A new tool
As a Boomer, I’m still quite old-school in many things. One happens to be that I still use paper and pencil rather than a keyboard to note thoughts and plan. I seem to think better when forming the letters. Who knows…it might also be due to my art background.

Today, I was introduced to an easy-to-use, handy little tool to do mind-mapping online.  A huge advantage to using this program is that it can be shared with your team. You can even allow them to add their input and alter the map, making it great for group projects. It can be added to docs and even your blog or web-page. Very versatile little tool to aid your brainstorming!

Best of all it’s free! We all like free. Check it out at www.bubbl.us Let me know what you think.

(Not sure what mind-mapping is? I didn’t know for a long time!  According to Wikipedia…”A mind map is a diagram used to represent words, ideas, tasks, or other items linked to and arranged radially around a central key word or idea. Mind maps are used to generate, visualize, structure, and classify ideas, and as an aid in study, organization, problem solving, decision making, and writing.”

A  great video
Yanik Silver recently sent a tweet that I’d like to pass on to you all.  The concept is phenonenal!  “Unique Genius and Business Through Enjoyment” Combine Enjoyment, Meaning and making Money.  There’s no opt-in or anything.

I really recommend your viewing it…Click Yanik’s link http://budurl.com/jruv

Have a GREAT, Blessed day!

This morning, Ann Sieg and Mike Klingler have release another set of powerful videos!  They contain approximately 90 minutes of click-by-click instruction on how to create your own online real estate with Squidoo.  You can get them by clicking http://budurl.com/onlineRE

Put this information together with the videos on Twitter and how Mike beats Google and you have enough training to really jumpstart your business!  And the best part…you haven’t had to spend a dime!

So get going!  http://budurl.com/onlineRE

Be sure to claim your real estate as you watch the videos.   You can do this by opening two browser windows at the same time…resize them as needed with arrows on the top and sides (just move your curser over the edge of the window and the arrow will appear)

In case you haven’t received the trainings on Twitter and how Mike beats Google, fill out the form and I’ll send them to you over the next few days…In order to receive them, you’ll have to confirm that you requested the info.  You’ll receive an email with the confirmation link…Just follow the directions. 

If it doesn’t show up in your inbox within a couple of minutes, check your Junk or Spam mail as they sometimes get dumped there.  If you still can’t find it, contact me and I’ll take care of it from my end…

I am a really big fan of Michael Oliver and his book How to sell network marketing without fear, anxiety or losing your friends.  (If you are interested you can click the link and purchase it from Amazon and have it shipped directly to your door.)  He has written, in easy to read form, much of what we have been taught by Ann Sieg on her Renegade Network Marketing team about prospecting.

In a recent article, he redefined Cold Calls as calling people who have no idea you are going to call them.  By that definition, leads who have signed up somehow should not be considered “cold”.   If you have worked generic leads, I’m sure you’ll agree that they are often still “cold”.

His reasoning, however, is sound.  Leads who have been generated by your marketing system (especially, if you’ve set it up using Ann Sieg’s Renegade Network Marketer), or if you are lucky enough to be able to purchase Ann Sieg’s leads, are targeted and qualified.  They have requested information to solve their particular problem.

That still doesn’t mean that they don’t “feel” cold to the network marketer.  Knowing and feeling can be two different animals.   We must reach them and begin the relationship and sell them on us first before presenting our “deal”.  Even though they are good warm leads, we still fall victim to phone fear or procrastination in picking up that two ton receiver.  I want you to stop here and think…examine for a minute why that is in your particular case.  What keeps you from calling?

For me, it was fear of rejection and not knowing how to handle possible objections.

As we discussed last week, life is full of choices.  What you choose to think, to say or to do, will reflect what other people will think, say or do in response to you.  By understanding the underlying causes of rejection and objections, I discovered that I could change myself which, in turn, changed the responses.  I was in a better position to think and chose an action that would eliminate the negative reaction.

There are a couple of things that you must understand before we go on:

1. People buy for their own reasons, not yours.  They are motivated by personal interest…”What’s in it for me?”
2. Most people erect a wall when being told or “Persuaded” what to do.  As Michael Oliver says, they “generally like to learn and understand before taking action on changing anything.”

That’s why the traditional NWM approach isn’t effective.  If we launch into our presentation as soon as we hear a possible opening, they will most likely throw up a defensive wall.  It is much more effective to ask questions and listen and gently dig around to find out what they really are looking for and the reasons for their search…the reason they asked for the information you will provide.  Discover what they want, why they want it, and what led up to their search (a little history).

Please, understand that we are unique creatures.  If we pitch the deal in the “One size fits all” approach, we are setting ourselves up for rejection and objections.  It is not necessarily personal, just an ingrained defensive action.  On the other hand, if we couch our presentation to meet and overcome some of the personal reasons the prospect is searching  they will be more open to our solutions…That is, of course, if we do have viable solutions.  If we do not have a real possible solution for the potential partner’s problem, we must say so and walk away.  That’s a WIN-WIN.

Realize that it doesn’t matter what you think about your solutions or whether you think they are going to work for someone. What’s important is what the other person thinks.  That’s why it’s so important to help people surface what they know and don’t know and what they want by allowing them to come to their own conclusions.  Get them involved.  Help them feel their uniqueness and that their interest is what’s important.  Acknowledge them.

People act for their own reasons, not yours!

I want to call your attention once again to our newest affiliate program!

Oprius Contact Manager and Auto-Responder System is an online system.  Your contacts, notes, and calendar are easily accessible from any computer with internet access!  You are no longer attached to your desktop, but can be completely mobile.  It is the easiest program I have used…I’ve used Outlook and ACT.

You also have a double opt-in auto-responder, complete with relationship plans you can customize with your e-mail messages and tasks, or calls.  E-mails can be automatically sent out on a specified schedule once a person is placed in the plan.  Makes follow-up and follow through a snap.

There is an added bonus with this system…You are allowed to create unlimited lead capture pages which can be integrated with your relationship plans, attached to your groups, e.g. newsletter, or stand alone. Use one before your 7G’s landing page to make the lead truly your own and build your list.  The pages can be attached to any web page, including your blog, with a widget.  Leads are then automatically populated into your contact manager.

Oprius is the most versatile program I’ve seen.  Ann Sieg has endorsed it for our team.  It is billed on a monthly basis…$14.95 or less/month.  To try it out for 30 days free, please use this link …
http://www.oprius.com/affiliate.php?ref=11933