Category: Sales & Marketing

Article Contributed by By Eric Gruber
Most people think article marketing is just about getting links. They couldn’t be any more WRONG!
Article marketing is about getting your messages (in the form of articles) out to as many prospects as possible in as many ways as possible.
Here are 21 ways to use your articles so you can build your business:
1. Send your top article placements via email to current clients.
2. Send your top article placements via email to former clients.
3. Send the top article placements via email to prospects. This is how PR LEADS Article Marketing Expert client Kevin Berchelmann scored a $50K+ client!
4. Post reprints on your website. Note – Turn your article placements into PDFs. Do NOT link to your top article placements. This will take people off your website!
5. Include your article placements in book proposals. Roxanne Emmerich, Dr. Vicki Rackner, Dr. Karen Sherman and many other clients of mine have used this strategy to win major book publishing deals.
6. Include your articles in new business proposals.
7. Include your article placements in new business PowerPoint presentations.
8. Add your articles and/or mention your placements in your blog.
9. Add the articles to your newsletter. Remember, your newsletter isn’t ALL about selling. It’s about building relationships based on trust. The way to earn trust is to educate your prospects with powerful knowledge that only you can provide in articles,
10. Mention your article placements on the front page of your website. For example, put across the top of your website: As see on About.com, MarketingProfs, CEO Refresher and Small Business CEO Magazine. Then down the right hand side of your website, put links to your PDF versions of your article placements.
11. Send print copies of your article placements to your current clients.
12. Send print copies to your former clients.
13. Send print copies to your prospects.
14. Mention your article placements in you website bio.
15. Mention your article placements in your speech introduction.
16. Create a list of all the top article placements and post it to your website’s “newsroom’ section.
17. Add your articles to your Facebook page.
18. Twitter about your article placements.
19. Turn your articles into video articles and post it to YouTube, Viddler and other video syndication websites.
20. Use your articles as a list building mechanism. Check out how Shane Ellison uses his articles on his website: www.thepeopleschemist.com/articles to build his list.
21. Mention your article placements in the P.S. of your email signature. For example, put…P.S. My article, “25 Ways to Make Money Using Articles” was just published on About.com. Now you can read it at (put your website URL where you put the text or PDF version of the article)
You don’t have to do all these steps. If you do only ONE of these steps, you will be doing more than you are now to build your business. Take action today to build your business with article marketing!
About the Author
Article Marketing Expert Eric Gruber uses the power of articles to create online opportunities for Internet marketers, small business owners and entrepreneurs who want more publicity, prospects and profits. Now, you can get his instant article writing templates that will help you write your articles in 30 minutes or less. For a limited time, you can get 3 of his favorite article writing templates for free at: http://www.TryMyFreeArticleTemplates.com

Everyone talks about multiple streams of income, but not too many people talk about multiple marketing streams. I’ve come to believe that having multiple marketing streams is at least as important as having multiple streams of income.

But first, let me define what I’m talking about. Multiple marketing streams is a term I’ve just coined and it means using a variety of marketing tactics simultaneously to bring fresh leads into your business.

The problem is too many people rely on one or two marketing streams. Now, when those marketing streams are bringing in leads like mad, this seems like a good idea. The problem is what if one or both of those streams dry up?

And yes, this CAN and DOES happen. Frequently. And quickly. (Like overnight.) It happens if you’re one to say “word of mouth is all I need.” Or worse, most of your business comes from one or two referral sources. Something happens to those referral sources and you’re done.

Maybe you’re thinking you’re safe because you’re paying for advertising. Unfortunately you’re not, it happens there too — I’ve known more than one business that was left scrambling when something has happened to their Google pay-per-click accounts.

Having multiple marketing streams also stabilizes your business. You’re far less likely to have “feast or famine” cycles in your business the more streams you have. Plus you’re in a much better position to grow your business.

Okay so what are some of these marketing streams? Below is a list (although it’s far from an exhaustive list). Use it to brainstorm more ideas for you business but by all means, do NOT use it to overwhelm yourself. There’s no need to implement all of these at once. (And don’t forget, you CAN hire people to help you implement these tactics — it doesn’t have to be all you.)

Online (driving traffic to your web site)
* Paid advertising (banner ads, PPC, etc)
* Submitting articles to portals
* Submitting press releases to portals
* Social networking (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, FriendFeed)
* Blogs (note — blogs can drive traffic to your site if you design it for that and update it regularly)
* Podcasts
* Videos

Speaking
* Speaking live at events
* Speaking on teleclasses (either your own or being interviewed on other people’s teleclasses)
* Being interviewed on other shows (radio, internet radio, etc.)

Media
* Getting interviewed in publications
* Getting articles placed in publications

Offline paid advertising

In person networking

Word of mouth/referral sources (yes this is important but it shouldn’t be your only source.)

