Email marketing is quickly becoming one of the most popular forms of Internet advertising. This is because there are many distinct advantages to the concept of email marketing. However, email marketing does have some disadvantages as well. In this article we will examine the advantages and disadvantages of email marketing and will also provide some insight into how to plan and execute an effective email marketing campaign.
Email marketing certainly has a set of unique advantages over other types of marketing both online and offline. Perhaps one of the most significant advantages to email marketing is the ability to reach a worldwide audience with minimal effort. It is certainly possible to reach a worldwide audience with other types of advertising but traditional types of advertising such as television, radio and the print media are not nearly as effective for reaching potential customers around the world all at once.
Another major advantage to email marketing is it is extremely affordable. This is significant because there are many other types of marketing, including Internet marketing, which are significantly more expensive than email marketing. The costs associated with email marketing are minimal. Ideally you will already have a list of email recipients who are interested in your products and services so there is no cost associated with obtaining a list of email addresses. Additionally the cost to send out emails is minimal and can be considered part of your regular operating costs. All of these factors already make email marketing extremely cost effective.
However, there is some cost involved in email marketing. Primarily this is the costs associated with writing the advertisements and creating any graphics which will accompany the email advertisements. This will require hiring a writer to write the copy for the advertisement and a designer to create and implements the graphics. The cost of these services will vary pretty widely but in general you will pay more for writers and designers with more experience. This is because these writers and designers are expected to be able to produce a higher quality of work than those with less experience could produce.
The most obvious disadvantage to email marketing is the possibility of having your email marketing viewed as spam. This is a very important problem because it could prove to be quite costly in terms of the profit margin for your business. Each day Internet users are bombarded with unsolicited emails serving as advertisements. This problem has reached epic proportions and the abundance of spam infiltrating the email boxes of innocent Internet users has to be cautious and suspicious about any email they receive which is unsolicited and appears to be promoting a particular product or service.
Emails which contain subject lines or content which appear to be similar to spam may be automatically transferred to a spam email folder by the email system. Emails which are not automatically deleted may be deleted without being opened simply because the recipient does not recognize the sender of the email. Both of these problems can result in essentially wasted time for the business owner because the recipients are not even viewing the emails advertising the products and services offered by the business. Additionally, they may result in complaints being lodged against the company for being a purveyor of spam.
Now that you understand the advantages and disadvantages of email marketing, you might wonder how you can maximize the advantages to use email marketing to your advantage. The most important factor to consider is your email distribution list. This should consist of former customers who have expressed a desire to receive emails with information and advertisements as well as potential customers who have also expressed interest in more information.
The content of the emails should also be carefully considered. They should certainly highlight the products and services you offer but should do so without appearing to be a hard sales pitch. A writer with experience in writing this type of copy should be able to assist you in providing insightful and accurate copy which also entices the reader to find out more about your products and services. Finally your emails should provide the readers with a call to action. This should be a statement urging the reader to take a specific action such as making a purchase or researching a product.
Well the meme above says he does. Let me tell you how this lie was fabricated.
“Donald Trump has lined up three New York hedge funds, including money from billionaire George Soros, to invest $160 million in his Chicago skyscraper, a key piece in perhaps the largest construction financing in the city’s history, according to real estate sources and public documents.”?
That was back in October 28, 2004, 12 years ago. It says that the $160 million including money from Soros, not the whole amount. That money, from whomever it came from, was a business loan, not a campaign donation. Nobody knew 12 years ago that Trump would be whipping the socks off of all the Establishment Repubs today. It is in desperation that they are going back so far to dig up shit like this
Even if trump had got some of that money from a Soros hedge fund it would have been repaid long ago. Dig through his financials, which he made public, and prove me wrong. Let me repeat, even if true, it was a business loan, not a campaigner donation.
Here is the source of the above meme, you can see that justlittleoleme, who ever the hell that may be, dug up an artical from October 28, 2004 reposted on 1/18/2016, 1:17:20 PM.
Big names back Trump tower – Soros, Deutsche Bank said to be in on 90-story building (2004) Chicago Tribune | Thomas A. Corfman | October 28, 2004
Posted on 1/18/2016, 1:17:20 PM by justlittleoleme. He looked up a story from 12 years ago and the meme creator took it and run with it.
Donald Trump has lined up three New York hedge funds, including money from billionaire George Soros, to invest $160 million in his Chicago skyscraper, a key piece in perhaps the largest construction financing in the city’s history, according to real estate sources and public documents.
Despite reports about the project’s record-breaking sales, most of them from Trump himself, many Chicago real estate developers and lenders have expressed doubts about whether the 90-story tower would ever be built.
“It is such a huge project, and the prices he said he was getting were so outside the norm,” said Robert Glickman, president and chief executive of Chicago-based Corus Bank.
“It was reasonable to say, `Is this real?'” he said.
Much of the skepticism springs from Trump’s own hype. “Chicago developers are much less flamboyant,” said Glickman.
The massive financing, which sources say also will include a $650 million construction loan from Deutsche Bank, should quell those doubts.
-snip-
The document does not identify the other participants, but a key member is Grove Capital LLP, according to sources familiar with the transaction.
The firm manages most of the multibillion-dollar real estate portfolio of the $13 billion Soros Fund Management, from which Grove Capital was spun off last month.
On Thursday evening at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Soros used a 45-minute interview with Bloomberg TV’s Francine Lacqua to create an explosion of headlines on both the political and economic front. “Donald Trump is doing the work of ISIS,” Soros said, citing the anti-immigrant vitriol that’s been a hallmark of the Trump campaign as he’s risen in Republican primary polls. He levied a similar critique against candidates such as Ted Cruz, and said Hillary Clinton would win the general election in a landslide.
