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Sometimes You Just Gotta Do The Next Thing

Sandi Krakowski — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 07:38:56 +0000

Sometimes You Just Gotta Do The Next Thing!

By Sandi Krakowski

I'm sitting in the ER with my sweet 14 yr old son, Bobby, Saturday morning writing this weeks article. He's been battling a bad cough & sore throat with high fever for several days so we're getting the antibiotic to kill this bug!

Making the most of my time and my life, I’ve got my iPhone and I’m writing. Inspiration came to me during this challenge.

Nearly every week I receive an email or post on FB or Twitter asking me the question "How do you do it!!" Most people don’t ever say what “it” is. Assuming the "it" they are referring to is homeschooling, running a growing company & managing 50,000 clients & 5 team members, my answer is always the same. I just do the next thing.

Far too many budding business owners get stuck way too soon. Life happens, computers crash, projects get ruined on the hard drive and they believe they aren’t ‘cut out’ to do this sort of thing.

My advise is just get unstuck and do the next thing.

When you’re faced with a life threatening situation you don’t weigh the odds and see whether or not you’d ‘like’ to live, do you? Is there an option? The same holds true for business. Especially when you feel you're called & designed with the purpose of business in your life.

Life was never created to be easy but it was designed to be lived fully.

In the course of 24 hours, on this particular Saturday, I’m starting out in the ER. Then we’ll take good care of Bobby, make him comfy, put hubbie on duty. I’ll run to get my nails done, grab a few errands before my trip to Las Vegas next week with Kevin Hogan’s group. Then I’ll head home for a call with Hollywood Producer Gary Goldstein, be grateful I put a roast, potatoes and carrots in the crockpot before I left and then settle in for dinner. At the end of the day I’ll jump on the phone for a conference call with Kevin’s group and be grateful I live such rich life.

Our days aren’t always this full. I do schedule a day or two per month where I do nothing but vegetate and watch silly happy movies. I don’t put makeup on everyday, my computer does stay off a few days per month. But all in all it’s a rich full life and it’s a blessing to call it mine.

Entering our 20th year of homeschooling I'll admit that there are days when my brain lacks enough cells to keep up with the tasks. But having a sense of humor, a strong circle of friends and enough skill makes it easier. Don’t ever try to build a business without these three things. Let me repeat them: A sense of humor, strong circle of friends and enough skill.

When Bobby woke up really sick today there wasn't a question of whether I'd be sitting here at the ER. I didn’t deliberate, get distracted and ponder on the importance of such a trip outside of my ‘scheduled' day. It just became a part of my day. Business owners could learn well to adapt the same kind of mindset when things go off schedule during the work week. Let’s just deal with it, do the next thing and keep moving.

Champions don’t get stuck and pause for a week. Neither should we.

My tasks today were to jump into the shower fast, pack my iPhone & my To Do list. This has become a normal way of acting so it didn't take much forethought. I knew I’d be writing while I waited because it’s natural to me to watch ever hour and give an account for where it went. Whether it’s an hour that is a well deserved nap, a funny happy movie, Sushi with my guys or unplanned ER trips, it all fits into the aspect of a full life. My life isn't filled with gaping holes of time for distraction and whining…..

Most days I just do the next thing.

When a morning is filled with homeschooling during the school year and a client coaching in the afternoon, social media updates, rewriting copy & creating a business plan there is no time for drama, whining or other emotional issues.

Life happens though…. So what do you do when it happens in over drive? The next thing. You just do the next thing. It's not so much about getting everything done on the To Do list all at once, as it is getting it done & having the list to keep you moving. Far too many people just don't "do" when faced with challenges.

For the new business owner challenges can sometimes seem like a sign of sabotage. To the experienced business owner it's a normal part of life. Businesses have challenges, customers have challenges, the internet has challenges, human beings have challenges. To believe a successful business is one without challenges is to believe in a delusion! It’s not the challenges that are the issue…. It’s knowing what to do next. My advice is to DO the next thing.

When I was a young Mommy and days without sleep were the norm, I remember looking at my To-Do list (because I’ve always had one, charts and the whole 9 yards) and feeling super overwhelmed.

Back then my standard was ridiculous- I felt as if I was a failure if everything on my list wasn’t done that particular day. Now….. things have changed a great deal. If it did get done, anything on the list, the day was a success! Ironically changing that ‘standard’ and giving myself a reward for every accomplishment has made finishing tasks a whole lot easier now. A LOT more gets done as well. It’s the lifestyle of… do the next thing.

As a budding writer years ago I would struggle to put some thing, any thing, on the page and felt a total loss for words. Now this might sound shocking to anyone who knows me well but yes, I did lack words and didn’t know what to write about. A secret tip that always worked was to change my environment. Go somewhere else!

I’d go grocery shopping, run errands with my guys or even go to the coffee shop for a date with my teens. Maybe I’d clean a room, do a load of laundry, take a walk or do something with my pets. It worked every time… on the way home the ideas would be flowing and I’d get the writing started and finished.

Something to consider is this- was it the change of scenery that caused the words to flow again or was it that I just ‘did the next thing?’

Momentum is what you want in your business and getting momentum in your life will help considerably. You might not always know what the next thing is but the key is to never get stuck, never give in, and never back down.

Far too many people fail in business simply because they don’t start. Or worse yet, as soon as a trial or challenge comes, they back down and stop.

