My Simple Lead System

Vacation Lessons - Part 1

Michael Oksa — Fri, 28 Jul 2006 00:59:00 +0000

Provide value. It is okay to charge higher prices, if it is justified. For example: Combine entertainment, education, action, and humor - instead of just one.

If you are charging high prices make it clear why. Either through print, voice, video, or ambience. We stopped at Railway Museum. Tickets were $17 per adult, and may have been worth it. I don't know. There was no way for me to know what I would get for the cost. There was a train ride, but I don't know how long it was, and no-one stopped us from turning around when we saw how much they were.

It's important to pay attention to everyone, even the shy ones. Remember, it is not your customers job to ask questions. It is nice when they do, and you should be able to answer their questions. Instead of being frustrated by a 'stupid' question, be relieved that your customer has given you the opportunity to help them.

Back From Vacation

Michael Oksa — Mon, 10 Jul 2006 21:33:00 +0000

Whew! I needed that.

Nine days away, touring the wonderful state of Wisconsin. Admittedly there were times when we did not want to come back at all. It was a great vacation. As great as it was, there were a few things to be learned.

Over the next few days I will look at some of the things I noticed and how they pertain to internet marketing and making money. Most of it is common sense. Anyway, I feel re-charged, and a new sense of urgency to help even more people succeed using My Simple Lead System principles.

Bon Voyage!

A Simple Thought

Michael Oksa — Sun, 25 Jun 2006 12:53:00 +0000

You can choose to live in the realm of possibility, or the realm of limitation.

No system of success, or making money will be effective if you lead a life of limitation. Ask yourself: "Which of these two realms do I spend more of my time?"

The reason this is important is simple. When opportunity presents itself you will either embrace it or deny it. Limitations may spring to mind, thereby sabotaging you before anything has even begun. However, if you are awake to possibilities you will take action, and may even envision a greater end result than the initial opportunity offers.

The choice is yours.

How Opt-in Email Marketing Helps You In Your Online Business

Michael Oksa — Sat, 17 Jun 2006 13:39:00 +0000

The consumer of today is increasingly bombarded by marketing messages from various media channels. For those that tire of the constant onslaught of ads, they have the option to "opt-out". They may choose not to open up your email ads or simply "mute" their remote control so that they don't listen to your audio message.

So, how do you, as a online marketer, ensure that your marketing messages reach your customer? What steps can you take so that your marketing campaign is "read", "seen" or "heard"?

The answer: Provide opt-in email marketing.

Opt-in email marketing provides a reasonable, go-to-the-market model that will ensure that your messages are "read", "seen" or "heard".

What is email opt-in marketing all about?

Opt-in marketing is not merely a one-time process about asking your customer to opt-in or opt-out of a specified medium (in this case, your autoresponder emails).

It involves the customer giving you the permission to send your marketing materials and giving you private information on where to send them to. The customer is more likely to "read", "hear" or "see" your marketing message if he/she has already given you the prior permission to do so.

In the highest form, opt-in email marketing involves an ongoing, evolving relationship between you and the customer. The relationship is one that becomes increasingly focused, with the relevant exchange of information and value.

The steps to an online opt-in email marketing principally involves:

1) Placing your ad in websites that your prospect are likely to visit.

2) Providing an opt-in box to collect mailing information from your prospect and getting his/ her permission for you to start a possible email relationship.

3) Giving a freebie to your prospect to "opt-in". The freebie has to be relevant in theme to what you are selling.

4) Offering an email course, teaching the consumer about the product or service.

5) Continually reinforcing the incentive for your prospect to remain on your subscriber list. This can be by offering him/her quality content on a related topic of interest, etc.

6) Providing more incentives to get to know more about your customer. You may at this point, conduct surveys to build your database of information on customer preferences. You can then easily match your products to the customer needs.

Opt-in email marketing has lots of benefits for you and your customer:

* Increased customer loyalty due to constant contact.

* Customer needs and preferences are met.

* Increased "word of mouth" referral for your products or services as the customer becomes more satisfied.

* Increased sales for your other products and services.

* Lower cost per order because marketing waste is minimized.

Note that, in order to retain your customers, what you must continually offer is value. Otherwise, your subscriber can easily "opt-out" and you would have lost a prospect.

The burden is on you to build and nurture the relationship. Customer loyalty cannot be taken for granted, it has to be earned. Turning the loyalty into trust will surely propel your profits.