Ideas like closing U.S. borders to Muslims, Soros said, might “convince the Muslim community that there is no alternative but terrorism.” He also said ISIS’s “days are numbered” as both the Iraqi and Syrian governments win back territory the terrorist group gained.
The rise of ISIS and the crumbling of the Middle East has created a refugee crisis for Europe, and Soros said German Chancellor Angela Merkel may have erred in opening the country to refugees. “She risked her political capital and lost,” Soros said. Nonetheless, he expressed optimism that Germany and other European powers could successfully integrate migrants.
Having a good bio is a must for any author. You may use it in your book's front matter in the About the Author section, or on your Web site or as a profile on social networking groups, or perhaps as part of your marketing packet.
Writing your own bio can be frustrating. You know all about yourself, but you may find it difficult to convey what you have done or achieved that is worth mentioning. Then, there is the organization of your information. Should you list items chronologically starting with your birth and ending at your current career or place of employment? Is there a method or formula to use that will tell your story in an entertaining manner?
Here are a few things to consider in writing your good bio.
1. Length: Consider how much space or time are you given. If there is a word or character limit in the space you are provided, you may have to shorten your bio to one paragraph. If you have more space, you can create a more entertaining bio.
2. Purpose: What will your bio be used for? Are you using this bio to apply for a job? Will it be posted on your Web site for all the world to read? What and how much do you need the reader to know about you? Curtail your personal information and give only pertinent facts that will not embarrass you later.
3. Voice: I always write bios in third person. It's better for someone else to brag on you than for you to brag about yourself. This is one reason that hiring a professional writer is a good idea. He or she can see you from a different vantage point and will know what questions to ask in their information-gathering interview.
4. Be honest. If you don't have experience, don't say that you do. Let's say you're getting started as a writer and your portfolio is small. Maybe your article hasn't been published in Time Magazine; but what about the essay that was published in an online blog or newsletter? If it's relevant, let it help you shine.
5. Where do you belong? Are you affiliated with clubs, volunteer organizations, or other groups? Show your humanitarian or philanthropist side by listing your community work.
6. Write tight. Offer concise information that might include:
Your full-time job or career, and how many years have you been doing this type of work What types of clients you work with Your pets or children Fluency in other languages Your philosophy on life Your goals and dreams Your favorite books, games, movies, TV shows, etc.
7. Hook your reader or listener. Tell something funny about yourself or tie into a memorable world event or compare yourself to a famous person.
The information you give people about yourself is fundamental to their understanding of you; therefore you want to establish your credentials and give them something they will remember about you. If you get stuck writing your bio or need someone to give you a fresh perspective on your image to the world and represent you for who you are, give us a call!
If you believe that my message is worth spreading, please use the share buttons if they show at the top of the page.
Stephen Hodgkiss
Chief Engineer at MarketHive markethive.com
Popular Today, But is Blogging A Flash-in-The-Pan?
As Facebook and Twitter gain momentum, it's been questioned whether blogs will become obsolete?
To answer that question, let's look at what the facts tell us.
Neither Twitter nor Facebook can match the presence of a blog. Blogs are feature-rich, versatile and permit long form content.
Twitter is text-based and extremely limited. It's considered a microblog that allows microposts of no more than 140 characters. This makes meaningful conversation impossible.
Facebook has more features than Twitter, but it focuses on individuals and their personal lives. However, as Facebook evolves, big-name consumer brands are building a presence.
Even so, because of its consumer-centric focus, it's not a haven for B2B companies. And it's unlikely to be one in the future. Regardless, you can employ Twitter and Facebook creating a synergy that directs traffic to your blog where prospects can find more substantive content. Social media complements rather than replaces blogging.
Blogging is both efficient and effective.
Inbound marketing beats traditional marketing on lead generation costs. A study by Social Examiner corroborates this in documenting a 62% reduction in costs less per lead than traditional outbound marketing.
As long as blogging remains cost-efficient, it's extremely unlikely B2B marketers will abandon it. But cost-efficiency isn't the only consideration.
According to HubSpot's VP of Marketing, Mike Volpe, "blogs generate 55% more website traffic than companies that don't… and they get 97% more links coming in to their sites."
Blogging is effective, in part, because it's an absolute workhorse. Specifically, blogging addresses 6 out of 9 customer buying phases.
Recognize need
Establish urgency
Create company awareness
Maintain visibility
Continue relationship
As B2B marketers become more resourceful in exploiting the benefits of blogging, its adoption and use will continue to grow. Brian Halligan and Dharmesh Shah, authors of Inbound Marketing, say blogs can turn your website into a living and breathing marketplace.
The Future of B2B Blogs
Today, B2B blogs are popular, and they promise to be a force in the future.
They're robust, versatile, and dispense with the hard sell. As long as blogs generate buzz- delivering compelling and engaging content when the buyer needs it – blogs will be a powerful force in the B2B world.
Most importantly, B2B blogging helps to increase your traffic, sales and profits.
The facts dispel the view that blogging's days are numbered. You might see personal blogging decline and give way to social media. But that doesn't apply to business blogging.
To paraphrase Mark Twain, I'd say the rumors of blogging's demise are greatly exaggerated.
Although B2B blogging has gained a solid following, B2B marketers haven't optimized its use. In that sense, B2B blogging hasn't reached a tipping point.
How's your business blog doing? Are you engaging prospects and customers? Are you doing it effectively and efficiently? Blogging done right can serve as the hub of your content marketing program helping you increase sales and profits. It can give you the edge you're looking for.
If you believe that my message is worth spreading, please use the share buttons if they show at the top of the page.