Remember this saying the next time there’s a challenge- no matter what it is: “Do The Next Thing”!

Sandi Krakowski spent 6 years in the Direct Sales industry building a $ 4 million dollar company that was run 100% online through eCommerce, building large sales forces in network marketing and home business industries. After earning $ 1.8 million dollars in a home based business market in 31 months, she went onto build a 7-figure marketing and copywriting firm in just 20 months. Currently she runs one of the fastest growing training venues teaching beginners to experts how to really use the internet to it's fullest capacity.

What’s In It For Me? A Fresh Look At The USP Of Your Business

Sandi Krakowski — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 07:24:01 +0000

What's In It For Me? A Fresh Look At The USP Of Your Business

By Sandi Krakowski

Beginning business builders have a soft spot in my heart. I remember how it was to work my way through the guesswork, the systems and the tasks of every single day in my new business. Managing a family, homeschooling my children and just the everyday activities that go with these two things put me in a position where decisions had to be made quickly or I would fail.

To many this might sound like a risk but it actually proved to be very valuable in my career of building businesses. Being forced to make quick decisions, act on what I could and aim later was a normal way of doing business. It wasn't until Michael Masterson stated that the "Ready Fire Aim" approach was how millionaires operated that I realized I might know a few things about business. Previously I just thought it was a case of "Mommy ADD" and I just had to wing it.

But guessing and firing without knowledge isn't the best way to build a business. Especially when it comes to basic marketing skills and understanding how to create attention and response for your products or services.

As I work with clients in businesses ranging from start up (less than $ 50,000 in profits) to those more accomplished ( more than $ 2 million in profits) it has become very apparent to me that many people struggle with the idea of a Unique Selling Proposition. Some businesses are actually operating with one that don't even have a clue they are doing so well. Others think they are doing great with their USP and are sorely mistaken.

How do you find a USP anyways?

A Unique Selling Proposition is something that makes copy convert better, traffic stay longer and deeper relationships are made within your client base. It is what sets you apart from every other company online. The USP of your company and product is what can cause it to go viral very quickly or… remain dormant forever.

Here's an example: Let's say you market a weight loss product that literally changes the way the body works thus causing pounds to drop off more quickly. Furthermore, when you've had this product tested by over 100 people it was quite obvious that no matter who took it, the results were always astounding.

If your marketing pointed towards fast weight loss, a smaller tummy and a tighter buttocks you might sell a couple hundred or even thousands of products. However, if your USP was that your product is the only one on the market that does not demand you eat a low sugar diet and it is easy to follow AND tastes great, you now have a nice USP and a million dollar marketing plan.

Let's look at how you get there.

What does your product or service do for me, the customer. "What is IN it for me?" is what everyone is asking before they make a purchase. GIVE ME the benefits.

Here they are:

1. You don't have to follow a low glycemic diet to lose weight any longer

2. You can eat your cake and still lose weight too

3. Losing weight happens even if you're in menopause, have a health challenge or have never succeeded in losing weight before

Now… .let's craft a killer USP that no one can refuse. This will lead to your OFFER.

"Even if you've failed every diet known to man- this is the last program you'll ever follow!"

And……This is the program that unanimously, every person who tried it lost weight on. Without starving the body of foods that taste good, sugar or sweets.

Going far beyond just simple weight loss, trimmer waistline and a tighter booty you now have a USP that would be hard to beat.

Marketing 101 says you must have the 4 U's to succeed:

Unique

Ultra- Specific

Unbeatable Proof

Unable to Resist

In your sales copy, your emails, your Facebook posts and your tweets tell me what is so unique. When you write out the landing page give me everything you've got that shows me it's ultra-specific and I can't find this kind of product at Walmart or Target. Hammer me with bullets and bullets of testimonials and raving results. Then offer me something I can't refuse like a 120 day trial or my money back AND free shipping.

This is the making of an amazing marketing campaign. It's also one of my laser-sharp tools that I use when helping a company or client re-craft their message, offer and their sales copy.

Guess what? It works every single time.

Clients have hired me to come to their place of business or their office and spend an entire day going through their USP, their sales copy, their current conversion, their marketing channels and everything they are using to build their business.

We don't spend an entire day talking about their header in WordPress, their email program or their fonts and colors on the page. These are secondary issues.

We hit it hard at my "VIP Day With Sandi" what really produces cold hard cash.

As you build your website and you learn how to work your way through WordPress please remember this simple fact that I learned from my good friend Rich Schefren of Strategic Profits -

"Your HOW ( the systems, processes and technical sides of business) don't matter at all if you haven't gotten the WHAT down pat yet."

This is the key to your WHAT. Find it…. and you'll slam dunk the competition and never be begging for bread again.

And now…. you can do it yourself! Have a great time finding your USP…. it will pay you handsomely if you do.

Targeted Lead Generation And Why You Don’t Want Massive Traffic

Sandi Krakowski — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 07:29:36 +0000

Targeted Lead Generation and Why You Don't Want Massive Traffic

By Sandi Krakowski

Targeted lead generation is an area of marketing many entrepreneurs struggle with. Sadly, many new business owners buy into the notion that if they get enough traffic and enough leads they'll have an explosive business. This couldn't be further from the truth!

If you sell curling irons you don't want bald men coming to your website! Even if you get enough leads generated by whatever opt in form you can create, if they are not clients who have an interest in what you sell, have not demonstrated a previous purchase for such things and aren't willing to buy- you'll be extremely frustrated.

