution process where a company chooses to distribute and sell its product through independent sales representatives (distributors) instead of spending mega dollars on mainstream advertising, marketing and distribution costs.

The independent distributors are the advertising, marketing and distribution departments, and they benefit by being paid the money that would have gone to traditional advertising, marketing and distribution.

This method is much more effective in getting a product into the mainstream in a timely manner because it works at the grassroots level. People are much more likely to make purchases when the products are introduced and recommended by someone they know or have a relationship with.

These companies do not allow their products to be sold “over the counter” in retail stores. Of course they don’t ? they would be sabotaging their sales force (distributors)/advertising department. And, it takes much longer to get a product on the market, recognized by shoppers and marketed in retail stores (many years) than to print promotional material and build a marketing team. Not only that, the products would be competing on the retail shelf with other products, with no one to explain the special benefits as a distributor would, and the perceived value of the product would be lost.

With some companies, health and beauty aid products can be sold in medical offices or beauty salons as long as it is done on an appointment basis and the professional is a distributor of the company.

So there are many advantages for a company to choose this model over the wholesale distribution method. In fact, the wholesale distribution step is virtually eliminated because the product goes directly from the manufacturer to the purchaser via an independent distributor.

Is it a good thing? It can be very good if the company is legitimate and stable and the product actually does what the company says it does.

If all the right “ingredients” are in place, it can be a godsend for people who have lost their jobs because of economic conditions or because of changes in the viability of the industry they are in. Mothers who want to stay home with their children instead of paying for daycare find multi-level marketing a good solution. In a lot of cases, after paying for good daycare for their children, what’s left in their paycheck is pretty small.

Then there are people who are unhappy with their jobs and would love to do something else. Network marketing fits in well in such a situation because traditional career change usually involves additional training of one sort or another and could be very costly.

Finally, there are people who just want MORE MONEY! This can be a great vehicle to supplement your income, but you must be able to commit the time and energy needed.

Anyone thinking about creating an additional income stream through network marketing or multi-level marketing needs to do the necessary homework before becoming involved with any company. Ensure your success by doing your homework!

To your success,

Swanie Brandt

The word seems to be out that network marketing or Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) isn’t what it used to be. Some people are saying “yeah!” and others are saying “oh no!”

Network marketing is just that; it’s marketing. Marketing is an ever-changing commodity. It’s influenced by media, advertising, transportation costs, customer demand, supply, climate, etc.? Marketing is ever changing. Our world is ever changing. So, why should MLM be any different?

One thing that will always remain constant, however, is that it is based on developing relationships, and that is what makes it different from conventional marketing (manufacturer to wholesaler to customer).

This type of business is very appealing to anyone who enjoys interacting with people and wants to create another income stream.? And, you certainly can’t argue that it’s a pretty sensible system ? manufacturer directly to the customer.

The internet has had a major influence on MLM. Some have grabbed the explosive opportunity and run with it, and others are still wondering “what happened?” ?The internet is a tool that allows communication at levels that have never been seen before. There is an endless supply of systems, sales pitches, opinions, etc. Take them all with a grain of salt.

MLM compensation plans can sometimes be less appealing for those looking for a quick buck without much work because it usually takes time to build a downline that is really profitable and sustainable. Because of this, the attrition rate today can be cruel! We, unfortunately, are living in the age of “I want it now,” so people jump in and out at record rates ? they’re looking for the “Big Thing” and will keep on looking, and looking and looking forever. They keep believing the “get rich quick” promises.

This particular industry is the same as any other business ? it’s a business, and it has to be treated like a business and not a hobby. Unfortunately, many people who go into it don’t think about this, and many are not business savvy in any way. There’s plenty of information available on how to operate a successful business, but, hey, that’s work, too! Which then would mean it’s not instant riches.

Yes, network marketing has changed. There are opportunities that never existed before. Because of the internet, there are thousands of MLMs that are launched every year. How many of them survive or are legitimate? Not all, by any means. There’s a vicious fight going on among these marketers all the time for the dwindling supply of warm bodies looking for an MLM business. Because of that, there are some pretty ridiculous promises and sales hype being broadcast constantly across the internet.

For anyone looking with interest at creating another income stream or full-time business, this could be for you. It can be very profitable if you know what you’re doing. Make sure you check out any opportunity you are looking at VERY carefully, do your due diligence, get the business information you need and treat it like a business. And beware of anyone who says you only need to work a few hours a week. It just ain’t so!