Stephen Hodgkiss
Chief Engineer at MarketHive markethive.com
With the recent attacks in Paris, Istanbul, Brussels, Iraq and Lahore and with the current terrorism threat to the UK (England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland) from international terrorism being assessed as severe (that means an attack is highly likely) I have decided to give my opinion on the matter to see if we really can defeat ISIS.
Original article by Joe Robinson where he is a regular blogger at Medium.
I believe I have an in-depth knowledge about how ISIL operate, not only for the fact that I decided to travel to both Syria and Iraq to fight against them during one of the Civil war’s most bloody periods but ever since their up-rising I have been infatuated with the so-called Islamic State. I have spent hours and hours trying to understand their ideology, sifting through the gory execution and propaganda videos, researching about how they have managed to rise and capture so much territory so fast and why young Muslims are attracted to the so-called Islamic state.
Most people only know ISIL through the media and from their propaganda material, but I have seen behind that. I have been up close and personal with them, I have seen how they operate, I have seen how they live their day to day lives, I have looked after them whilst they were detained prior to being handed over to state authorities and I can tell you that much of what you think of them, results from their brand of marketing and public relations. They present themselves to the public as superheroes; enforcers of the will of Allah, declaring Jihad (holy war) on Kuffar (none-believers) but away from the camera are a bit pathetic in many ways. Street kids inebriated on ideology and power and in many ways immature and dim-witted but that is not to understate the murderous potential of stupidity.
What I have come to realize is that ISIL thrive on Muslim separatism within European communities. They claim that the attack in Paris was because of France’s participation in the Bombing campaign knowing full well that in retaliation, France and other coalition forces would respond accordingly. This is what they want! they want us to respond with force so that it turns the Muslim population in Europe against us; it gives them opportunities to radicalise young Muslims to come and fight for their cause.
Nicolas Henin, a French journalist who spent 10 months as an ISIL captive and who got to know their fighters quite intimately came to the realization that “what they fear is our unity”. They want us to be scared of Muslims so that it segregates them from us within our community.
That’s not to say that I do not agree with coalition Airstrikes but even though I am fully supportive of coalition airstrikes in Syria assisting the YPG (Kurdish People’s Protection Unit), as they have pushed back ISIL further and taken back far more ground than any other fighting force on the ground; I do believe that a retaliation to the recent attack’s (just like the mass bombing campaign in retaliation to the Paris attacks) is precisely what Daesh wants. This is not the time for anger, this is not the time for retaliation, this is the time to stand together as one.
In my personal opinion, the best course of action is to not discriminate against the Muslim community. Show solidarity and come together as a community as we have seen in the past. This is what hurts ISIL the most. Something that I have come to realise and that I often say to people I meet is that it doesn’t matter how many Daesh fighters you kill; you can kill a thousand, you can kill a hundred thousand but you will never kill their ideology. The only way we can do this is if we stand together. This is how we defeat ISIL and this is how we can defeat their ideology.
If you believe that my message is worth spreading, please use the share buttons if they show at the top of the page.
Stephen Hodgkiss
Chief Engineer at MarketHive markethive.com
How Inbound Marketing and Social Media compliment each other.
What makes people addicted to social media?
Social interaction has been a human trait for as long as humans have been around.
However, relatively speaking, social media on the internet is only a recent phenomenon. Is it here to stay? There are many indications to suggest it is.
Only recently, Facebook announced they had one billion users on their site in just one day! There are so many aspects that attract people to Social Media.
…keeping in touch with friends and family; in some cases finding long lost friends and relatives.
…the ability to find new friends and associates interested in the same subject as themselves.
…attracting new customers to their business and keeping them informed of special offers, etc.
…keeping club members informed of events.
…carrying out research based upon answers to posts, etc.
The list goes on and on.
…but why has Social Media become so addictive? For example, why don't people stick to traditional methods such as the telephone to tell a family member about an event they are going to, or have been to?
There are many people who will even post a picture of their evening meal on a Social Media website but they won't pick up the telephone to tell someone what or where they have eaten.,
Is it because they can tell lots of people at the same time with just one post?
…or is it because they want to "show off" that they have been to a particular restaurant?
Maybe it is because they want to see the reaction from other people.
There is some research to suggest that the majority of people are basically insecure and many believe using Social Media as a means of communication and conversation is possibly less stressful than face to face interaction.
The kind of communication on Social Media is usually asynchronous, meaning the original comment and its response happen at different times. Therefore, a post is not always likely to receive an immediate response; sometimes it could be days, weeks or even months later (if at all).
Have you ever made a post on FB and then been disappointed that no one took the time and trouble to leave a comment?
Could the need for interaction be at least one of the hooks of Social Media? Of course it is.
Everyone is expecting others to join in their conversation. If not expecting, they are at least hoping. The "hook" is such that many people will log in "just one more time before they go to bed" to see if they have had a response.
It gets even more addictive. With Social Media on mobile devices being the current trend (a trend set to last a long time), many people are almost glued to their devices. It is no longer a case of waiting until they get home to switch on their pc. They are now in a position to see responses as soon as they occur. This creates even more "panic" amongst some users because every bleep of their device could mean someone is responding to their post or a conversation they are involved in.
Is it now a case of them wanting to be the first to know what is happening so they can then send a further response?
So what does all this mean for MarketHive?
Markethive.com is a Social Communication Platform designed for the Entrepreneur to compete with the Multi-Million dollar corporations in their quest to gain their fair share of business.
I expect that most people who become MarketHive members will be business minded. However, there will be some members who do not have a business.
There are many features in the MarketHive system for everyone, not just business owners.