Recently I saw an advertisement for training on how to generate more leads quickly. It was from the owner of a lead generation company. His job everyday is to generate leads and resell them. So, it would make sense to want to learn how to generate massive amounts of leads wouldn't it? Not necessarily.

When I was working in my home based business I purchased a lot of leads from different vendors. Some were ok leads, others were pretty good. And then… MOST were just 'crap' leads. These were the kind of leads that had wrong email addresses, were old and resold and many times were from people who were promised something they never received.

For example, when I would call someone back on the phone expecting that they were interested in making money from home, (like I was told by the lead vendor)…. and also wanted more info about building their own business and marketing a product or service online, it was disappointing when I heard over and over again,

"Oh but I just filled out that form because I wanted the $ 25 Office Depot gift card. Sorry, I don't have any money to start a business; we're filing for bankruptcy. "

You see when I'm told these are fresh leads, I expected fresh leads. Who wouldn't? If the ad that was written to sell me these "High Quality Opportunity Seekers" said that these were done in real time and were from people who were dead serious about working from home, how could I tell they were just incentivized leads that people filled out because they wanted a gift card?

The sad fact is I couldn't tell. No one could have known. I only discovered this after I called over 1000 people. What happens to the new person? A bigger disappointment is the fact is that most beginning business people will get discouraged and give up, even if it means working for less money and struggling, if they encounter this.

You can now see my dismay when a lead generation company claims to have insider secrets for generating massive amounts of leads. Unless you are interested in reselling leads every single day, and are interested in managing all of that data, the complaints from people who buy them and the disillusioned business builders who trusted you when you said they are "High Quality Opportunity Seekers" I don't recommend you go that route.

When I built my first multi-million dollar business it wasn't with hundreds of thousands of leads. It was with an online storefront, targeted advertising and PPC campaigns. We marketed the products people were looking for, offered free shipping and excellent service. Our client base grew to over 30,000 people in just 2 years. These clients were loyal, wanted everything we had and month after month purchased items we offered.

We had over 400 kitchenware items and drop shipped more than two thirds of them. Our returns were extremely low, customer satisfaction extraordinarily high and in the early years we didn't even have an Opt In form. They weren't used back then. Major Domo is what handled our email.(See article on the history of email marketing).

Some people seem to think that you need hundreds of thousands of leads or visitors to your website to get to that level in business. We never did and succeeded wildly!

Later, when I got into Network Marketing I began purchasing leads as I described above. After getting disgusted with what was out there from most lead providers, I began to generate my own leads. Who wants to spend $ 5.00-12.00 on a lead that is nearly warm but never hot?! No me! While I did close several people and made great money with these other leads… it was NOT as easy as when I began to generate my own .

No longer did I have to work as hard, use 'sales techniques and persuasive words that keep me asking the questions' in order to get a sale. People began to call me and tell me they wanted to get started on the first phone call! Before I could even 'interview' anyone about the home business I was offering people were already enrolling themselves! Generating my OWN leads was the best way to go. I generated targeted, specific leads for my specific offering.

What was the difference?

First of all I didn't target opportunity seekers. This is way too generic. Actually my ads said, "No tire kickers, opportunity seekers, those who are just looking around and aren't serious about owning their own business. " My sales copy began doing the sifting for me way before I got on the phone with anyone. I generated a lot less leads, called a lot less people and made a lot more money! After generating only 30,000 leads I went from the $250,000 mark to $ 1.0 million and in 24 months…. it kept getting easier. I hit $ 1.8 million in 31 mons, was debt free and hooked on marketing!

After enrolling in some copywriting classes it became clear that finding 'targeted prospects' was the goal. A home-based business opportunity seeker was not as targeted as I needed it to be. I began to learn about "The Big Idea" and "Speaking Your Prospects Language." I also learned what a USP was.

My desire was to find people who had at least $ 1000 to get started in business, were serious about working their own business, had at least 15-20 hours per week to work and were willing to be trained to do so. The kind of people who came to my site were now very aware that this was not a fly-by-night "Making Money Online Is EASY!" scheme. This was a very real legitimate business and would require work. Ironically I began to hear less and less excuses such as "I don't have any money, my time is very limited and how hard is this going to be?" More and more people came to my website who were ready to go… and go they did!

This experience is what led me into the copywriting and marketing world as a full time profession. Writing copy and doing online and offline marketing became something I was so passionate about. It is still my two favorite things to do in business!

There was a rush that came when words spoken in the 'perfect language' of my ideal client caused a response that was targeted, specific and quantifiable. These same words would lead the customer to not only purchase whatever it was we were offering, but it led to a long term business relationship.

Not only was it hugely valuable to me to be able to generate and eventually work with highly targeted prospects it was the funnest thing I've ever done in my entire business career!

Writing copy for large and small companies for a few years along with my own sales copy paid me another handsome 7-figure income. It also increased my skills even more.

This is when the decision was made to begin teaching others how to build their own business, using online and offline marketing tools, to create bigger profits.

By the way, if you are reading this it's very likely you are my ideal targeted client . You desire to have a better life, increase your business profits, use online and offline marketing strategies to get there and are very serious about learning all that you can. You are an action taker. You're not a quitter, don't give up easily and are not looking for a hand out.

