Do you feel like sometimes your important information falls into the bottomless pit called your computer? 

Do you spend hours looking on SUDSOL for a project you want to make only to not be able to find it again a few days later when you are ready to use it?  

You might find that some or even all aspects of your computer filing system are unorganized.  Sifting through the chaos could seem like an insurmountable task, but it doesn’t have to be.

I’m not saying I can always put my hands on every piece of information in my computer at a moment’s notice.  I can say with certainty though that when I can’t, it’s because I didn’t take the time when I was downloading the files to properly sort and store them.  It all start with an organized file system.  Just like a cabinet file system, it has to be organized the way you look for information.  There are several ways to search for specific information so make sure whatever you do, it fits your way. 

Here’s the way I sort my scrapbooking photos, Stampin’ Up! documents and inspiration I have found while surfing the world wide web.

I’m a PC girl.  I use FireFox as my browser mainly.  In FireFox there are settings to help you get organized. Select Tool > Options.  In the general tab there is Download settings.   Here you can set a default save location or be asked each time.  I use a default file location of c:\temp\staging.

I have setup c:\temp folder as my temporary storage location.  Anything in there can be deleted at anytime.  C:\temp\staging is where I download files that need to be sorted, similar to a desktop inbox.

I have 4 main folders where I store and backup files: Documents, Downloads, Learning and Pictures.

Documents is where I store files that I have permission to share.  This includes Stampin’ Up! project downloads, pictures I took at leadership, class projects, etc.  It looks like this:

Documents (Backup Daily)
  –> SU
       –> Events
          –> Leadership2012
            –> Presentations
            –> Boards
            –> Decoration
            –> CD Album
          –> Convention2011           
      –> Class Resources
          –> classinaflash
            –> jan12-Create & Keep Simply Sent Kit
            –> dec11-Sweet Centers Card Treats
            –> nov11-Easy Events Stamp-a-Stack
          –> Upline Projects
          –> Misc
             –> Scrapbooks
             –> MDS Output
            –>  3D
            –>  Cards
      –> Templates
      –> Flyers

Downloads serves two purposes, a great place to download zip files and a library of inspiration but for personal use or case-ing.

Download (Backup Weekly)
–> SU
  –> Resources
   –> Stamping Success
   –> Flyers
  –> Software
  –> Projects
    –> Holidays
    –> Birthdays
    –> SUDSOL
 –> Fonts
 –> MyDigitalStudioDownloads
 –> SUDSOL

Pictures is where I store my personal pictures that I have taken outside of SU. 

Pictures (Backup Daily)
–> Backup
–> Travel
–> Events
–> People
–> Places/Things

My camera uploads pictures to the backup folder.  I resize and copy the picture to a different folder.

Learning is where I store training material that is personal use.

Learning (Backup Weekly)
–> Class
  –> Organization
  –> Photography
–> SU Audios

I hope that helps!  If you have any questions, leave a comment below and I’ll respond asap.

Too funny and very creative video. I’m still jealous or envious. I haven’t quite figure out how to do all the stuff in Adobe PhotoShop yet. But…I’m off to learn!

Fotoshop by Adobé from Jesse Rosten on Vimeo.

The projects in this planner are easy, fun and do not require candy to fill them. During the class show your customers how they can fill the Treat Cups with punched hearts, mini toys or even jewelry, like our Simply Adorned charms.  They won’t need to break the card to get to their goodies either.

MORE DETAILS

http://debbiemcneill.com/store/sweet-centers-card-treats/

I would like you to meet Barb Brimhall

Barb Brimhall from Vancouver, WA joined us as our Dynamic Demonstrator this month in my Stamping Updates Downline Newsletter (SUDL). We always ask our Dynamic Demonstrators to answer your burning questions about developing and growing their Stampin’ Up! business.

CPP: Do you have an example of what has worked for you lately?

[829c83">Barb Brimhall]:About 4 years ago I began surveying my customers to see what they wanted in terms of stamping opportunities.  As a result, I started offering more morning classes during the week.   These classes now fill quickly and they have cut down on the number of weekend events I do.   I love them!

In terms of sales, when Stampin’ Up! started offering a Clearance Rack on-line,  I made sure all of my customers understood how on-line ordering via my DBWS worked.    It was confusing for some, so I helped them set up their DBWS account while they were at my Studio stamping. (I now do this for every new customer who comes to my Studio.)   I went from an average of $50 a month in on-line sales to over $500, and many months I’m over $1,000.   I love my DBWS!

