Creating Advertising That Works

It doesn’t matter whether your business has been around for two months or two decades—a careful marketing strategy is essential to your success. A good advertisement can bring in new customers or remind your old customers what you have to offer. Effective advertisements share a few of the same qualities. They are engaging, relevant, and well-timed—and most importantly, they draw customers in to your business. Check out the five key principles that stand behind all successful advertisements.

1. Make People Stop and Pay Attention
First, your advertisement should make people stop what they’re doing and pay attention. Most consumers view advertisements as interruptions and automatically ignore the messages. Your advertisement needs to be engaging and catch their interest. However, catching someone’s interest isn’t enough. Many advertisements attract attention through gimmicks and jokes, but the important parts of the message—the company’s name or product—don’t stick with the customer. An effective advertisement is interesting and also informative, staying in the customer’s mind after he or she has moved on.

2. Advertise in the Right Places
From television to the Internet to the newspaper, there are plenty of places to advertise—but marketing mediums are not created equally. Choose the advertising platforms that are most relevant to your audience and create ads designed especially for the venues. For example, a restaurant might create a morning radio commercial advertising their new breakfast sandwiches while simultaneously advertising a dinner special on local evening television. Think about what your customers will be doing when they see your ad and plan a message that is tuned to their interests.

3. Appeal to Emotion and Reason
To create an effective advertisement, it’s essential to understand why people buy products and services. There are certainly logical reasons at hand based on the customer’s needs, but most consumers also base their purchases on emotional reasons. The most successful advertisements simultaneously appeal to a customer’s rational and emotional sides. Catch your customer’s attention first with an emotional appeal that will make him or her want the product, and then follow up with rational reasons to convince the customer that he or she needs the product.

4. Focus On Frequency
Because most people ignore advertisements, customers typically need to be exposed to your message about three times before they will become aware of what you’re offering. Of course, the first three exposures aren’t enough to guarantee a sale. Most consumers generally need 9-12 exposures to a message before they are ready to make a decision or a purchase. That means that it’s important to run your ads frequently—and in many cases, across multiple platforms—if you hope to reach a wider audience and increase your sales.

5. Coordinate Your Advertising Efforts
To increase customer awareness about your product, coordinate your marketing efforts so that each advertisement clearly reflects your company and your brand. Consumers are more likely to take note of your business when you have an integrated marketing plan that includes advertisements across multiple platforms. By using the same theme of your television commercial in a magazine ad or on a website banner, customers will become more aware of what you’re selling and they’ll be more likely to remember your company’s name when they’re finally ready to buy.

Hope these tips helped you! I also did a webinar recently with my team where I shared some useful tips on how to create ads that will get you responses. These tips will work for any business. Feel free to watch the webinar here.  As always, if you have any questions or need help with anything in your business, feel free to reach out to me. I am happy to help in any way!! You can call or text me directly at 612-208-9434. Here's to your success~

Setting Goals

Setting business goals within an organization is common practice, shared by all businesses. Executives set business goals that help increase motivation and determination, as well as those that offer critical learning strategies for training purposes.

Whether you are just starting to evaluate your goals or if you are in the re-evaluation process, follow these six steps for successful goal setting:

1. Define Quantifiable Goals
   The first step in setting business goals is determining exactly what you want to accomplish. Make sure your goal is worth your effort. Think about how you would design goals if you were certain that they would be successful. Conversely, what would your strategy be if this was your last opportunity? It’s important to set clear goals; you should know exactly where you want to go and you should not waiver from your target regardless of failures along the way. Be as specific as possible, so you are able to determine when you’ve reached your goal.
2. Make your Goals Specific
   Once again, make sure your business goals aren’t too vague. It’s critical to use a goal setting formula that gives your goal a built-in action plan. Define your end goal and create a road map for exactly how you’re going to reach your goal. Be specific with what you want to accomplish at each check point. You’ll achieve a great deal more than you would without these guidelines.
3. Commit to your Goals
   Make a commitment and stick with it. Once you’ve set your plan in motion, stay motivated to see your goals through to the end. Don’t procrastinate or second-guess your decisions, as this will only delay the process. Don’t forget to enjoy the process and reward yourself for staying focused.
4. Make your Goals Public
   An extremely effective technique for achieving business goals is making them public. Invite a team or even a single person into your plan; you’ll face accountability which can be very motivating. Once you share your goals with someone, you can determine what sort of involvement they will have with your plan. Will you ask them to check in with you every so often or not? What their role entails is up to you.
5. Set a Deadline
   If you don’t set a deadline, your goal will fail. Goals without deadlines indicate that you are not fully committed. Determining a deadline puts your goal into context. Pick a reasonable date that isn’t too aggressive, but also not too far away.
6. Reward Yourself
   In the goal-setting process, there’s one very important thing to remember: you. Once you’ve accomplished a goal or reached a milestone within your goal, make sure to mark the occasion. You’ve invested an incredible amount of time, energy and determination to reach your goal, so make sure you take a moment to celebrate your success.

Another tip that I have that really works for me is to write my goals down. I keep them next to me while I am working and I also take them with me so that I have them constantly in front of me. When I feel like not working hard or not working at all, my goals are there reminding me that I have to get busy!

Hope these tips helped you! If you need any help setting goals or want to share them with me for accountability, please feel free to reach me directly at 612-208-9434. As always, I am here and happy to help!

Staying Consistent for Home Business Success

Are you struggling to stay consistent in your network marketing business? Maybe you know what to do but never seem to get to it. Tomorrow becomes next week, next week becomes next month and so on!

Or maybe you succeed in taking action for a period of time but then stop because you aren’t yet in profit.

Does that sound familiar?

Staying consistent is the key to growing a profitable, successful home business. Even if you are not yet seeing a profit, consistency is your best friend when it comes to succeeding at anything.
Today I have some reasons and tips for you on how to stay consistent for home business success. I believe that understanding why you need to stay consistent is the key to actually doing it.

Taking Action and Staying Consistent

You’ve probably read all the tips about network marketing and attended lots of training. All the “How-to’s” in the world won’t help you if you are not staying consistent in network marketing.
Here you go:

Take Action No Matter What

I know how hard it can be when your efforts are not yet paying off. When I started my business, I blogged for months without a single sale! But I did it consistently and then one day, BOOM! I’ve been getting a weekly paycheck ever since. What would have happened if I said, “I am not getting results right now so there is no point to do this.”

Sometimes your motivation may go away due to lack of income. But I promise you, if you do the income producing activities anyway, you will eventually make money. It is your consistent action that will cause that to happen or not. It’s really that simple. Decide what you want.

Your Why and Priorities

I’ve heard all the excuses. “I’m too busy” “I was too tired” and so on. How big is your WHY? What is your reason for starting your business in the first place? Is your why important enough that you made it a priority in your life OR is it just another wishful thought?

When something is important, you make it a priority. If it’s not, well then, you know the rest.
When I started my business my children were three and ten ( I had a toddler and a preteen) and was involved in a few volunteer activities. I still made sure that I took action on my business daily no matter what! My husband was working 80 hours a week and freedom was calling! I was tired of the paycheck to paycheck struggle...robbing Peter to pay Paul. That freedom, my children and never having that struggle again was and still is my priority. Get it done!

Staying Consistent is Part of Your Brand and How Others Perceive You

Not attracting anyone to your business? Maybe it’s because you are inconsistent. Success leaves clues. You may have heard that quote. If you are not consistent, you won’t leave any success clues. If your audience sees you today and not tomorrow, or if you constantly change gears, people will not see you as a leader or even a person they want to partner with.

Establish a Daily Routine

Sticking to a daily routine is a great way to staying consistent for home business success. All successful people have a daily routine that they stick to! Instead of living your lifestyle, live your life by incorporating the habits of successful people.