All members of MarketHive are obviously potential customers for other members…
…and of course for MarketHive itself when optional services are offered.
…but as already discussed elsewhere, just having members is not enough.
Engaging the members will be necessary. They need to be 'hooked' on using MarketHive.
One of those hooks will surely be the Social Media sharing capabilities of the MarketHive system.
Origional article by: Thomas Prendergast, CMO, Markethive.com
If you believe that my message is worth spreading, please use the share buttons if they show at the top of the page.
Stephen Hodgkiss
Chief Engineer at MarketHive markethive.com
It has been my agenda for nearly 20 years to reform an industry that is for the most part built upon a shifting and unreliable foundation that has always been broken and is heading for total annihilation. If you have attempted to build a business in MLM Network Marketing) you will relate to what I am addressing.
For over a decade this vision has grown in urgency and definition to help direct a broken industry towards developing a customer based centered direct sales model. All of this was originally inspired by a maverick move towards customer acquisition by a company called Trivita. In 2001 I was introduced to this new direction in MLM by the simple statement, just buy your customers. I had already been engaged in the MLM industry for nearly 10 years at that time. My first exposure to MLM was in 1992 with the first to market a consumer (customer) based ISP, nationwide dialup Internet access for $20 per month.
I have been an entrepreneur my whole adult life and a good portion of my teen years as well, with my first business started at the age of 14. Prior to my exposure to MLM, I was and still am a traditional business entrepreneur. Therefore to say, I found the MLM model of exclusive distribution to and consumption by distributors and only motivated to this action by pursuing profit; "alien, illogical and disturbing".
Let me explain:
My introduction and very successful sojourn with Trivita helped me discover the stark contrast between the artificial economies of a distributor based sales company in contrast to a customer based sales company. I studied this comparison for many years and it became painfully clear, the reason traditional MLM fails, regardless of the compensation plan, regardless of the motivational speakers, regardless of the training to sell the “Hope and Dreams” as that is the only way to promote when the products and or services are frankly, always overpriced and usually underwhelmingly ineffective. There are very few exceptions. So the glaring difference I found in Trivita was the fact that for every distributor I recruited, I averaged 100 customers. Then the fact, I did not have to sell Hope and Dreams and instead, the pitch was just buy customers. The reaction from the potential distributor was always extremely positive and the close rate of a distributor was very high. When you factor in that every distributor usually meant 100 customers, the potential success was superior to anything else like it.
This was just a company that offered co-op acquisition of the leads and customers Trivita acquired via their infomercials and not much else. Even Trivita’s products lacked true demonstrability and the pricing was not competitive. The only viable benefit regarding being customer centric was the fact you could just buy customers, that for the most part, only about 20% stayed a viable reorder over the years.
Because of this one aspect with Trivita, I have enjoyed a significant income for over 10 years with little attention, a true residual income. Over the years as a vendor to the MLM industry, occasionally getting involved with a few companies because I was promised they were going to offer customer centric solutions. None of them ever did and in my opinion, the super majority of MLMs are run by greedy sociopathic owners, that understand the game and that being the 3 month rule. They build their businesses to inspire, motivate and separate their new distributors from as much money and contacts they can. They know their business model only attracts distributors seeking some semblance of financial success therefore they lay their snares with grand claims of Hopes and Dreams. I consider it borderline criminal. Now we finally arrive to the meat of this article, that being what is a true Customer Centric direct sales company look like. Being that there really isn’t any yet, we have to go to the imagination and vision that to some part is guided by good business principles and look at some of the true customer centric businesses on the scene today.
Amazon could easily be the epitome of customer centric.
Wow. “Earth’s Most Customer-Centric Company.”
That is big, it’s bold, and it’s risky for a brand to make the promise to fulfill on that 24/7 every week of the year.
Service recovery design pays off
Of course the shopping and purchasing experience on Amazon has been exceptional for years. But what if a customer has a post-purchase problem? A big part of customer experience design is a focus on “service recovery,” or designing and refining the process when something goes wrong for the customer. Beloved brands like Zipcar know this is a critical opportunity for delivering moments of delight.
The latest results from the American Customer Satisfaction Index reveals Amazon.com as the reigning and undisputed champ in both Internet retailing and across the entire department in overall customer satisfaction. Amazon’s CEO, Jeff Bezos perhaps more than any business leader has taken the philosophy of truly caring for the customer and ushered it into the digital era. Bezos has built a company from the ground up purely based off of the unbending, unyielding philosophy of serving the customer across all departments. With a 164 million Amazon customers, few would argue Bezos as the key architect of building an authentic, customer-centric company.
1. Don’t Just Listen to Your Customers, Understand Them
Everyone has to be able to work in a call center.”
2. Serve the Needs of the Customer
“We’re not competitor obsessed, we’re customer obsessed. We start with what the customer needs and we work backwards.”
3. The Empty Chair
The Most Important Person in the Room “Focusing on the customer makes a company more resilient.”
4. Never Settle for 99%
“We’re not satisfied until it’s 100%.”
5. Respect Today’s Customer
“If you make customers unhappy in the physical world, they might each tell six friends. If you make customers unhappy on the Internet,
they can each tell 6,000.”
6. Strive to Create a Customer-Centric Company
“If we can arrange things in such a way that our interests are aligned “with our customers, then in the long term that will work out really
“well for customers and it will work out really well for Amazon.”
7. Don’t Be Afraid to Apologize
“We will use the scar tissue from this painful mistake to help make better decisions going forward, ones that match our mission.”