Barb Brimhall’s Easy Punch Pedestal

Images © 2011 Stampin’ Up!®    © 2008 CraftyPerson Production

WANT TO SHARE PROJECTS LIKE THIS TO YOUR DOWNLINE?
If you would like to connect with your downline on a regular bases consider my Downline Newsletter Monthly Service – SUDL Premier.  Also included in the newsletter:

   • Faux Wood Technique Video by Twosday’s Techniques
   • The Entrepreneurial Mindset
   • Stampin’ Up! Dates to Remember
   • Online Reccruiting Brochure
   • Creating Kits for Holiday Sales
   • Color Challenge
    and more…

More Details Here.

Happy New Year! Are you looking to focus on something new in your business or working on growing a particular aspect of it? The end of the year is a great time to check in and evaluate your business over the past 12 months as well as lay the ground work for new plans. It is one thing to have goals, but you need a plan in order to make it all happen.

When establishing the goals that you want to tackle in 2012, take some time to consider how to cut out the distractions that could interfere with making your business resolutions a reality. Wondering where to start? You can start by:

1. Make a list of all of the tasks that you do in order to run your business.

2. Once your list is complete, go through it and cross off the tasks that are not necessary for running your business. (When it doubt, go back to the goals that you have for your business and see if the task is needed to accomplish any of your goals.)

3. Next, go through and identify which tasks someone else can do.

4. Once you have identified those tasks, consider finding a way to outsource these tasks. Outsourcing will open up time and free up some mental energy that you can spend on the tasks that you really enjoy and that truly need YOUR attention. You will be amazed at what you can accomplish when you don’t have to do everything yourself.

Going through this process really streamlines your business and makes it that much more possible to accomplish the goals that you really want to accomplish. So consider streamlining your business to set yourself up for success in 2012. And with more time and energy on your side, the possibilities are endless!

Happy New Year to you, and best wishes for a prosperous and healthy 2012.

2012 is almost here! The New Year is a good time to look at new ways of doing business. But before you look forward, it is good to take a look back. Look at what areas of your business are most successful. Ask yourself questions about what is and isn’t working well for you. What classes get the best attendance? What new product lines do you want to feature?

We do this type of review for Class in a Flash twice a year, at Convention and at Leadership. We usually start out with a sinful dinner and then grab a couple cups of coffee while we look over our sales data and feedback we’ve received from you. Then we plan our future class planers and Club in a Flash projects based on that information. Sometimes we are really surprised by what we find! Some of the things we think will be most popular are and some aren’t. Sometimes the popularity of a planner will surprise us, like our 6 Ways to Watercolor class, which has quickly become one of our top sellers. What we’ve learned over the last four years (yes, we are celebrating 4 years this month!) is that if we take the time to look at what is working, we can make our services better for you. You can use the same type of review to make your business better for you and your customers.

What we look at:
1. What have we offered? We look at what types of classes we did in the last year and make a list. We list if they were card projects, scrapbooking, décor, Big Shot, etc.

==> You can do this by looking back through your schedule, calendar, newsletters, and/or blog entries to make a list of what classes and clubs you offered.

2. How successful or popular where those classes and Clubs? We pull sales reports and look at the financial side. (Amy’s least favorite part, thank goodness Debbie is so organized!) We also look at feedback we’ve received from you.

==> You can do this using your accounting software, bank statements, or by looking back over your calendar and email to see what type of response you received. Are your scrapbooking classes always full, but card classes need more attendance? Or do you fill-up your classes and need to add more to your calendar? Are certain clubs needing a facelift?

3. What should we offer going forward? Based on the sales data and feedback we start planning the types of classes we will offer. Since card classes are some of our most popular classes we plan more of those into our schedule. We also look at things like holidays or events such as National Scrapbooking Month and plan projects accordingly.

==> You can use the information about what works best for your schedule and your customers’ interests to make a plan for the year. If something is working really well do you want to add a second class or group? If something isn’t working, maybe it is time to change the format or replace it with something else. If a year seems too daunting try making a plan for 6 months first.

Once you know what is working for you and what isn’t then you can decide how you want to move forward. If card classes are really popular you may decide you want to add another one each month. If you haven’t done scrapbooking, maybe add it to your schedule. If your customers really like the techniques you teach at card classes maybe it is time to add a Technique Club. Maybe your schedule of classes is good, but you need to reduce the time you spend planning or have a better idea of what your classes will cost.

That is where we can help! Because we know that variety and options are good for business we have lots of class and club planners that will help you save time and sanity for 2012. Below is a list of resources from Class in a Flash for any type of class or club you want to offer.

• Scrapbooking Class/Club
o Scrapbooking Club – Volume 1
o Or visit our Clearance Bin for a variety of scrapbook projects you can re-create with current products: Year in Review, Always Accordion Album, Scrapbooking in the Box, Baby Scrapbook Album, and Brag Book.

