Don’t Can the Spam — Learn From It
Spam
Most of us hate getting it. Most of us disregard it as a minor (and sometimes major) annoyance. But I am here to change your thinking about these little educational jewels.
Most of you who’ve read this blog before know that I consider COPYWRITING to be one of the “critical” skills for a network marketer, or any marketer for that matter. Knowing how to get your target’s attention, keep it, and lead them ever closer to your desired action is both an ART and a SCIENCE.
There are several ways to get better at writing ad copy. You can pay big money to learn from one of the many copywriting experts on the Internet. You can buy ebook after ebook. You can take any number of online training courses.
And you can study your spam.
It’s not as crazy as it sounds.
I have posted before about the usefulness of List Builders as a way to get low cost leads and make some money in the process. My two favorite List Builders that I use are Viral URL and List Joe.
With both of these services, as part of my membership I agree and am obliged to receive emails from other members. And I get lots!
TIP: If you decide to use List Building services such as these, open up a new Gmail account when you sign up, so that all of the Member emails go only to this email address. In this way, your primary email address won’t be inundated with these list builder member emails.
So what do most people do? They CAN the SPAM.
Most of these emails end up in my spam filter, and can easily be deleted with a click of a button. And that’s what most people do…. Gone and forgotten.
But not me.
Maybe I’m crazy, but I study the darn things.
- I look for HEADLINES that GRAB ME.
- I look for ad copy that attracts me.
- What kind of ads or headlines annoy you? Chances are they annoy others, too.
- I look for any little trick that others are using that may get someone to take a look at my email rather than simply delete it.
Here’s an example.
Which of these Headlines do you notice more:
Check out this unique opportunity.
===> Check out this unique opportunity.
Check out this unique opportunity.
Well, the third headline is somewhat more interesting than the first, given the italics.
But the middle headline, with the arrow. THAT one drew my attention immediately, especially when you are looking at a list of headlines a page long, all with the same font, font size and color. That little trick, the ===> has gotten me more conversions that any other change I have made in my ad copy thus far.
So don’t can the spam. Next time you get spam, take a glance at it. See what headlines attract you and why, and you’ve just learned a lesson in copywriting.
Best of all, it costs nothing to do. 
To your success!
3 Tips to Survive the Urge to Quit your Business
Yesterday we talked about the reasons people fail at MLM and Direct Sales. Today I will give you some strategies for coping with the inevitable feeling that you want to quit.
Welcome to Day 9 of my 30 Tips in 30 Days Holiday Special featuring one business or marketing tip during each day in December.
As I said yesterday, over 95% of people in the MLM/direct sales industry will quit.
How do you avoid becoming one of the statistics?
- Start your home business with your eyes wide open. Understand that nothing in this life is free, whether it involve money, time, or both.
- Understand from the very beginning that your new business is a BUSINESS and should be treated as such. As with any business, it will involve your blood, sweat, and tears to make it work. Oh, and it will also need your money.
- Understand that, like anything you do that is new, you will need to develop specific skill sets in order to be successful. And here is the bottom line….
The sooner you acquire these skill sets, the faster your business will be successful.
Wow! I wish I had realized that when I first started! It would have saved me a lot of time and aggravation.
Having said all of the above, I can guarantee you one thing…..
There WILL be times when you feel like QUITTING. It will seem too hard, too expensive, too much time away from your family, and just plain old not worth it.
Everyone goes through these times and has these feelings. EVERYONE!
And usually more than once.
I know I’ve personally felt the urge to quit about a 3-4 times since I started with my newest business venture a year ago. Sometimes its due to a time factor, but usually its due to a certain frustration I am having with something not working.
Whatever the reason, here are some things that I have found helpful to get you through the rough patches.
When you feel like quitting:
- Find someone to talk to. This is the biggest recommendation I can give you. Pretty much everyone has a sponsor. It’s usually the person who signed you up when you joined. Call that person. If they are not helpful, ask them who their up line is, and call that person. Keep going up the line until you find someone who can talk you off the ledge.
- Learn a new skill. When I am feeling particularly frustrated at something not working in my business, I tend to change gears and learn something new. Learn a skill that will help you grow your business in a different way. Learn to make videos, learn how to construct a great MySpace or Facebook profile, or learn the ins and outs of article writing. Maybe take a course in communication skills so that you can better talk to your prospects. And what I have found is, when I learn a new skill, more times than not when I come back to my original dilemma, it doesn’t seem as large or overwhelming.
- Take a break. Get away from your business for a while. Have NOTHING to do with it. Go do something that gives you pleasure, whether it be a hobby, taking a short trip, etc. Some time away can help you gain perspective on what is wrong and how you can go about fixing it. Sometimes you are just too close and need to step away.
I usually use all of these strategies when I feel like quitting. I start with taking a break, then talk with my sponsor or a friend in the business, and finally I try to expand my marketing base by learning something new. I have found that by learning something new, I get a renewed feeling of accomplishment and it’s much easier to go back and tackle the original frustration.
The most important point? DON’T QUIT!
Why? Because one trait that ALL TOP MONEY EARNERS in this industry share is CONSISTENCY. They’ve stayed in the game long enough to reap the benefits of their hard work. I’ve seen more than one person quit right before they were ready to see great results.
And THAT is the worst tragedy of all.
Have a great Tuesday, everyone.
Bob
December 9, 2008; Cresskill, NJI am starting a NEW BLOG based on my primary business opportunity. It will be a non-hyped, unbiased look at the plusses and yes, the minuses of this particular business opportunity and those like it. Take a look, and subscribe if you wish.
LIVE COMMENTS
Latest on Thu, 03:08: Mary.. let me know my error... let's discuss!
: I think, that you commit an error. Let's discuss. Write to me in PM, we will communicate.
: Sweet blog. I never know what I am going to come across next. I think you should do more posting as you have some pretty [...]
: Hey doc, right on! Need more people like you on the planet
: I was just introduced to your site through CCPro Forum. My initial question - how should one define "TRUTH"? (I love word-studies and that's a [...]
-
"