Wednesday, December 8, 2010

The Top 50 MLM Blogs for 2010

After months of hard work and dedication, George Fourie finally gave us the list of The top 50 MLM blogs for 2010.

The criteria for the 2010 list was a little bit different from 2009 and included the votes of us, readers and followers. Every blog is unique and full of value. There are leaders from different walks of life and among them, several moms and dads who are creating success from home.

This is a list to bookmark, share and save for future reference. Again, here is the link: The top 50 MLM blogs for 2010.

George Fourie is doing a great job for the industry of MLM with ThatMLMBeat. After looking at the Top 50 MLM blogs for 2010, check the rest of the website.

We are successful Network Marketing Moms!
Angelica

Monday, December 6, 2010

One thing you can do in 10 minutes for your Internet Network Marketing business

There are many things you can do in 10 minutes for your business. The one thing I’m concentrating now is writing a blog post. In ten minutes I have to get ready to pick my youngest son from Preschool so I can’t fool around.

The time we have to work our business has to be productive. Reading, learning and training is important but doesn’t make us money is we don’t punt into practice what we learn. Knowledge is only potential power until we take action.

To write a blog post in 10 minutes I reviewed some blog posts in my Google Alerts. I didn’t find anything inspiring enough, really. There are interesting things but I kept thinking about a quotation I read in a doctor’s office:

“Life is about turning the things you want to do into the things you’ve done”

I wanted to write a blog post for a while. Obviously I haven’t been good in keeping my blog updated during the past few months. I’ve been thinking about things I wanted to do. I’m turning some of those in things I’ve done.

I learned somewhere that we can expand our time to fit what we want to do. If we want to write a blog post in 20 minutes, that’s what it will take. If we want to do it in 10, that’s what it will take. As long as we can focus our energy in activities, we can make things happen and turn them into things that are done, not only wanted.

I know, maybe it’s not the only thing we need, right? But it’s one important aspect of reaching our goals.

And as the time is up, I sign off to pick my son up.

What can you do in 10 minutes for your business to go from “want” to “done”? Leave a comment about it!

We are successful Network Marketing Moms!
Angelica

Friday, October 29, 2010

Stressed-Out Mom? How to Draw a Line in the “Work at Home” Sand So You Can Relax

One of the challenges to work at home is to separate work time from family time keeping our sanity. Sometimes it feels like there are last-minute things going on well, every minute.

In her post Stressed-Out Mom? How to Draw a Line in the “Work at Home” Sand So You Can Relax, Michelle Shaeffer gives practical tips to focus on one aspect of your life at a time.

What I like best in this post is the tips to let your family know that you are working. My "interrupt me only if the house is on fire" doesn't always work so I welcome new ideas and Michelle's are simple and realistic.

If you are stressing about organizing your time between your home business, your family and yourself, read this article: Stressed-Out Mom? How to Draw a Line in the “Work at Home” Sand So You Can Relax

Michelle Shaeffer is an experienced Work at Home Mom who started designing websites at age 13. Yes, that is thirteen. She is a young mom and leader who knows what she is talking about.

We are successful Network Marketing Moms!
Angelica


P.S.: If this information is useful for you, please share it!

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Network Marketing training: two things I learned from my children

I always pay attention to the Network Marketing gurus. I always feel like I'm missing something big when I don't watch every video or read every email. I have to remind myself what my focus is at the moment so I don't have the temptation to use my productive time as training time.

But I also learn constantly from my children.

Today they were my gurus, my mentors, my trainers.

It's not like I learn something new. It was more like a reminder of what I can be.

Let me tell you:

The first lesson came from my oldest son.
He has been afraid of the water for a long time. He was always uncomfortable with the idea of Swimming Lessons. He even got stuck in Boy Scouts, he couldn't go further because the was lacking the Swimming part.

I told him that we will take care of that this Summer.

It's the Law of Attraction. I also call it an answered prayer. One of his Scout Masters got in touch with us about possible private Swimming Lessons. My son made a face when I told him he was going.

Fast forward two weeks and almost daily lessons, he passed his Swimming Test. To see him jumping off the board and getting to the other side safely was one of proudest moments as a mom. Then his coach said that she had never seen anyone working so hard without complaining.

He did it. So can I. He taught me to give the best of me, to work hard without complaining. He can jump off the board. So can I.

The second lesson came form my daughter. It was simple yet beautiful.

She was looking at the "Central Penn Parents" magazine. An Ad caught her eye. It was about a contest for the next Cover Child.

She asked me if she could enter. She saw the rules and it was like they were just an invitation for her to participate. Nothing seemed hard to do or like an obstacle. She doesn't even know if she is too old already.

"So?" she asked. I asked back "What if you don't win?". Her answer: "It's okay, I still want to do it".

So what if she doesn't win? She was already a winner in my eyes just for making the decision to go for it. She is not looking at the possibility of not winning. She is looking at the possibility of doing it.

And so can I. She didn't see the obstacles, why should I?

Did I mention my son is 13 and my daughter almost 8?

Aren't children the best thing ever? What have your children taught you?

We are successful Network Marketing Moms!
Angelica


PS: If you liked this post, would you share it please? Thanks!

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

5 Ways to Clean Up Your Social Media Identity

Do you have more than one Social Media accounts? Probably you do. What do you with all of them? How do you keep consistency?