As a matter of fact if you need any help it's with a hand up and needing someone to believe in you. You desire a direct step by step plan of how to bring this dream of a business you hold in your heart into a reality.

Did I do good? I know I did. And because I know who you so well, it's a joy to serve you, be able to assist you and get to know what you need each step of the way. You, my ideal client, are just like me. You are who I was every step of the way and it's such an honor to serve you.

Let me just remind you of this fact in closing. If you instantly had 500,000 people to your website in one week as some ads claim- it is now your task to sift through those leads and hope some will stick. You'll increase your email server, phone lines, customer support and that's just a surface demand. It would get worse!

Your website would most likely crash with that kind of huge increase super fast. You'll have to pay extra for that kind of bandwidth and web space. When we started seeing hundreds of thousands to our website we had to purchase 2-dedicated servers QUICKLY… but I'm used to that and was prepared with staff waiting. Are you? Most people would freak out with that happening super fast. It's not wise to go from 1000 to 500,000 over night. Any self- respecting business owner knows that. MOST businesses will implode.

The ones marketing this kind of thing tend to get off on big numbers. Unfortunately they just love to give people what they ask for…..EVEN if it's not good for them! Most UNWISE business owners are crying for fast, easy, big and more… without any wisdom. Some business owners think it's 'great business' to give people what they want. Where is the integrity in this?

It's best to get targeted traffic, grow with them as they increase, hire staff and you'll stay in business longer. Massive increases in traffic that are not your ideal client means a lot of extra work and no guarantee of increased profits. Most likely a nervous breakdown!

The next time you see these ads for "Get massive traffic to your site!" or the banner that pops up that says, "I generate 90,000 leads per day!" just laugh and shake your head, knowing you are building a business that is strategic, long term focused and one that serves your customers first.

As you put your customers first you aren't chasing big numbers, you're chasing quality service, the ideal client and excellent results for those who come to your website.

It is this focus, on your customers, that will pay you an enormous amount of money. A customer centric company is the best company you'll ever build.

If this was encouraging and helped make a very confusing topic more clear, check this out for your next step. Click here.

How do I find my life’s purpose?

Sandi Krakowski — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 07:47:34 +0000

How do I find my life's purpose?

By PJ McClure

It's the mythical quest that has lead people into the desert for centuries. "What does my life mean and who is going to tell me?"

Raised in the Christian faith, I read and heard numerous references to gifts, talents, and purposes that someone might have. Even more stories surrounded people having a dramatic epiphany that revealed their God-given purpose on this earth. A burning bush experience.

What I've discovered through studying and working with thousands of successful individuals over more than 12 years is that purpose is only one of seven necessary elements for a successful life. If we were to all get a certified letter from God today and in it was our purpose spelled out in detail… its usefulness would be limited if we didn't possess at least two of the other six elements.

I'll admit, it would be pretty cool to get that letter, but there are other elements we need to harness before purpose matters. People have heard me explain this point for years and still yet, one of the most common questions I hear is, "How do I find my purpose?"

If this question were only about purpose, I would launch into a simple and powerful lesson on defining your purpose. We would break it down until everyone understood; we don't FIND our purpose outside of ourselves. We DEFINE our purpose from the core of who we are. Perhaps we'll tackle that one another time though.

Through my own experience and the experiences of thousands of others, I've learned that this question of "finding purpose" is actually a case of mistaken identity. Seeking our life's purpose seems grand and mature. "It's not that I can't hold a job or commit to a relationship. I'm just trying to find my purpose."

Finding our life's purpose also seems like the cure to whatever ails us. "Life seems so pointless. If only I could find my purpose."

I'm not belittling those feelings at all because they were my feelings too. The emotions are valid, but they are not corrected with purpose and the answer certainly isn't outside of us. The real question to address the situation comes from the elements of awareness and vision. "What do I want my life to look like?"

Everyone I have spoken with who asked the purpose question thought they were only looking for direction. They are missing so much more. Most people do not realize; direction is useless unless you know where you are and where you want to go.Once those are determined, direction can make a difference.

Think of your life as a map. The map is only a representation, not the real thing. However, the map provides you with references and ideas of potential destinations. Awareness is your ability to put a dot on the map and label it, "I am here." Vision is picking a spot on the map you want to go. Your purpose is what guides you from where you are to where you want to be.

If I hand a compass to someone that is completely lost, they might thank me, but I haven't really done them any good. In a state of panic and depression (lost-ness) any direction seems like an improvement. However, without any navigational reference points or idea where you want to go, you could end up more lost than before. Purpose serves as a guide, not a starting point or destination. Purpose does not help in the absence of awareness and vision.

For today, let's concentrate on awareness. Most people I meet are closer to a vision for their life than they are to true awareness. At least 60% of my clients realize they are much closer to their vision than they thought once awareness is settled.

To get started and mark your spot on the map, you need to answer a few questions. Be honest with your answers and make sure to write something meaningful. Answers like, "Fine," "Could be better," or "Okay" don't cut it. Open up enough to write what "Fine" or "Okay" means.

Also, remember this is not about grading or judging yourself. We just want to establish a level of awareness so you know where you are starting. Let's begin with your relationships.

How is your relationship with:

o   Your children (individually)
o   Your spouse or significant other
o   Your friends (both quality and number)
o   Your coworkers (peers, employees, boss)

What do your relationships tell you about your life right now?

