Tithe Rap
February 28, 2009 by timoneill
Filed under Attitude and Adventure, Laughter
This is hilarious, my Pastor is friends with the Pastor of the Church where this originated. Too funny.
6 year Connie Talbot Britains got Talent
February 25, 2009 by timoneill
Filed under Awesome Stories
Ann Siegs Attraction Marketers Manifesto….HERE!
February 24, 2009 by timoneill
Filed under Attraction Marketing
How do you become a total prospect magnet in your industry? Be You, stand up and be recognized. Here are 16 ways to be set apart from the massive number of competitors in your market. These attraction marketing strategies from Ann Sieg will help make you and your opportunity or product the chosen way for people to do business. By the way if you gagged because you see the dreaded mlm or network marketing word some where on this page, this is for you. If you are not in the direct sales industry pay particular attention to what is being said here because these techniques are definitely not being taught many places outside of mlm, and guess what, they will work that much better.
One of the biggest keys to doing business online is being unique. Not blending in with everyone else. Be a contrarian and shout your individuality from the virtual rooftops. That is one of the secrets to getting your prospects undivided attention.
A key point in using attraction marketing is to tap into the universal law of attraction. Much like gravity this law works unseen, probably mis-understood, and constant whether we “believe” or not. One of the principles of this law is a very real desire to help others first. This translates to giving away useful, pertinent information that adds value to your prospect whether they do business with you or not. Provide free information that can begin to show them how to build a business.
After you give away information keep there attention by specializing in teaching them. Carve out a niche within social media marketing and become an expert in that area. Spend time and work diligently to become one of the “go to” people in that area. Some examples are the “Ezine Queen”, become known as the twitter guy or facebook gal. The idea here is to narrow the field just a tad. You will actually draw more people this way then you would shooting for a wider audience. The good news…there are a ton of possibilities, micro niches, that one can make money with online from home.
Here’s a list of 16 very specific examples from Ann Siegs “The Attraction Marketer’s Manifesto” that should help spark an idea or two. These are from the Ann’s landing page.
——————————————-
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
——————————————-
1.) Goal-Setting
2) Mindset
3) Time Management
4) Communication Skills
——————————————-
TRAFFIC GENERATION/ADVERTISING
——————————————-
5) Article Marketing
6) Video Sharing
7) Social Bookmarking
Blogging
——————————————
SALES AND MARKETING
——————————————
9) Market Research
10) Keyword Research
11) Copywriting
12) Phone Skills
——————————————
OTHER STUFF
——————————————
13) Tracking
14) Outsourcing
15) Contact Management
16) Split Testing
These are many of the components of internet marketing. Do you have to become proficient in all of these things to get started? No way. Pick one. Most of it you will never have to even worry about how to begin to make money. But do pick a niche that appeals to you, anyone of them has the ability to provide more qualified prospects than you can possibly work. Keep in mind you don’t need to be an expert. It may even preferable that you are not. After all an ex is a “has been” and a “spurt” is a drip under pressure. You simply need to know a tad more than others do. That really is not as hard as it may seem at first glance. Remember whatever your level of comfort with computers and the internet that there are a bunch of people flocking to the net RIGHT NOW that know less than you. Cool huh?
Ok so how do you begin to climb this ladder of becoming more knowledgeable than a few others? Simple.
Read a few blogs, pick out a book or two, a few magazines or ezines and read the material, absorb it, then relay that information to your prospects via blogs, twitter, facebook ect. There are many people eagerly searching for someone who will guide them. Check out Mike Klinglers mlm network marketing training. His content is very specific to attraction marketing and he even offers a step by step approach.
Remember there are over 15 million network marketers in the United States and an estimated 53 million worldwide. BIG number. The majority of these people have never turned a profit with there direct sales business.