I have wondered if being "Angelica Ried" and "Angelica Nue Ried" may cause confusion... This article about keeping your Social Media Identity clean may help you like it has helped me. I liked that some of the questions I had were answered.

If you are just starting your Social Media and online presence, keep in mind these tips:

5 Ways to Clean Up Your Social Media Identity

Zachary Sniderman is a young reporter and writer. I really like his style: lot of information presented in an easy way to read it.

How do you keep your Social Media Identity clean? Leave a comment about it!

We are successful Network Marketing Moms!
Angelica

Sunday, July 4, 2010

America the beautiful

I was getting ready to record a video to say Happy 4th of July and my 3 year old started to knock on the door. Of course, he won't take a "Wait a second". I wanted to make a video, my son came, I still got to do it...

So Joaquin and I are wishing you a Happy 4th of July. I have some questions for you in this video that the song "America the beautiful" made me think of when we were in Church today.

Happy July 4

Angelica

Thursday, July 1, 2010

For Network Marketing Moms: One reason to have an MLM Blog

In few seconds I will share the one reason that has become more important to me to have an MLM blog.

If you are using the Internet to build or promote your Network Marketing business, you are probably familiar with the different ways to market your content: article marketing, SEO, Social Media, etc.

One limitation with article marketing, social bookmarking services and other Social Media sites is that you don't actually own the content. Yes, you create it, but someone else has to approve it before it's public. That means that it can be blocked, deleted, flagged, reported as spam, etc.

When you have a blog, you control your content. Specially when you have a Wordpress blog, where you can buy your domain name and hosting account and therefore, be the owner of all the content.

I just had to delete a Squidoo Lens because the term "Network Marketing" is in the no-no list. I completely understand the rules and I abide them. I understand that many people, unfortunately, do use these kind of services for spamming. Instead of appealing, I just saved the information and deleted it. I can use the content in the future.

My number reason to have an MLM blog? It really is, like many leaders in the Industry say, your own piece of Real State Online.

I don't like spam, who does? I don't want to be spammer and I've felt horrible when my email accounts have been hacked and "I" have send questionable emails to my list of contacts (actually, one is still being fixed)...

I own my blog. I can use the terms "Network Marketing", "MLM" and "blogging" in the same sentence. And I like that freedom to inform people, give valuable content and build relationships without the fear of being deleted or reported.

Are you still using these marketing methods to attract people to your Company Website? Start your own blog now.

What is your number one reason to have an MLM Blog? Leave a comment about it!

We are successful Network Marketing Moms!
Angelica


PS: If you liked this post, please share it! Thanks!

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Do you want to win the race?

I just read an excellent post by Danielle Zack about what we need to do to win a race.

What is your "race" or "races" right now?

In this blog post you'll find how you can win any of them. I like how a cartoon can still have a great message:

Do you want to win the race?

I love it when we learn things from our children. Danielle was doing a house chore while her daughter watched TV. Without knowing, she was going to be reminded of an important lesson. And she shares it with us like the great leader she is.

Danielle Zack is a Mom building her business online from home. She is passionate about teaching others the steps to success in MLM. I know you can learn more than 10 things from her.

Click here to read "Do you want to win the race?" by Danielle Zack

Leave a comment and share it!

We are successful Network Marketing Moms!
Angelica

Friday, June 25, 2010

Blogging Secrets: How to find content for you blog whether you are a SAHM or a WAHM

Stay At Home Moms, Working Moms, Work At Home Moms, Full time Moms… We all have something to say. Many of us spend few to lots of hours blogging or reading blogs. In the next paragraphs I will give you a little secret to never run out of ideas for your content. I will also share a potential danger of it.

If you watched the videos of Ty Tribble (Top MLM blogger) in Blogging for Prospects, you already know two of his best Secrets to always have content.

I have one more secret: Google Alerts. This is a great source of information and inspiration to get you going in your own opinions about a given subject. You can also find good content to present to your followers.

Choose the topic you want to know about, like your niche. When you sign up, you receive daily updates of the most recent and interesting activity in the subject you chose.

So what is the danger of receiving Google Alerts? It doesn’t have anything to do with viruses or scams.

It has more to do with our inclination and love for debate.

I receive updates about WAHMs, SAHMs and other combinations. Many of the updates are Forums where a given question or specific subject is discussed. If you still don’t know, there is a permanent war going on between moms.

See what I mean: Don’t want to be a Stay At Home Mom?

Maybe you participate in some of them. The danger for me is to get caught in reading the discussions, have an urge to participate and telling myself to move on and go back to work!

I know: it’s not that big of a deal, huh?

I choose not to participate because my goal is to help moms who are working their home based business from home in the Industry of Network Marketing. What are we? How do we identify ourselves? That is probably a subject for discussion...

When I decided to give you a tip about finding content or sources to create your own, I also made the decision to mention that little danger. It’s very interesting to see how a simple question can trigger so many answers and I know there is more debate out there about hundreds of topics (I prefer the ones related to Online Network Marketing).

Use Google Alerts. Just don’t be too distracted with discussions that are not in your niche.

How do you find information for your content? Leave a comment about it!

We are successful Network Marketing Moms!
Angelica


PS: If you find this post beneficial, please share it. If you want to start a discussion, feel free too. After all, we all have something to say…

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

10 Twitter tips for Work-At-Home-Moms

Social Media is nowadays THE way to get yourself known in business. You can use Twitter, Facebook, Youtube or other sites and communities to know people and build relationships.