• Card Class/Club
o Easy Events Stamp-a-Stack
o Mocha Monogram Purse Set
o Spotlight on Style
o and many more, some with 3-D items like purses and some that are only cards

• Technique Class/Club
o Technique Club (Volumes 1-4)
o Bow Boutique
o 7 Watercolor Wonders
o 6 Ways to Watercolor

• Décor & Gifts
o Sweet Centers Card Treats
o Handmade Holiday Gifts
o There are even more ideas for décor and gift projects in our Clearance Bin

• Big Shot
o Holiday Stocking Club
o More ideas for Big Shot projects in our Clearance Bin
o We’ve received a number of requests for a Big Shot Technique Club planner. Let us know if that is something you’d be interested in!

We hope that sharing our planning process will help you plan for a sane and successful 2012! Thank you for all your support for the last 4 years and the years to come!

With the approach of the new year, this is the perfect time for reflecting on this past year and to plan for 2012. What worked for you this year? What didn’t give you the results that you expected? What do you want to do for 2012?

As you think about your goals for the new year, you might find it useful to check out some of the resources that Stampin’ Up! has to help with goal setting. If you go to the Demonstrator Website, you can go to My Business/My Business Resources/Printing Place, you’ll find a few documents that you can use to get started. Under the “New Demonstrator” section of the Printing Place, there is a Goal Setting form as well as a basic Financial Goal Planning Worksheet. If you are looking for more detail with your financial goals, there is spreadsheet form that you can use under the “Business” section called Financial Planning Worksheet.

Once you have decided on your goals for 2012, Stampin’ Up! also has many resources to help you to reach those goals. Check out the Training section of the Demonstrator Website for video tutorials, workshop training, scrapbooking ideas, recruiting, and so much more. You can also utilize Stampin’ Connection and Stampin’ Success for more ideas, training, and support in making your business exactly what you want it to be in 2012.

Did you know that, every single year, getting organized makes the list of Top 10 New Year’s Resolutions?

So at the start of every January, millions of people around the world resolve that this year is the year that they will finally get organized and stay that way. But by the end of every January, many of those same people have already given up all hope of ever reaching their organizing goals.

This may even sound like a New Year’s Resolution in your own life! If it does, you are not alone.

There’s actually an important – yet little-known – reason for these failed organizing resolutions. The real reason lies in the fact that people try to achieve an organizing ideal, or what they believe organizing should be, instead of organizing their life according to their own rules.

In other words, it’s common for people to see these amazingly organized homes in magazines and on TV, and think: “That’s what I’ve got to do to be organized!”

And because everything seems so picture-perfect, that first thought is followed quickly by this one: “How am I going to pull THAT off?”

Well, I’ve got FABULOUS NEWS for you! You don’t have to “pull THAT off.”

Let me introduce you to my friend Carmen Coker, who is an award-winning professional organizer and productivity expert. She has uncovered four unique organizing personalities, and by understanding your distinctive organizing personality, you can create long-lasting systems to support your best life. (Which is much better than copying systems that look good in glossy magazines but don’t work for you in the end!)

That’s why I’m happy to announce her brand system:

“21-Day Clutter Cleanse: Purify Your Space and Your Life” 

And if you ACT NOW, you will get a fast-action savings of $50 OFF regular price – but only for a limited time!

Find out your Organizational Personality by watching Carmen’s FREE Videos.  Don’t wait any longer – your total transformation (and the “21-Day Clutter Cleanse”) is set to begin very soon.

Go to: http://www.craftyperson.com/ClutterSpecialOffer.htm

Let me know if you decide to join me on this adventure by leaving a comment below.  We can share and support each other through the 21-days!

To your clutter-free life!

Debbie

PS. How do you want your life to be in 6 months, 12 months, 2 years, 5 years, even 10 years from now? I know you don’t want to be exactly where you are now, stuck in a frustrating clutter rut. You want to be living life to its fullest! The time is now, YOUR TIME IS NOW…  Take an opportunity to watch Carmen’s FREE videos, you have nothing to lose except clutter.

On my flight back home from Germany, I watched “It’s a Wonderful Life,” starring Jimmy Stewart. It’s the ultimate feel-good movie, perfect for anyone who’s ever wondered if their life holds meaning. It was just what I needed.

Here’s the lowdown: George Bailey, played by Stewart, is on the verge of collapse. His small company is on the verge of bankruptcy. George decides his family and business would be better off without him. On the brink of suicide, he’s saved by a fledgling angel, Clarence.

