February 17, 2010

It's Okay to Be a Self-Promoter... Why Do They Keep This
Moneymaker a Secret?... Don't Forget to Ask this Simple
Question... Inspiration From a Meeting of Info Marketing
Minds... and More.

There's an old saying, "It's Hard to Be Humble." Personally, I've always agreed with that statement because, to be blunt, I'm a "shameless" self-promoter.

I put the word shameless in quotes because I don't feel ashamed to be promoting myself or my business.

In fact, any entrepreneur should look at self-promotion as an essential business tool that can only help build your business... if it's done correctly and with integrity.

There are some dos and donts of self-promoting and I'd like to share a few of them with you:

DO: Feel free to talk about your business when asked in a social setting. If I'm at a party and someone asks me what I do for a living, I am more than willing to talk enthusiastically about my business.

DON'T: Spend too much time explaining. Not everyone is as excited about your business as you are. So, keep it short and sweet, but with enough detail as possible. If the other party asks any questions, gladly answer them.

DO: Carry business cards with you at all times. You never know when someone is going to ask you for one, so you want to be ready.

DON'T: Hand them out without being asked first. The last thing you want to be known as is the guy handing out business cards at a funeral. Wait until someone asks for your contact information before handing out your card. Or if someone says something like, "I should call you sometime," then putting a card in their hand will give them the power to do so.

DO: Talk about how great your business is going and how the future is rosy. Talking about the positives, especially with potential investors or partners, is great for selling your idea.

DON'T: Talk about the negatives. I've been in situations where an entrepreneur has said his business was failing and that, if he didn't get money soon, he was going to go under. While showing the harsh reality of the world might work for getting money for worthwhile charities, it doesn't work for getting potential investments.

DO: Listen to what other people are saying and watch their reaction to your self-promotion. If your "audience" looks interested and is staying on the same topic as you, then this person might wind up being a good business acquaintance.

DON'T: Go on if the person looks disinterested. If you see the other party looking around while you're talking or just nodding, then it's time to change the subject. Always keep the lines of communication flowing both ways. Ask them questions and try to be social.

While it's great to self-promote, don't force it on people. Remember, these tips are for when you're in a social setting and that should be the primary focus of your time. However, it's always good to be prepared, because a lot of good business deals start with a simple social gathering.

At the beginning of each year, many journalists will explore the latest moneymaking trends. While some new ideas do come up, for the most part, ways to make extra money haven't changed in decades.

One article recently discussed over 25 ways to make more money. The usual suspects all showed up: walking dogs, using your truck to move junk and selling your old stuff. Sure, these can be great to make a little extra money, but they don't actually do much to help you create and sustain a much larger income.

These quick moneymakers often create more work for you and the rewards may not be worth all of the extra effort you have to put into them. Eventually, you're going to run out of extra stuff to sell and walking dogs can get exhausting if you're also juggling other jobs.

But, what bothers me most about these articles is that they always leave out one moneymaker that can create large payouts for only a little amount of work. Work, is of course, required. But, it can be very rewarding work that you actually enjoy doing.

The moneymaker I'm talking about is called information marketing. This is just a fancy sounding term for selling information as a book, report, DVD, CD or newsletter. You already know about info marketing if you have been following the e-Wealth Daily Bulletin for at least a few weeks.

Why do these journalists often ignore info marketing as a viable way to make extra money? Perhaps it's because it sounds like a lot of work. Sure, getting started is no walk in the park, but, for many info marketers, more time put into your product often translates into greater financial success.

As we continue to explore new ways to make money in 2010, be sure to tap into your inner entrepreneur and discover the info product inside of you. Do you follow social media? Do you have an interesting hobby? Do you have a rags-to-riches story in the making? All of these topics are excellent info marketing products once you learn to market them.

Info marketing can be your path to success; take it from me, it's how I've become successful in my own right.

If you are ready to become an info marketer, let me introduce you to an exciting program that can help you uncover a powerful info product and create lasting streams of income. Go here for more:

http://www.lombardipublishing.com/ads/imi_ewd/index.asp

The next time you're out shopping and you want to save some money, just ask. It's true. It could be that easy to get a discount -- even from major retailers.

Two weeks ago, I was out shopping at a national retailer for some new clothes. After trying on a few things, I told the sales associate that I really liked some of the things I'd tried on, but wanted 25% off. He looked at me and told me there was no way that was going to happen. I said, "Why not? You know I don't have to buy this stuff here. I can go online or head over to a competitor and get this stuff at a better price."