Following up with leads. (What? This is about NEW marketing streams not following up with leads you already have. Well, I’m here to tell you those leads are going to disappear pretty quickly if you don’t have a few tactics in your marketing toolbox to follow up with them. Also, the more you market to your current list, the more likely it will be your current list will referral you to other people.)
* Online — with an ezine, teleclasses or some other way of providing content
* Offline — mail postcards, printed newsletters, direct mail pieces or even pick up the phone.

If someone had looked in a crystal ball back when I first started my business and predicted that I would create a 7-figure coaching business, I think I would have snorted, and said, “Excuse me, but what are you smoking?!”
The truth is when I first started my business I just wanted to make as much money as I had when I was at my j-o-b. Believe me, that number wasn’t even close to 6-figures, much less 7.
But something shifted when I saw that 6-figures was possible. I became intrigued to figure out what it would take to reach that magical milestone.
The biggest “A-ha!” came when I started including Divine Guidance (read, intuition) in every marketing or business decision.
Now, remember that intuition is not fear or self-doubt. Those emotions are just trying to sidetrack you from stepping into your place of power. You can tell if it’s fear or self-doubt because you’ll find yourself saying things like, “It’s not the right time” or “I don’t think I’m ready yet.”
Sorry, gals, that’s fear speaking. How do I know? Because fear gives you reasons not to do something, while Divine Guidance places opportunities at your feet.
Okay…so, what does Divine Guidance have to do with reaching 6-figures and beyond, all with grace, ease and simplicity?
Plenty!
After coaching thousands of women business owners I’ve discovered that there are four key areas where you may be letting fear make your decisions, instead of tapping into the grace and ease of Divine Guidance.
If you’re serious about creating a 6-figure business (or beyond), here’s a simple checklist you can use to make sure you’re connecting with the full power of Divine Guidance, instead of playing small due to fear or self-doubt.
I recommend printing these tips out and taping them to your wall or bulletin board as a daily reminder to integrate Divine Guidance into your marketing. This, more than anything else, will help you leap into 6-figures (or beyond) in a way that is powerfully authentic for YOU!
Tip #1: Choose Your Tribe of Ideal Clients
Getting crystal clear on who your ideal client is will help make your marketing fast, easy and powerful to implement. Understand that a “refuse to choose” attitude is simply fear holding you back.
Don’t make choosing your niche a big deal, okay? Simply look at the people most like you, who want to know how to do something that you find simple and easy. Ask Divine Guidance to make this clear for you. Just be sure not to discount or ignore the answer that your intuition gives you!
Hint: if your current ideal client hasn’t been responding well to your marketing then chances are good you’ve been playing small. Now is the time to specialize. Don’t ignore how important this is because specialists make a big impact for others, and make big money!
Tip #2: Stop Trying to Grow Your List by Dribs and Drabs and Instead Grow Your List by the Hundreds, Even by the Thousands
If you’re serious about creating a 6-figure business, you’ll need to step up and make yourself known to others who can direct hundreds, if not thousands, of people to you.
Ask your intuition, “What do I need to do to create a powerful, confident presence with the people who market to my ideal clients?” For example, the action my intuition guided me to take was to ask famous people in my industry for testimonials for my info products. I got nearly all of the ones I asked for, which led to JV opportunities. In one month alone I grew my list by over 25%!
Tip #3: offer a System, Not Just a Service
If you haven’t yet offered a system then you’re going to be shocked at how much easier it is to sign up new clients! People love systems because they offer them a feeling of security and reassurance that you know what you’re doing and it will work for them.
The power of offering a system will give you immediate attention and credibility. So, whether you create your own or find it’s faster and easier for you to get training and use someone else’s, just do it.
Tip #4: Stop Being Afraid of “How You’ll handle More Business” and Start Seeing Opportunities to Expand Your Impact
Feeling fearful about how you would handle more business simply means you have the desire to have more business, but don’t just yet have the specific know-how or strategies to make your business expandable. No worries. All you need to do is find a mentor who’s walked the path you want. Your mentor will help give you answers, resources and tools to make your business simple, easy and fun to run while it grows.
The trick is this: Do not let FEAR of growth keep you from taking action to expand your business (or yourself).
If you look at every obstacle as an opportunity to request help from Divine Guidance, you’ll quickly find yourself, as I did, moving easily into 6-figures. You will then find, just as quickly, yourself expanding effortlessly into even greater amounts of money, marketing and soul!
About the Author:
Kendall SummerHawk, the Million Dollar Marketing Coach, is an expert at helping women entrepreneurs at all levels design a business they love and charge what they’re worth and get it. Kendall delivers simple ways entrepreneurs can design and price their services to quickly move away from ‘dollars-for-hours work’ and create more money, time, and freedom in their business. For free articles, free resources and to sign up for a free subscription to Kendall’s Money, Marketing and Soul weekly articles visit www.kendallsummerhawk.com.

