This is an excerpt from my presentation at Entrepreneur Magazine’s Boost Your Sales With Online Marketing Event in Chicago.

In this cluttered marketplace  it is more important  than ever to keep your message simple. People just don’t have the attention span to work hard at  understanding what you have to offer.   Consider Google’s core message as they sought out venture capital years ago.

“Google provides access to the world’s information in one click” .

Can you do that with your business?

I hope you join us at one of our live events or online programs (stay tuned for a new program)

What Are Affiliate Programs?

Affiliate programs are the Internet’s version of a retail company’s commission-based sales program.  Simply put, you refer a customer through your affiliate link and get a check.

The beauty is that as an affiliate you won’t physically handle products, create marketing tools, set up the sales process or collect the money. It is all handled by the affiliate manager.  You just refer a potential customer (via email, social media, website or blog promotion). Nice and simple.  It is a perfect way to start developing multiple streams of income which is essential in these economic times.

Some Points to Remember

• Promote products you truly believe in and that are relevant to your target market. Ask yourself: What other products and services do my customers need?

• Pre-sell prospects with your own testimonial. It is important that you use or a very familiar with this product and truly believe in it (For example I resell my shopping cart because I use it daily and know others need this e-commerce solution too).

• Be transparent and tell prospects you are an affiliate (The FTC mandates this)

Some Excellent Affiliate Programs (there are hundreds of great products on these sites)

www.CommissionJunction.com

www.ClickBank.com

www.AffiliatePrograms.com

Your Action Steps:

1) Go to the websites above and find one that has products your target market needs

2) Sign up for their affiliate program (sometimes called associate program or resellers program)

3) Read their promotional instructions and place your affiliate link (or graphic they provide) on your website
or in your promotional emails

4) Wait for your first check in the mail

Affiliate Programs are a terrific way to generate multiple streams of income– a very smart move for anyone building a business online.

P.S. Here is a video I created on this topic as well as my affiliate programs: www.PartnerWithMitch.com

People purchase products and services, but they buy dreams. Products are merely the delivery vehicles for them.

In other words, consumers purchase benefits – beauty, safety, financial freedom, island vacations, homes, popularity, sex appeal, and glowing health – not features – horsepower, sleek design, house color, or size.

Savvy marketers recognize that their single most important goal is to help their customers achieve their dreams. So, they find out exactly what their target audience is searching for, articulate it, and then deliver on their promises.

Many small business owners mistakenly talk more about themselves than their prospects! In other words, the public isn’t too interested in how long you’ve been in business, whether you’re family owned and operated, or if your warehouse is large or small.

They don’t want to hear a story about you, they want to hear a story about them. They want to know how you can help them save time, make more money, find their soul mates, improve their relationships, get promoted, reduce pain, or make them laugh.

Smart marketers know that their target audiences’ desires are usually not lofty, enduring, or huge. One valuable e-course, one shirt, one painting, or one tube of lipstick aren’t likely to have significant or lasting impact on their lives – but they may for a moment or two. And that’s okay, because for that brief period of time they shared a positive experience. And even though their customers might forget about the product, they will remember the feeling.

Savvy entrepreneurs realize that they’re not the only show in town and the main reason consumers buy from one company over the other, is because they have confidence in the seller. They have confidence in their ability to solve their most pressing problems. They have confidence that they won’t be abandoned after the sale. And they have confidence in their products’ quality, value, and selection.

Yet, if you can’t talk to them about these things, you might as well hang up your hat because you’ll just waste a lot of time, money, and energy.  The good news, however, is that you can learn to communicate more effectively with your intended audience if you study the masters and practice improving your communications every day.

Adapted from Guerrilla Marketing On The Internet by Mitch Meyerson, Jay Levinson and Mary Scarborough

The next Guerrilla Marketing Coach Certification Program is starting this summer.

As you  surely know the downturn in the economy has made times more challenging for the entrepreneur.