Take a look at some top earners. Don’t look at what they have, look at their daily habits and create your own routine.

Staying consistent takes determination and discipline. We do it whether we want to or not.
Think about whether your business is important enough in your life to live the lifestyle you always wanted, or just a little wishful thinking.

I did a training on establishing a routine and marketing schedule. You can access it here.

If you got some value from this Staying Consistent for Home Business Success, please feel free to share! As always, please let me know if you need any help with your home business. I am always here and happy to help!

5 Common Objections and How to Overcome Them

If you’ve has a home business for any length of time, you have probably already heard at least two or three objections. Don’t ya just love the excuses reasons people come up with as to why they don’t want to buy your product, or join the company?

You’ve probably heard most of them but, do you know how to deal with them? Are you equipped to answer their questions well enough to satisfy their fear? Here are some “nuggets” for you to try next time you encounter an objection.

Common Objection #1 -I don't know a lot of people

Encourage your team members and prospects to not only make a list of people they know they might need/want the product/service your business is offering. Also, there are so many ways to generate leads online as well as purchase leads for your business. Check with your team to see if they have any training on lead generation and use what they provide as they are tried and true methods! You can also provide leads to your team. I love providing leads to my team members when they get started as well as when they bring on new business. Let your team members know you are there to help them!

Common Objection #2 -I don’t have time

Tell her you understand how busy she is and that’s exactly why you chose her. It’s proven that busy people are the ones that get things done. Have her get her calendar and show her how little time she will have to invest in order to get the products she wants for free. Always show why joining your team is going to benefit them, not you, and let her know you are here for her, to help her succeed!

Common Objection #3 -I don’t the money to invest in starting a business right now

Some home business companies offer the kit if they hold a certain number of show to pay for it. The best way to respond to this is by asking when they think they would be able to have the money and to offer saving suggestions to help them come up with the money. If they are truthful and really are interested in joining the company, they will most likely follow your instructions and work toward gathering up the money somehow, someway. Some suggestions you can use for saving money are: foregoing that cappuccino or latte` everyday, taking a sack lunch instead of eating out, skipping their weekly night out and putting that money away, at least until they’ve raised enough to purchase the start up kit. Encourage them by gently reminding them that they are starting a new business which takes time, effort and money and that you are there to help them succeed.

Common Objection #4 -I am not a good sales person

A good response to this one is, “Either am I!” And that’s the honest to goodness truth. You don’t have to be a “sales” person to sell something you love and believe in and hopefully you are approaching only people with the business plan who truly love and believe in the product. Remind them that just being who they are, being open and honest about their experience with the product is the best way to sell it. They don’t have to use any fancy sales talk, just be themselves. Always, always remind them that you are there to help them succeed in their business!

Common Objection #5 -I don’t have time to start or run a business

How much time do you actually invest in your business? Are you in it part time? Did you start out part time and built it up to a full time career? Were you working another full time job when you started out and now are working your home business full time and your other job part time? Let your potential new recruit in on how you’ve gotten where you are today. Perhaps you are just starting out too, so let your recruit know how you are using your valuable time to reach your goals and dreams and how she can do the same. Besides, she wouldn’t have asked you about the opportunity if she wasn’t at least curious.

Don’t let objections that you can’t overcome stop you from pressing forward to reaching your goals and dreams. You may know that certain prospect would be a great recruit, but she truly doesn’t have the time, and perhaps she simply doesn’t have the desire. Its okay let it go. Just be there for her when she changes her mind in the future. You don’t want to destroy any chance of having her join your team by being too pushy. Some people simply need more time.

In home business there will always be objections, but if you are honest with your customers, prospects and recruits about how and why you are successful, how much time you actually spend working your business and help them be organized and good managers of their time, then they will trust you and they will help your business succeed because their business is succeeding.