Over the past two decades, Amazon has held a steady pace of positive press due to their industry-altering company and great customer service. However back in 2009, the foundations of the online book mogul were shook when they remotely deleted copies of the books “1984” and “Animal Farm” from users’ Kindles. The incident prompted an outcry of Internet users to see the dark, “Big Brother” side of Amazon – one that Bezos had worked hard to steer clear of. Amazon quickly made an apology with the usual dry and inhuman statement from the press team. But what really turned people back towards Amazon, was an informal and heartfelt apology from Jeff Bezos:
From “MLM” aka “Network Marketing”,
to a sustainable Coop Customer based Marketing Platform!
Now the vision for a better kinder direct sale company
I have run MLM companies, built them, serviced them as a vendor and engaged with them as a distributor for more than 20 years. I have touched and serviced and influenced over 100 million associates over this period of time. The following is my agenda to change this industry to service the little guy and gal, offering a real solution to build a middle class sustainable income for everyone, not just the elite few, we know as “leaders” in their respective company.
1. A Viable and Competitive Product
First and foremost, the “company” must offer a viable product and or service that does what it says and better than any of their competitors and better yet, have a product or service that has no legitimate competition. I could go into great detail here about the MLM industry and their underwhelming and over priced products with many making spurious claims to eventually be shut down by the FDA, etc.
2. The Virtual Warehouse
This may be putting cart before the horse. Inspired by Amazon’s virtual warehousing for their merchants selling in Amazon, it is time the MLM industry moves forward with a similar solution. Storing and paying additional shipping, your monthly product commitment in your spare bedroom, garages or den has been the standard fro decades. With today’s technology and database management abilities, there is no excuse to not move toward a virtual solution for distributors. This can be done in house by the company, or, use Amazon’s virtual warehousing that is available on a global scale.
This one upgrade to this industry will make reselling, shipping and distribution automated and easy for every distributor, regardless of location or available storage abilities. Bottom line is a doubling or greater movement of product.
3. Customer and Lead co-op acquisition
This is where the company marketing people run ads, driving vertically targeted prospects to an 800 number or website, acquiring quality pre enrolled prospects or customers who have purchased or best have enrolled into auto ship. The distributor’s contribution enhances the company’s budget and the “partnership” enhances the customer’s retention. The company also makes available to the distributor mailing lists to their “enrolled leads and customers” to assist in the continued purchases etc. It is a win win situation and is a proven technique as proven by Trivita.
4. Becoming an E Retailer (automated back office shipping)
Now that the distributors have their inventory, products and samples (if applicable), online, in an offsite virtual warehouse, the process to send product or samples becomes effective and easy. As simple as logging into the back office of their respective MLM company, entering the product (pulling from existing inventory and/or purchasing additional inventory), quantity, and drop ship address, with a simple click, the product or sample is easily on the way, while the distributor is still talking to their prospective client, prospect or distributor on the phone. This seamless process makes the potential growth of the company and distributor 100 times greater than the typical cumbersome processes today.
5. 800 telemarketing service platform
Today’s technologies not only make this proposed service affordable, but extremely effective. Typically, new distributors are assigned an ID# number. The number resides within the servers database to track sales, commissions, etc. of the distributor. Thus the hardest part is already done for an 800 sales number. [A little explanation of current tech] 800 number technology software interfaces display the originating number, or forwarded number. IE: If the distributor develops a radio commercial with a phone number (toll free or not) then forwards that number to the company 800 number, all he or she needs to do is register that number (via the back office) or calling it in. This way the telemarking operators receiving the incoming calls, or the technology, know who originated the call and the orders are taken and assigned appropriately to the distributor.
It can be as simple as the distributor takes a call from an ad, the prospects decides to buy the product. The distributor can easily 3 way into the 800 platform and assist the sale. It can be as easy as an ad running offering a product with the company main toll free number offering free shipping and handling with the special pin number. It can be very easy to build.
Imagine the projected results with the distributors taking the initiative, no more need for mentors, no more need for narcissistic leadership, no more need for motivational events, because the motivation is found in the system and the results. Imagine!
6. API (Application Programming Interface).
Distributor selling on Amazon, Ebay, Alibaba, etc.
Basically, the MLM company has an API developed that interfaces with Amazon, Ebay, etc for the distributor. This allows the distributor to develop an online store on Ebay, Amazon, Alibaba, etc, drive and support the prospects and customers, but the sale interfaces through the company. Thereby the company controls the pricing, collects the money (connected to the distributor) and ships the product. All the collecting, shipping, tracking and commissions paid out is done by the company.
API: In computer programming, an application programming interface (API) is a set of routines, protocols, and tools for building software applications. An API expresses a software component in terms of its operations, inputs, outputs, and underlying types.
Basically allows the company to remotely control pricing,
merchant collection, shipping and communication via the
Traditional MLM companies give a distributor a self-replicated web site that is upfront and focused on selling the Hopes and Dreams of the opportunity, the money, the comp plan, the hype and flash of it all, designed to recruit more distributors. This is death to a retail customer. Very few MLM companies even consider a dedicated self-replicated retail sales only site for their various products. I have yet to even hear of any companies making a simple widget that allows the distributor to have the retail site hosted via the widget on their own domains, much less the ability to add any customization to it. Below is one of the first and rare MLM retail sites I am aware of. It sells the coffee, the coffee benefits offers one off sale and free shipping with autoship.
Marketers, merchants, etc. need a portfolio of tools, to get the message out, to build awareness, to build a sphere of influence and to build a customer and distributor centered loyalty program. Very few people, even entrepreneurs have all the skill sets to achieve this. However, automated marketing, email auto responders, social broadcasters, coop advertising, blogging platforms, materials and videos are necessary tools for the entrepreneur. When you do not supply these types of tools in a controlled environment, the message being broadcasted may not meet the criteria of the company nor abide by regulations.
