Karen Clark, Work At Home On The Internet

Online Marketing, Speakers In The Park Wednesday, July 14th

Our Speakers In The Park presenter this week is the online marketing and social media consultant Karen Clark. Karen and her team at MyBusinessPresence provide online marketing training, branding and seminars to work at home business owners. Her background in sales, website development and social media integration, coupled with an intense focus on communication, relationship-building and networking makes her one of the top educators in work at home services.

Local Business Leads – Online Website

Karen’s Speakers In The Park topic is finding local leads online. Marketing online and driving traffic to your website is great but how do we generate local business? In party plan or relationship-based work at home businesses, sometimes the online leads just are not close enough to service properly. Online parties are fun and yet the party plan concept centers on visiting people in their own homes.

Top Work At Home Training

The Elite Club is for you if you cannot make the calls. It is one of the most affordable work at home training opportunities for direct sales consultants and delivers top notch education year-round. Members get the Speakers In The Park MP3s within 24 hours of each call.

Building A Successful Downline In Network Marketing

One of the key elements of the network marketing success is team building! One of the many wonderful things about the network marketing business is that while every member is in business for themselves, they are not in business by themselves. By taking a leadership role and providing opportunities for team building you will find out who YOUR key members are. Truly knowing every key member of your downline is vital and will dramatically increase your income.

Team building activities not only promote enjoyment and relationship-building, but they are a fantastic opportunity to empower your team. Have some fun together, get to know one another, learn about business, and learn about life, which will in due course solidify your relationships.

Consultant Team Building Skills

As time goes by in your network marketing career, you will notice that it is usually not your personal consultants who become the biggest leaders and business builders in your downline. Team building skills include getting to know your team on a deeper level. It is important to get to know the newest members of your team (any new downline member even if you did not recruit them) and invite them to your team building activities. Spend some time with them, recognize them, and introduce them to all other attendees. What you will also notice is that key team members may not always look or seem like they are key members in the first days or weeks of their business, but they may get their super spurt in productivity at a later time.

3 Team Building Strategies & Tools

Simple games, seminars or activities are sometimes excellent education tools. Here are three powerful team building strategies  that will promote your team growth;

• Do something service-based with your team. There are dozens of local volunteer opportunities that exist. Choose one, and invite a handful of team members to do it with you. To respect everyone’s time, it is best to pick something that can be done in 2-3 hours. After the event, have a recap together and talk about how the activity applied to your business and your own goals.
• There are a few business board games that will offer you an entertaining time. Monopoly, of course, is a fun game that everyone has heard of. Some may wonder how that is a business game, but play it again from a business perspective and you may find it quite interesting. Cash Flow by Robert Kiyosaki is a classic entrepreneur business board game. If you do not already have MLM: The Game, that’s another great choice. Playing business board games will allow all players to build powerful relationships with each other, and everyone will learn or teach many lessons along the way.
• Go to a motivational or business seminar together as a large group. One that is held nationwide and that we can recommend (and it’s FREE) is a “Millionaire Mind Evening” offered by the Peak Potentials team. Fabulous, fun, mentally challenging, no-nonsense business advice from Millionaires. There are many other opportunities for personal and financial growth, look one up in your area!

The point of whatever you choose to do is really to spend time with your team! Get to know them; get involved in the lives of your key members. These friendships & resulting paychecks will last you a lifetime!

Be Well and Thrive!

Anders is a Cash Flow Show expert who teaches accelerated learning techniques for network marketing team building. Visit MLM The Game or contact him and learn more at his Cash Flow Show expert page.

Dr. Steve Taubman, Teaches Direct Sales Relationship Building

Last night on Speakers In The Park, Dr. Steve Taubman gave us an awesome presentation on how to build customer relationships in our direct sales business and develop rapport.  He pointed out that building relationships is easier when you follow a system and develop the skills that will allow you to connect with your customers.

The following is a summary of what I took away from this awesome call. Thanks, Dr. Steve!

Building Relationships In Sales

When you develop the skills to build relationships in your business your selling skills will improve.  The three parts of relationship building include: preparation to build rapport, creating rapport and recreating rapport if you have lost it.

When you put certain practices into your daily life, it will become easier to be alignment with your direct sales customers and their for will close more sales.  The preparation phase includes daily practices that give you a better ability to connect.  They are: meditation, self realization, visualization and laughter.

Build Effective Relationships

This audio is a brief excerpt of the call during which Dr. Steve focuses on the actual steps to building effective rapport in a relationship. All of the Speakers In The Park calls are available by MP3 download when you join the Elite Direct Sales Club.

1. Acknowledge unspoken resistance.
2. Ask permission.
3. Listen intently.
4. Find something to love about the person.

Recreating rapport when you come out of alignment in a relationship includes these three steps.

• Acknowledge that there has been a break down.
• Listen to the response.
• Embrace everything.

Speakers In The Park, Skills Training For Direct Sales Professionals

The Speakers In The Park, direct sales training series continues. The line up of successful direct sales professionals bringing you education and entertainment is awesome! Our next presenter is Karen Clark.  Karen’s topic for the Speakers In The Park is “Going Local – Online!” Using the Internet to find local leads and it takes place on July 14, 2010.  Don’t miss it!