Hope this helps! If you need any help in succeeding in your home business, please feel free to reach out to me, I am always here and happy to help ~

Staying Positive!

 

 

How to Stay Positive at Work as an Entrepreneur

Remember Your Purpose 

When you get negative thoughts as an entrepreneur, they tend to distract you from your main purpose. So if you can really focus back on that purpose, it can help you put things in perspective and realize that some of those concerns or issues aren’t as devastating as you previously thought.

Change Your Focus

Or you could take a different approach and simply shift your focus for a short time. If a certain task or direction just isn’t working for you, try a new one and it could improve your outlook.

Look at Your Goals

You can also get some of your focus back and improve your outlook by simply looking back at some of your main goals for your business. So keep them written down somewhere and bring them out when you need an extra boost.

Talk to a Mentor

Having a business mentor who has been through tough times and knows how to get through them can be invaluable during your inevitable business struggles.

Take a Break from Social Media

Social media can be a great tool. But it can also lead some entrepreneurs into the comparison trap. So if you find yourself constantly using social media to compare your progress to that of other businesses, you may need to take a break from it.

See Others as Motivational
Or you could use the opportunity to see the success of other entrepreneurs as a motivating factor instead. Look at their success and see that it is possible and then use that to push your business to the next level.

Look Back at Your Progress

Looking back at your own business on occasion can also be a motivating factor. If you’re able to see how far you’ve come, it can change your mindset going forward.

Move On from Failure

However, it’s not always a great idea to dwell on the past. When you experience failure, which is inevitable, you need to find a way to move onto the next task quickly instead of letting the failure ruin your mindset.

Write Down What You Learned

One easy way you can put failure in perspective is to write down some lessons you learned from the experience. This can show you that even though you failed, you did gain something. And it can also help you continue moving forward.

Spend Time with Loved Ones

Starting a business can take up a lot of time and energy. But it’s a good idea to regularly step back and remember the reasons you started in the first place. So spend time with your family and other loved ones regularly to improve your mindset and stay positive.

 

Talk to Your Team

Your team members can also help you potentially break out of a negative funk. Talk to them about ideas for the business along with their personal and professional goals.

Talk to Your Customers

You can also reach out to your customers from time to time to see how they’ve been affected by your business and remind yourself why you do what you do.

Do the Hardest Work First

If your negative outlook can be attributed to overwhelm, then sometimes the best thing you can do is just get the work done. Focus on the most difficult tasks first so that you can get them out of the way and reduce your overwhelm quickly.

Appreciate Your Freedom

Being an entrepreneur means that you’re the boss. That doesn’t mean you can necessarily do whatever you want all the time. But you do get some freedom. So realizing that can really help you stay positive during difficult times.

Make a Plan 

Negativity and overwhelm can sometimes also be attributed to a lack of direction. If this is the case for you, then you need to sit down and actually map out a plan for the next few months or years of your business. Having even a general idea where you’re going can really be a benefit.

Take a Break

Or you might just need to step back for a little bit to refocus. Take a short vacation or just simply unplug for a long weekend.

Reward Yourself

When you do get things accomplished in your business, it’s important to celebrate that in some way. Map out a small rewards system for yourself to stay motivated and positive during the daily grind.

Reward Your Team

You can also apply a similar awards system to your team. Keeping them motivated and happy can improve the overall mood around your office and keep everyone at your business more positive.

 

Make a Game of It

You can even appy some gaming theory to getting things done. Create a points system for larger tasks or spur some friendly competition between coworkers to keep everyone motivated and engaged.

Get Some Exercise

Regular exercise gives you endorphins, which can help you stay positive on a daily basis. So even short bursts of exercise a few times a week can make a big difference.

Connect with Other Entrepreneurs
Sharing the struggles of entrepreneurship can be a good way to clear your mind and move forward. But talking to your family and friends about those struggles might not have the same effect as talking to someone who can really relate. So find some other entrepreneurs to connect with, either in your local community or online.