There are solutions and Markethive is one of the best options. Markethive supplies all of these tools and more, integrated and easily configured and controlled within the communities vertical structures built for DSA companies like yours. It is called the company Directories and within a company portal in Markethive, your distributors will find all they need; Broadcasting platforms, self-replicating personalized PDF documents, Coop advertising systems, blogging platforms, email auto responders, everything needed for marketing, in one place.
9. Training and videos
I do not mean motivational speakers and cheer leading. I mean, real world training how to build the businesses. Daily classes offered by competent experienced teachers, so the distributors develop a strong understanding, expanding their customer territory and acquisition and operate like a real business.
Summary;
With the accelerated market place awash in innovation and technology, technology that puts the human element right into the center of the equation, you can understand why you see the MLM industry sluggish and many companies dying on the vine and others falling flat on their faces with their much heralded launches. Entrepreneurs (distributors) that once upon a time, a flashy video, a charming pitch man, and a compelling comp plan, worked to explode the next greatest MLM launch.
Not today.
It is only a matter of time a young bold, innovative entrepreneur launches the first true customer centric MLM similar to the framework I have discussed here. And when they do, the world will quake, the swamps will empty and the first multi trillion MLM enterprise will rise to srtand head to toe with the great innovations today like Facebook Google, PayPal etc.
Andrew Carnegie was one of the most famous and wealthy industrialists of his day. His Carnegie Steel Company was one of the businesses that formed US Steel. Carnegie sold is company to US Steel which was formed as a partnership on March 2, 1901 (incorporated on February 25) between Elbert Henry Gary's Federal Steel Company and William Henry "Judge" Moore's National Steel Company. J.P. Morgan and Charles M. Schwab were also members of this ownership group.
US Steel went on to become the world's first billion dollar per year corporation. He sold Carnegie Steel for 500 million dollars, and he was nearly a 50% owner of the company. It is the money from this sale that he used to fund a vast array of philanthropic efforts for the remainder of his life. By the time he died in 1919, it is estimated that he had given away more than 350 million dollars.
Andrew Carnegie: The Early Years
Andrew Carnegie was born in Scotland and emigrated to the United States with his parents in the year 1848. He got his start as a telegrapher and by the middle of the 1860's, he had a variety of investments in railroad sleeping cars, railroads, bridges, and oil derricks.
His parents were extremely poor, although his uncle, a Scottish political leader by the name of George Lauder, Sr., influenced him as a young boy, introducing him to a variety of authors, and Scottish heroes. His uncle George had a son also by the name of George, and he grew up with Andrew. Later, they would become business partners.
Growing up, his father was a weaver and when his father grew ill his mother had to become the main breadwinner. Trying to make ends meet, the family decided to move to Allegheny, Pennsylvania. Money was borrowed from the Lauders to help with the migration.
Andrew Carnegie's first job was working as a “bobbin boy” in a cotton mill for a weekly salary of $1.20.
It was his uncle that recommended he become a telegrapher. It wasn’t long before he was promoted to operator, and his education and passion for reading helped him to become a self-made man.
His passion for reading was boosted by Col. James Anderson, who owned a personal library of 400 volumes, which he opened to working boys every Saturday night. Carnegie made the promise that if he were ever to become a wealthy man, he wanted to provide a similar opportunity to poor boys. This led to a significant amount of perseverance and hard work. This effort brought about a great number of opportunities. Within five years’ time, he had more than tripled his weekly salary. He took a job working for Thomas A Scott in 1853 at the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, and became a manager there.
Young Andrew made a variety of connections by working with various railroad related businesses.Scott was the one that helped him with his investments. Later his investments began to accumulate, and broaden. Through the multiplication of these investments Andrew Carnegie began to grow his wealth.
Accomplishments
Andrew Carnegie has had a number of significant accomplishments in his lifetime. Much of this had to do with the relationships he formed, as well as his ability to keep a clear and level-headed perspective about his investments. During the Civil War, Scott was promoted to Assistant Secretary of War, and he named Carnegie the Superintendent of the Military Railways.
After the war, Keystone Bridge Company was developed, which included an investment of $40,000 in Story Farm. Carnegie left the railroads as a way of devoting his energy to the Ironworks trade. He formed the Keystone Bridge Company and used his connections to acquire a variety of contracts. He also provided stock to both Scott and Thomson (the President of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company). He was able to learn a great deal from both men. Pennsylvania Railroad ultimately became one of his best customers.
By 1892 Andrew Carnegie had launched the Carnegie Steel Company, and this later helped the US output more steel than that of the UK – and Carnegie is greatly thanked for his contribution in this effort. Carnegie’s fortune came as a result of his ownership of the most extensive iron and steel operations any single individual in the U.S. has ever owned. He was responsible for several important innovations, including the mass production of steel using the Bessemer process. The second innovation was the vertical integration of raw material suppliers.
Challenges and Victories
Andrew Carnegie faced many challenges as well as victories throughout his lifetime. He can truly be identified as one of the rags to riches stories because he was challenged by not having parents from a high social status upon arriving in America. However, with the urging of his uncle, he took to becoming a telegrapher and used those relationships as a way of boosting his own social status.
He was smart, and he was known for being charming in social situations. His literary knowledge also helped him to be invited to a variety of important social functions, which Carnegie often exploited for his own benefit.
There were significant victories along the way as well. At the age of 66, in 1901, Andrew Carnegie was considering retirement. It is at this time that he decided to reform his enterprises. John Pierpont Morgan was a critical financial dealmaker, and he wanted to buy out not only Carnegie, but several other companies. This would help to cut costs and lower consumer prices as well as allow steel to be produced in greater quantities. Various negotiations took place, and the United States Steel Corporation was formed, becoming the first Corporation across the entire globe with a market capitalization totaling more than $1 billion.