Considering what I'd just said, the sales rep responded by saying, "Well, I can do 10%." I responded with "20%." No dice. Either way, I still got the 10% off and it saved me some cash.

Retailers these days are hurting. It doesn't matter what they're selling. The economy's in a slump and retailers are feeling it. Some of them are desperate to make sales and may give some serious discounts to those who ask.

In fact, I saw a recent survey that said, in the past few months, 66% of Americans had asked for a discount while shopping. Of those 66%, 88% were granted some kind of discount. The numbers don't lie: if you ask for a discount these days, there's a pretty good chance you'll get it.

Along with retailers desperate to make sales, consumers have less money to spend and are thus being more selective where they spend and more adamant about how they spend. Value has become paramount and shoppers are no longer willing to pay exactly what the price tag says. We're looking more closely at things and making educated guesses -- through research -- on what a fair price for the product is.

Web sites like eBay and Google have made researching the prices and value of goods much easier. If you want to know what it costs for a pair of "Timberland" boots, go online and search for them.

By having a prepared plan of attack when you go shopping, you can haggle your way to a bargain. Know that retailers are prepared to make concessions and be confident that you, the consumer, have the power.

** Inspiration From a Meeting of Info Marketing Minds
By James Burt, Online Marketing Expert

One of the most important parts of any business is the connections you make. When a lot of business types say, "It's not what you know, it's who you know," they are often being cynical. But it's not a bad tip either. Who you know can be helpful.

For as long as I've been in this business, I've been happy to connect with lots of info marketers. Some are pro, some are part-time, some are new, and some are well-seasoned. But they're all very motivated when it comes to working in this business and can exchange some bona-fide tips with each other.

During a recent weekend online chat, a group of us tried to talk of everything except info marketing. But, sure enough, we came back to the common topic amongst us. This wound up being a good thing, as I was able to take down some very good tips that all of my colleagues can agree on and now I can share them with you.

Here are the ones I think are most important:

--- Keep an open mind for new ideas and concepts: A lot of info marketers get into a professional momentum. They find the work they are best at and see success with that particular method. That said they often back themselves into a corner. Perhaps due to fear, they only want to stick to their old-faithful techniques, but forget that clients might get bored or want something new. This can lead to them seeking out info from other sources. A colleague of mine almost ran into a problem with this. She saw a drop in sales with her regular newsletters and info eBooks. But once she started to come up with new products and made some layout changes to her existing products/web site, she saw her business renewed successfully.

--- Don't be afraid to pound the pavement: This comes from a fellow reader. He's a stickler for information being "real" and always gets himself to the library or some other source whenever he has to get new info. As an info marketer, you have to make sure your info is the best it can be. It has to come from newer sources and must be something that your client has never heard of. In short, you've gotta do a little homework. Get out, talk to people who work in various avenues of the info field you are working in -- auto industry pros, horticulture specialists, yoga enthusiasts -- and do whatever research you can as to what new issues might be affecting your info source. Clients of info marketing want their information to be fresh and new, so it's up to you to pound the pavement to get that new, fresh information.

--- Keep good records, always: I've stressed this before, but I am not the only one. An info marketer colleague worked out of the same office area as his buddy. His buddy never kept an invoice or a record of any kind. My colleague did. His buddy had clients take off, angered by his lack of professionalism. My colleague never had that. His buddy's business folded amid tax and legal issues that he could not vouch for due to "insufficient evidence of documentation." My colleague is still there. Sounds pretty straightforward, right? Well, it certainly is. Keep your records up to date all of the time. It takes only a few minutes for every transaction, but it will save you loads of trouble.

--- Work remotely with discretion and preparation: A lot of info marketers love their lifestyle. It's great -- no boss, no office, no noise, no hassles. But they often abuse their privileges, especially when working remotely. You can take your laptop anywhere and do any work for any place. But it's important to do that work. A guy who I have kept in contact with did well for a long time as a remote info marketer. But often he got into trouble. He forgot his gear, he missed deadlines, he spent too many hours in the resort pool rather than doing his work elsewhere in the resort...all of the pitfalls. Luckily, he salvaged things and got back on track. But it was a good lesson: whether you are working in your home office or off the coast of Thailand, you still have to work. It doesn't really matter where you do it, but do not forget your responsibilities. Make sure you have your equipment on you, ready to go, and that you meet all of your deadlines on time. Then you can have fun.

I am sure I will be chatting with my colleagues again in the near future. We will probably start shooting the breeze, but inevitably drift back to talking info marketing. When we do, I will take down even more tips that I can share with you. But, for now, use the ones above to help your info marketing business. Trust me -- they are good tips to have.