Best Selling Author BluePrint Update

You'll notice this is my second post today - which hardly ever happens, but this is critical, I think.

For those of you that have visited my youtube video entry for the bethenextbestsellingauthor.com competition, thank you so much.

For those of you that didn't. there's still a little bit of time left!

The reason I'm throwing that last-minute plug in there is because the deadline for entries is tomorrow. The competition ends, and Mark Joyner's latest addition to the Simpleology family goes live tomorrow night.

But here's what makes it so important:
If you've ever wanted to get an insider's track on being a best-selling author, Mark's new Simpleology Bestseller Blueprint is amazing in ways I can't begin to describe. But you can learn all about it in more detail with the FREE teleseminar prep-school he's hosting tomorrow night before the product launch.

I've already signed up for my slot. I hope you'll join me.

Why am I shamelessly promoting a program about becoming an author? Simple. Being recognized as a best-selling author establishes credibility faster than you can say supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

And Mark's blueprint is exactly that. He's taken the best advice from people who've done it and condensed it into a step-by-step plan to take you from zero to bestseller in true simpleology style.

He's also promised a ton of early bird freebies and bonuses for people who purchase with in the first 2 hours of launch (I'm also offering a special rebate for my subscribers).

But more important than the product is this teleseminar. Mark's hooked up with Frank Rumbauskas - the best selling author of Never Cold Call Again: Achieve Sales Greatness Without Cold Calling, and Dr. Joe Vitale, aka Mr. Fire. Both of these guys are going to reveal some incredible insights into what it takes to crack the best seller code.

This is the actual blurb from Mark's sign-up page:
Gain exclusive access to a document we have created called "Codename NYT-Shade." The formula for calculating who ends up on the New York Times best-seller list is even more protected than the formula for Coca-Cola. We recently gained access to some information that will allow you to crack this code in a fiendishly simple way. We obviously can't tell you what this is here, but you will gain exclusive access to this document just for showing up on the webcast. You will not find this information anywhere else, and it is not for sale anywhere at any price.

But the very "bestest" gift Mark has offered isn't even listed on the signup page - I didn't find out about it until I signed up. He's giving away a free copy ofMindControlMarketing.com: How Everyday People are Using Forbidden Mind Control Psychology and Ruthless Military Tactics to Make Millions Online in e-book form.

For those of you that aren't familiar with this book. It's a rare find. I think Amazon has a copy right now for a little over $100. It's out of print and a powerful addition to your network marketing arsenal - if you can get your hands on it. And Mark just made it a million times easier.

Fly, don't run, to the page and get signed up for the training call if there is any possible way for you to make it. I hope to hear you there.

And as for my special offer? How about a cool, crisp $100 bill? When you purchase the Simpleology Bestseller Blueprint from this link, I will personally send you $100 as a thank you (or you can get a free copy of Home Party Solution, your choice).

That's how important I think this is.

10 Things Every New Network Marketer Should Do

Regardless of your company, your product, your location or your ability as a salesperson, there are a few things that every network marketer should be doing. Since some marketers are beyond help - because they still believe the old school methods are the best and only way to go, I'm addressing this to newbies in direct sales/mlm/network marketing, because you're the most likely to take advantage of it, and make it soar.

In no particular order they are:

1. Know your contract - simply knowing what you can and can't do as a distributor can make you infinitely more successful.
2. Get your own personal website I strongly encourage a ".com" domain like lisamrobbin.com
3. Get your own blog - not sure what to write about? Check out Seth Godin's blog traffic article. It will completely confound you and educate you at the same time.
4. Keep a separate business bank account. Don't co-mingle funds. It makes for easier bookkeeping, and it makes it easier to give yourself a paycheck consistently.
5. Promote yourself first. You are the most important product your company has to offer. Everything I write about hinges on that fact. People want to know about you, THEN everything else. If they don't know, like or trust you, the party's over before it started.
6. Get product knowledge. Know your top ten products in detail. Know how they work for the end user. Understand each product from your client's point of view. The more you know, the better you'll be able to help your clients make an affirmative buying decision.
7. Get sales and marketing knowledge. Learn the techniques and words to say that will increase your business, close more sales, and make you more successful.
8. Get personal knowledge. Learn the techniques, skills and abilities to overcome your obstacles. Know what makes you tick and keep improving it on a daily basis.
9. Open your mouth. This is not about the 3 foot rule. This is about letting people know about what you're all about. You should have a 30-second commercial or "elevator speech" ready at a moments notice. But more importantly, you should be sharing how much you enjoy what you do with others. Don't keep it a secret. Don't hide it under a bushel. Of course, if network marketing is a drudge and you hate it, quit now while you're only out the cost of your starter kit.
10. Be remarkable. In life, love, work, or play. With family, friends, customers, leaders, strangers and everywhere you go, find a way to be true to yourself in a way that makes others take notice. An unremarkable marketer is around every corner. There are thousands of them in every mlm company. What are you doing to be memorable, remarkable and unique? You don't have to wear a "bozo" wig and a clown nose. But you do need to find a way to connect to people that is genuine, honest, and memorable - in a good way.

This list could have been 7 or 15 items long, but top tens seem to be the "in" think right now. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the matter. What would you add? Subtract? Post a comment!

$24,000 Per Hour: A Word from the Waitstaff

I have a long-time friend named Isaac. He and I have been like siblings - in a good way - since we were young (which is centuries ago, if you ask my kids). He's living and working in New York now, trying hard to break into Opera (his voice is like buddah!), and in the meantime, he's doing what most performers in New York do: waiting tables and rubbing elbows with the rich and famous.

Well, Isaac came home to Flint-town last week, and that's one of the reasons why I've posted this so late. Usually, my "real life marketing" stories are my own, but this one was SO good, I needed to share it with you.

I have a confession to make: I am (or was) an ignorant and lousy tipper.

In my defense, I really didn't know I was a lousy tipper, and I have been trying to fix that ever since Isaac schooled me on tipping ettiquette.

A little backstory: When I was a kid 10% was the norm. My mom painstakingly calculated 10% to the penny. And if the server provided horrible service, she usually left a penny "so that they know they weren't forgotten".

So growing up, that was my example. Even then, I thought that was a little harsh, so I always left at least a dollar (even when my order was less than $5), and rounded up to the nearest fifty cents so I didn't look like a penny pincher.

I really thought I was doing good. Then I heard about how BADLY wait staff are paid. They can legally make less than minimum wage - many only make $2.50 per hour. The bulk of their pay is their tips. To make things more complex, some restaurants require tip-sharing, so your superstar server is getting "pulled down" by the not-so-stellar performers. Talk about complicated.

So I boycotted dining out. I thought it was unfair and cruel to treat people that worked so hard that way.

Then I realized I hate doing dishes, and figured there had to be a better way, and I made a new plan: Start the tip at 10% and go up or down from there depending on the level of service.

I based this "brainstorm" on the idea that most establishments now have a sign that requires a 15% gratuity on parties of 8 or more. Heck, if they're only charging 15% for big groups, I shouldn't have to shell out more than that since it's only me.

My friend Isaac schooled me good. He said that 20% is customary these days, and TIP doesn't stand for "to insure promptness" anymore. That 15% obligatory gratuity comes from some of the federal taxing rules that certain restaurants must obey based on the typical amount of a dinner bill. These folks are taxed based on what their tips SHOULD be - whether or not they actually earn them.

Something in that reeks of unfairness, but who am I to argue with the feds?

Anyway, after I got my lesson on tipping, I asked him the most important thing he's learned as a server. He said "Never EVER pre-judge your guests. Treat them all like they are a celebrity - the celebrities, too." And Isaac serves some high profile faces on a regular basis on Long Island.

Sometimes the really wealthy are jerks, and sometimes they are the nicest people in the world - just like everybody else. If you treat them all like they are the most important person in your world, you'll be miles ahead.