And I just found this great article with very useful tips to use Twitter. Straight to the point and practical, these tips are easy to implement and can make an impact in your Home Business:

Ten Twitter tips for Work-At-Home-Moms

Jill Hart is the founder of Christian Work At Home Moms (CWAHM) and Successful Christian Women, a mentoring program especially designed for Christian Women who want to work from home. She has the experience to teach how to build a business while raising a family and strengthening your relationship with God. I like that she is a real woman and a successful entrepreneur with solid values.

Get to meet her and if you liked this post, share it with your friends. Thanks!

We are successful Network Marketing Moms!
Angelica

Friday, June 18, 2010

Are there real Blogging secrets?

One of the "real" blogging secrets is to post frequently.

Guilty!

I'm not going into the reasons (excuses) for not doing it as I used to. We all know that life gets in the way and sometimes we have to learn to let it... keeping our eyes in our goals and walking towards them.

I've posted about Blogging Secrets before. But there are more tips and secrets to learn.

And part of our job as Network Marketing Moms is to keep training and learning.

So when I read about MLM Blog Secrets I was excited.

It seems like every day and every week there are new launches and new products that can actually change our lives, turbo-charge our businesses and make us rich (not quick though: with effort and investment).

We don't need to invest in every single one of them. It's not just about the money because as business owners we need to invest in our business and ourselves. It's about time. When we are raising a family, time feels like water in your hands. Slips away. And some days are more productive than others.

But his is a product that I feel good about being an affiliate and one that deserves my investment. I'm learning very good things and it's what I needed to start making changes.

Here is the link again:

http://vur.me/networkmarketingmoms/MLMblogsecrets

If you want to know what changes I'm talking about, stay tuned!

And if you liked this post, please share it! Thanks!

We are successful Network Marketing Moms!
Angelica

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Justin who? Something about Marketing and Honesty

In my previous post I mentioned Justin "Beaver" getting arrested. Obviously I don't even know how to spell the last name of the guy.

In my defense though, I have to remind you that English is my second language. And yes, I didn't look his name up (which proves that my husband was doing the online search for my children). Anyway, my apologies to anyone who likes Justin Bieber (there, I spell it right now, I double checked).

In the other hand, I realized that the whole post might offend some people and make others think that I've gone crazy for using such deceiving marketing strategies to create traffic.

My intention was to show how Marketing can work. It is the first time (and I'm pretty sure the last) that I use this strategy. And I don't think I'll even get traffic because I misspelled the last name anyway.

But my goal wasn't to get tons of traffic. My goal was to share a clear and concrete example of how Marketing works.

For some it may be unethical. For some, genius.

You may like or not. You may use it in your business or not.

Personally, I don't like it that much. I thought about deleting the post but I decided to be honest and accept my mistake. Not only in the misspelling but in the way I presented the information.

My intention was to teach you one marketing strategy used not only in MLM but in many other industries. We are all victims of it at some point of our lives.

Marketing (in general, not only Network Marketing or Internet Marketing) appeals to the emotions of people in many levels that we, the public, don't understand completely.

I want to stay honest. And I hope you too.

We are successful Network Marketing Moms!
Angelica

Saturday, June 5, 2010

How Justin Beaver getting arrested can improve your online presence

We just came home from a Baseball game. On our way here one of the DJs said in the radio that Justin Beaver has been arrested. Needless to say, this provoked reactions in my children. They are not big fans so they were actually enjoying the news in bewilderment. Was it true?

The DJs kept saying the same thing every time they came back from commercials but didn’t offer further information. Never said it was for real or a joke.

My husband said “it is what you do to get attention”. He was talking about the radio.

They DJs gave the people’s reaction: Twitter was about to collapse, Skype was bursting, everywhere the adoring Justin Beaver fans where trying to find an explanation.

They just said that if they wanted more information, they needed to go to the website. I already forgot the link, but my children where quick to tell daddy what it was so he could look it up online.

What a marketing strategy! They never said it anything solid about the headline. They just wanted people to go to the website.

And internet marketers can actually learn and capitalize on something like this.

You can learn a way to improve your online presence: give big news and create expectation about it so people can’t help but do what you want them to do. In this case, visit a website.

We can capitalize on news like this by grabbing people’s attention with current news. Once we have people’s attention, we can give information in our area that somehow relates to that.

I have seen, for instance, titles that used keywords like “Michael Jackson’s death” or “American Idol results” that didn’t have to do directly with the subject. It is a way to get traffic because you can be in the first pages of Search Engines fast (at least for a short period of time).

My husband couldn’t find anything about Justin Beaver getting arrested. It seems like the kids didn’t remember the website after all and there is nothing online about it.

What just confirms that it was a marketing strategy to have online visitors. Whatever that website is, I bet it is getting tons of traffic right now.

And I might benefit from it, too.

What else can you do to improve your online presence? Leave a comment about it!

We are successful Network Marketing Moms!
Angelica


PS: If you like this post, please share it. Thanks!

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Internet Network Marketing tips: What can we learn from the launch of Shrek and Toy Story 3?