What is your level of fulfillment with your:

o   Career
o   Spirituality
o   Physical fitness
o   Hobbies

What area do you want growth and improvement in first?

Do you have a clear picture of your path forward?

This isn't an exhaustive list of questions, but it gives you a push in the right direction. If another area occurs to you as you write, make note of it and expand your awareness. Once you've finished answering the questions, write a statement about where you are in your life and how it makes you feel to acknowledge it.

Now take a deep breath and smile. You've done more than 98% of the population by intentionally recognizing where you are. Even if you aren't excited about this spot on the map, you should celebrate. With this established, getting to where you want to go is much easier. Make a habit of staying aware and marking your position on the map.

If you want to ask the question, "What is my purpose in life?" I want to encourage you, first establish where you are. Go through the awareness exercise and put a pin in the map. "This is where I am." From there, consider your vision for your life. What do you want your life to look like? With awareness and vision established, purpose is easier to define and will guide your every step from one destination to the next.

PJ McClure is the world's foremost authority on the role of mindset in personal and business success. He's one of the most sought after performance coaches today and has transformed the lives of thousands of entrepreneurs. Click here to download his 10 FREE videos "Build Your Personal Foundation" right here http://themindsetmaven.com/arc

Indianapolis Marketing CEO Brings Live Event For Recession-Proof Marketing Strategy

Sandi Krakowski — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 13:16:13 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 26, 2010 –Is it possible that the recession can actually mean INCREASED profits for your business?

"Absolutely!" said A Real Change Int’l Publisher and CEO Sandi Krakowski in a groundbreaking speech to a group of elite business, marketing, and self-improvement thought leaders. At the invitation-only Marketing event she revealed her "Social Media & Internet" approach to boosting profits in any marketing campaign.

Krakowski explained that using the internet as a marketing channel any small or large business could effectively extend it’s reach and connect with more potential customers.

“People are online more hours than ever,” Krakowski explained, “understanding how to market to buyers on Smartphones, iPads and browsing the web is key. The Internet and social media offer an effective tool for reaching them, building rapport and gaining loyal customer purchases. “

“No matter what type of business you have, the Internet can be an effective marketing channel that can increase sales and profits, “ Krakowski shared at the private event. “Are you advertising to people you hope read that offline ad or go to your website by chance? Create a targeted social media and internet marketing campaign to find your ideal client more quickly!”

Krakowski has worked successfully online for the last 14 years running several multi-million dollar companies. Industries include ecommerce with several kitchenware and vitamin stores; copywriting and marketing firm catering to online companies with regular marketing campaigns and recently a training company that teaches her expertise in a college-level classroom through WebEx and tele-seminars.

“A step by step process is the most effective process,” Krakowski explained, “The company website should connect with the social media presence. PPC advertising, banner ads, email marketing strategies, promotions and sales should all cater to the customers current needs. By doing all of these through an online effort expenses go down and sales increase rapidly. The linking of offline marketing such as traditional newspaper, magazine, radio and television ads to online marketing portals such as a website, blog or landing page can create quicker results. Tracking has never been so easy.”

Krakowski tripled A Real Change Int’l’s profits in the last 10 months on the job with three key factors in her internet marketing method: social media, direct response fundamentals and multi-channel marketing.

She will present her marketing expertise and during a hands on learning event in Indianapolis, Indiana Sept 17 and 18^th, 2010 at the Crowne Plaza Airport, located at: 2501 South High School Rd. Indianapolis, IN 46241.

For more details on this limited edition event visit: http://arealchange.com/blog/live-event-2010

Or the contact for media interviews:

Amity Hook-Sopko, Marketing Manager

A Real Change, Int’l LLC

(260) 494-1001

The Legal Side Of Copywriting, Marketing, Email Marketing and More

Sandi Krakowski — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 07:43:10 +0000

The Legal Side Of Business

By: Sandi Krakowski

When I began my first business it was important to understand trademarked names, phrases and logos. We had over 400 products we were drop shipping and while most vendors and dealers gave total permission to use the graphics and images in our online and printed catalog, some required that we only use 2-3 images at the most. These were companies who also sold the product we purchased from them for resale on their own company websites or catalogs.

Many times I used the phrase, "Bread Rising" in my marketing and was advised several times to have this trademarked or copyrighted. We never did and I honestly didn't care who used it. No one could compete with me and how we did business anyways. That isn't an arrogant statement it's just that people are loyal to people in business.

Tony Robbins has a lot of training on this topic as do many other business trainers and coaches. So I knew that if that phrase was used by other stores online it wouldn't affect my profits because they weren't me….. and my customers loved me, not my marketing. * big wide smile *

It's never been my mode of operation to set up a bunch of legal documents in an effort to protect my business.

It is my belief that the more contracts one has the more likely they are the one you should be keeping an eye on. Far too many companies are attempting to control employees, contractors, writers and more with contracts. Trust and respect work a lot better and go a long way.

So where do you draw the line between what you should protect, what you can't use that belongs to someone else and the wide range of imaginary protection some companies use that just aren't even legal?

When it comes to trademarked names, phrases and images it's a good idea to check the Trademark Database. Here's an example- a picture of a bull isn't copyrighted or trademarked, that would be foolish. But a picture of a bull with a line through him and the words, " No Bull" are a trademarked image used by the legends in Direct Response Marketing and Copywriting.