The angel shows George what his life would be like if he’d never existed. By seeing all the people he’s touched, George realizes that he has created a strong network of love and support – he’s created a tribe. And it’s this tribe that pulls together at the end of the movie to give back to George, helping him out.

The lesson to me was that your tribe can, quite literally, save your life. You should be building not only a viable business, but a community – one that supports and cares for each other. If you’re just out to make a buck, don’t be surprised if no one lend you a helping hand when things go bad. And they will go bad.

But if you have friends like George’s, you’ll have a whole team of folks on your side. But one thing to remember: George had friends he’d created just by being a good guy, doing the right thing at the right time, not worrying about what was in it for him. He stood up for what was right and shook hand after hand, even when it cost him personally. In the current world of technology, automating Twitter feeds, spam and networking for the sake of networking, it was good for me to be reminded of connecting the old fashioned way: By caring.

Some business techniques never go out of style.

Find out More about This Fabulous Movie

Share the fun and creativity of our Treat Cups with your customers. These cards are designed so they have the perfect one for the special guys, children, and girlfriends in their lives. During the class show your customers how they can fill the Treat Cups with small candy, punched hearts, mini toys or even jewelry, like our Simply Adorned charms. They’ll have a great time exploring all the fun ways to fill the Treat Cups to create simple treats or special gifts! And we have a BONUS Treat Cup Tutorial.

VISIT OUR STORE AND GET PLANNING FOR YOUR JANUARY CLASSES
http://debbiemcneill.com/store/sweet-centers-card-treats/ 

I just read a fascinating article published by 60 Second Marketer via their weekly newsletter.  It was published by Jamie Turner, Co-Author of How to Make Money with Social Media.  Here is the stats that Jamie sent based on Roper’s syndicated consumer research.

Roper’s asked 2,000 adults age 18+ “What things are most important to you in your purchase decisions?” 

1. Past experience with the brand: 83%

2. How quality compares to other brands: 63%

3. Reasonably-priced: 56%

4. Personal recommendation of others: 48%

5. Manufacturer’s reputation for quality: 46%

6. Well-known/Well-advertised: 21%

7. How rated in Consumer Reports: 15%

8. Manufacturer’s efforts to cut pollution: 8%

9. Manufacturer’s trade policies: 5%

10. How manufacturer deals with unions: 5%

Did you notice price was #3, not #1?   I really like Jamie’s approach to how to apply this research.  You can read about it here: http://conta.cc/pVZbo7

p.s. This article enticed me to finally purchase his book How to Make Money with Social Media via my handy-dandy Kindle. 

Are you using Twitter to Promote yourself and your business? There are plenty of good tools available out in www land that i wanted to share with you. And best of all, many of these tools are free.Here are two free tools you can use to help build your online business.

1. TwitterMail – Use Email to Post TweetsTwitterMail is especially useful for people who have phones that can send email, but don’t have an app for Twitter.Basically, TwitterMail allows you to send an email to post to your Twitter account. You can specify when it’ll be posted (e.g. four hours from now). I find sometimes opening the Twitter Mobile to send a quick tweet on my phone not with the effort.This can also be a very useful tool for posting to Twitter from an HTML form, a PHP script or any other email generated on your server. It’s much simpler than learning the Twitter API.==> http://twittermail.com2. Retweet Rank – How Many Retweets Are You Getting?When you send out a tweet, how many people in turn tweet that out to their friends? How does your “retweet-power” measure against other Twitter users?Retweet Rank can tell you. You don’t need an account; all you need to do is go to their site and type in your username.==> http://retweetrank.comThese are a few free yet useful tools available to online entrepreneurs that i have seen. Have you used either of them? Why not give them a try today?

Facebook has become a very popular way for people to interact with one another on the Internet. In fact, Facebook has in many ways replaced some of the traditional means of Internet communication. Some of my friends now use Facebook’s messaging system much more often than they use their traditional email accounts.  I know when I’m away from the office, I can check my Facebook Messages easily and do.

Many of my customers log into Facebook every single day, so if their friends are already Facebook members, it’s easier to send messages from within Facebook than to go to another web service like Yahoo mail or Google mail just to send a quick message. Most people also like to maintain only a single contact list or address book, and since Facebook does this for them automatically, it becomes very easy to send messages directly from Facebook.  I was pleasantly surprised that I had all my Facebook friends in my iPad and Android phone contact lists without having to do a thing.

You can use Facebook messages to strengthen the relationships you have with your customers. For example, by offering your customers the option of contacting you on Facebook for customer service issues or questions they may have, you do so in an environment that they are already comfortable in, and spend lots of time using – Facebook.  But for me, the most convenient part of using Facebook messaging is that each time you become a friend of a business contact (or potential business contact), or they link themselves to your business Page, you immediately have a way of contacting them directly. There’s no need to take the extra step of asking for an email address.