However, any savvy marketer knows that developing powerful partnerships can be the key to surviving any economic storm.  So in this post lets look at how you can successfully connect with influential marketing partners in your industry.

Before choosing a JV partner make sure that you:

•  Know exactly what they want most from the venture… It may not be what you assume.

•  Are fully aware of your own goals… and that you’ve communicated them to your would-be partner.

•  Both feel that you can better achieve your objectives working with each other

The Platinum Rule

We’ve all heard of “The Golden Rule” – Treat people the way you would like to be treated.  And while the concept is sound, it becomes problematic because it assumes that everyone has identical desires and perceptions.

Authors Tony Alessandra and Michael J.O’Conner rephrased the tenet and renamed it “The Platinum Rule.” It goes like this, “Do unto others as they’d like done unto them.”  This requires a real understanding of others and what motivates them… and there’s no better way of learning that than by asking them. Otherwise, we risk offending others by incorrectly presupposing the answer based on our own sensibilities.

Following are some quick tips for developing healthy joint venture partnerships…

•  Do your research ahead of time… make sure they’re the type of person you like and their business is healthy and respectable.

•  Approach them with a “what’s-in-it-for-them” stance…  not how great you are.

•  Be specific…don’t leave things “squishy” regarding anything – this is how misunderstandings begin.

•  Respect their time… let them know you value theirs as much as your own.

•  Develop simple deals… especially ones which don’t require either of you  to “look over the others’ shoulders”.

•  Give before you get, particularly if you’re just starting out… people are understandably more leery of opening up their hard-earned business resources before you’ve proven yourself.

•  Avoid using a “sales pitch”… it’s no way to begin a give-and-take partnership.

•  Don’t obsess over who’s getting more out the deal… make your best deal and forget about it.

You will find that solid  partnerships can be the key to thriving in a challenging economy. Go out an find one today!

Mitch Meyerson, author of Mastering Online Marketing and Founder of Guerrilla Marketing Coaching

Become A Certified Guerrilla Marketing Coach: www.GMarketingCoach.com

Although specific estimates vary, online researchers agree that email recipients make quick decisions on whether or not they will open and read promotional emails. Obviously, if they like, want, need, and/or are actively seeking the products being offered, they’re far more likely to open them. But emails come with their own special challenge, the subject line – that short, information burst that can make you or break you.

Like direct mail envelope “teasers,” emails’ subject lines must grab the recipients’ interests and increase the chances that they’ll open the messages. That’s why you’ll want to work on getting yours just right.

Start getting ideas scanning your own inbox. Jot down any that catch your interest and then see how you can tweak them to suit your needs. You can also look at headlines in your local newspaper, magazines, websites, and the like and see it you can covert any of those into intriguing subject lines.

Then use these tips to fine-tune your choices.

1. Keep them short and to the point. Less is definitely more in this instance, especially since overly long subject lines will get cut off from view anyhow.

2. Don’t divulge too much information. Add intrigue. Build curiosity. Make them want to open your email to find out more. For example:

- Zach, have you heard this yet?

- The Psychology behind the $40 Pet Rock Craze

- When $100 per hour is just okay

3. Use your recipients’ first names, unless it’s awkward or sounds forced. For example:

- John, will you help me?

- Mary, you’ll want to print this email.

4. Ask questions, such as:

- Is procrastination killing your business?

- Do you believe in this deadly marketing myth?

5. Include your product or service’s number one benefit and make sure it’s relevant to your target audience, like”

- One tip for losing ten pounds in one week

- 5 Free Ways to Sell More Houses

6. Avoid sending off “hooey” and spam alarms with exaggerations, or hints of high pressure sales tactics, such as:

- Triple your…

- My dear so-and-so

- Your e-commerce business

- Earn thousands at home

- Making Money the easy way

- Immediate action required

Adapted from Guerrilla Marketing On The Internet by Mitch Meyerson, Jay Levinson and Mary Scarborough

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by Craig Valentine, 1999 World Champion Of Public Speaking. He is the co creator of the World Class Speaking book and Certification Program. Get Your Free World Class Speakers Audio Toolkit

If you want to drastically improve your very next presentation, it is important to understand 4 of the pitfalls that keep most speakers in a ditch out of which they can never seem to climb. If you see where these traps are, you can easily avoid them. As a result, you will clear your pathway to a powerful and persuasive speech.