If you haven’t heard anything about the MLM Launch Formula, you might be missing the most powerful and important information that can make your business grow. After reading this post, head over the website of the MLM Launch Formula to see how good Marketing works at any level.

So, what does the launch of “Shrek: Forever after” and “Toy Story 3” have to do with your Internet Network Marketing business?

We can learn basic marketing strategies.

The launch is a process. It means being exposed to all the paraphernalia linked to the movies: toys, commercials, teasers, DVDs from the previous movies, kids asking to go to the movies, etc.

We are exposed to the movies waaaay before they premiere.

When I realized, months ago, that there was a surprisingly variety of toys of Toy Story, I thought “Are they coming back for some reason?” Duh! I didn’t know they were making a third movie or if it was ready yet.

And I know I wasn’t the only one. They had to re-introduce us to the whole concept of the movie. They had to refresh our minds.

They had to approach a new audience of kids who didn’t know anything about the first two movies because maybe they weren’t born yet.

All the efforts to interest us in the movie are not only pointing towards the movie itself. It’s a money making process.

Something very similar happens with “Shrek: forever after” (that one I can’t miss!).

As a mom, you probably go to Mac Donald’s. Don’t deny it. You are not alone. As nutritious as your family diet can be, I bet you make trips to the Golden Arcs every once in a while.

For us is our stop on our way to my In Laws. And we were there the on Memorial weekend. I know for sure that the toy that comes with the Happy Meal is, you guessed, a Shrek toy.

I’ve been listening to Shrek, Rumpelstinsky and Puss in Boots during the whole weekend. I feel like I’ve missed a week already because we haven’t seen it yet. My children are willing to pay for their tickets.

If that is not good marketing, I don’t know what it is.

There a couple of things that I see in this process that can be used in Internet Network Marketing:

1. The launch is a process to create expectation for the product but can be a money-making process too.
2. It is FAR more effective and easier to sell a product when the launch does a good job in the first place.

Before launching a product in our MLM businesses, we have to create that anticipation too. We can learn how to do it too thanks to Jonathan Budd and Mark Hoverson.

What have you learned from a similar Launch Process? How are applying it to your business? Leave a comment about it!

Now go and learn how the MLM Launch Formula works. How can I not share this with you?.

We are successful Network Marketing Moms!
Angelica


PS: If you like this post, please share it. Thanks!

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Moms working online: are you Internet Marketing Leaders?

A leader is an…

A leader is an…

Expert!

The qualities of a good leader are many. Some attributes are character, tolerance, enthusiasm, commitment, team work, willingness to go the extra mile, etc.

In the last post I mentioned that a leader is always learning.

She also knows that she doesn’t know everything. When we think we do, we can’t learn.

You don’t need to be familiar with everything about your niche. You are an expert when you learn basic concepts and keep adding to your understanding.

If you follow any training offered online, you become and expert too.

Practice establishing yourself as an expert next time you are talking with someone.

Show that you know few things about certain topic. No sales pitch, and no showing off either. The one asking questions controls the conversation so don’t over do it.

You are selling the idea that you KNOW what you are talking about. It may be or not related to your business. For instance, if you sell vitamins and someone mentions the need for Calcium, you can explain briefly why they need Vitamin D and Magnesium too.

Apply the same principle online. If you learn ways to optimize your blog, you already know more than many people.

Establishing yourself as an expert involves teaching what you know.

Only useful information that will educate! And admit it when you don’t know something. A leader is humble, too!

How do you establish yourself as a leader? Leave a comment about it. And remember to share this post with others, thanks!

We are successful Network Marketing Moms!
Angelica

Friday, May 21, 2010

Network Marketing Moms: are we lead-ers and leaders?

I just came up with the first one: Are you a lead-er?

The life of a Network Marketing business is having leads. The goal of Online Marketing is to attract prospects, to implement ways to generate our own leads. We can be the ones creating leads, lead-ers.

Have you read any of the information that is around about Internet Network Marketing, Attraction Marketing or similar (either from me or other authors)?

Then you know that is possible to generate your own quality leads.

You have to be a lead-er, the one who creates leads.

And you have to lead your prospects, teach them how to build a business. You have to be a leader.

Take the time to work on yourself. See yourself as a leader, the one who leads, who inspires, who influences people.

A good leader knows the people s/he is helping and leading. Do you know what your niche subject is? How can you become a “lead-er” in your niche?

A leader is always learning. Learn a little bit more about what you want to teach.

Is it important to be a lead-er and a leader? Why? Leave a comment about it and share this post with your network. Thanks!

We are successful Network Marketing Moms!
Angelica

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Building A Smarter Marketing Funnel: Why we should NOT promote affiliate programs

As moms it seems like we always reach new levels of “being busy”.

That happened to me during the last few months when my priorities shifted from working my business consistently to staying online from time to time to keep giving value.

But when I came back a couple of weeks ago, after my family returned to Peru, I was in a funny place.

It’s like coming back from vacation. You need time to get back to the swing of things.

And I didn’t know where to start and what projects I should finish first. I did finish an e-book I was working on and my next step was to complete a training series. Even with that, I needed some guidance.

And then I read Mike Klingler’s article about Building a Smarter Marketing Funnel . Everything made sense!

Then, last night, he conducted a Webminar that made everything even more clear. I know what I’m doing wrong.