If you enjoyed the ideas presented here you owe it to your self to check out Ann Siegs book. Ann presents a very compelling 75 page special report specific to attraction marketing. This information took 8 months to research, edit, re-edit, and re-write (a number of times)to distill into a compendium of the very best training material on attraction marketing, best of all….it’s FREE. This free report is now released. To secure your free copy, click on the link below and fill out your name and email info. I will let you know as soon as it comes out. http://timoneillbiz.marketersmanifesto.com
Until next time, Live-Love-Laugh.
tim
Phenomenal Webinar!!! Email Marketing
February 21, 2009 by timoneill
Filed under Business Development
This is a reprint from my journal and from a blog I no longer have up. It was originally posted April 22, 2008. INCREDIBLE difference that 10 months makes.
Begin Original———————-
Ok, I watched this webinar that was very cool. I am experienced at brass roots bricks and mortar marketing but not a tech guy at all. I have been researching the whole social marketing or attraction marketing gig now for about 6 weeks. Maybe 8 weeks. I have spent a ton of money, even though there is a bunch of free stuff out there. So check this out…I sat in on a webinar this evening presented by Renegade University. It was way cool. Again for a guy who is technically challenged this was a godsend. WOW! Conceptually I can see what needs to be done but…how to get there? Ok, Ok, I am getting ahead of myself. I hooked up with the Renegade University maybe a week ago. In fact I had to open another page as I am writing this because I couldnt remember who the host is. That is how new I am. Ok, I looked it up…sorry Mike. Mike Klingler, thats who the host was. This particular webinar was on email marketing. Mike spent some time talking about why this method is effective for network marketing or anyone wishing to have contact with a group of like minded people. What was really cool about this gig though is he walked through it step by step. Ya…truly. I now have an account with icontact that can help me with my email contact list. Lots of tools that will help me manage the list….only I don’t have a huge one yet. Good news. Between Ann Siegs Renegade Network Marketer, and the Renegade University I have everything I need to learn how to get a list coming… Cool. Anyway I just wanted to leave a short blast to talk about that. I don’t even know how to get a link on the site yet. I told you I have always hired that stuff out. I am a marketing geek not a computer techie. So if you want check out Renegade University there is a ton of great information and….its FREE!
ps: I found out if you just click on the link button in wordpress it has a box for my link. There is hope for the technically challenged.
——————— end original content ——————–
Just a quick note regarding Renegade University if you clicked on that link. Even greater things are coming but….you have to be patient. The doors are closed in preparation for one of the buggest launches in internet history. This will be cool. Stay tuned.
Paradigm Shift in Building Network Marketing Businesses
February 21, 2009 by timoneill
Filed under Attraction Marketing, Network Marketing
If you have been around direct sales or network marketing businesses for any length of time you may realize there are some serious challenges with the established business model. If you mention network marketing it could very well send people scurrying for the nearest napkin, bowl or trash can as the gag reflex kicks in with a vengence. It ranks right up there with a volunteer root canal…without anesthetic. Yikes! It really does give me a physical reaction. I believed I had written off network marketing forever. Bummer, I love the opportunities out there. Incredible compensation plans, superior products, and mostly control of time. No more social politics at the office…no more Mondays, and oh, no more bosses or employees.
Traditionally though very few can make it in the current model. Your pick of companies will go quite a ways in that regard. There are many companies in the last ten years that have changed things around to equalize compensation plans so as not to create a third world type economic structure. What we really need though is a paradigm shift in how large MLM businesses are put together. Just as one could no longer go door to door for various reasons it is also apparent our previously discussed model is rapidly going by the wayside. In fact in my opinion, its gone.
So what are we to do? Why not be a part of the new paradigm…in its infancy. We need to meet people where they are with day-to-day communication. It is rare to find your average prospect at home watching the tube these days, unless it is to see the latest Episode of American Idol. On the other hand email, gmail, facebook, Google, youtube and a host of other social networking variables are collecting visitors by the millions. I mean who uses a hardbound dictionary or encyclopedia these days? The question is how do we as independent business people tap into this huge resource?
Social networking or building your business with Web 2.0. That’s how we do it. What is that exactly? It is the wave of the future. No longer is the Internet a tool for communicating one way. It is a very dynamic and collaborative two-way communication tool. Chances are if you are here you already understand what Web 2.0 is, or a least a few of the components. This new paradigm focuses on building communities of individuals with similar interest by topic or niche where we can share ideas and passions. In another post we can delve into how we actually get in there and begin to generate prospects, capture some leads and begin to automate some systems to help us in our ventures. You can download a free copy of a twenty-two page primer on Web 2.0 here.