You can see them at: http://dankennedy.com/ This little image is everywhere! On their books, their website, their banner ads…. you can see for yourself. So don't go using an image like this and thinking you created it in your marketing. Major no no.

Trademarks aren't hard to find and sometimes you can even ask for permission to use something and it's no big deal. You might stumble upon a JV deal or affiliate product you want to add to your marketing.

When you do catalogs online or offline, ask for the imagines directly from your vendor. Even when you do JV deals, promote a book or a product from someone else, just ask for the images you can use. That's easy to do. People are happy to provide them and respect the integrity it takes to ask.

The legalities of copywriting and writing ad copy is pretty significant.

I surely don't want you to turn into a paranoid writer but be mindful of these rules. You can get a good overview of what they are here from The American Writers And Artists Inc. This book shares what you can and can't say in copy and how to be wise. If you aren't looking to make 6-7 figures AS a copywriter I don't think you need this book.

However, if you are selling weight loss for example you might find it important to note that in this book you'll see that outrageous claims, misuse of testimonials and stating things that can't be scientifically proven could fry your butt in the long run.

I worked with a company years ago that had one of the best products on the market.

It flew off our shelves. Branding happened almost instantly because of the results people got. Then they made some foolish mistakes and didn't watch what people were saying. When you called their corporate office to order a bottle of the amazing liquid supplement you heard story after story of miraculous events occurring because of the ingestion of said product.

Don't get me wrong, I do believe many natural products can heal the body. I take several every single day. But to make a claim that something cures cancer, kills cancer cells, makes every single person who takes it drop 5 dress sizes in 24 hours is just not a good thing to do.

Legal rules in the marketing of nutritional supplements is important to understand. Easy remedy- listen to what your company supplier tells you if you are in direct sales and honor those recommendations. They have a lot more at stake than you do. The company we worked with mentioned above went out of business with a $ 3 million dollar lawsuit and an FTC fine. Yikes!

Back to trademarks….. I've often heard it's better to ask for forgiveness later than to seek permission from the get go. Whoever came up with that statement was a nut! In my humble opinion. No further comment.

Don't copy what others do.

Just because someone else was very successful using a phrase or word in their copy doesn't mean you can copy and paste it into your campaign. Especially if they used someone else's trademarked product, slogan or graphics.

What about the original idea?

MaryEllen Tribby has a brilliant article on the original idea myth. There's no such thing as protecting every creative thought or idea someone has who works with you. Not to mention wants to control people around you like that- they'll be so scared their creativity will be thwarted. I highly recommend you read this article, "Debunking The Original Idea Myth."

In closing here are a few tips:

1. Be careful you aren't using someone else's trademarked logo or graphic or phrase. But don't be paranoid about this topic.

2. Remember that original ideas might not always be the best thing to come up with. Most successful businesses are built on someone else's idea that had a unique selling proposition attached to it.

3. Just because someone has a ton of contracts does not mean they are in control.

4. Build your business, fan the flame of creativity in everyone around you, and work together as a team to get the best results possible.

Don't get into trouble with a trademark!

Kick your business into higher profits by being yourself in marketing, being creative and understanding good copy sells because the words trigger a buying response, not because someone else's trademarked image was used.

HOW to get to a LIVE event if you are MASSIVELY in debt!

Sandi Krakowski — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 17:45:36 +0000

Are you massively in debt but KNOW you need to get to that training event? Here's a secret you might not have thought of….

Watch now!

Email Marketing Do’s and Don’ts

Sandi Krakowski — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 07:44:45 +0000

Email Marketing Do's and Don'ts

By: Sandi Krakowski

Email marketing has changed through the years. Back in the late 90's when I came online we worked with something called Major Domo. This was the beginning of mailing list management. You would have this set up on your own domain and send emails to everyone who belonged to your 'list'.

To subscribe people didn't fill out a form, they had to send a message to the Major Domo on your server and say, "Subscribe". To unsubscribe, do the same thing but with "Unsubscribe".

Major Domo in Latin means "Head Of The House" and this is what you became when you sent out an email to the people who were on your house list. Unix/Perl based list management is how we built our first house list with our kitchenware business. We later created a second list with our online vitamin stores. Then we had a fast growing list with people who were on our Bread Making Forums and subscribed to receive not only updates on the forums but also weekly and sometimes daily recipes that we sent out.

Groups grew beyond Major Domo into the popular Yahoo List Groups and then Bulletin Board systems. This is when moderation and exclusively really began to stick. If you were 'admitted' or 'approved' to a list you were given strict guidelines to follow and in turn for adhering to these guidelines you were given access to regular email updates, member interactions and 'insider' information.

EZine Newsletters became very popular and in the beginning of their usage were strictly text files shared with exclusive subscribers. Many were paid for EZines and they were something that you really took seriously when it arrived. Our Kitchenware business published a twice weekly EZine. When it became possible to add graphics, side bars, html linkage and more to EZines our business soared.

Today email has been sorely abused and misued by people who are not running legitimate businesses. They are also sorely misused by people who don't realize they are a legal form of communication in the year 2010.

Think twice the next time you threaten, harass or send someone an email that could be used against you. It's not acceptable to tell someone to go to somewhere in a vulgarity online, in emails or even on Facebook Direct Mail. Anytime you write anything to anyone it is a legal form of communication online. Court orders, lawsuits for child support and more are now sent through Social Media. The moment they are opened it is considered, "delivered".