Article Contributed By Eric Gruber
Getting global exposure for your website and reaching customers all over the world are two perks of Article Marketing, but what if global domination is not your thing?
One of my long-time newsletter subscribers recently emailed me and asked:
What if you own a dry cleaning business in Madison, Wisconsin?
Or you’re a real estate agent in Ontario, Canada?
Or you operate a bakery in Marrakech, Morocco?
If you own a local business and you want to attract customers who are in your neighborhood or city, can article marketing still work for you?
My answer = Yes!
Many of my article marketing clients at http://www.IWantMoreProspects.com own businesses that have local clients and customers. They use article marketing to increase their web presence, bolster their website rankings in the search engines, establish themselves as an expert in their niche, and also to generate more targeted traffic to their website.
So, although you may not be looking for national or international attention, you can still benefit from a targeted article submission campaign. Now, when I say “targeted traffic”, I mean that the people who are visiting your website are the type of prospects who might be truly interested in your business. They are not just random passers-by.
How can you get targeted traffic for your local business using article marketing?
To be sure that the traffic you receive is targeted, write about your area of expertise and in your resource box (that’s the author bio that sits below your article) specify the location of your business. This would tell the reader that you only work with people in that location.
Also, if appropriate you could write some articles that specifically deal with your industry in your location. For example, if you are a Real Estate agent in Ontario, Canada, there may be some unique aspects of buying or selling a house that are specific to Ontario.
Here’s one article idea: “10 Upcoming Neighborhoods in Ontario, Canada That You Should Consider Buying a House In”
Then the article would have to deliver on the promise that the title makes. Please resist the urge to mention your location in the title and then write an article that offers generalized info. If you mention your location in the title, you need to provide specific info about that location.
What You Must Remember When You Are Trying to Get Local Attention Using Article Marketing
The main thing to remember is that while we talk about a “global audience”, every one of us who is doing article marketing wants to attract a certain type of person–the type of person who is most likely to be interested in our business.
I don’t know of any website owner who wants every Tom, Dick and Harriet coming to his or her site.
Whether you have a local business or an Internet business that operates worldwide, you still have a target market, and you need to write your articles with that specific group in mind.
So, don’t let the “global exposure” idea intimidate or mislead you. When done correctly, article marketing generates targeted traffic.
You can get traffic that is targeted to your specific location (if that is what you’re going for).
You can get traffic that is targeted to your industry.
You can get traffic that is targeted to people with very specific needs.
You can get traffic that is targeted to people with specific interests.
About the Author
Article Marketing Expert Eric Gruber uses the power of articles to create online opportunities for small business owners who want more publicity, prospects and profits. Now, you can get his instant article writing templates that will help you write your articles in 30 minutes or less. Get 3 of his favorite article writing templates for free at: http://www.TryMyFreeArticleTemplates.com

Article Contributed by Mark Hunter
It’s been said that to be a successful salesperson, not only do your listening skills have to be great, but your closing skills have to be even better. However, I believe that while these skills are helpful, they are not essential. In my opinion, to be a top-performing sales professional, you must be a great leader. It is a fundamental character trait. Although we have all known salespeople who have had stellar years based on the luck of a few great clients, those with sustained, long-term success always exhibit great leadership skills.
What is a leader? Leaders are people who empower others to do seemingly impossible things, whether individually or as part of a group. They help people see issues and opportunities they would not normally see themselves. Most importantly, they instill a level of confidence in people that make them pro-active in dealing with situations they otherwise would be hesitant to handle.
These leadership traits are essential for top-performing salespeople to exhibit on a daily basis. By demonstrating these qualities to your prospects and clients, you are communicating your value to them. They will see that you have their best interest in mind and are not out to just “make a sale.” You will create the confidence they need to desire to do business with you. Salespeople who see themselves as leaders are far more likely to provide the client with the services necessary to help them achieve their long-term goals. For example, a salesperson who is a leader will wisely show a 25-year-old the significance of buying life insurance both as an investment tool and a “peace of mind” policy.
Top-performing salespeople understand how positioning themselves as leaders can further their success. You will increase your profits by selling more to an existing customer, so it only makes sense to display leadership to them. In addition, because the best new clients often come from referrals, your existing customers will be much more apt to confidently recommend you. In my experience, I have observed that salespeople who behave as leaders are less likely to need multiple closing techniques to make a sale. I firmly believe that the higher the degree of leadership in a sales professional, the less time spent on closing the deal. Similarly, the opposite holds true, and the result is a loss of valuable time.
Over the years, I have come to believe that “sales is leadership and leadership is sales.” The more salespeople with whom I work, the more I confirm the validity of this statement. Although it’s important to work on both your ability to listen and your closing techniques, fostering your leadership skills is far more essential. Begin today to set yourself apart from the competition by positioning yourself as a leader to your employees, your clients and your prospects.
About the Author
Mark Hunter, “The Sales Hunter,” is a sales expert who speaks to thousands each year on how to increase their sales profitability. For more information, to receive a free weekly email sales tip, or to read his Sales Motivation Blog, visit http://www.TheSalesHunter.com.