Nature and your MLM Home business opportunity
February 19, 2009 by timoneill
Filed under Network Marketing
Nature and your MLM Home business opportunity.
What can we learn from nature that directly applies to our MLM businesses? Are there aspects of nature that we can apply to growing our business from social networking? I think there are. Living in Nebraska has its advantages. Natures abundance is very real and in your face. I love the outdoors and spend some time out observing and a bunch of time capturing nature on digitally and on canvas. Today I will address the business savvy of geese. Geese are awesome social birds and are experts at team building and support, items of key importance when building a MLM home business opportunity. Geese fly in a “V” formation, the whole flock adds roughly 70% to the flying range of the group when compared to flying individually. Business associates working together with common goals and a sense of family or community can get to where they are going more efficiently because of the synergism created. When a goose falls out of formation the effort of going it alone is quickly recognized. The resistance and drag is quickly reduced upon getting back into formation and taking advantage of the lift created by the bird immediately in front. So if we are at least as smart as a goose we will stay in the group that is moving in the same direction as we want. When the lead goose tires he rotates back in the wing and the next goose flies point. If you have ever watched cycling or been a cyclist, it is the same thing. There is wisdom it taking turns with the hard jobs whether it is flying geese, a peloton of cyclist or a team of people working towards a common goal. A skein of geese will continuously honk their encouragement from behind to those up front. We want to make sure we give encouragement and praise to lift the spirits and foster a winning attitude and mental toughness to those that haven’t taken their turn up front yet. Finally when a goose is wounded, or sick enough to fall out of formation, two geese fall out of formation and follow him down to nurture, help and protect him. The two healthy geese will stay with him until he is healthy and able to fly or he is dead. Only then will they begin the journey on their own or with another formation to catch up with their group. So again if we have the common sense of a goose we will protect one another, stand by one another in times of need and make a few friends who seem to be going in the same direction. We can look into many aspects of nature and find wisdom in dealing with people. Dealing with people is the most important aspect of building a MLM home business. For more information on building a team whether it’s for your real estate company, investment service group or an internet network marketing opportunity I would take a peek at Marketing Merge University.
For more information on geese, check out Wikipedia here. Here is a synopsis of what geese are called. The male goose is called a gander (Anglo-Saxon gandra) and the female is the goose (Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)); young birds before fledging are known as goslings. A group of geese on the ground is called a gaggle; when flying in formation, it is called a wedge or a skein (see also list of collective nouns for birds).
Make Your Blog a Powerful Marketing Weapon
February 18, 2009 by timoneill
Filed under Business Development
Do you think it is possible for your website to become a powerful marketing weapon? Are you interested in building your business with social marketing? Can you separate your website or blog from your competitors so it is immediately obvious you are the person to do business with? Is it possible to make the advantages of doing business with you so great that clients draw this one conclusion…”I would be an idiot if I did business with anyone else…no matter what the cost.” I think so. As I walk through the learning curve of attraction marketing and internet marketing, one of the big challenges we have is determining the level of hype involved in sales letters. Judging by how much money I have paid in “stupid tax” to online vendors my BS detector must be broken. So how can we tell what is real? I am still not sure. Here are a few things that I have figured out.
1- If it sounds to good to be true…it is. I know we learned that in first grade, but somehow it doesn’t stick when an astute copywriter is pegging all of my emotional hot-buttons.
2- Contact information. If it is not there don’t buy. Again this seems to be common sense but so many of the long form sales letters don’t have that information. Most people think well, I can check this out for the 10 bucks or whatever…if it was 100 or 1000 then I would do a little more due diligence. Ok sure, but here is a story I have just of late. I hooked up with a trial for $1. Informative sales letter and it hit a niche area I was looking at. It was a subscription gig and I knew I was not going to buy into the monthly deal. I plunked down my dollar and in a few days after I could not access the free info, I tried to cancel before the subscription hit. You guessed it. No contact info, just a series of blind email addresses. How much time am I willing to spend to get my 100.00 back because that’s how much it was after the subscription hit 7 days after the trial…. Not much.
