The Power of the Opt-In Newsletter
I do not care if you are an affiliate marketer, a wholesaler, a dropshipper, or even selling a product, if you do not have an opt-in sign-up on your website, I think you are missing out on a whole lot of sales! In most cases, this is an expense. But in the world that we live in, it sometimes takes money to make money. The $15 per month is very trivial in the whole scheme of things. If you are satisfied with $10-$20 per day in sales, then may not want to spend the money and that is fine. I assume, though, that if you are doing any of the above money making programs, you intentions are probably to make more than this. Believe it or not, $15 per month is probably a cheaper and more effective than spending $15 on PPC’s, classified ads, etc.Why are opt-in’s so important? The average number of times a person will look into a product to purchase it online is roughly 6 times. Let’s assume that you were interested on making money online and entered “make money online” into a search engine (something most of us have done at one point or another). You see an ad on the right that says “Make $500/day Easy”. You click it and there are 3 reviews of different affiliate marketing programs. If you were me, you probably did not buy the first thing you saw. You decide at this point to look up: “what is affiliate marketing”, “is affiliate marketing a scam”, “Rick Jerk Review”, etc. etc. etc. So if you were the first, second, third… site this person visited, they probably just passed right over the affiliate link for your sale. Now you may be that 6th site and just happen to be the prompting force to cause the sale, but you just missed 5 other opportunities with others. The opt-in, in this case, keeps the customer interested in your site. And usually, people don’t buy products on the first day. It may be a week or month later. The opt-in provides an invited reminder to the customer that you exist and that they should go through your website to make the purchase.And this is not SPAM, either! The point of the opt-in is that the customer chooses (“opt’s in”) to receive your emails. When I first starting affiliate marketing, someone recommended spamming to me so I tried it and what a disaster! I become very hated and I spent months rebuilding my image. Remember, spamming is un-invited solicitation. Opt-ins are invited solicitations.How do you make an opt-in successful?1) First, you need to convince people that by joining your newsletter or opt-in, they will receive something in return. Offering free eCourses, free eBooks, free software or free exclusive accesses are just few ideas to do this. If you do plan on offering free services, be sure to follow through on your promise.<

Sales Lead Generation: 8 Powerful B2B Sales Lead Generation Techniques To Help You Reach Your Sales
Most of the fastest growing B2B companies do not rely solely on just one sales lead generation method. They have a complete arsenal of sales lead generation tools at their fingertips, that they can use at any given time.Here are my eight proven B2B sales leads generation techniques gleaned from helping over 170 B2B companies reach their sales prospects:1. Sales lead generation using relationship marketing Relationship Marketing is the approach underlying all of the “sales-lead-generation-success” methods. Relationship marketing simply refers to cultivating a personal, sales-winning relationship with your prospects. It’s about developing longer-term relationships with customers rather than individual transactions.During my 20+ years of experience in B2B sales lead generation, I've discovered the key to picking up sales others leave on the table is to keep in touch with your prospects via a series of ongoing communications and offers throughout your prospective customers' consideration processes.2. Sales lead generation through complementary partner referrals By joining forces with complementary partners, you can instantly multiply your sales lead generation pool and make it easier for companies to engage in doing business with you. Out of all the sales lead generation programs available to you, complementary partner referral programs can generate the highest qualified B2B sales leads.3. Sale lead generation using search engine optimization and Internet marketing strategiesBusiness buyers are more sophisticated and getting harder to reach than ever. Studies show that about 90% of business buyers start with research on the Internet, therefore it’s critical to have a well-tuned sales lead generation program that includes search engine optimization (SEO)/Internet marketing strategies to attract prospects at the beginning of their buying cycle.4. Sales lead generation via telemarketingEven though many people despise the thought of telemarketing, when executed properly it is a very effective sales lead generation tool. Telemarketing is a personal marketing and sales lead generation technique that offers a cost-effective, efficient alternative to field selling. However, it can be significantly more expensive than direct mail or email.By including telemarketing in your B2B sales lead generation marketing plan, you can reach up to thirty decision-makers a day at a cost of $15 to $20 per contact. In contrast, with field sales you can reach only four or five decision-makers a day at an average cost of $392 or more per contact. Direct mail may cost as little as a dollar, and email is often mu