So you may be asking, how do I send a Facebook Message?

To create a message, click the “Messages” Link that’s near the upper left hand corner of your main Facebook page, and then click the “New Message” button that’s in the upper right hand corner of the screen. You’ll then be asked to enter the recipient’s name (or list of recipients), the message, and you can also attach a photo, video clip, or link that’s related to your message.  If you are interested in how to maintain your list, take a look at this help category.

Here’s how I feel about using Facebook Messages for business mailings. Be sure that you are not overwhelming your customers and prospects. I rarely send out group emails in Facebook as my “friends” and “fans” have not given me permission to do so on a regular basis.  This is a gray line that I’m not willing to cross as it is very easy for someone to disable all the messages you send (effectively blacklisting you), which could make it very difficult to get into contact with them when you have information that impacts them directly.

If you strive to balance your desire to expand your business with your customers’ desire to not feel like they’re being “spammed”, then Facebook Messages can be an effective and convenient part of your business’ promotional strategy.

Want to learn more?  Join my How to Use Facebook for Your Business Course – going on now!

http://debbiemcneill.com/store/?p=1239

The holiday season can be a stressful one for your customers. They have a lot to get done and toy with the idea of making their own holiday or Christmas cards, but then they never quite get around to it. You can help them by getting them to start thinking about holiday cards now.

Starting September 1st, your customers will have holiday selections from both the 2011-2012 Idea Book & Catalog as well as the brand new Holiday Mini Catalog. Getting your customers to start thinking about making their own holiday or Christmas cards will open up new ways for you to provide customer service.

Here are some suggestions:

* Offer personal design appointments or card design workshops.
This will give you a chance to help your customers to make a decision on a design and assist them with choosing a color combination. You can help to simplify a complicated project that they like or to step up a simpler project. Helping them with their designs not only gives them a concrete project to work on, but it also reinforces your expertise as a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator. They learn that they can come to you for guidance on future projects.

*Provide a card stock cutting service.
Once your customers have their design and order their supplies for their holiday cards, have the order delivered to your house so that you can cut their card stock for them. When they get their order from you, all they will have to do is stamp, assemble, and embellish and that will make it that much easier for your customers to complete their cards.

*Offer Open Stamp Nights.
Another road block for customers is actually having time to stamp their cards once they have a design. Help them to avoid last-minute stamping by offering Open Stamp Nights. Everyone brings their own supplies to make their cards and they have time to stamp their cards and socialize.

The holidays offer wonderful opportunities to serve your customers and build your business, so consider trying one of these ideas and add another +one to your business this holiday season.

I have had the pleasure of working with one of the top copywriters around today, Lisa Manyon of Write On ~ Creative Writing Services, LLC. I am awed by her talent to write excellent, engaging copy. What I have learned from Lisa is that writing powerful, high-converting copy means understanding exactly how to trigger just the right emotions to induce someone to want to buy your product. She has taught me that what will really make the difference is learning to write emotionally to the prospect, rather than just logically.

You maybe asking, Debbie, what is copywriting? It’s the language that you use to entice prospects to buy or engage with you in one manner or the other. We all want that right? This is a skill that you should be working on all the time. So how can you learn to trigger the right emotions in your readers? Here are a few effective strategies that I have learned from Lisa Manyon.

=> Relate to the Problem

If you’re going to help them, they first need to know that you understand the pain they’re going through. Unless they really feel that you “get” them, they probably won’t believe that whatever solution you have will really work.

Describe the problem in detail. Describe it with emotional words. Stories can often make a huge difference. Tell your own story of experiencing the problem first hand, or tell someone else’s story in detail.

The more they feel like you “get” them, the more they’ll trust you. Also, the more you can get them to relive the pain as they read your sales letter, the more powerful their desire for a solution.

For example: “You may be thinking that you can’t make a card like this on your own. That’s what I thought too, until I realized there are quick cards that you can make that have a real impact. I used to worry about my cards not being perfect but then I gave my first card to my Grandma for her birthday. I was overjoyed when I heard her say “You made this card with your own hands for me? I feel so special, thank you. I’ll treasure it for ever”? I continue to receive the like responses over and over.”

=> Pile On Hard-to-Refute Proof

It’s not the big claims and benefits that get someone excited. In a really powerful piece of copy, it’s actually the proof that really gets people’s imagination running.

You could tell someone that they’ll lose twenty pounds with your system, but more likely than not they’ll just gloss over your claim. It’s only when you start piling on scientific studies, real world results and other proof elements that people really start to believe it’s possible.