I know, for example, that I shouldn’t promote Mike Klingler here (and I know I'm not offending him). But I need to share this now before you keep trying to promote more affiliate programs in hopes to make more money.

This Hub is long but it’s worth our time. I read it after my children went to bed.

It will show why we should NOT promote Affiliate products before we promote ours first.

So I’m back to work on my Marketing Funnel but first I must draw my map (you can learn about it in the Hub, too). I see what I need to fix.

I have more ideas now.

I know it will take time and patience to develop them. But I will do it.

Do you have any tips for building a smarter Marketing Funnel? Leave a comment about it!

We are successful Network Marketing Moms!
Angelica


PS: If you find this helpful, please share it with others. Thanks!

Friday, April 30, 2010

How important is Self Confidence in Attraction Marketing?

Self Confidence is one of the most important aspects of Attraction Marketing. A person who shows self confident is far more attractive than one who appears to have low self esteem.

But it doesn’t mean that if we don’t have Self Confidence we are better off not trying to attract people. Attraction Marketing helps building that Self Confidence through the acquirement and practice of skills.

What if you already have low Self Esteem? How do you turn that around?

I’ve paid attention to a couple of moms during the last few days.

One is very worried about the excess baby weight, feels bad about herself and doesn’t like her new body at all. Moms know that feeling. It can take a long time to get back the pre-baby body. It can be a roller coaster. It’s hard to be patient and very easy to place our worth in our physical appearance instead of who we really are.

I felt sorry and wanted to help her.

The other mom looks very happy. She stayed home when her youngest son was born and is back to work. Whether wearing her working clothes or not, she looks very confident. I don’t know if she has issues with her self image because it doesn’t show. She walks straight and looks ahead with security.

I admire her and want to be her friend.

Our emotions and our Self Confidence change from time to time. We all feel Low Self Esteem sometimes. It can be extra weight, the lack of professional satisfaction or any other reason.

But we also have the power to build up Self Esteem and Self Confidence, even in the midst of a Low period. We have to recognize our insecurities and our potential, be positive and smile, look at the things that we do have instead of resenting the ones we don’t, remember our goals and our accomplishments, etc.

Who do you want to be? I want to be the mom with Self Confidence that Attracts people.

Why is Self Confidence important in Attraction Marketing? What do you think? Leave a comment about it!

We are successful Network Marketing Moms!
Angelica

PS: If you like this post, please share it. Thanks!

Friday, April 9, 2010

Three neccesary skills you need to thrive in Network Marketing.

Last week I went to Long Beach, New York with my three children to pick my mom and niece up.

They are visiting with us for few more weeks and went there to spent few days with my cousin (the daughter of the aunt I talk about in How to Ask for Referrals))

What was supposed to be 4 hours ended being 9, including breaks. I made a terrible mistake and had to take in the consequences.

I never thought I would have to drive through Brooklyn, Queens and other areas that my GPS got me into. Why didn't I get directions from Mapquest in the first place?

The important thing is that we got there and my children impressed me and made proud with their patience and good attitude.

On our way back my cousin's husband gave me directions that would help me avoid traffic.

Of course, I made another mistake and I ended up driving in Chinatown, Manhattan.

I had said before that I would never drive there. Are you kidding me? I don't want to drive in Lima, Peru, where I'm from. Why would I drive in Manhattan?

But I did it.

What does anything have to do with the skills you need to succeed in Network Marketing? Instead of breaking it in multiple posts like I usually do, I've decided I'll give everything here.

Our adventure made me reflect on three important skills we all need to thrive in Network Marketing. I keep thinking that Network Marketing moms already have them.

My goal with this post is to help you realize that we have what it takes to succeed in MLM.

The first one is resilience. Only those who quit, fail. If you decided that you gave everything and it didn't work for you, I respect your decision to quit. But we know that we always have more to give.

To thrive in Network Marketing we have to keep on going, whether we didn't make a sale in a month or if we haven't signed up anyone yet.

On my way to New York I felt like going back home at least once.

But I didn't.

I had a clear goal, I knew where I was going. It took me more than double the time I had planned to get there. But I did.

Even if it takes me double or triple the time and effort to reach my goals, I will.

The second skill to succeed in Network Marketing is to be teachable. And some of the best teachers are our children.

They trusted me to get there and they knew we were going to. They worried and complained just a little. Even my 2 and a half year old found a way to have fun during the last couple of hours when we were stuck in the New York City rush hour.

I can do that too! I can be patient and trust that I have good leaders who are with me along the way to guide me. And I can have fun during the process.

I constantly learn to develop and identify new skills. I have an open mind to learn more techniques and tips from others.

The third skill to thrive in Network Marketing is the ability to take risks.
After driving through Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan, especially Chinatown, I felt like I could do anything. It empowered me.

It wasn't in my plans. I took the risk unwillingly, I didn't want to take it in the first place. But I put myself in the situation and I survived.

Sometimes I think too much. I doubt my abilities. I don't want to commit to something that I think I won't do great.

I don't have to do a great job to start with. I just have to start. That's how I wrote my first Special Report. And that's how I will have a new training series.

Don't try. Do. (We all love some Joda wisdom, right?)

So, there you go!, three skills that we need to me successful in Network Marketing. What other abilities do you think we need? Leave a comment about it and let's start a list.

We are successful Network Marketing Moms!
Angelica

PS: If this post was helpful, please share it with others. Thank you.