He recounted a story of a frequent diner who brought his daughter in for her birthday. Knowing that Isaac has an incredible voice, he beckoned for him to sing a birthday melody just for her. Isaac obliged, and, reaching past his titanium AmEx, the man offered Isaac a cool, crisp Benjamin for the 12-second ditty.

That works out to more than $24000 per hour! Nice work if you can get it. That diner returns frequently and almost always sits in Isaac's area - and the $100 tips keep coming. They've developed a nice "working relationship" and a level of repeat business based on exemplary service.

According to Isaac, sometimes he's a nice guy and sometimes he's a real "poophead".
That's not the word Isaac used, but this is a family show.

Having rubbed elbows with the likes of L.L. Cool J on more than one occasion, Isaac is quick to point out that some celebrities are really bad tippers, and your local yokels can downright spoil a server with all that big tipping.

The lesson? How are you treating your customers? Who are your VIP's? How do they know that they are special to you? What are you doing to encourage their repeat business.

You may not be a fantastic singer like Isaac, but what extra services are you providing for your clients? Are they just another dime in your piggy bank, or are you finding creative ways to be more valuable to them?

For those of you that think you shouldn't have to put on a dog and pony show to gain your client's favor, think again.

Remember when I said "be friendly"? Think about your friends. Which of your clients would you consider a friend? If you don't have a list of at least 10, you've got a LOT of work to do.

Take out your list of top 20 clients. If they ALL aren't considered friends, you've got a HECK of a LOT of work to do.

Jeffrey Gitomer said, "all thing being equal, people prefer to do business with their friends. All things not being equal, people still prefer to do business with their friends."

You do things for your friends you might not do for others. Isaac's birthday song was just another "value added" moment in his client relationship. He values the customer that he's willing to do a little extra something for him. And in return, he is handsomely rewarded.

Get the picture? Isaac does. And he's got the Benjamins to prove it.

You, too, can Be The Next Best Selling Author

I'm hooked on Mark Joyner. His marketing, his approach to building client relationships, and the fact that he's gonna make me the next best selling author in the world.

Okay, well, almost.

It's YOU that will make me the next best selling author in the world.
Between now and February 26, I need you to go to my video entry for the bethenextbestsellingauthor.com competition and watch my video.

Mark Joyner, the braniac behind Simpleology.com, asked us to compose a short (2 minutes or less) video with our own original content (writing) that talks about either the funniest moment in our life, or the most life changing moment in our life.

Yeah, that sounds redundant to me, too, but that's how he worded it.

There will be three winners. One from each of those categories, and then the most viewed video - regardless of entry theme.

So I'm going for the sure thing. Please watch my video and vote for it, leave a comment, or generally tell me how you feel about the content. This is my FIRST public video editing project, so if it's lousy, be nice. I also wrote the music, which you can find on my Child of God CD (now available on i-tunes, can you dig it?).

I'll post the video below if you're in a hurry, but if you'll go leave comments at YouTube, I'd really appreciate it. And if you want to post your own video and become the next best selling author, go for it - the world can never have enough authors. The more we read, the more we learn. The more we learn, the more we earn.

What is my most life changing moment? This is some soul bearing stuff here. I invite you to take a look.

Put Your Sweats On First

Many of you know I have a little child that is almost 2. I say little child not to be diminutive, but in reference to God's command to suffer the little children. Sometimes I think he suffers me a lot more than I suffer him. Frankly, Liam is very wise for being almost 2.

Take today for example. I put him in his socks and shoes, because sometimes he likes to run around before he gets dressed. And well, I don't want him to hurt his feet, so on with the socks and shoes.

But then, about 20 minutes later, I need to put his pants on him - sweat pants.

Now for those of you that wouldn't deign to put on sweats, let me break it down for you:

It is almost impossible to put sweats on after you've put your shoes on. It's a real struggle, a pain, and you'd save a lot more time if you'd just put your sweats on BEFORE your shoes.

I'm sure you can see where this leads with my marketing lesson o' the week.

Many times, we have an end result in mind (being fully dressed), but we take a short cut that gives us an immediate result (get your shoes on so you can be mobile). Eventually, though, that "short cut" ends up costing us time, energy, or money (or all of the above) that could have been used more effectively had we just stuck to our original plan.