3-Affiliates, joint-venture partners or testimonials don’t have decent contact info. No-brainer. If there is a product launch and the product or service is over a few hundred bucks, they can afford to take a few minutes for a legit check. I mean I understand the whole volume and distance thing because Mike Klingler or Jeff Walker could not talk to everyone who wants to talk with him. I get it. But somebody in the company should be there at least an affiliate or JV partner who will know the main vendor well. If you are a one man shop like me…well hire a service for a few hundred bucks I don’t know. At least have a working email address for service.
4-ok, here’s a novel idea. How about don’t buy from someone you don’t know. Huh? Well I mean if it is an expensive product or service surely there is prudence in communicating with that person a few times. I am not talking about a 100.00 item. The volume of that is so high you won’t get that chance. But, again at least an email address.
5-A website or blog. Gee…I didn’t think of that. Truly though. Many times we are introduced to a product or service through a link and an opt-in or squeeze page. That’s ok. We have them and they work great. But still find out more like a blog or a website. Not that someone cant just bail if they have that stuff. They can and they do. It may be a little less likely is all.
Okay so there are a few ways to maybe curb the number of times your hosed. I mean maybe I am the only guy that has bought anything on hype and been scammed. Shame on the idiots out there who rip people off. The web is a great tool. Just remember that ultimately the gold (our list) in this business is not a name, a number or an email address. It is the person behind that address. Relationships. That is the way to build a long term nice residual income. No different than it has been for a long time. Find a place place to learn step-by-step how to build your business on a budget there are many places to choose from. So communicate and we will celebrate you baggin your JOB.
Facebook Manifesto Creates Havoc
Ok, here is the scoop on Facebook’s latest shenanigans. I love Facebook as a marketing tool but this needs to be spread so people know what’s up. How many of us actually read the TOS (terms of service) that comes with the many applications, software and social media sites that we participate in? Right, me neither…until now. Facebook’s TOS used to say when you closed your account on their network any previous rights they claimed to your original content you uploaded would expire. Or something to that effect anyway. Not anymore. The new TOS says that anything you upload to Facebook can be used by Facebook however and whenever they want forever and ever, Amen.
So for the huge number of writers and artist that read my blog…that is a big deal. Just make sure you watermark everything so it cant be stolen easily and be mindful of what you upload. Here is the verbage from the contract:
“ You hereby grant Facebook an irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive, transferable, fully paid, worldwide license (with the right to sub-license) to (a) use, copy, publish, stream, store, retain, publicly perform or display, transmit, scan, reformat, modify, edit, frame, translate, excerpt, adapt, create derivative works and distribute (through multiple tiers), any User Content you (i) Post on or in connection with the Facebook Service or the promotion thereof subject only to your privacy settings or (ii) enable a user to Post, including by offering a Share Link on your website and (b) to use your name, likeness and image for any purpose, including commercial or advertising, each of (a) and (b) on or in connection with the Facebook Service or the promotion thereof.”
there are a few lines that used to be at the end of this that no longer appear. It reads…
“You may remove your User Content from the Site at any time. If you choose to remove your User Content, the license granted above will automatically expire, however you acknowledge that the Company may retain archived copies of your User Content.”
And further, here is a portion of the termination agreement…
“The following sections will survive any termination of your use of the Facebook Service: Prohibited Conduct, User Content, Your Privacy Practices, Gift Credits, Ownership; Proprietary Rights, Licenses, Submissions, User Disputes; Complaints, Indemnity, General Disclaimers, Limitation on Liability, Termination and Changes to the Facebook Service, Arbitration, Governing Law; Venue and Jurisdiction and Other.”
Finally it is pretty common but, did you know you also agree to arbitration? So just be certain of what you are gicing up. I wtill see awesome value in using Facebook as a marketing tool but will be cognizant of what I am linking to and putting up.