Evelyn Lim is an online business entrepreneur. She publishes a free weekly newsletter "Mapping You to Success" for aspiring e-biz owners. The aim of her publication is to equip readers with skills to acquire multiple sources of online income. To subscribe, please visit http://www.e-BizMap.com.

A Perfect Father's Day Gift

Michael Oksa — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 21:09:00 +0000

My wife asked me what I wanted for Father's Day earlier today. After thinking about for several hours I decided on this book:

It is stuffed with everything you need to know to succeed. Really. It is easy-to-read, and presented in logical steps. You can read it this way, or open to any page for a healthy dose of practical wisdom. Dad (or Grandpa) will love it.

IMC - A My Simple Lead System Favorite

Michael Oksa — Sat, 10 Jun 2006 13:30:00 +0000

The Internet Marketing Center (IMC) is a well-established company that offers information products, and marketing software. These are centered around earning money using many internet marketing techniques. IMC has a two-tier affiliate program. This means you make money on every sale you make, and on every sale your referrals make.

The commissions range from $25 to $200 per sale on the first tier, and from $5 to $50 for second tier sales. Obviously, these commissions can add up to some serious income. IMC makes it easy to get started. Joining the affiliate program is free, and there are plenty of marketing resources for each product.

Maybe it would be easier to quote a bit from the IMC site itself:

With the IMC sub-affiliate program, you have the opportunity to recommend the IMC Affiliate Program to your visitors, customers, subscribers, opt-in e-mail list etc... and recruit an army of sub-affiliates. For each sale that one of your sub-affiliates make, you earn a percentage of their sales! And this translates into extremely easy residual income....

Another benefit is the Marketing Tips Newsletter. Each issue is loaded with information to help you earn bigger profits (in IMC or anything else you are promoting). You can even share some articles to generate even more income.

All of these combine to make a powerful resource for anyone who really wants to earn more money online.

Something To Ponder

Michael Oksa — Mon, 05 Jun 2006 01:18:00 +0000

There are as many reasons for success as there are excuses for failure ~ Michael Oksa

My Simple Lead System takes into consideration that people may have failed before. The goal is to eliminate excuses, and help each person develop there own reasons to succeed. A simplified and systematic approach leads to success. My goal is to help those who want something better to succeed.

There are often challenges along the road to better tings. Focusing on excuses will stop you cold, but embracing your reasons will put you in the fast lane. Many people have a hard time facing obstacles alone. That is why having a mentor interested in your success is so worthwhile. As always, wishing you every success.

HOW TO Turn Your Ideas Into Multiple Cash Flow Streams

Michael Oksa — Thu, 01 Jun 2006 21:17:00 +0000

By Erik Carter

The question that every marketer must ask is "why should THIS customer buy THIS product from ME?" What special opportunity do you provide the customer, compared to your competitors? This question is easy to answer when you are the ONLY one offering a particular product or solution. And the way to be the only one in a market is to be the first in a market.
As an on-line marketer, you are constantly looking for the opportunity to offer solutions to your customers. You keep an eye on trends, you gather feedback from your customers, you network with other marketers to find out what's working and what's needed. The best products or services to offer your customers - the ones with the highest likelihood of sales - are the ones that help them solve a problem or introduce a better way of doing something. And the marketer who is ahead of the curve and can get a product to market first has a decided advantage in reaching customers and making sales.

But if you have to take days or weeks to identify a problem, find a solution, develop or improve a product, craft a marketing campaign, and finally roll out your offer - you may find yourself chasing the market instead of leading it. You need to have a system that is flexible enough to adapt to different products and markets, but one that provides the outline and skeleton of producing a product and presenting it the the market in a comprehensive hard-hitting way.

You can develop this system in two ways. The first is to track and record everything you do on all of your programs until you identify the steps involved in the one or two that are successful. This may take years, and - since none of them are successful yet - you aren't making any money.
The other way is to model the success of the top Internet marketers, but not necessarily copy ever little thing they did. Find a marketer whose products you like or whose methods are compatible with your own, and then purchase their system (if they offer one). Lay out their method, and find the steps or areas that you feel you can do well. Identify the steps or areas that you think you might have to change or even enhance with other methods you know. And then roll out your product!

Always track your ads, use variations in your ad campaign, and read your traffic reports. Use these and other metrics to fine-tune your campaign, which means also fine-tuning the system. But using a model may save you years of effort and thousands of dollars, and get you known to customers as a marketer who can offer solutions first.