The real skill in demonstrating a product in copy form comes in getting someone to believe that you can really follow through on your claim. Do this by piling proof on top of proof on top of proof.

When you get to the point where the reader can’t refute your claim anymore, both consciously and subconsciously, then you’ve won the sale.

For example: we can easily show proof that making simple, personalized, handmade cards in volume is cheaper than buying cards at the local store. Most of the cards I make are under $1.00 consumable products. Compare that to $4 cards at the store and the cost of gas to go to the store each time.

=> Master Urgency Techniques

The call to action is one of the most important aspects of your copy. It’s what pushes someone over the line, from being excited about a product to actually being a customer of a product.

What’s the secret to a powerful call to action? Urgency.

If you can get someone to believe that they can’t act later, but have to actually physically pull out their credit card now, then your call to action has done its job.

Two of the most powerful techniques to do this are the time-sensitive offer and the limited amount offer. Either one of these two techniques has been proven again and again to yield high conversions.

For example: “I only have 3 seats left for next week’s class. This class has been very popular and I would love to see you join us so sign-up today at xxxxxx.”

These are three effective copywriting techniques that have been used by master copywriter, Lisa Manyon. Relate to their problems emotionally, pile on the proof, and make sure you end with a bang by instilling a driving sense of urgency.

Thinking about making resolutions – STOP.  I’ve given up on making resolutions for New Years.  Don’t get me wrong, I make plans and goals but not resolutions.  I just read a wonderful article that I wanted to share with you about getting results – not resolutions. MORE DETAILS – http://bit.ly/dR5lEW

Author: Heidi Alexandra Pollard

Good leaders are great communicators who build trust consistently over time. A leader with poor leadership communication will find leading far more challenging than a great communicator. Respect and confidence on the part of staff, executive teams, members or a board will be much harder to earn.

But even good leaders can blow it with one stupid comment, a slip of the tongue or a poor performance in a media interview.

The following common communication mistakes damage leaders trust accounts quicker than you can say pickle relish. Reflect on when you may have been guilty of these communication sins:

1. Meaning what you say – this is probably the worst communication error that you can make as a leader. Authenticity is a key to long term leadership success and if you go all polyester with people they will read through it in a flash. Reading a script that you, or someone else prepared, without thinking about what you are saying is a sure fire blooper. Reading in the script that you have been reflecting on a certain topic or issue without pausing to reflect while describing the scenario, or share a personal anecdote about what it brought up for you, could kill your credibility. Staying in the moment – being truly present – and thinking about what you are saying is critical to maintaining credibility and the attention of your audience. People can tell when you are reading and they can certainly tell when a presentation is mindless and not heartfelt.

2. Underestimating your audience – never assume you know more than your audience or understand their individual situation. Making sweeping statements such as “I know exactly how you feel”, or “what you need to understand is…,” or “it was outside our control,” can alienate people and make them feel as though you are talking down to them. Most audiences will hear this as you not listening, or not really understanding their situation. The same response often follows statements like “This is just what you need.” Even if the statement is true it probably won’t works in today’s society of sceptics. You can let yourself down in an instant if you fail to take your audience seriously.

3. Using waffle words – using empty nothingness words that lack specificity whether it be the details, direction or meaning, can be a sure path to disaster. This common mistake can make you appear to either not know your content, be all hot air and no substance or worse to appear like many people say politicians do, dodging the real issues using smoke and mirrors and saying a whole lot of nothing. When leaders fail to communicate with specificity, and use waffle words, people can feel left in the dark or like they are being set up to fail. This can cause uncertainty, distrust and resentment. Communicating clearly, in plain, unambiguous language with specificity will build trust and provide people all the information they need to be successful.

4. Wooden delivery - body language communicates vast amounts of meaning, more than the actual words you are speaking. As a leader you must be conscious at all times of the signals you are broadcasting. There is nothing more damaging than you sending out body signals that are at odds with the message you wish to communicate or that convey nothing at all. Since people will make our decisions primarily on what they see rather than what they hear it is critical that you understand the meanings of your postures, gestures and facial expressions. Taking the time to master leadership communication skills such as direct eye contact will go a long way to establishing credibility, connection and building rapport.

5. Lack of connection on an emotional level - thinking that professional means impersonal is a mistake leaders often make. People form opinions and make decisions based on their emotions first before they rationalise them intellectually, an inability to relate can potentially damage your reputation and business. Being real about how you feel personally about something however will allow people to connect with you on a deeper level. Communication played a key role in the success of the President Barack Obama. Described as the ‘Communicator in Chief’, he connected with and inspired millions of Americans during his Presidential campaign. His performance as an orator and use of body language and conversational natural communication style enabled him to connect deeply with people.