Write Down What You’re Thankful For

Along with the struggles, there are plenty of great things to be thankful for when it comes to running a business. So instead of just forgetting those positives and dwelling on what needs to be done, take a moment out of your day and write down some things you have to be thankful for.

Thank Others
You can also show that gratitude to others by simply saying “thank you” or writing short thank you notes.

Try Out Meditation

Meditation can be another way to sort of clear your mind and stay focused on the positives throughout your day.

Use Daily Affirmations

Or you can try a more vocal approach like daily affirmations. State positive things about yourself, and the positive attitude could follow.

Seek Out Inspiration

If you’re feeling uninspired in your business, just waiting around for inspiration to strike can seem like a lifetime. So seek out some inspiration through reading, going outdoors or even browsing sites like Pinterest.

Get Some Hobbies
Having some hobbies outside of work can also help you stay positive and inspired on a regular basis.

Educate Yourself

You can also choose to expand your mind through regular training or education programs, which can lead to new ideas and motivation.

Remind Yourself What Make You Happy

No matter how many great habits you build around your business, there are going to be times when you feel a little down. So it can be a good idea to have a folder on your computer or even a physical list or scrapbook that you can pull out during those tough times to remind yourself of what makes you happy.

Visualize Your Goals

You can also regularly remind yourself of your main goals by keeping them visible in your workspace. Create a list or post them on a board in your office so you’re constantly reminded why you’re doing what you do.

Hope these tips helped you! If you need help with anything in your home business, don't hesitate to reach out to me by phone or text: 612-208-9434. I am always here and happy to help :)

5 Tips for Building Relationships With Your Prospects

In order to create better business relationships with your prospects, there are 5 major things you can do: 

 

 

 

1. Treat your Customers the Right Way. Remember the Golden Rule you were taught in Kindergarten? Treat Others How You Want to be Treated?! It's not just a rule on the playground, it's a rule in your business too! You don't want someone calling you saying, "you don't know me, but I have the best product on the market and you need to buy it?" Gross, right!! Ask questions and build rapport first and then talk about your products and opportunity. 

 

2. Always Listen to Them. This is a must in your business. Listen to your prospect, you need to know where they are coming from. Their experiences, etc. It's part of the rapport building. For example, when I am talking to a prospect and they tell me they have been scammed many times and have lost a lot of money and are unsure about investing in another opportunity, I let them know right then and there that there is an investment and how much and explain that I felt the same way and this is what I have found with my company. Which leads me to the next tip....

3. Build Trust. People have to know, trust and like you before they will do any business with you. Would you buy a car from just anyone? How about a house? No! You want to make sure you are getting a car that won't break down 2 hours after you buy it and a house that isn't going to blow over like the house made of sticks that the three little pigs built. When you listen and treat your prospects right, they will trust you. Remember, most people aren't joining your company, they are joining you! 

4. Follow up. Have you heard the old saying "the fortune is in the follow-up?". It absolutely is. It's also part of building that trust. If you tell a prospect that you are going to call them at 3pm on Friday, you better make sure you are calling them at 3 pm on Friday. Otherwise, they are going to be left thinking: "if they aren't calling me now to help me and answer questions, how do I know they are going to call me when I join the company?" Don't leave them in the dark, be available to help them and get their questions answered! 

5. Be Transparent. Be Humble. Be Vulnerable. This will build trust and rapport. When a prospect starts talking about being scammed, I share with them that I was scammed too. When they talk about trying so many opportunities that didn't work for them, I share that I tried several that didn't work for me either. And I am being completely honest with them. They appreciate that I understand where they are coming from. And they will appreciate that you do too. I love to use the Feel Felt Found Method. I know how you feel, I felt the same way and this is what I have found. It really builds that rapport. Remember, people will not always remember what you say, BUT they will remember how you made them feel! 

I hope this has helped you when it comes to prospecting in your business! If I can help in anyway, please feel free to reach out to me by phone or text at 612-208-9434.