The Key Sales Cold Call Is The Gatekeeper

The key to getting past the gatekeeper when cold calling potential clients is practice and confidence. Do you have the confidence to call a perfect stranger and make it sound like a personal call?

Can you stay positive and sound confident?  Do you know that any hint of uncertainty or apology will kill you?

Tips To Get Past Gate Keeper To The Decision Maker

• Use his or her first name only and your full name, but no company name. If you say your company name, it makes it obvious that he doesn’t know you. (For simplicity’s sake, I am going to use the word “him” or “he” for the rest of the article.)

• Follow up on previously sent information or a message. Leaving a message on the voicemail will never result in a return call, but it will give you the ability to honestly say that you are following up on a previous discussion.

Gatekeeper: “Can I tell him what this is regarding?”
YOU: “I’m following up on a prior conversation with Paul.”

• Sometimes the best thing to do is send a mailing piece, then call so you can answer this question honestly.

Gatekeeper: “Is he expecting your call??”

YOU: “I sent him some information and am checking in to see what he wants to do next.”

YOU: “He should be, based on the info I gave him.”

• If you keep calling and continue to get the runaround and the “he’s not available” line, then try this:

YOU: “Listen, I’ve called a million times and am sorry to be driving you crazy. How does Paul decide who he talks to?”

• Maybe you can cut a deal with the gatekeeper. “If I send some information to you, would you walk it in and hand it to Paul? If you promise you’ll do it, I promise you’ll only get one more unsolicited call from me. My last call will be to find out whether he’s willing to talk.”

• This is my favorite technique to get through to the gatekeeper. There are no tricks or games here.

YOU: “Hi! My name is Deb. I am a sales rep who would like to schedule an appointment with Mr.________. Could you please help me?”

Then just shut up and wait. Asking for help and using silence is a great, great way to force her to make a decision. You need to have the confidence to wait. If you speak first, you lose. If you hold your silence, the gatekeeper may become afraid that if you’re really somebody that will help them, she doesn’t want to be the one who turned you away.

Cold Call Techniques

• Know the decision maker’s name
• Know what benefit you have to offer the decision maker
• Make it personal
• Never sell to the gatekeeper
• Be confident
• Take ownership of the next contact

Remember to treat the gatekeeper the way you would like to be treated!  After all she or he is just doing the job! I read somewhere that most corporate decision makers receive up to 150 unsolicited calls per week.  Actually, based on the number I get in my home office, that seems to be a lowball figure!

Direct Sales Power

What kinds of techniques have you used to get past the gatekeeper when making cold calls?  Tell us in the comment section and you will be entered in the “Direct Selling Power” sweepstakes. Every comment on the blog is automatically entered to win the hot new summer direct sales training “Direct Selling Power.” We are giving away a fully autographed book to some lucky visitor. Learn more about the Direct Selling Power and the 9 ways to enter.

Please comment below with your “cold calling” and “gate keeper” techniques!

“Direct Selling Power” Entrepreneur Success Stories

This sweepstakes is closed. Watch for future sweepstakes and take the direct marketing survey.

Win The Book “Direct Selling Power” The Direct Selling Power book has a star-studded direct sales lineup of entrepreneurial success stories. Bringing together 16 direct sales educators with a focus on the direct selling industry, the book and the teleconference summit that supports it covers topics that all direct sales professionals seek solutions to. This book has been around the world and all across the US to gather the signatures  of all 16 presenters!  There are 9 ways to enter to win this valuable book, which sells for $29 on other sites.  Here you can win it for FREE and get everyone’s autograph as well! Check out the Sweepstakes Rules!

Direct Sales Education

The direct sales educators who collaborated on the “Direct Selling Power” include entrepreneurs known worldwide. Lead generation, time management , SEO topics, party plan, communications, MLM, finance and public speaking are just some of the topics covered in this direct sellers’ resource for education. The direct selling tele-summit is taking place now.

Win Your “Direct Selling Power”

Enter to win your fully autographed version of the “Direct Selling Power”. The grand prize winner will also receive the “Stop Recruiting… Start Sharing!” 8-seminar training program!

Direct Selling Success = Recruiting

Everyone knows that in direct selling, success depends on building your downline through recruiting. This sweepstakes will award 1 second prize for every 10 entries received, so start entering!!! 1:10 will say yes when you ask them, so 1:10 second place winners will be awarded the “Stop Recruiting… Start Sharing!” recruiting training program.

Let the fun begin! Here’s how to enter:

1. All direct sales blog post comments made on any article on the site. (Every comment on a different blog article that provides value to the reader and is approved by the moderator for publishing will be considered another entry.)
2. Take the direct marketing survey published on the CreateACashFlowShow website. (1 entry per person only)
3. Enter through the Facebook promotions sweepstakes application (1 entry per person only)
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5. Refer a friend who adds your name, email, Facebook profile, or Twitter profile to the application form, comment, or survey form. (Every time a new contestant says you referred them, you will get another entry.)
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8. Make any purchase on the CashFlowShow website for a value of $14 or greater in product purchases.
9. Find and report any technical issue on the website and you will receive another entry!