I’ll leave you with perhaps the most exciting development of all ? the advent of SOCIAL NETWORKING as a marketing tool! As I said, it’s a relationship business ? always has been, always will be. It’s just different now. You no longer have to pitch your friends and family. Go to MySpace, FaceBook, Twitter, etc. and meet all the people you want. You’ll make great friends, and everyone is looking for MORE MONEY!

By now I’m sure you have heard about the Law of Attraction and the movie The Secret. The thought of being able to “create” your dream life has been an inspiration for millions, but has also caused extreme frustration at the same time. When you hear or read about the Law of Attraction, it sounds so simple. Yet, when you actually apply the principles, you realize it can be very difficult.

To effectively practice the principles of the Law of Attraction, you have to look inside yourself, and you could face some uncomfortable things. There may be memories or perceptions you have held and guarded for many years. You may have based your belief system on them. They have become such a part of you for such a long time, you probably don’t even realize you have them . . . and if and when you do, you may have no idea where they came from. But they are yours . . . you are used to them, and they make you feel comfortable even if they make you unhappy.

You have probably heard this before, but I’m going to remind you again. Your external life is a reflection of your internal thought process. If you are not happy with your external life, you must understand it is what it is because of all the thoughts that run through your mind every day, all day long. In other words, you are manifesting your life through your thoughts. The only way to change this is to change your internal thoughts. This means you have to face your long-held beliefs for what they are – fabrications created to deal with a situation that happened sometime in your past. Maybe someone said something mean to you when you were a child, and you internalized it. From that point on, your subconscious or internal thought process believed this bad thing. There most likely is no reality or truth to this belief – its influence on you depends solely on the value you give it. You must understand, it is only a belief, not reality.

It’s hard to let go of what we “know” and are comfortable with. What if we have been right all along? What if we make a fool of ourselves? What if people laugh at us?

But, what if your beliefs were wrong and you have spent your entire life living a lie? What have you not done because of these beliefs? How would you feel if you discovered your current beliefs aren’t true and are just a fabrication of your mind? This could be very liberating!

OK, so now what? How can you rid your mind of these debilitating beliefs? You must start asking yourself some questions. Are your thoughts congruent with how other people perceive you? Many times we assume that our insecurities are right out in the open for everyone to see. Yet most often people have no clue and would never guess this is how you were feeling because they don’t see you that way at all. That is a clue that your inner beliefs are false, and it is time to re-evaluate.

It is important to understand the subconscious mind has no ability to tell truth from fiction. It only believes what it is consistently told by the conscious mind. Therefore, you can begin changing the beliefs held by your subconscious mind by changing the thoughts you are feeding it. Some suggest you start by creating grand dreams of what you want for your life, think about them repeatedly and write them down daily. I don’t agree with that philosophy. There is no faster way to shut your subconscious down than to tell it something far removed from its current reality.

I have seen much better success when people begin taking small steps to reprogram their subconscious. You may simply start by identifying negative thoughts as they enter your mind. That is a great place to start because you will then be able to determine the areas that need the most work. Pay attention to how those thoughts make you feel. Do you feel hurt or pain? Do they make you feel like a victim or do they make you angry? Then think back through your life and see if you can tie them to a past occurrence. Sometimes you can, sometimes not. Sometimes you thoughts may not be based on one event, but on years of pervasive behavior by someone in your life.

Once you have a fairly good idea of what your most pressing issues are, it is time to decide what you would like to replace those thoughts with. That means you need to do some self-assessment to determine what you want in life . . . essentially, what your goals are. Once you have determined what your direction is, write down new thoughts to replace your current negative thoughts. Then, every time one of those pesky negative thoughts enters your brain, stop what you are doing and say “Cancel” and say or think your replacement thought.

Remember, you will need to take baby steps when you start reprogramming your subconscious mind. It’s going to take some time to permanently replace your old negative thoughts. Think of it as tricking your subconscious by slipping in new thoughts to replace the old ones. Again, keep in mind that the subconscious mind has no ability to tell truth from fiction, which means you can imprint your dream life on your subconscious mind simply by looking at pictures of things you want in your life and feeling the excitement of the dream fulfilled. Do this every day for 30 days, and you will be amazed at the results.

The most important thing for you to understand is that this is real – it will happen if you are persistent and watchful. The Law of Attraction is working all the time – we are getting what we are thinking. We ultimately have the ability to control our life if we choose to.

To your success,

Swanie Brandt

Are you looking for tools and information on how to implement the principles of the Law of Attraction to your life? Visit http://www.powerimage.com/thesecrettrilogy to receive Wallace D. Wattles? three ground breaking Law of Attraction books, a free Science of Getting Rich e-course and a Law of Attraction tele-seminar.