Are you getting sidetracked? Are you looking at ideas that sound great in the short term - and may even produce immediate results - but in the long term are killing your productivity, effectiveness or long-term relationships?

As a direct sales professional, it's important to do the things you must in order to move your business forward, but it's very easy to get caught up in "creative" ideas that simply slow you down.

Don't reinvent the wheel. If you have a program that's working, stick to it. Look at tweaking it for improvements over time.

Above all, keep the END result in mind to avoid being distracted by what seems like a great idea now.

Have a game plan, a target and a means of making it happen. Then STICK to it. If you're absolutely convinced that you need to make changes, consider those changes in light of the overall goal and end result you have in mind.

Like putting your shoes on first, those short term strategies may work for now, but ultimately, you may have to undo everything you've done, take off your shoes, and put your sweats on first.

My kid gets it. Why don't I sometimes?

For those of you that subscribe to "PartyOn!", my business newsletter, this post is mostly for you.

But anyone in the market for improving themselves with free and useful internet resources may find this helpful.

I have a couple of links today that will help you get things cookin'. The first is for a teleconference hosted by Rich Schefren and Jay Abraham, giants in the internet marketing and marketing worlds respectively. Jay and Rich are talking about what it takes to make yourself a "maven" in your marketing niche. I registered for this call already, and it might be worth your time to check it out, too. Normally, I don't recommend something until I've actually USED it, but because the timeframe on this call is so short (and it's free information), I figured I'd post the link here:

Becoming a Maven in Your Market teleconference call details

Second, I have been working through one of those "transformation" type programs. David Neagle (pronounced like Bagel, not Beagle) It's a 4 hour coaching session (broken into 4 segments) called The Art of Success. David's approach is not a bunch of hooey or "woo woo". These are practical, logical approaches to help uncover your stumbling blocks and help you move to success more rapidly in whatever you're seeking to accomplish. The interactive workbook style program is effective and doesn't take a long time to complete. LOTS to think about.

PLUS, David's offering for a limited time, his Just Believe program is being given away - and it's a nearly $200 CD program. Plus you'll get a comprehensive business evaluation at no charge as well.

I just went through David's Biz eval in January, and Monaica was AWESOME to talk with. She offered real-world suggestions and insights into exploding my income this year. Can you tell I'm a little excited? Okay. I'm a LOT excited about how this program is already transforming me - and YOU get it for FREE for a limited time.

Lucky Dogs!

Yes, these are all free links. I'm filing them under USEFUL and Free for ya. Enjoy!

Honesty Sells - Honestly!

I was in the market to buy some insulation for my home, which is approaching it's 100th birthday. I thought it would be a very nice gift for me and the house.

So I called around and got my obligatory 3 quotes. They were as different as night and day. Not just in terms of pricing, but in terms of presentation and delivery.

Company 1 arrived the same day to give an inspection, he had a couple of fancy gadgets to help measure and give an estimate. What he didn't have, however, was a flashlight, so he could see into my attic to determine the scope of the project. After he measured my home, and searched through every nook and cranny in my home (Basement, dormer, garage, etc), he flipped through his presentation book faster than a pig in a greased chute. He offered to take my current energy bill and "crunch some numbers" to show how his insulation could cut our heat bill. He also offered a lifetime guarantee and an energy reduction guarantee. Then he insisted on talking with my husband, because apparently he thought I was too ignorant to be of much use. He regurgitated my "insulation education" to my husband - who's so afraid of power tools that the conversation essentially fell on deaf ears. He also ran down the two other companies I told him were quoting the job.

Company two arrived an hour late, but at least he called to let me know he would be late (apparently he had fallen on a job site). He had a slick video presentation that ran while he went out to measure the house. He brought his own flashlight - and ladder - and was very tolerant of my noisy and nosy kids. He was pleasant and treated me with respect. He also let me in on some unknown history on my house that he deduced by inspecting my attic. His pricing was substantially different than the Company one - higher on the walls, but lower on the attic. He explained how labor intensive it is to drill through brick, and reminded me that they come out a few days after the work is complete to Infra-red the home and ensure that all the insulation was packed properly. He then offered to match the price of any competitor.

