7 Tips For The New Network Marketer

Oh, how exciting. You’ve signed the contract. You paid for the kit. Now, once that kit arrives you’ll be set to go. You have such big plans. You have such wonderful ideas.

The kit comes at the end of the next week. Gosh, what took so long? You’ve now committed to a volunteer project once a week. You’ve also committed to a new carpool for your child. You actually did talk to two people in the last week and both of them said no. Maybe you can get your money back for the kit. This isn’t really what you want to do anyway.

Does any of this sound familiar?

Here are 7 tips for the new network marketer to help get the ball rolling:

1. Read and learn about the company. How old is the company? How was the company started? Where are corporate headquarters located? How many distributors does the company have? Who owns the company? What can you learn about that person, or family?

2. Read and learn about the product line. What products are offered? How often are new products introduced? Are there catalogs? How does a distributor order? And how does a customer order? Is there a money back guarantee?

3. Join any online communities you can with other distributors from your company. Sometimes you’ll find team boards, or team groups. Sometimes you’ll find company boards, or company groups. There are tons of work at home message boards out on the internet. Find those that have boards with other distributors from your company. Join them and read what other distributors are saying. Start developing a support network within the distributor circle of your company.

4. Go to either the local book store or a used book store and find a couple of books about business and/or leadership. I really like John Maxwell. He’s written several books on leadership. Another favorite of mine is “Love Is The Killer App” by Tim Sanders. The entire book is about networking,

5. Create a simple business plan. Or at the very least write down both your short term and long term goals. A business plan and goals are your roadmap. Almost no one leaves their home for a cross country trip without some sort of map. If you’ve never been in business before, it’s like going cross country. Without a map, you’re bound to get lost.

6. Sign up for a couple of newsletters or ezines. These can either be about business in general, about network marketing or about your specific industry. If you plan to market online, join one or two newsletters that will help you learn about marketing online. If you plan to host home parties, join one or two newsletters about party plan. Regardless of company affiliation, you need to find hostesses, give presentations, introduce products, etc.

7. Put together your first product order. Even before your kit arrives, you can put together your first product order. Order those sales aids you’ll need also, whether it be catalogs, or information sheets, or samples. Order the supplies you’ll need to sell the product and to talk to others about joining the company.

With these 7 steps completed before your kit ever arrives, the kit will only be a formality, not the starting point. You will have already immersed yourself into your new business and will already be working towards those first goals you’ve set. As you begin sponsoring others, share these 7 steps with your new team members. You’ll develop a team that begins working the day they say yes.

****
This article is republished courtesy of Audrey Okaneko

Audrey Okaneko has been working at home since 1983. She can be reached at audreyoka@cox.net or visited at http://www.recipe-barn.com/

Email: Help or Hindrance

Are you addicted to email?

If you are - you're probably not alone. Personally, I think one of the biggest distractions for most business owners is email.

Is your email button the first thing you hit when you switch your computer on? I know that mine is - or it used to be.

I found that by checking email first - I could easily get distracted from 'doing work' by going through them. Does this sound familiar? You see the weekly (or sometimes daily) newsletters from the store, so you stop by to 'check their deal of of the day' - perhaps there's an e-card in there from a friend, so you decide to return the favor - or maybe Facebook is notifying you of a new friend or addition to your 'wall' - so what do you do - you get straight on there and start pottering about.

Before you know it, an hour or so has passed, it's time for a coffee and you feel like you've done a good morning's work. When really you haven't done anything at all!

Try for one week, to check email AFTER you've done everything else you need to do. Do your customer care calls, place your online order, or whatever it is you need to do that day, AND THEN check your emails.

ALSO, just as it's hard to concentrate in a messy office, a messy email inbox can send you running in a hundred different directions if you are not careful.

Here are some tips to organize your inbox and help you stay focused.

1) Create categories in your inbox

* Inbox
* Act Now (items I need to do in the next 5 minutes)
* Do (items I should do today)
* Waiting for Reply
* etc.

2) Use tasks to group your "to do" items

* Items that I will do in the next few days, weeks, or months ahead, you can move to your task folder.

3) As you read your emails, click and edit the subject line so it says the action you need to take

* e.g. when someone sends you an email question, try editing the subject line of that email to say, "Check when Tina's order was shipped). You don't even have to open the email to have an instant reminder about what action you need to take.

4) Use personal folders help organize your emails

Try using these ideas - hope they help!

Remember to go to http://www.direct-sales-tips.com/ and subscribe to my FREE PARTY PLAN TIPS for more tips and motivations direct to your inbox, but don't forget to create a personal folder for them and keep them together!

Welcome Aboard!

Well here it is ... my first blog entry. It's going to be a learning process, so I hope we can learn together!

First things first ... check out http://www.direct-sales-tips.com/ and subscribe to

my FREE PARTY PLAN TIPS.

I'm Sarah Booth-Henry and my background has been as an entertainment marketing professional whose career has included being on the U.S. staffs of both Warner Bros and the National Broadcasting Company. In addition, I have worked as a marketing liaison with the BBC and Granada Television as well as many radio stations in my native England.

Now, I run a number of online enterprises from my home in England. The information product business allows me to not only travel with my husband and our travel stock photo business, but means I can run the business from anywhere in the world.

I started working with physical products in the party plan business in the 1990s first selling lingerie, and then after my move back to the UK in 2004 I sold skin care, cosmetics, jewellery and family photographic sessions through the direct selling industry.

Now, I'm an entrepreneur who markets information – I'm an infopreneur. My goal today, is to help others grow their business and increase their earnings through bookings, sales and recruitment.

Don't forget to check out http://www.direct-sales-tips.com/

Your friend in health and success ...