So You've Invented Something, Now What?
So you’ve invented the next big thing (or at least something that may solve a problem for a select group of people)? Now what?Well, sorry to say, but there’s quite a bit you need to tackle. To give you just a taste, there’s patenting, licensing, marketing, and manufacturing. So goodness, where do you start?First of all, you need to figure out if you are going to be able to make a profit from your invention. Patenting and marketing your invention are not inexpensive, easy tasks. They are very costly and take time!Chances are you’d like to make some money out of all this, so you first need to do a little research. Find out if you can make enough money from your invention for it to be a worthwhile endeavor.So first things first, do a little digging around on the marketability of your invention.The reality is, a patent in and of itself is worthless. It is a piece of paper. Sure, your friends and family might be impressed with your patent, but there is no additional value to it. Only when the invention has the potential to make money is the patent worth anything. But how can you tell if an invention has money making potential?For starters, if people find it beneficial and are willing to buy it, you stand to make some money. The beauty of a patent is that it guarantees you with a virtual monopoly on your invention. Therefore, if you gain a patent, you are legally allowed to exclude anyone else from making or selling your invention. Imagine the potential a marketable invention holds!So, that’s the key. Before you really get started with the patent process, you need to make sure your invention will really generate some money for you. But again, how can you ever know this?Unfortunately, you can’t ever know it for sure; there is always some risk involved in inventing, marketing and patenting. But fortunately, you can do a little research to help determine your invention’s potential appeal in the marketplace. This research will allow you to judge whether or not you should continue along with your invention by refining it, reducing it to practice, and then patenting it, or if you should just drop it now and move forward in a different direction.You may start by looking at existing inventions that are similar. Surely you’re invention isn’t so novel and unique that nothing else precedes it? Be realistic. Research of this type can include going to stores where similar products are sold or to industry shows, and looking through trade journals and catalogs. Make a list of all the similar products and record all the information you can find about them including price, manufacturer, features, where it sells, how it is

3 Keys to Being a Fearless Executive
In my work with business executives, I have come to the conclusion that most individuals in positions of influence got there accidentally. This may sound harsh to those of you in the business world reading this article, but the truth CAN be harsh, much like the medicine our mothers gave us as young children. There is a bright side, however, to this fact: Those of you who put in the effort can rise far above the average executive. Here are three tips to do that, and quickly:1. Learn to love responsibilityAs strange as this may sound, to be a better executive in the business world, you have to want to assume more responsibility - not only for your actions but for the actions of those you lead. This means taking on tough assignments early in your career (or all the time)- the ones that nobody wants. It also means that you must learn to make decisions, and make them quickly and effectively. To do this, most executives follow a two step process.A. They figure out what data they need to make their decision. I always ask those that I’m coaching or working as a consultant with the following question: “What do you need to know in order to make the decision?” This serves to focus their mind quickly on the solution to whatever dilemma they are facing.B. They find someone who has that data. Once they know what data they are looking for, top leaders and executives in the business field search for the person who can deliver that data, quickly. It might be the head of the division, or it might be a mid-level manager. It might be the front desk staff.Once they get the data they need from the correct person or position within the company, top executives quickly move ahead with their decisions. Not all decisions work out, but top executives waste far fewer hours struggling with and lamenting decisions they’ve made. They understand that it goes with the territory of being near the top of the company pyramid.2. Never let your head get bigger than the doorwayThe higher up an executive is, the fewer cell phones and pagers he has on his or her person. Really! I have found top CEO’s far more approachable and amiable to discussion than mid-level managers. They simply don’t take themselves too seriously, even though they are serious about their jobs and careers. This may be due in part to the fact that many top CEO’s were once mailroom clerks or the like, and they understand that where you’ve come from is just as important as where you have ended up currently. Perhaps it is also due to a tendency to welcome opposing opinions as opportunities to learn rather than subjects to attack. Strong executives - those that lead fearlessly - learn just as much from t