Here are the 4 costly mistakes:

They close their speech with the question and answer session

Never close your speech with the Q&A session, because people remember best what they hear first and what they hear last. If you end with the Q&A, you lose control over the last message your audience receives and much of your hard work is undone. It is still a good idea to have a Q&A session, but it is not a good idea to end your presentation with it. Instead, hold the session about 80-90% into your speech and then close the speech in your own powerful way.

They open their speech with a whimper

Most speakers open with statements like, “I’m so glad to be here. Thank you for inviting me to speak at this prestigious occasion. First I’d like to thank Bob…” What is wrong with that kind of opening? Frankly, it’s boring. It’s boring because it’s expected. Instead, come out in an unexpected way by jumping right into your message. Take the “sitcom” approach and start the show first and then transition to the opening theme song.

One good way to do this is to immediately dive into a story. That will catch your audience off guard and you will have their attention. Another effective way is to ask a question. For example, I start some speeches with the following question: “What do you think is the number one thing that stands in the way of most people living their dreams?” This immediately gets my audience’s attention and prompts them to think and to get involved with the speech. Questions work extremely well because they take your audience members from passive spectators to active participants and that definitely raises the energy. Once you finish your planned opening, it is then fine to go back and thank the people who brought you there.

They lip-synch

I once had a CFO of a biotech company say, “Craig, we need you to coach us with our presentation. We already have the presentation, but we just need to know what to say.” That might seem confusing but I knew exactly what he meant. He meant that the company already had a slide presentation but they needed to know what to say between those slides. Once I worked with them, they came to realize that they had to look at their major points first and then determine if slides were even needed to reinforce them.

Most presenters who use slides simply verbalize the same points that are made on the slide. The key to understand is this; if you say the same thing as your slides, then one of you is not needed! You are doing the equivalent of lip-synching your presentation. The best time to use slides is for real visuals such as charts, graphs, and diagrams that help clarify what you say verbally.

They don’t master the essence of public speaking

Bill Gove, the first President of the National Speakers Association, once said that public speaking is being able to “tell a story and make a point.” That indeed is the essence of public speaking. If you want to become the kind of speaker others line up and sign up to see, then make an effort to master storytelling. People make decisions with their emotions backed up by logic. Stories reach those emotions and get people in a frame of mind to take action. When you become a master storyteller, you help other people see new stories unfold for their own lives. Like the old saying goes, “Facts tell and stories sell.”

If you avoid the 4 pitfalls that trap most speakers and you work on the suggestions above, you will find yourself far ahead of most of the people who ever stood up to say anything.

Craig Valentine is starting a brand new Coach Certification Program for Speakers and Entrepreneurs September 21 For the Full Story–> World Class Speaking Coach Certification Progran

Last weekend I was invited by Keith Ferrazzi, author of Who’s Got Your Back? to a private dinner with him and about 20 other successful entrepreneurs at the NSA Convention in Scottsdale, AZ.   Hosted at the Tuscany Restaurant at the Marriott this dinner was all about really connecting with others, something that is becoming less common in today’s rushed world.

Keith stood up before dinner and set the tone for authenticity, purpose and fun.  There were stimulating conversations on the trends in social media and even political discussions on how we got into this recession.

During this dinner and Keith’s presentation at NSA I really experienced on a deeper level how important it is to have key people in your life that you connect with on a very real level.  People who “have your back”.

Here are a few key points in his presentation.. But I encourage you to get his book — it is excellent. (Click here)

1) Relationships are the “secret sauce”,  the key to success in business and life.  Develop a small group of 3-4 key people (he calls this a lifeline group) who are really there for you for support, encouragement, feedback and accountability.  Take safe risks and stretch with these people.