Email sure has changed in the years I've been online!

It's important to know how people view email, what makes them open it and read ferociously through something… or hit delete.

Speaking in a conversational tone is always best. Being overly casual can be frowned upon. The goal is connecting with your audience and giving them your best in each email.

There will always be people who say they don't want regular emails, would prefer to not have things sent regularly to them. But as giant Email Marketers like EarlyToRise.com, StrategicProfits.com and others have discovered- if you get it right you're opt outs rate will actually be a good sign of someone who shouldn't be reading your emails anyways.

Here are a few tips when writing emails to your clients and customers.

1. Make sure the subject line is not over the top professional.Most people open up corporate emails last, like to hear from friends and will scan emails for the most catchy subject line. How many of you have read through our emails in the middle of your work day because the subject line caught you off guard? Don't be obnoxious or rude. Look through some of your personal emails sometime today. Do you see why personal emails tend to get opened more quickly?

Examples are:

Pictures you were waiting for!

RE: Meeting me on Saturday night

Just a quick question…….

These are great tips for writing emails that get opened. Read through all of the personal emails that you have received this week and see if any of them could be used as the subject line in your next sales campaign.

2. Don't use all caps in emails. Ever. Even if you're trying to make a point, whether writing to someone in a sales campaign, through an EZine or if it's just a personal email, do NOT WRITE TO SOMEONE WITH ALL CAPS. It is still interpreted as yelling. No one wants to open emails where someone is yelling at them in the subject line. As a matter of fact the kind of response you'll get is more like, "What the heck do THEY want?!" than a curious "I have to go read that" if you use all caps. Stay away from them.

3. No need to announce who you are in every single email.I've seen small businesses, large businesses and even freelancers make this mistake. The subject line or opening statement in the email sounds more like a legal appeal than something I can't wait to read. Have you ever seen an email that started out like this? "You are receiving this email because you subscribed to our email list. If you don't want to receive this email you can unsubscribe at the bottom of this email with the appropriate link." That sounds more like a crotchety old man than someone you can't wait to read! It also sounds like someone trying to cover their butt more than serve their clients with good content.

There's no need to put in the subject line [Email from Sandi Krakowski] with every email you send out. Do you have a friend who does that regularly? I didn't think so. Don't do it in your business either.

Remember that email is a private place where friends, family and things I love hang out. If you send me stuff that gets on my nerves I'm gonna unsubscribe from you.

Don't talk at me or to me like my teachers used to. Most people, even the smart ones don't dream all night about feeling like idiots as their teachers stood at the front of the room talking at them. So don't talk at your customers and clients, talk with them, even in email.

Make your emails fun! Be yourself! Who else do you know who sends out pictures of herself with hot pink hair! *heehee*…

Be sure that one voice is coming through on your emails. Don't outsource your voice. This is a big mistake people make once they get successful. It would be really hard to sound just like me. There are companies that were started by the CEO writing very personal emails, building rapport and getting to know the clients… (very similar to our company)…. and then when they get hugely successful the email writing is outsourced.

Yikes… big mistake.

The only time this works is if someone can master the art of mirroring the CEO. So be very careful when you outsource email content.

Don't be afraid to send an occasional personal email. Wish your followers well. Tell them to enjoy their weekend. Open your heart to them….. they will open their heart to you.

Relationships are more than a buzz word when it comes to really good marketing. It means that I take it very serious when you do business with me and having a relationship with you is very important to me.

While you won't be able to please everyone through email or in any business for that matter, you will have fewer Opt Outs and complaints if you follow some of these guidelines as you build your list of email clients. Interested in learning how to write auto responders, emails and more that convert? Check out our latest On Demand learning classroom.

Make Social Media Your Slave

Sandi Krakowski — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 07:34:38 +0000

Make Social Media Your Slave

By: Sandi Krakowski

Sometimes you hear something online that is so out there- so ridiculous- so stupid actually that you wonder if the person who said it was joking. But if you're like me, I begin asking all the right questions to lead me to where I need to be in my business when this kind of thing arises.

A few months ago I heard a very popular business person say these words, "What the heck are you spending all that time on Facebook for? Go build your business."

Made me laugh actually. Because you see last year I started a little test with some marketing through Social Media. It earned me a nice 6-figure income over 12 months. Then we kicked it up a notch and began to compound our efforts. This year alone, in under 7 months, that amount has doubled.

But let me make one thing very clear- you do NOT make a 6-figure income on Social Media playing Farmville or Yoville or Craphead or any of those other games online. These were created by very smart marketers to lure people in who have too much time on their hands or who are trying to block sometime out in real life.

Before you send me hate mail about that statement look at it this way- if you haven't earned at least a 6-figure income in your business online you're trading game time for dollars. It's as simple as that. Unless you're making an income for every hour you spend online playing those games get off of them now. In my opinion they are worse than television and far more addicting.

But what about the core of Social Media? How can you use this very valuable channel and capitalize on it for your business?

In his best seller, "Socialnomics" Erik Qualman outlines who is using Social Media to do more than just marketing in our culture today. People like Barack Obama have used Social Media to connect with people he never would have previously. Tony Robbins gains insights into where his clients are today and can cater to their current needs with regular interaction.

What about the small business owner trying to break into the online market? How can Social Media help them?