Beyond Marketing: Bringing Your Brand to Life
Imagine you are about to embark on a trip of a lifetime. You’ve received brochures for a luxury resort. The rooms are lavish; the grounds impeccable. Photos of the restaurant’s signature dishes look delectable. You’re sold.You go to the hotel. The room is musty and a tad dirty. The food is barely passable. Service is brusque and spotty at best. When you complain to management, you’re met with indifference, or worse, silence. You leave disillusioned and disgusted. For all the resort’s slick marketing, they’ve fallen woefully short.Branding goes well beyond marketing. It will not be successful without ensuring that all aspects of your business reflect and support your intended brand. One of your most valuable assets—your people—must be well-trained in articulating and delivering on your brand. This step is particularly important for service organizations that don’t have concrete products. Their offerings are soft assets like knowledge, experience and people.When employees don’t deliver the brand, it can be the kiss of death for a business. Don’t believe me? Visit a hotel review web site like TripAdvisor.com. Peruse travelers’ comments and you’ll likely come across more than a few who cite poor customer service for their negative hotel reviews. Conversely, employees who represent the brand flawlessly and consistently can propel a business to stardom.Brand: The Sum of All Its PartsDespite what many believe, brand isn’t about your logo, tagline and glossy brochure. Instead, a strong brand integrates multiple components, all of them necessary, including customer interactions, employee communications, corporate philosophy and advertising/marketing efforts. Your brand extends to your employees, customers, the media and even the general public as the above story illustrates. If these components don’t consistently reinforce your brand, customers will become dissatisfied. The negative impact of their perception, should they voice their opinions to other potential customers or even the media, could have a ripple effect on your business. This can erode your brand equity and create misperceptions about your company in the market, that in turn could lead prospective customers, employees and investors to pass on your organization.On the other hand, brand consistency throughout all levels of the organization helps drive an organization to grow and prosper. Strong brands can drive an increase in sales. The company is better suited to attract and retain the best employees. Vendors can see value in your brand and look to establish partnerships with your business, while investors will see the business and your brand equity as a valuable commodity.<

How to Plan a Successful Business Meeting
It can take just as much time and preparation to arrange a successful business meeting as to plan all the 'business' to be covered within the meeting itself. And if one thing hasn't changed in the realm of business over the years, it's a sense of timeliness, precision, and utmost professionalism. How can you ensure that your next business meeting goes over flawlessly? By keeping a few very basic directives in mind...No matter what the anticipated size of your meeting is, you'll need a thought out strategy to ensure everything unfolds smoothly. Before you even begin to implement a plan, it's always a good idea to make sure all the specifics are laid out and organized - keeping in mind that you'll need to consider the fundamentals, as well as any small but important details which might become an issue throughout the scope of your event. After you've addressed basics like the date, location, and budget for your meeting, you can begin to fine tune your plans with a focus on particulars such as any equipment required for your event, transportation, or specifics concerning accommodation.Once you've designed a strategy for how your meeting will take place, you can begin applying your resources to carry out your plan. It's always wise to double check your arrangements, reservations, orders and appointments to make certain everything runs accordingly, down to the coffee - which, of course, they'll all thank you for.Finally, take advantage of all the resources available to you when it comes to planning an event. Hotels can often help you prepare for corporate and business meetings, making necessary arrangements for everything from accommodation for attendees, to meeting rooms and meals. Wherever your meeting is to take place, you can be sure to find a number of hotels which would be happy to host your event. Some can even provide you with a comprehensive checklist to make sure you don't leave any of the essentials out.Don't allow the planning process of a business meeting to drain you before you even make it to your event. Plan ahead, weigh up all your options, and if possible seek the advice of someone who has planned a business meeting before. With all things considered, you'll find there's nothing quite like a breezy business meeting to kick off those heels or loosen that necktie.