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Is there a right way to ask for referrals in Network Marketing? Part 2

In the first part of “Is there a way to ask for referrals in Network Marketing?” I told you a little bit about my recent experience when I was asked for referrals. I got a call from a Survey company that offered me magazines in exchange for one or two names and phone numbers.

I am blessed with friends but I don’t have family in the area. My whole family is back in Peru. The only aunt I have close by doesn’t speak nor read English very well.

This lady insisted, very nicely, that most people refer to a mom or dad, or siblings. I said a couple of times that really, I don’t have anyone. For some reason she didn’t trust me and kept asking.

I told her that if that was the condition to get the magazines, it was okay for me not to have them. She accepted and the conversation was politely ended.

I realized how hard it is to give away your friends or relatives’ names when you are not confident about the value of a given product or service. I also realized how hard it is for someone to believe that you don’t have any family to refer to!

When I read a good article like Warren Little’s The Right Way To Ask For And Get Referrals In Network Marketing, I don’t have any problem referring it to my network. I know people will benefit from it. It can benefit him too and that would be great.

The right way to ask for referrals in Network Marketing is simple: politely and humbly.

I know: it’s not rocket science.

You can learn a good script and practice it to ask for referrals offline. You can ask your online visitors to share your content. You can use the magic words “please” and “thank you”.

But in any situation the mindset is very important. If we come from a place where we look for referrals to make money, no script will hide that. Asking for referrals has to be from our desire to help more people, not from our desire for their money.

Asking politely and humbly also means giving the chance to help. Our prospects (or visitors online) get something good and they can share it with more people, therefore helping them.

Finally, being polite and humble means respecting when someone doesn’t have anyone to refer. We can even offer solutions and work together in creating a network. After all, Network Marketing is about helping, isn’t it?

Is there a right way to ask for referrals in Network Marketing, whether online or offline? Leave a comment about it!

We are successful Network Marketing Moms!
Angelica
PS: If you liked this post, please refer it by sharing it (I think I just created a new tongue twister). Thanks!

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Is there a right way to ask for referrals in Network Marketing? Part 1

Have you ever asked for referrals in Network Marketing? How did it go? What did you say?

Referrals are very important when building a Network Marketing business offline or online. In the article, The Right Way To Ask For And Get Referrals In Network Marketing (LINK), Warren Little explains in few words how to ask for referrals offline.

I personally like how easy can be to ask for referrals in Network Marketing online. If you like what you read you can share it within your Network with Twitter, Facebook or any other Social Media service. It’s almost effortless.

Whether you build your Network Marketing business online or offline, it’s important to ask for referrals after your costumer is satisfied with the product or service.

In the article by Warren Little it is clear how asking up front for a referral can result in disappointment for yourself. Been there, done that. I have to say: asking for referrals was one of the hardest things when I was using traditional methods in Network Marketing.

But even with a good script we can encounter someone who really and honestly doesn’t know anyone. I was there a couple of days ago.

A got a call from a Survey service and I agreed to take it. This nice lady on the phone was listening to me and building rapport. She offered me magazines to try as a thank you for participating in the survey.

I was getting excited for my magazines. Then she said that the only thing she needed from me was a name and phone number. You know, someone who could benefit from these magazines too.

In the second part I will tell you the rest of the story and why I think there is a right way to ask for referrals in Network Marketing.

We are Successful Network Marketing Moms!
Angelica


PS: If you liked this first part, please share it and don’t forget to subscribe or bookmark it to make sure to get the second part. Thanks!!

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

"My computer crashed": How can a Home Online Business survive without the Internet?

Can I make money online without an Internet conection?

Well... How would it be "online" then?

Yes, you could go to the local Library, go to your mom's house or borrow your best friend's laptop.

But let's face it: without an Internet Conection, there is no much "online" about your home business.

And what about a computer? We are so dependent on technology now that I haven't heard of many Home Based Businesses succeding nowadays without it.

Yes, we still have telephone, fax, home presentations, etc. But our personal conection with the computer comes alive when this trusted companion crashes.

At least that happened to me when my computer crashed few days ago.

I have confessed before that I'm not working as much during these months. But I still keep in touch with my audience and come back to my blog. I have documents in the work and a new training series.

Even with the desire to work I couldn't do much until the computer was fixed. I lost ALL of my documents. There wasn't a big chance to save them from the hard drive so I decided to let them go.

Why? Because I made a back up CD a little over a month ago and I wasn't going to lose much work. I've lost my Playlist from iTunes (and I miss it) along with few home videos that didn't make it to a CD or the Online Storage. I've lost many more files.

But the documents associated with my Home Online Business are safe. As I type, they are being dowloaded into my computer again.

As I mourn the loss of other files I reflect on how difficult it is to work without an Internet Conection or even a computer. How many people have a real limitation to get started in a Home Based Business because of this? I don't think many, but there must be some.

Even if you have the best computer, never over estimate it. Back up your files in a CD or online. I've seen some Online Backup services but I don't use any. If you do please leave a comment about it so we can all benefitiate!

Is it possible for a Home Online Business to survive without an Internet Conection? What do you think? Leave a comment about it.

We are successul Network Marketing Moms!
Angelica

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

What goes around comes around: How to make your Online Business work

During the last snow storm I was able to see a good example of how what goes around, comes around. If we give without expecting anything in return, it’s likely that we are going to get even more than we gave.