Company three never called to confirm, they just showed up - in fact I had almost forgotten they were coming, except that company 1 was on the phone with me when company three knocked at the door (and he didn't want to let me answer the door!). His estimate was lowest on the attic, and right down the middle on the walls and also explained the sheer labor involved in drilling the brick. He also took the time to explain that there are instances where they can't insulate a home properly, and that when that happens, they just eat the cost of whatever's been blown into the home and tell the owner they are not able to properly insulate the home so the service call is free.

Did I mention he was very tolerant of my nosy, noisy and sick kids. He was quick and polite, brought his own flashlight and ladder and asked to see my basement as well as the exterior of the home. He also came with a list of references I could keep to call and confirm. Further, he commented on having bid previously on jobs company two had bid on - sometimes they won, sometimes not. Usually it was a question of price or location, but because they both use the exact same product, the work is comparable.

Company one was a referral by an acquaintance. Company two has a celebrity endorsement (they insulated the famous Henry Ford Mansion in Detroit), and Company 3 was pulled from the local phone book.

If company two had not offered to match prices, I would have gone with Company 3 without flinching - not just because his price was good, but because of his honesty. I'm still VERY tempted to stick with Company three - even though company two specializes in retrofitting older homes like mine. And I kind of dig the idea of seeing my home on infrared. I'm having flashbacks to the six million dollar man and the Greatest American Hero.

It's a tough call, but in the real world, honesty sells. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.

And you thought insulation was boring. HA!

I'm an American Idol Wannabe

I do it in the car, the shower, the kitchen, my bedroom, on the couch, in my head, even at my computer. Yes, I'm doing it right now. So we'll file this under the TMI category yet again.

But it's also a great lesson in Marketing.

What is "it" you ask?
I sing.

Yes, I'm one of those people that does spontaneously break forth in song (giving truth to the notion that life IS a musical). But lately, it's been very specific snippets of song. Like about a minute to a minute-and-a-half of the gutsiest part of a song.

Which is when I realized I'm an American Idol Wannabe.

I'm not a big fan of American Idol the TV show, and honestly I can barely remember the names of the past winners. I don't really think that matters so much anyway. Because in the grand scheme of the music biz, it really comes down to how you market yourself, not whether or not you're the Annual AI winner. I even have some evidence to that fact that I'll post at a later date.

But I still find myself wishing I was a few years younger, or that the stupid fools that made "the rules" for AI would open up the age limit for entrants.

You see, I'd like to be an entrant in American Idol. Sounds stupid, I know. And frankly, I don't really even want to win. I just want to get my picture taken with Randy and Paula and... who's that other guy? Oh yeah, Simon. That's his name, right?

Wouldn't THAT be a cool pic on my blog?

Seriously, I don't follow the show. I think I've seen 5 or 6 episodes in my lifetime, and one was the Finals last year, I think.

Wasn't that when "the grey hair" won? For the life of me I can't remember his name either... some sort of hick or something.. Oh Taylor Hicks. Thank God for Google!

I thought for a fleeting moment that I still had an AI chance when he won. Then someone told me he was only like 28 and my heart sank.

:)

See, I just turned... ahem... 33.

Which means I'm TOO OLD for American Idol. Which frankly sucks.

I mean LaKisha Jones (is that how you spell her name?) was from Flint. I am STILL in Flint. She went to the same high school I did, sang in the same choir I did.

Are you laughing yet? Well, stop it, because it's all true, you know.

It's true. I've tried to deny it for over a year now, but I'm an American Idol Wannabe.

But I'm not about being on AI to win. I'd really like to just make it to the televised audition portion of the competition.

But I can't decide if I'd take it seriously and sing my best (because I can sing fairly well, I think), or if I'd like to do something kind of "Weird Al" and change the words to a song just enough to rip on that Simon guy - who no one really seems to like anyway.