So you decide. Here are the links. New TOS (from 4 Feb 2009) [Facebook]
old TOS (Thanks to Clark!)
Original article by Chris Walters at the Consumerist. http://consumerist.com/5150175/facebooks-new-terms-of-service-we-can-do-anything-we-want-with-your-content-forever
Apples, Bombs and Billionaires
February 16, 2009 by timoneill
Filed under Awesome Stories
Below is an article I wrote in conjuction with a class on innovation. I had forgotten about it until I recieved the above video from internet networkmarketing trainer Mike Klingler at Marketing Merge. A little off my normal spout but pertinent just the same. What does it take to make it in internet marketing? Much the same as any other business. One factor for sure is tenacity. Below may be some insight into a billionaires mindset.
Apples, Bombs and Billionaires. What’s a Dent in the Universe got to do with Innovation?
Ok, you got me. You got me. As a marketing geek I couldn’t resist pulling some pieces from the text to formulate a headline. The article I scrubbed is, “Never Settle! Secrets of an Innovator. Apple CEO Steve Jobs exemplifies lifelong learning and creativity.” I have been a Jobs fan for 20 years so thought an article about one of the undisputed Kings of innovation would prove enlightening. Alexandra Starr, the author of this piece took a different approach in talking about innovation. In fact, she didn’t cover was I was hoping for which was a peep into the slight disarray of various synopsis called “his brain”. While I found it an inspiration I truly would not have had to go further than the headline to realize one of Steve Jobs “secret”; never settle.
I like Alexandra’s writing style. She slammed me in the very beginning with a very cool thing about innovation and Jobs that many may subconsciously realize but most haven’t verbalized. Jobs is a contrarian. “Don’t waste time living someone else’s life” (1) is wise council to anyone. Those power packed words were spewed to students at a Stanford commencement address a few years ago. I love it; I can see parasitic corporate gurus squirming all the way to the sound board to silence his mic lest the wayward independent collegiate get the wrong take on conformity. Hail the white shirts and red ties! Ok, so maybe that was uncalled for. Truly though, a great point in that if one must fit into a specific box specific to social moiré’s for business dress where that does leave an open mind for innovation? Just a thought.
Failure; Another area common to serial entrepreneurs and to most innovators. Eddison comes to mind. Two of my favorite Thomas Edison Quotes are, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work” and “Many of life’s failures are men who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”(2) So Steve Jobs is a failure? Yeah right. But truly at several points in his life he failed. There is a difference though. He is not afraid to fail and even after a failure such as getting fired from the company he founded, in this case Apple, he bounced back. It took some tenacity to continue especially as Nextel really didn’t fly like I am sure he had hoped. Still, Jobs plodded on. You get the idea, very cool. To get an overview of the timeline of Jobs and Apple check this out. http://news.cnet.com/2009-1041-6054524.html
The next real point that I grabbed is down a few paragraphs and hidden in the gobbety gook of “inner sensibility”. Whatever. Jobs point is you have to have some sort of foundation, true North, from which you can bounce your goals and aspirations. There has to be a congruency there, something that you can trust in that doesn’t change. The author seemed to gloss over that point perhaps because she was writing for a “politically correct” editor or she didn’t want to broach one of the deadly sins of non-biased journalism with even a hint of an opinion that could cause a flurry; There is a God. So with a simple statement one of the potentially more important aspects to Steve Jobs’ incredible insights to innovation was dropped without further testament. I was left with the question where does he stand spiritually?
From that juncture I can see the next bullet point in my note taking blitz, commitment to excellence. Evidently he is a difficult taskmaster according to some research our author found. “Jobs didn’t just cajole and inspire, but also harangued and occasionally abused underlings. In 1993, he nabbed a spot on Fortune magazine’s list of toughest bosses ever.” (3) But having said that I can also point out that Apple currently ranks number one in its industry for people management according to CNNMoney.com (4). Perhaps the difference is a “then and now” scenario alluded to further in the article. Jobs mellowed with age, marriage, and children to become one of the top CEO’s that can inspire creativity and has built a culture of excellence.