As my husband was shoveling some snow, a neighbor asked him for help. He helped him and because of that, he couldn’t shovel the snow out of the cars. He was too tired to keep going. He went back after few hours and as he was doing that, I saw other neighbors cleaning our side of the sidewalk.

I felt compelled to give something in return so I made some coffee for them. I felt good about giving but I doubt they were expecting anything. They didn’t even know that I saw them giving us their time and help.

My husband came back with some soup. Yet another neighbor had asked him to help her with her driveway. In exchange he could use her snow blower. He helped her without expecting anything else but he got that delicious soup.

As we gave, we were also given. We helped and we received help. We did it generously and the same was done to us. It was a beautiful flow and exchange of value.

In our Online Business happens pretty much the same. When we start giving without expecting to make every sale, we start receiving. When we focus on giving value because someone else is going to benefit, we are given value too.

If you want to make your Online Business work, start giving first.

What goes around comes around. What are you giving in your business? How do you experience this principle? Leave a comment about it!

We are successful Network Marketing Moms!
Angelica

Friday, February 5, 2010

Confessions of a Working from Home Mom

I've posted about Time Management for Network Marketing Moms before. I have insisted in the importance of working at least a little bit every day and focus on productive activities.

Well, I have to confess that I am not doing that. Shame on me! That is why in my last post I commented on how I like that basically anything you produce online stays there forever. I have worked every day before and now my content can generate me more leads time and again. But it is also important to keep the content fresh.

When we are Working from Home there are things that we can't control. I just gave up making a video for my blog after accepting that we need a new microphone. I have also accepted that these months I'm less productive because I am focusing on my guests (my mom and niece are visiting from Peru and staying with us until April).

As I get used to my new routine, I make an effort to stay connected and be honest with you. Success does not come without persistence. I will persist. I will work even when each day is not that productive.

I insist that Working from Home is a challenge when, like me, you are raising a family at the same time. We need to be patient. Sometimes that means accepting our limitations and keep working nevertheless. If you can't work every day, what about few hours a week? Maybe you can distribute the hours in slots of 20 minutes each time.

How do you face your daily challenges in building your business? I know you have something to confess too! Leave a comment about it!

We are successful Network Marketing Moms!
Angelica


PS: Don't forget to share this post if you liked it. Thanks!

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Can you generate your own leads (for real)?

The simple answer is "yes, you can generate your own leads". The tricky part is HOW?

There are many e-books, training programs, systems, webminars, etc. that can teach you how to generate your own leads online. Sometimes the hardest part is to choose what leaders to follow. That is why everyone offers information for free. When you come upon a website about Internet Marketing, the chances of getting free valuable information are high.

Actually, any good leader has to offer value first. That is how you get to know her or him. You can sign in for her or his Newsletter or Training program and you will receive more free information. At some point they will offer you paid information (e-books, affiliates, a system, etc). If you know what they give for free, you can only imagine the value of paid info.You don't have to buy everything from everybody or be part of every system. Once you know the leaders and have learned something valuable from them, you can decide if you want to be part of their network.

And that is exactly what you, in turn, have to do to generate your own leads: Give value first with a blog or another personal website, have a way to capture your readers' contact information to keep in touch with them, and follow up. It's been said that the fortune is in the follow up.

The way to follow up is by having an Autoresponder service. I use and recommend Aweber but it's not the only one.

One thing that I'm loving, especially these months when I am focusing on my mom and niece who are visiting from Peru, is how powerful a blog can be. For example, some of my posts and articles are in the first pages of Google and other Search Engines for their keyword. I get visitors from there. I'm also part of Social Media websites so when I participate in them my links are there and I can get more visitors.

I get visitors for old posts. They are in the web technically forever and can generate leads for me once and again.

How do you generate your own leads? Leave a comment about it.

We are successful Network Marketing Moms!
Angelica


PS: Make sure to share this post, we both benefit!

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Two ways to lose costumers – About Insurance Agents and Network Marketing

Last week I talked about two experiences that made think about how we work our Internet Network Marketing business. The first one was with a local Chiropractor who gave me a great example of giving before getting.

My second experience was with an Insurance Agent. I was involved in a minor car accident two weeks ago and we had to contact our Insurance. In case you are not familiar with the process (I hope not, for what that means), you have to report the accident within 24 hours and the Insurance should take of the rest.

As I worked with our Insurance Agent, I never felt like the lady who was attending my case was really interested in me. She was very serious and I even had a hard time understanding her because her diction wasn’t very good. English is my second language but I don’t always have this problem. Even after few calls, she didn’t seem to recognize my name. the whole process was cold and distant. I didn’t feel she smiled at all.

That was until I got the call from the other Insurance agent. This representative, a guy, was very polite and nice. It was obvious that he was smiling and he was willing, really, to help. What a difference! He accepted liability (their client was at fault) and walked me through the process of what was next. He took care of me and I was glad I didn’t need to go back to my agent.

This made think about a couple of sure ways to lose costumers: avoid building rapport and have a bad posture when talking on the phone.

My agent wasn’t interested in me personally as she was in doing her work. She didn’t make an effort to know if I was comfortable with her. I didn’t feel a connection. The other agent was more interested in giving me a good service. He made sure I was at ease and even asked me questions about me at the end. It only reinforced my trust in him.