6. Care factor zero – another big trust buster leader’s use is inadvertently demonstrating a care factor of zero. A recent bank campaign ran the insensitive theme “We live in your world,” during a time when many people were struggling with growing home mortgages, small business loans and credit cards. Similarly in a communiqué to frequent flyer members of an Aussie airline, announcing the reintroduction of flights after they had been grounded following an engine explosion, the CEO used primarily self focused language all about “I” and “us” (the company) and nothing about “you” the reader. Review many corporate websites with two coloured highlighter pens, one colour for language about the company, one for language about the reader, and see where the emphasis and focus wrongly lies.

When you look back on your conversations and communication style what kind of impression have you been leaving? If you are not thoughtful about your conversations and communication you could be getting yourself tongue tied and twisted and end up wreaking havoc on your leadership reputation.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/leadership-articles/tongue-tied-and-twisted-common-communication-mistakes-leaders-make-3776362.html

About the Author

Do you have the self-assured confidence and communication understanding that achieves outstanding leadership results? As a leader, is it important for you to be able to transform information into knowledge and motivate your people into action? As a leadership and communication coach and trainer, Heidi specializes in helping leaders, presenters and entrepreneurs reach the top of their game and become stronger communicators known for achieving results. Interested in learning more? Contact Leading Value at admin@leadingvalue.net or visit us at www.leadingvalue.net

When it comes to promoting a product or promotion there are definitely tools and tactics that work best. Much of the success of these tools will depend on when in the promotion cycle they’re implemented, the type of product and of course your target audience.

Earlier this month, I received an email from a fellow demonstrator.  I had never opted in to receive information from her so  I’m presuming she has me in her address book and just blanketedly sent out an email. The email was to promote the SAB. The email subject line was SAB and the email message said…here is the SAB catalog (as an attachment), let me know if you have questions.  What do you think?  Is this the proper way to promote the SAB promotion?

Assuming you’re marketing to an opt-in list, here are a few suggestions I have to make this product promotion better.

Make sure your content is valuable and beneficial

Email communications, like ezines and newsletters, are meant to be informative first and promotional second. That doesn’t mean you can’t promote in them, but it’s important to keep it to a minimum. A general rule of thumb, and this is by no means a hard and fast rule, is to make sure at least 80% of your content is valuable and informative.

How to articles, reviews, case studies and so on are great ways to provide value to your opt-in list. The other 20% can be promotional content. This can be an advertisement, links within your content, promotional message at the bottom of your content and so on.

One excellent strategy to provide 100% valuable content to your audience without any hard sell is to provide a review of one of the products in the SAB brochure. Reviews, particularly if they’re written in an unbiased tone, give your reader insight to a product. A well-written review will summarize the product’s purpose, highlight the strong points, perhaps tell a story about your experience with the product and then list a drawback or two.  Take it a step further and provide interesting facts about how they can use the new product to better their life or someone else’s life.  Give them a little teaser so they feel excited about learning more.

Time your promotions properly

While your opt-in list expects and accepts that you will be promoting your business products and services, they don’t want to be inundated with promotions all the time. Time your promotional content right so that it coincides with launches, special promotions and even the holidays.

Sending the SAB catalog in December is not the right time to promote the catalog.  If fact, I’m not even sure it follows Stampin’ Up! policies.  You want to sell products in the current product for the holidays. Your customers can’t buy from the catalog so what’s the point really.  It’s like showing candy to a child and saying next month you can have this.  YIKES!

What is an action a customer can take in December for SAB?  They can sign-up to host a workshop.  So plan your promotion on providing clear information about how to do that and why.  Give them teasers only with the carrot being the SAB Brochure.  Let them know that if they sign-up to have a workshop in January they will be the first to see and show their friends the new clear mount stamps.

Clear actions

Our customers are short on time so tell them exactly what it is you want them to do. I’ve heard that demonstrators don’t want to be pushy.  Sending the SAB catalog and saying contact me if you have questions is not really helpful either, is it? At least offer your email address and/or phone number by saying something like “You will be amazed at what our Sale-A-Bration promotion has in store for you in January.  Schedule your workshops today by contacting me at xxxx and give me a few dates that work for you“.

Your subscribers have come to expect the best from you, and product promotions are going to be held up to the same high standards. Treat them with respect, continually offer value and time your promotions well, and you’ll be on the road to more profits and a growing subscriber list. If you need help, take a look at my Newsletter Service Offering at http://newsletters.craftyperson.com.