As a recap I picked out words that can be used as positive affirmations; driven, committed, visionary, inspirational, determined, just to name a few. I would like to have gotten an inside perspective of what fueled the drive but that was not readily apparent. Overall though a nice article with some specific take away points that can be used as comparative study. “Make a dent in the Universe” is a saying Jobs used to encourage his Apple team with, sage advice for all of us contrarians.(5)
References
(2) Thomas Edison Quotes, h1 = document.getElementById(”title”).getElementsByTagName(”h1″)[0];h1.innerHTML = widont(h1.innerHTML); By Simran Khurana, About.com, http://quotations.about.com/od/stillmorefamouspeople/a/ThomasEdison3.htm
(3) http://www.aarp.org/aarp/live_and_learn/Cover_Stories/articles/Never_Settle__Secrets_of_an_Innovator.html?CMP=KNC-360I-GOOGLE-LAL&HBX_OU=50&HBX_PK=apple_innovation, para 20
(4) http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/mostadmired/2008/snapshots/670.htmlJobs, Standford Commencement
(5) http://www.aarp.org/aarp/live_and_learn/Cover_Stories/articles/Never_Settle__Secrets_of_an_Innovator.html?CMP=KNC-360I-GOOGLE-LAL&HBX_OU=50&HBX_PK=apple_innovation
True North- A Personal Mission Statement
February 15, 2009 by timoneill
Filed under Goals, Law of Attraction
A Personal Mission Statement will help to keep you focused on why your are working your butt off on your life path journey. As the adult poster child for dyslexic adults with ADD I know just a tad about focus. My bride and I have an inside family joke that says I have the attention span of a gnat. It is truly a gift. I am able to do a ton of things that most people will never do because of it. It can also be a terrific burden if my attitude and work ethic are not in the proper place. Usually I just want to play. As I teach my children, we have to work before we earn the right to play. One of the ways I continue to focus is my daily reading of my goals. Oh yea, you first have to have them, then write them down and finally, read them. If you haven’t done that start, at the article on this site about SMART goal setting. OK focus Tim, where was I? Yea, ok reading my goals daily…out-loud. A part of my goals sheet is my personal mission statement.
We have so much going on is our super-sized supersonic lives that sometimes it is just tough staying on the treadmill. An occasional look back and look “out” is worthwhile and has a renewing effect and refreshes my confindence that I am in fact heading in the direction I want. An introspective look can also give me feeback on whether I am traveling on the two track dirt road on a mountain bike or if I have boarded the supersonic transatlantic mode of moving forward. It can be hard to tell if you havent checked the scenery for awhile. Napoleon Hill, in his famous book Think and Grow Rich
A warning though. You need to spend some time on this. I suspect that is why people never get it done…because it takes work. It is critical to your success to craft this personal mission statement to be congruent with your core values. Here are some of the elements of a good mission statement.
- Write a statement that is specific and clear
What are your core values? Who are you really? Does that line up with who you want to be? What do you stand for? Do you have a contribution that you have a burning desore to put out to the world? Your personal mission statement is a statement of intent, it’s what is going to happen and how. When the daily drudges hit you, this is the place of joy, relaxation and contentment you will come to. Make your statement meet your needs. Your Personal Mission Statement becomes your True North, it will act as a compass to keep you on track; your decisions and actions will be guided by it. Coming back to your statement will provide you with an overview a peek trough a fisheye lens to see the bigger picture. - Many big dumb companies (Dan Kennedy’s fine words) produce long rambling mission statements. Did you ever work for a corporation that wanted you to memorize that thing? Yea right. No one reads that rot. Again Napolean Hill suggests you read through your ‘mission statement’ every morning and evening, if you have a 20 page dissertation you wont read it enough. Short, succint, sweet.
- Fuzz factor. It should contatain the appropriate fuzz factor for you. What makes you feel good? Inside. Knowing where you are going and why allows you to begin the day with joyous anticipation. Knowing you are traveling the route you selected to a destination you desire will give you a brighter view of the journey.
Enjoy your successful journey. Live-Love-Laugh. Tim