2) There are 4 mindsets for cultivating deep and meaningful relationships:   1) Vulnerability  2) Generosity  3) Candor and 4) Accountability

If you think about each of these concepts you can see they chart towards more connected relationships that will ultimately combat the superficiality that often exists in today’s fast paced world.

3) These are not just principles, you need to “walk the talk”.  The thing that struck me about Keith that evening was that he doesn’t just write about relationships he builds them on a daily basis by giving, engaging and raising the bar on living a big and fulfilling life.

What can you do today to take you relationships to the next level? Who’s got your back?

Mitch Meyerson  is the Founder of Guerrilla Marketing Coaching and Author of 9 books

In this 3 minute video I will explain the guiding principles that allowed me to become the featured expert on the Oprah Winfrey Show and how you can use them to create bigger results in your life.

Click here to view the embedded video.

For more info on my books and programs visit:

www.MitchMeyerson.com

Commitment is the attribute that divides winners from losers, and keeps some people moving when others stop dead in their tracks. It is the characteristic that keeps successful people optimistic in the midst of crushing disappointments. It is the quality that allows champions to learn from their losses and move on. Commitment keeps victors energized when the newness wears off.

How do you recognize committed souls from others? Simple.

People who are committed keep their promises. They do what they say, long after the moment they said it in has passed.

People who are committed are in it for the long haul. They are willing to exchange short-term luxuries for a brighter future.

People who are committed have their eye on the finish line, but enjoy the ride there.

People who are committed demonstrate a minute-after-minute, day-after-day, month-after-month, and year-after-year attention to ensuring that “mundane” tasks are accomplished, because they know that excellence isn’t in the details, it is the details.

People who are committed don’t build walls, they learn how to surpass them.

Yet, while most businesspeople agree that commitment is an admirable trait, they may not know exactly what it means to put into action – especially as it relates to Internet marketing. If you don’t believe this, go online and take a look. You’ll find gobs of abandoned and/or poorly maintained websites and blogs all over the place. Then, consider how much time, energy, know-how, and money their owners wasted, because neglected websites and blogs do not generate income!

Unfortunately, this is and all-too-common fate for entrepreneurs – who by their very nature, are generally much more action-oriented than others. So, why do some many well-intentioned and intelligent small businesspeople lack the commitment needed to grow and maintain a profitable business? If you’re assuming that the answer to this question is that these folks lack solid work ethics, you couldn’t be more wrong. Rather, it’s usually just the opposite. That is, many entrepreneurs become paralyzed because they’re overworked, over committed, and overwhelmed!

For example:

They’re eager to take advantage of new opportunities, so say “yes” to more than they can handle.

They’re reluctant to delegate tasks to employees or outsource work because they’re convinced that their product or service quality will suffer – or it will cost them a fortune.
They grossly underestimated how much time and energy it would take them to run their businesses smoothly.

They fail to document key processes and systems, which makes it very difficult for them to train others to take over.

And the list goes on… Yet, even if you don’t identify with entrepreneurs who suffer from these, your plate is probably still full and you haven’t a clue where you’ll find the time to add more responsibilities to your burgeoning to-do lists. All of us have times when we want to shout, “Will somebody please help me?!”

That’s just the point. You can’t. And even if you think you can, you shouldn’t try. Yes, guerrillas accomplish many things using only their time, energy, and know-how, but they also know when and how to get help.

Are you a Guerrilla?

The preceding excerpt was from Guerrilla Marketing On The Internet by Jay Conrad Levinson, Mitch Meyerson and Mary Scarborough

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Become a Certified Guerrilla Marketing Coach.  Get the full story here:

Mitch Meyerson

Look at the first picture where the car traveling from right to left crashes through the guard rail

and turns 180 degrees over the ditch and lands facing the other way…

Now take a look at the full picture — all the way to the bottom!

Amazing…
Mitch

www.MitchMeyerson.com