I "rehearse" my audition periodically throughout the week. Most of what I "practice" though is my pithy comeback for Simon's snide remarks.

Which is when it REALLY hit home that I'm and American Idol Wannabe.

I'm not caught up in the culture of the show. And the only reason I can even remember Paula and Randy is because Randy is a "Jackson" and Paula sang "Cold Hearted Snake".

You remember that video don't you? Man! That was back in the day when she could really move. And I still own a copy of her "dance workout" video. On VHS. SERIOUSLY.

But I digress...

Yes, I can tell you the exact time marker in Mark Schultz' "Walking Her Home" that I start the song (2:11 to be precise). It probably has wear marks on the back of the CD from me fast forward and rewinding so many times. I know my kids are getting sick of hearing me do it. Sometimes I get sick of hearing me do it.

How is this a great marketing lesson?

You've heard of the world famous "elevator speech" right? Or the 30 second commercial? You've essentially got about as much time as my 11 year old ADHD/ODD son can sit still to engage a probable purchaser and gain interest enough to get to the closing interview. For some people that interview may be an actual sales presentation, or in the home party market: a booking. Or in the case of an AI Wannabe, it's 3 yeses and a "Welcome to Hollywood, Dawg!"

So I've watched a few auditions here and there over the last week (and I can't ever sit through a whole episode because I have 2 sons that would much rather see something more "thrilling" than bad singing).

Ho-LEE-COW! Talk about a BAD elevator speech!

Think about it like this. You'll never get a second chance to make a first impression. And THIS is on NATIONAL TELEVISION. Can you believe that some of these jokers actually thought they were putting their best foot forward?

Now I will grant that nerves can take you out of tune in a heartbeat, you can lose your place in a song and all those good things, but this is the BIG TIME, people. You need to be polished, prepared and ready to knock the wind out of Simon's bag with the absolute best performance you've ever done in your life.

So goes Marketing. Only it's even MORE important.

With National coverage, you're sure to get at least your 15 milliseconds of fame. But up close, and personal, where your dinner is on the line? It's even MORE important.

You need to know yourself. Know your product and your opportunity down cold.

When I was in middle school band, I played saxophone (I still have that horn, too). My Band teacher, Ms. Smith, made us learn our music in the dark.

Did I mention our bandroom had NO windows. It was in the "basement" of the school, and the only light you could pray for was the sliver of hall way light that might slip under the crack in the door, but it was so far from your music stand you still couldn't see the notes on the page to save your arse.

Ms. Smith would say if you know it in the dark, with no music, and no director to guide you, you know that you know it. Besides, if the lights went out at festival, we had to keep playing no matter what.

So we'd turn our stands around, turn the lights out, get the count off....
And some of the music in that room was some of the best music I've ever heard played to this day.

She demanded excellence - not because she was nitpicky, but because she knew we could deliver. And we did. Under her direction, we constantly earned superior ratings at local and state music festivals.

Do you demand excellence? Do you know your material cold? Could you survive an "elevator speech" in the dark?

Everyone's elevator speech is different. It's that window of opportunity you have to take the sum of everything you are and let it shine in such a way that people want to know more about you.

What are you doing to be ready for your elevator moment?

What do you mean "it takes work!"? OF COURSE IT TAKES WORK!
Many good things come to people that do nothing to deserve them. Nothing great EVER came to anyone that did nothing to deserve it.

Trust me on this. Working at being great (or being the greatest) may be challenging, but the rewards of being great are exponentially better than doing nothing and getting the occasional "good" scraps.

So think about your "elevator speech" moments. Do a postmortem on the ones that didn't go so well and figure out how to be ready for the next time.

Because contrary to popular belief, there is ALWAYS a next time.

Think of all the people who DIDN'T win American Idol that went on to get a record deal.

I reset my case.

But I'm still gonna petition them to open up the age limit on AI. And when I do, I'm bringing my workout video to see if Paula will autograph it. It might actually fetch a couple of bucks on eBay if she does.

I mean, it's not like I'm actually USING it or anything.