ERIK CARTER maintains the Your Business Sales Portal (http://YourBusinessSales.bravehost.com), dedicated to helping you AUTOMATE your sales and DUPLICATE your success by offering programs and bonuses focused on growing and expanding any business, as well as the FITNESS Portal (http://fitnessportal.bravehost.com), focused on making fitness seamless with your life.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Erik_Carter

Two Statistics to Consider

Michael Oksa — Tue, 30 May 2006 00:39:00 +0000

Number of people worldwide now connected to the internet: 1,000,000,000 (and growing)

Sales made by the average online affiliate: 3

The first statistic should be enough to make anybody interested in making money online rejoice. The fact that there are over one billion people online means there is a huge untapped market. For anything. When people are worried about any program becoming saturated, they do not understand the numbers.

Is it possible for anyone to reach all one billion people. In a word, 'no'. But, there are ways to reach more people than you are reaching now. It may take an investment of time, money, and/or creativity. The people are out there, lots of people.

The second statistic states that the average affiliate only makes three sales. That is not a good number. That means there are plenty of affiliate marketers who make a lot more sales. So, how do you stop being a statistic? How do you become a 'super affiliate'? By doing a few things.

You have to stand out from the crowd. Be willing to make necessary investments. Use tools to automate the process, but still maintain contact at a personal level. Is it possible to do all of this without going broke before making it? Yes. My Simple Lead System is a program that ties all of this together, and shows people how to do the exact same thing. It is possible to get more traffic, more referrals, and more income.

My opinion is that it is simple to generate leads when using the right system. It has to be one that has proven results. After all, theory will only get you so far (and that is never far enough).

Avoid The Hype

Michael Oksa — Sat, 27 May 2006 04:33:00 +0000

It's been said that you don't have to talk loudly for people to hear what you say. That is especially true online. Sometimes it seems like hype has run rampant over common sense.

Part of the problem is amateurs mistaking hype for curiosity. The difference is honesty. Curiosity focuses on an aspect of an offer, but may leave out a bit of information. What is left out creates a desire to find out more. When done right, this is good. Hype, on the other hand, adds more than what is really there. It oversells, it's false, and it is transparent. This does not create curiosity, but rather disbelief.

Avoid using hype in your marketing efforts. How do you know for sure? Apply this simple test: If it's true, it's not hype.

Blogging Tools We All Need

Michael Oksa — Wed, 24 May 2006 03:06:00 +0000

Blogging is a great way to share, express, learn, explore, market, and teach. Having a blog nobody reads is like keeping a diary with a lock on it. There are tons of blogging tools and resources to help you to get people reading your message. So many, in fact, it can be hard to sort them out. What follows is a good place to start.

10 Essential Blogging Tools - by Jason Jantsch
Copyright 2006 John Jantsch

So, you finally decided to take the blog leap. You've heard all about the marketing and search benefits so you stepped up to the plate and signed up for a TypePad, MovableType or WordPress blog software package and now you're a blogger.

Okay, now what? Add the ten essential blogging tools listed below and you will also be well on your way to creating and promoting a blog that is a powerful marketing tool. I'll explain the use of the tool and offer some suggestions, including the tools I use on my own blogs including the DuctTapeMarketing blog.

Feed reader

The best way to learn about blogs and blogging is to read, or at least scan, lots of blogs. One of the wonders of blogs is that you can have every new post from every blog you want to read delivered to your desktop or to online location via RSS, so you can easily read and scan the posts of many blogs in a very short time. Newsgator is a good online choice for feed reading and also has a version that integrates with Outlook. I use a free online service know as Bloglines. http://www.bloglines.com

Subscriber center

You need to make it easy for your blog visitors to subscribe to your blog's RSS feed - so they can read your blog in their favorite feed reader. The best way to do this is to go to FeedBurner and burn your own RSS feed their and use the tools they provide to set up automatic subscriber links so people who want to use Bloglines, Google Reader, MyYahoo or Pluck, for instance, can click on one button to subscribe. Tech types can figure this out without the buttons but why not make it easy for anyone to figure out.