It was obvious that when these Agents were on the phone, they each had a very different posture. Smiling, even on the phone, makes a difference. It goes back to the Communication skills that Tim Sales teaches. Ellie Drake also teaches about the importance of having a good posture and how that can be sensed in a phone call or even a blog post.

I might even consider switching Agents…

What communication skills do you think are more important when talking over the phone? Leave a comment about it.

We are successful Network Marketing Moms!
Angelica

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Chiropractors in Network Marketing: What can a Chiropractor teach about Internet Network Marketing? Part 2

In the first part of this series I introduced you to my experience with a Chiropractor. It made me think about the importance of giving in Network Marketing in general and Internet Network Marketing in particular. I got a phone call from the office of a Chiropractor asking if I wanted to participate in a free evaluation. This was part of a Community Service that the Doctor offers.

During the visits I was a little bit ashamed to ask if everything was free for real. The Doctor explained that it was the way he conducted his practice because he wanted to educate the community. I got it. I understood that he was giving value and surpassing my expectations. By giving a free evaluation and educating the community, he was earning the right to offer his services.

I learned a lot from my visits to the Chiropractor: I saw the value of this practice; I learned that I have a misalignment in my spine; I realized why I need to correct it; I saw how he could help me; I wanted to go back to him.

I also learned something about Internet Network Marketing. The way this Doctor conducts his practice is how we have to build our businesses. We educate people in the value of Network Marketing; we let them see that they have a need that Network Marketing can help with; we show them that we are the leaders they want to work with. Whatever our niche is, giving value come before getting.

Thanks to my Chiropractor, I saw how Internet Network Marketing has to be done. Have you had any similar experience? What have you learned about Network Marketing (outside of the industry)? Leave a comment about it!

We are successful Network Marketing Moms!
Angelica


PS: If you liked this post, please share it, thanks!

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Chiropractors in Network Marketing: What can a Chiropractor teach about Internet Network Marketing? Part 1

In this week I’ve had two experiences that I want to share. Both make me think about the kind of service we want to give as Network Marketers. The first one is about a Chiropractor and the second about an Insurance Agent. This first series of posts will be about the Chiropractor and how he made me think about the importance of giving.

I’ve learned and shared how important is to give before we get. This is true for any business and Internet Network Marketing is not different. If we want a prospect’s information we need to give valuable information to earn the right to ask.

Before Christmas I got a phone call from a Chiropractor’s staff offering a free evaluation. They explained that this evaluation was part of a Community Service that the Chiropractor gives. I’ve been interested in this kind of practice for a while and wanted to learn more about it. It was the perfect opportunity to do so. Since I was allowed to take one family member with me, I took my mom (who is visiting from Peru for few months).

The evaluation was, indeed, free. I was waiting for a catch or a surprise test that would cost me any money. None of that happened. The evaluation was free, the X-Rays, the neck scan, the consultation about the results and the orientation about Chiropractic Medicine.

In the next post I will explain how this way of giving relates to Internet Network Marketing. If you can see the relationship, leave a comment about it: What can this Chiropractor teach about giving in Network Marketing?

We are successful Network Marketing Moms!
Angelica


PS: Don’t forget to share this post if you liked it. Thanks!

Friday, January 8, 2010

Afraid of Network Marketing? “Network Marketing is not that bad… if you do it right”

It’s always hard to come back to work after a vacation. We spent the Holidays at my In Laws and I’m just recovering and getting back to the swing of things. A new “swing” I should say, with my mom and 4 year old niece (the one who manifested the snow) visiting with us for few months.

What does this have to do with being afraid of Network Marketing? I’m thinking about new beginnings and how we define “normal”. Even though we have a routine and (kind of) a schedule, there is always something coming up. I know that as a mom, you understand what I mean. Things get in the way and devote the supposedly sacred time to work your business is even more of a challenge.

Network Marketing can be time consuming if you want to be successful. If you are afraid of MLM because you are already busy and stressed, you have to know that taking care of a business is NOT a 5 minute a week plan for success. You do have to work and you can learn how to use your time wisely.

More good news is that done right, Network Marketing is a recession-proof home business. During the Holidays we heard a Radio Show where one Hostess was interviewing a Financial Advisor. He said that Network Marketing is a good option to make extra money or to replace your income if you choose the right company and work. He also explained the difference between a pyramid scheme and a trusted business model.

The Show Hostess confessed that she thought that he was going to say “don’t do it!”, “stay away from it!”, “everything is a scam!” She even realized that many of the products she consumes come from Network Marketing. The most exciting part was when she mentioned that she gets her vitamins from my company saying that they were “the best vitamins in the world".

You can be afraid of Network Marketing for many reasons. For me, time is still an issue. That is why I write about it, to let you know that you are not the only one trying to get everything done. But to be successful in MLM we have to keep our priorities right and make time to work on productive activities.

You can be confident that Network Marketing is a trusted business model that can change your life if you keep working. Not only thrives even in the midst of the Recession but it gets the attention of Massive Communication Media like Radio. The Hostess said “Network Marketing is not that bad… if you do it right”. I’d say it is great.

What are (or were) your MLM fears? What are you doing to overcome them? Leave a comment about it and don’t forget to share this post if it helped you.

We are successful Network Marketing Moms!
Angelica