He let his political views be known as well, including opposing American colonies. In one work, he also went as far as criticizing the British monarchy and explaining how the American Republic system was far superior.
Carnegie was a scholar throughout his entire life. He also used a significant amount of his money and investments to become an activist. Commodious swimming baths were constructed in his hometown in Scotland. He gave money to a library in his hometown as well. He contributed to the Bellevue Hospital Medical College and various others as well.
He paid for over 7,500 organs that were donated to churches around the world. He wisely agreed to construct over 3,000 libraries across the United States and Europe, but wisely, only after having received a commitment from the local community to buy books and provide an administrative staff.
In 1904, he founded the Carnegie Institute of Technology in Pittsburgh, now known as Carnegie-Mellon University in 1904. In 1905 he created the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in 1910.
Lessons learned
One of Andrew Carnegie's famous quotes reads,
"To try to make the world in some way better than you found it is to have a noble motive in life.”
Andrew Carnegie – The Empire of Business
I actually admire Andrew Carnegie more for his philanthropy than his business acumen. He has inspired successful entrepreneurs for more than a generation to support educational and humanitarian causes to help build a world of peace and prosperity for all. Bill Gates and Warren Buffet can be included in a long list of successful entrepreneurs that have learned from the standard of philanthropy that Andrew Carnegie set.
I aspire to become a small Andrew Carnegie. I don't ever expect to accumulate the kind of wealth that Andrew Carngie amassed in his lifetime, but I do want to become a millionaire. I would also like to fund a school in perpetuity, so that children of all nations, races, and religious backgrounds could study in peace.
Fearless Truth Teller Sarah Palin Tells Gobsmacked Wisconsin GOP Audience About Ted Cruz Giving “Gift Baskets” To Illegal Aliens…
Speaking on behalf of Donald Trump, Sarah Palin gave a speech last night to a Wisconsin Republican audience. Standing firmly on a platform of truth, Palin warned the mostly party (establishment) audience their decision to stand with deception in order to win an election also means placing themselves in a very precarious position.
The response from the audience to Sarah’s brutal honesty was what’s customarily known as “the collective nervousness of deceivers“.
Whenever anyone dares to tell the collective: ‘the emperor stands naked’; there’s a particular kind of autonomic group nervousness immediately evident. A group discomfort.
Such was the discomfort when Sarah Palin mentioned Senator Ted Cruz’s weak and opportunistic immigration position, and then contrast a real-life example of Cruz going to McAllen Texas (Saturday, July 19th 2014) to hand out “gift baskets” and welcome illegal alien families.
You could hear a pin-drop as an entire audience sat jaw-agape in disbelief.
When a fearless truth-teller stares down a room – the collective immediately need each other to retain their guise. Here’s an example of their initial response:
Perhaps the reason the entire Professional Republican audience reacted that way was because they preferred NOT to know. Or, then again, it could be because the example Sarah Palin was giving was widely hidden by the media.
Regardless of the reasoning for their disbelief, Sarah was simply telling the truth. Here’s some photographic evidence of the freebies as they were being passed out by Ted Cruz in 2014:
On the left that’s Senator Ted Cruz unloading the boxes of goodies. On the right is the illegal alien families who received the goodies (toys, stuffed animals, soccer balls etc).
Here’s more pictures of the same event:
“Humanitarian Crisis”? The entire event was essentially based on fraud. The fraud was the Obama administration claiming that hundreds of thousands of “Unaccompanied Alien Children” (UAC) were arriving on the southern border en masse, and needed to be cared for.
The entire administration talking point was complete nonsense, but the media helped sell the ridiculous story as if it were real; and Ted Cruz and Glenn Beck helped perpetrate the fraud by claiming there was an urgent “humanitarian crisis”. There was neither.
The reality was the influx of illegal border crossers were factually entire families, mostly from Mexico but also from Honduras, Guatemala and Panama.
The Obama administration had specifically kick-started the South American migration approximately a year earlier, and the families were showing up as an outcome of the State Department coordinating the exodus.
Almost everything about the crisis was a sham, including DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson going before an emergency congressional committee and demanding $4 billion (that’s billion) to deal with the “humanitarian crisis”. These were not “children”, they were entire families – and, as you can see from the pictures, these were entire family units.
We have tens of thousands of American kids in inner-city areas in as much of a crisis as the illegals we allowed to pour across the border; but we don’t see Jeh Johnson demanding $4 billion for the American children. Charity begins at home; at least it should.
So Sarah Palin brings some BIG TRUTHto those GOP insiders who gathered in Wisconsin; and, if we are to give benefit-of-the-doubt to those who heard it, apparently it’s the first time they became aware of Senator Cruz’s forked tongue on an issue. Hence, a gob smacked response.
Palin also pointed out another lie, when she reminded everyone that Senator Cruz never stopped the senate Gang-of-Eight amnesty bill. Despite Lyin’ Ted claiming on the campaign trail that he killed the bill, the reality is that bill passed the Senate in 2013, and it would have passed the House were it not for Dave Brat’s primary defeat of Eric Cantor in June of 2014 shortly before Sentor Cruz took off to the border with his gift baskets.
But Sarah didn’t stop there. She also fearlessly told the audience that Senator Ted Cruz was also lying about another policy aspect, his advocacy for the Trans-Pacific Trade Deal. And, more specifically, to the Trade Promotion Authority bill Senator Ted Cruz co-authored, co-planned and co-constructed, along with Paul Ryan in the House of Representatives. Again, Sarah was loaded with the truth.