Let's look at the impact Social Media is having on marketing, advertising and other ways people connect online-

1. An extremely successful copywriter who wrote a glazing article on how he thought Social Media was poo-poo and he had no intention of getting involved in 2009 is now using Social Media regularly in his internet campaigns.

2. While previously Search Engines were the prominent tool to use when seeking to find information or feedback on something Social Media is now an instantaneous input giver. No small wonder Facebook outpaced Google some 6 months ago and still leads the train for internet most popular sites.

3. Colleges are now embracing Social Meida to bring together roommates, give input on specific degrees and trends for top paying jobs. It's also being used as a tool that inside of the classroom. College Professors can take surveys, get interaction with students, create community and even direct students to potential employers as they move closer to graduation. Advertising to this crowd? Get on Social Media.

4. Social Media Marketing is hot topic at most internet marketing and offline marketing events. Guest speakers are often "Social Media" experts who have mastered how to use this tool for their business. (This tells you it is not a trend but a change in how business is done in the marketing world!)

5. Ads in newspapers and magazines are going down while Social Media marketing, PPC expenses and FB ad reports show a constant increase. In Social Media people no longer search for news- it finds them. Key newspaper statistics show that advertising revenue is plummeting with local newspapers while PPC ads, free communities and groups through Social Media are booming!

Here are some tips on how to use Social Media, make it your slave and not be left spending hours and hours online without making any money.

1. Make your focus connecting with people and bringing valuable content. Be personal and bring value. People will connect with you because of what you bring to them. To create rapid followers bring your best every single day. Go ahead and make a list of things you want to talk about each week if you have to but don't wing it, don't post only personal things and don't think your audience will tolerate just anything. (Read my past article on Creating Rapid Response To Your Opt In for more on this topic)

2. Talk with people and not AT them. The age of Network Marketing and Door To Door Salesmen Alpha-Syndrome are gone. Good-bye! People no longer respect people who just talk at them and tell people what to do. They seek someone to connect with. Social Media creates this connection in a way that no other channel or medium will. Respect your audience, permit them to disagree with you, be who you are and allow them to be who they are. Build a community and people will follow you forever.

3. Bring your personal life into the mix. This is something I discovered online back in 1998 when our kitchenware business grew rapidly. People want to connect with real people. Don't position yourself as someone who has ALL the answers and lives a PERFECT life and has everything color coordinated and organized and perfectly clean in your closets but be someone people can relate to. Share your life, share how you live and inspire others. I learn just as much from those who have a relationship with me through Social Media as they do from me. It's a beautifully beneficial relationship. Ironically it's one of my biggest USP's that can't be copied but it can be caught. Be yourself, be real and you'll have clients who make your life such a joy!

4. Serve and be in it for the long haul. On a recent call I had with Ryan Lee he said he was very happy to see that I had supportive tools for my clients like our Forever WordPress Community. When he heard that I meet LIVE with my clients on the phone one hour each week to answer their questions, serve them and build community with them he said that he was glad I wasn't just 'one more internet marketer who really didn't care'. Building your business with the long haul in mind will make it one of the best things you've ever done in your life. This is why it's so critical to have a mission statement in place.

MaryEllen Tribby mentored me for 90 days earlier this summer. One of the BIGGEST lessons she taught me and is helping me to really make a practice in my business is having a mission statement. This is the plumb line when it comes to JV relationships, changes in our marketing, switching of focus and our day to day activities. Make a mission statement with the long term vision in mind. This will protect you when the Internet Pimps come out and flatter you with all the 'great' things they can do with and for you. Here's a clue you've been pimped- They encourage you to leave everything behind and come follow your dream right where THEY are. A true business partner would have your mission in mind as they seek to aid and help you grow. Having this statement and vision in place will protect you from such vultures.

Social Media is a place to build rapport and connect on a daily basis with your clients. To prevent burn out and to keep things manageable use some of the following tools to make life easier:

1. Hootsuite- Pre-program tweets and posts that coincide with your Marketing Calendar. I don't recommend you pre-program everything but when you have particularly busy days use this to keep you on track and keep the conversation flowing. You can easily follow up on mentions, RT's and what others are saying about your company.

2. Friend Or Follow- This is a great tool to use! You'll be able to see who's not following you back on Twitter, who are YOU not following back and find out who are your mutual friends! I used this tool during our recent 12 hour giveaway! It made it easy to scroll through large groups of followers and pick a prize winner.

Giving just those two tools away will tick some people off. Every time I write a newsletter some wise guy writes me an email or a DM and asks me what the flip I think I'm doing giving all that stuff away. I recently received an email advising me to keep such content in my private classes or events.

It just goes to show you what I mean by GIVING AWAY your best. But let me just make this very clear…. those who attend our live event will discover just how much MORE we have to share! This isn't even half of what we're using and doing that has given us a serious understanding of how to monetize your efforts through Social Media. The big 'reveal' will take place in Indianapolis, IN Sept 17 & 18th.

Remember this- your customers and prospective clients are savvy. They are smart. They aren't dough heads. Anyone who is still using the same marketing strategies they used in 1978 at their Toast Masters meeting thinking they can still wow and impress their audience is scrambling to make a profit in today's marketing culture.

Social Media is a viable channel, an enormously profitable tool and one you should NOT be just playing around with. For serious profits, it's time to master this one. And….. make it your slave!