I just read an excellent article by Heidi Alexandra Pollard in Star Lee Magazine that I wanted to share with you. The magazine is an all-time favorite of mine to read on Sundays. When I started my Stampin’ Up! business some 5 years ago, I really treated it like a hobby even though I was telling myself I wasn’t.  I’ve learned from the school of hard knocks and reading lots of business journals and finally got myself organized and ready to take on the day-to-day challenges from working at home. The first challenge was overcoming the idea of working from home. At first, I had no real concept of what it really took and I failed miserably.  Through practice and helpful articles like this one, I’ve learned to be consistent with my business hours and it has paid off.  So I highly recommend reading this article by my fellow mastermind member, Heidi.  It’s exactly what you need to think about for your home-based business.

READ ON…..

Newsletters are an excellent communication tool for any business owner, but especially for a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator. They help communicate your image, connect with customers and prospects on a different level, provide value to readers, and communicate any promotions and product offerings – keeping customers up to date. My mentor, Ali Brown, once said

“It’s not your customers responsibility to keep up with your business”.

And that is so true.
Here’s how to create a newsletter to build your business:

Step 1. Decide frequency. How often do you want to publish your newsletter? Remember each issue involves a few hours of preparation including creating the content. Establish a schedule you know you can keep up with. It is always easier to add supplemental issues or increase the frequency however decreasing the frequency can give a poor impression. Monthly, quarterly, weekly are all options. I offer a weekly and monthly newsletter to my customers. The monthly newsletter is the DBWS newsletter, but most of my subscribers select the weekly newsletter as that one has more content. I found that my open and click-thru rates increased when I went to a consistent weekly schedule.

Step 2. Email/print? How are you going to distribute your newsletter? There are benefits to both. Email is very cost effective and instantaneous. Print is nice because it gives something tangible for customers to hold onto.

Step 3. Email Publishing Services. If you’re going to email your newsletter, consider paying for an email publishing service. There are many available online. You can find my recommendations here. They offer newsletter templates, enable you to design the newsletter yourself, and manage the list subscriptions, unsubscribes, track your opens and click-thrus and enable you to create many newsletters at once and schedule them in advance. The price for services vary however many base their prices on the number of subscribers. See I Recommend links for my favorites.

Step 4. Sign-up Box. If offering an email newsletter, don’t forget to add a signup form on your website. This not only increases traffic and visitor value, it helps build a list of contacts and customers.

Step 5. Advertise. Let people know about your newsletter. Include a link to your subscription form in all email communications, signatures, and even consider adding it to your business card, brochure, and other marketing materials.

Step 6. What is it About? What is your newsletter going to be about? Now it’s time to get down to business. What are you going to include in your newsletter? Some newsletters have a single article and a promotion. Some newsletters have just one sample, once a week. Others have 3-5 articles and an equal amount of promotional content. My rule of thumb is to have a newsletter contain 80% informational content and 20% promotional content on average. Think about what are your articles are going to be about? Will you write them or will you hire a writer? Consider what types of content will add value to your readers. What questions or problems do they have? For instance, my SUN membership includes a Q&A article once a month that can be posted to your blog as well. Take a look at newsletters you like and consider why you like them. I have a few samples on my website.

Step 7. Graphics. Graphics are an excellent way to make a newsletter visually interesting. Options include adding a logo or a header from My Digital Studio to each newsletter as well as including card samples, graphics, and even personal photos within the newsletter. Your DBWS is a great source of photos if you don’t have time to include your own. Class in a Flash membership offers several photos.

Newsletters are an excellent tool to both market to and connect with your customers and prospects on a regular basis. The key to a newsletter that works is to first focus on providing quality content on a regular basis. I would appreciate the opportunity to help you get your newsletter started. Feel free to ask questions or review my newsletter service that can be found at http://newsletters.craftyperson.com.

Have questions? Feel free to leave me a comment below.

MARKETING TIP:  Add this signature line to every email that you send out, whether personal or business related. The more exposure that you have, the better it is for your business.   Find out how: http://debbiemcneill.com/store/?p=869

Millionaire Protege Club Member, Phil Dyer, is giving a FREE call August 31st.  I know anything Phil is involved in will be great so I highly recommend signing-up for this complimentary training.  If you’re ready to take your Stampin’ Up! business to the next level, break out and develop the business that supports your ideal lifestyle, then this call is for you. Join leading entrepreneur mentors Larry Broughton and Phil Dyer for this 90-minute teaching call, 7 Breakthrough Strategies for Exceptional Entrepreneurs.  Sign-Up Here => http://bit.ly/8ZVeG5

Do You Get Support for Your Business From Those You Love?  Great Teleseminar coming up.  Find out More http://bit.ly/d0MNUy