• By entering the sweepstakes you are agreeing to the Sweepstakes Rules!, so you had better read them!

Business & Social Rapport Building

Speakers In The Park, Steve Taubman – Rapport Techniques Steve Taubman is our guest speaker for the next Speakers In The Park on June 30th, 2010 @ 9:15 PM Eastern time. He will be sharing on rapport building techniques for your business and social success. Learn more about the Speakers In The Park motivational direct sales training event. Steve writes:

We’ve all heard that it’s important to be in rapport with others before making requests of them both socially and in business. But many don’t realize how powerful this point is. We still bumble our way through sales presentations, secretly wondering if the person we met in a social setting that we are talking with even likes us or wants to listen to our proposition. We may even be convinced that we’re not appreciated, but we keep talking anyway, hoping our value proposition will overcome the deficiencies in our connection.

Well, think again. Empirical observation suggests that when two people are in rapport, one can say almost anything, even something completely inappropriate, and the other will see it in the best possible light, easily forgiving even blatant transgressions. On the other hand, when people aren’t in rapport, an innocent comment can be taken out of context and escalated to levels of hostility.

Have you ever been propositioned by someone who hadn’t yet earned your affection or respect? Were you less than warm in your response to them? Was it what they actually said or was it just a feeling? Contrast that with someone whom you found likeable, who made you laugh. Did you ever hear someone like that say something outrageous, something you’d slap someone else for? But you didn’t. Why? Rapport.

Definition Of Rapport

So, what is rapport? Rapport is defined as the feeling of comfort, familiarity, and affection that comes from two people being “in synch” with one another. It’s well established that, as Bob Burg says, all things being equal, people do business with those they know, like and trust. Rapport is the “like” part.

Developing Rapport

The art of building rapport is well worth the time developing. Here are five ways to assess the level of rapport you’ve gained with someone. Never, ever, try to sell your product or service until you’re sure rapport has been established.

1. Are you both in pace with one another? In other words, are you synched up in speech rate, breathing rate, and the overall speed of body movements?
2. Is the other person smiling warmly and nodding in agreement with points you’re making?
3. Are they displaying open body language: arms uncrossed, leaning forward, facing you?
4. Is their eye contact genuine and alive or fixed and glazed over?
5. Are they making comments and asking questions or are they rigid, nodding occasionally or looking past you?

If you’re not in rapport, don’t bother going any further. You must have rapport first or all your efforts will be wasted. With some people, this will happen naturally. But with others, you may need special skills and knowledge to “bridge the gap.”

Speakers In The Park, Education For Direct Sellers

If you’d like to learn how to master rapport with virtually anyone, and what to do if you feel you’re not in rapport, please join us at our direct sellers educational event on Speakers In The Park where I provide give you the five most powerful techniques that will help YOU positively influence others and inspire them to action.

Direct Sales Team Motivation

If I could put motivation into a gift bag I would gladly “gift” it to everyone I know in direct sales!  However, reality is very different.  You can inspire others, however motivation isn’t something you can give to another, motivation comes from within oneself.

It’s not a level playing field in direct sales.  People choose direct sales for different reasons.  Some people stumble into direct sales thinking it will something fun to do, others want extra pocket change, some want a new career or to replace lost income, some can see the potential to grow a large business and create financial freedom and some want to meet and mingle with other people.

I could give you a success plan for you to attain, consisting of what I think is success for you, however would you be motivated to work my plan or would you be motivated to work your plan, with your dreams and goals?

Sales Team Motivation

The key to motivation is to find out what drives each member of your sales team.  What are their short-term and long-term inner dreams and goals?  Those are the motivating factors you will need to discover within each team member.  Some people aren’t even aware of what their inner desires are because generally people don’t allow themselves to dream big because they think “oh that’s never going to happen!”

I’ll share a story with you about a woman whose dream is for her 14-year old daughter to become the first person in her family to attend college, but money for tuition and books is very expensive, and she doesn’t have the money now and if she started saving the little bit she could now she wouldn’t have enough money saved by the time her daughter graduates from high school.  Listening to her talk about this dream, I sensed her strong desire for her dream as well as her defeating thoughts and words.

I asked her if I could show her a way for her dream to become a reality, would she be interested in hearing it? Together we worked on a 3-year plan with actions she could take in her business to make this a reality.  She was amazed that she could actually make her dream become a reality by creating her plan with consistent effort in her business.

She has motivation!

“When you know what you want and want it bad enough, you will find a way to get it.”  Jim Rohn

Sales Team Motivation

So quit trying to make people “get motivated”, it doesn’t work!  Each person on your sales team is motivated differently.  Motivation comes from within and from a belief in one’s dream.  Find out what that dream is, show them the path to make that dream a reality, and they become motivated!

Team Trainer And Coach, Merilyn Strange

Merilyn Strange is a Avon leader and a team trainer. As a regular contributor to the site as one of our direct sales team coaches Merilyn brings us motivational team building techniques that create a team with a leadership focus. Contact or learn more about Merilyn by visiting her site or her Cash Flow Show expert page.