As always, I am here and happy to help you succeed~

Hitting a Home Run in Your Business

As you may or may not know, I live in Minneapolis, MN. Home of the MN Twins!! If you are an avid baseball fan like I am, you probably know that the MN Twins are currently first in their series!! So exciting to watch them, and we are all hoping that they can land in the World Series this year!!

You are probably wondering: what do baseball and business have in common? In life, we take many swings, but not all end in home runs. The same applies for starting a home-based business. There are bound to be times when you swing and miss, but there are also times when you swing your bat and send the ball sailing over the third baseman’s head.

So how can you make sure that every swing turns into a hit and grows your home business? The truth is that growth relies on several factors: working hard, procuring the right tools, and taking advantage of every opportunity that comes along.

The good news is that all you need to get started on the path to growth is some creativity and out-of-the-box thinking. I’ve gathered 4 quick tips on what you should keep in mind when working to grow your business.

Batter up!

First Base: Just Look to the Cloud

It should come as no surprise that the best way to start encouraging business growth is by investing in the technology you need. But with a tight budget, how is that possible? The answer is simple. Get ready to look to the cloud and point out where your hit will go.

From email marketing to project management and even social media, home business owners should be looking to automate as much as possible. With apps like Sprout Social, Elite Email, Earliz, and more, there’s a bit of something for every business, no matter what your area of expertise. But before you even begin to search for the apps you need, start by looking for a simple platform that’s built to keep everything organized. After all, sure you can go out and buy all of the baseball equipment you need, but without a bag to put it all in, you may find that juggling all of that equipment from game to game will be more than just a little difficult. They say to get the job done right, you have to have the right tools. After all, you wouldn’t step up to the plate armed with a hockey stick, would you?

Sliding into Second: Step Up to Every Opportunity

In order to hit a home run, or to even get on base, you have to be ready to take advantage of anything and everything thrown your way. Being a home-based entrepreneur gives you two huge advantages over larger companies: agility and adaptability. If you get thrown a curve ball, you can easily side step it and take it into right field, or you can pass it up and wait for a juicier pitch. Being adaptable and agile can help give you that competitive edge that all small businesses need. The best hitters are those that can hit the ball into the gaps between players, and you should be no different with your own strategy. If you can identify a particular customer need, you can act quickly to make sure that you take advantage of that moment by meeting that need and simultaneously positioning your company to benefit.

Rounding Third: Hard Work Beats Talent Every Day

At the end of the day, no game is won by talent alone. Instead, it’s the drive, passion, and hard work that can take a team to the Playoffs. The first and most fundamental fact about both business and baseball is that the best players and entrepreneurs have the passion to succeed, allowing them to turn their dreams into a reality. Keep this in mind with your own business. To grow, you have to work hard, and in some cases, harder than you’ve ever worked before. There will be long, coffee-filled nights and aching backs, but when all is said a done, every ache and blister will be an additional run scored for your company’s success.

Heading Home: Stick to Your Game Plan

The road ahead for a successful business is the same as the one for baseball: when you look toward your end-goal, whether it’s increasing profits or winning a pennant, there are plenty of challenges waiting. Before you step onto the field, make sure that you have a game plan set in place. Having a plan will help you take advantage of constantly changing conditions, while still keeping your ultimate goals in site. Not to mention a plan will enable you to ask the important question: is what I’m doing right now helping me achieve my goal?

The best strategy for both baseball and businesses is to formulate a plan that you stick to. Know your long-range and short-range goals and stay focused on what you have to do in order to achieve them. Keep your business plan close and don’t be afraid to change it up if the opportunity comes along.
Growing a home business takes time, commitment, and plenty of practice, just like gearing up for the World Series. With these 4 tips, you can be well on your way to hitting a home run with your home-based business.

Do you have any other tips or stories for how to grow your home business? Let us know in the comments below!