The Republican disbelievers didn’t want to hear about that inconvenient reality either. Then again, when you stand boldly in sunlight the cockroaches never approach; they can only comfortably co-exist when they remain cloistered in the dark shadows of deception.
The media’s response to Palin’s speech? Well, initially (and immediately) they began accusing her of lying about the “gift baskets”. Then, after they realized everything she was saying was factual, they started spinning. Eventually, they dropped the subject – and that’s probably how it will remain today.
It’s easier to hide those uncomfortable truths that way. Well, at least until after the Tuesday election I guess.
10 Key Elements of a Successful Home Based Business
Who wouldn't want to work from home? You can make your own hours, forget ever having to commute, and never have to answer to a boss. Plus, as a home based business owner, you have the potential to earn exponentially more than you ever will by punching a time clock.
Yet, there are so many home based business opportunities available that it's often difficult to choose the one that is a good fit for you and that has the income potential that you need. To help you make your choice, here are five key elements to look for in a home based business.
1. Go with Network Marketing
While it's true that not everyone succeeds at network marketing, the principles behind it are sound. After all, network marketing is essentially using and selling products through word of mouth. This approach allows you to reach out to an ever-growing number of people and reap the financial rewards of building your own downline. Because network marketing cuts out the middleman, your earning potential increases. In the process, you create the potential for residual income while enjoying low overhead and the opportunity to work when and where you want. Furthermore, when you take advantage of Internet-based network marketing, you are not bound by geographic boundaries; your customers and downline can reach global proportions.
2. Choose a Company that Offers Multiple Products
Every day, you use dozens of products. Some home based business opportunities focus on one product, while others focus on many. When you do the math, it's easy to see why it's preferable to choose a company that allows you to become a member and have access to a wide variety of products, as well as to sell those products.
3. Find Cutting Edge Products to Use and Sell
Few people need more candles, kitchenware, or knick-knacks. What they really need and want are information and mobile technology products, such as DSL, VOIP, and broadband. Baby boomers in particular are looking for values in discount shopping, travel, and professional services such as legal services and health services. Companies and entrepreneurs are always on the lookout for cutting edge business software, conference calling, SEO services, marketing products, and video production services.
4. Look for a Solid Compensation Plan
Compensation plans vary from company to company, so be sure to find one that gives you the greatest earning potential. A single paid matrix is an excellent approach, as is a 3 x 9 monthly matrix commission.
5. Gain Access to Business Building Tools
One of the premises of network marketing is that you don't need to reinvent the wheel; the infrastructure for a successful business model already exists. When reviewing home based business opportunities, especially those that are Internet based, find one that allows you to grow your business through duplication, so that you can immediately get up and running. The company you work with should also have a support system that includes mechanisms to capture leads, create ads, and develop solid marketing strategies. Moreover, there should be a sense of community, camaraderie, and mutual support.
By the way here are 5 more tips for becoming a successful home business entrepreneur
There are a variety of reasons why people consider becoming a home worker. In some cases, people who are retired need some extra income. In other instances, a stay-at-home mom might need money to supplement the family income. Sometimes, a person decides to launch a home based business in order to achieve a specific financial goal, such as a family vacation or home repairs. Other times, people simply get tired of the grind of commuting, answering to a boss, and working predetermined hours.
There's no doubt that a home based business opportunity can provide extra income for retired people, money for moms, and the extra cash for a family vacation. It can even replace a primary income so that a person can quit his or her day job and make his or her own hours. Unfortunately, though, making the decision to become a home worker is only the first – and the easiest – step. The next step is succeeding in your home based business. Here are five tips to help ensure you succeed in your quest to become a home based worker:
6. Set aside time each day for your home based business.
Although there are many home based opportunities that will earn revenue with a minimal amount of work, the more time you put into your business, the greater your financial rewards will be. Designating a certain number of hours per day (or per week) will help keep you on track.
7. Minimize distractions while working.
If the kids are running around, your friends are calling, or you keep getting up to do laundry or other household chores, it will be difficult to sustain your home business. Create ground rules to minimize distractions, and have the discipline to stick to them.
8. Have patience.
Despite "get rich quick" promises, the typical home based business opportunity will not provide you with immediate income. Have patience at keep at it to reap financial rewards, but make sure you have a revenue "bridge" that will keep you going until your business begins to generate returns.
9. Diversify your revenue streams.
The successful home worker generally has several – if not many – revenue streams. This way, if one aspect of the business falters or has a slow period, others can fill in the gap. Take a building block approach: start with one home based business and add another when the first starts generating a steady income.
10. Make bookkeeping a priority.
Oftentimes, a home worker will let bookkeeping go by the wayside. Revenues from his or her business will be intermingled with personal finances, or his or her recordkeeping will be less that pristine. The Internal Revenue Service keeps a close eye on home businesses, so it's crucial to keep your business income and expenses separate from your personal income and expenses. It's also important to keep and record all receipts for expenses. If you keep good financial records throughout the year, it will be much easier to do your taxes when April rolls around.
Summary
Being a home worker is immensely rewarding in terms of income potential, making your own hours, and doing work that interests you. Success lies in choosing the right home based business opportunity, sticking with your commitment, and keeping good records.
Launching your own home based business can not only lead you to a debt free life, but can also enable you to travel the path of true financial freedom.
Effective Email Marketing
Trump Owes Soros 160 Million Dollars?
Fearless Truth Teller Sarah Palin Tells Gobsmacked Wisconsin GOP Audience About Ted Cruz Giving “Gift Baskets” To Illegal Aliens…