Side note - subscribe to each of these yourself and you will force some blog spiders to visit your site. http://www.feedburner.com

Email subscription option

A lot of people will never get the whole feed thing, but everyone gets email. Create an option for people to subscribe by giving you their email address - they will simply receive your blog posts like an email message. FeedBurner offers this service for free. FeedBlitz is another option or, if you already have an autoresponder email list service they may offer this service. AWeber offers this and helps me integrate these blog email subscribers into my other mailing lists.

Blog and RSS directories

There are hundreds of blog and RSS directories and getting listed in many can be a good thing. I use a piece of software called RSS Submit, but you can also visit Robin Goode's frequently updated list and submit your blog and feed by hand.

Hint: subscribe to the RSS feed he offers and you will be notified when new directories are added.

Ping service

Pinging is a term used for letting the various blog and RSS directories know when you have posted new content. Again, FeedBurner offers this as an automatic option called PingShot and you should activate it. PingGoat and Ping O Matic are other options but they require that you visit and update your record each time you post new content.

Bookmark manager

As you surf around the web or hop from blog to blog you may find sites that you want to point out to your readers. Online bookmark managers allow you to bookmark and categorize web and blog pages as you collect them and are a great tool for managing all of the stuff you find on the web. I use del.icio.us but BlinkList does a fine job as well. http://del.icio.us

Blog stats

I like to track a few key stats in real time because it shows what other blogs might be linking to you or posting about your blog. A lot of people just like to track this kind of thing for fun and frequently visit sites like Technorati. I like to track it for networking opportunities. I use a tool called MyBlogLog because it allows me to see where traffic is coming from but also tracks what links on my blog visitors are clicking on. It's amazing how this data can help you write more effectively. (MyBlogLog also ranks your links so visitors can see which links on your site are the most popular.)

Desktop posting

With most blog software you must go online and post using a set of tools provided by the blog software. Many bloggers like to use a desktop application to create and submit their posts as it gives them some extra tools and allows them to more easily integrate content and files on their computer. http://www.blogger.com

I use w.blogger but also like Performancing, Qumana and ecto (apple folks) (w.blogger also doubles as a really simple HTML editor.)

Tell a friend script

My blog software (pMachine) has a feature that allows a reader to click a link and send the post to a friend. This tactic brings me lots of readers. You might try looking here for some simple scripts that do that same http://www.javascriptkit.com/script/script2/tellafriend.shtml http://www.stadtaus.com/en/php_scripts/tell_a_friend_script/

Republish your feed headlines

The ability to republish your blog posts on other web pages, sites you own or sites of strategic partners is a great way to expose folks to you blog content. One more time we turn to FeedBurner for a painless way to republish your blog post to any web page you choose with something they call BuzzBoost

About the Author
John Jantsch is a veteran marketing coach, award winning blogger and author of Duct Tape Marketing: The World's Most Practical Small Business Marketing Guide published by Thomas Nelson - due out in the fall of 2006 He is the creator of the Duct Tape Marketing small business marketing system. You can find more information by visiting http://www.ducttapemarketing.com

Are You Experienced?

Michael Oksa — Sun, 21 May 2006 23:49:00 +0000

There are several hot marketing techniques. Blogging, article writing, and niche marketing to name a few. These all have there place, and can be very effective and profitable. There is one technique that can be added to the marketing arsenal of any website. What follows is description of that technique - experiential marketing.

I drive Saturn cars, one of them I bought accidentally. Now, if you have never been to a Saturn dealership I will tell you about the one I go to. The showroom is clean and modern. There is a guest area with comfy chairs, cable TV, video games and coloring books for the kids, a computer (online of course), and lots of smiling faces.

There are also a few other things that lure me back. I know where the refrigerator with the soft drinks is, and always help myself when I am there. They also wash and vacuum my car every time it is serviced; even if it's an oil change. Then, and here's the best, they have fresh baked cookies. Warm out-of-the-oven cookies. The scent wafts throughout the showroom and mesmerizes you. To be honest, I have stopped by just to grab a cookie.

So, (the point is coming soon) out driving one day with the family, everyone got thirsty. We were close to our Saturn dealer, and decided that would be a good place to get refreshments. We walked in, and went straight to the fridge. There was no intention of buying anything. Well, we ended up looking (just looking) at a 2006 Saturn VUE. Eventually, we left the lot (happily) with that same VUE.

That's what experiential marketing is. You see, going to our Saturn dealership is an experience. The question is: What kind of experience do you offer your team and/or visitors? Do they remember you? Do they just re-visit with no buying intentions, and then happily purchase anyway? Experiential marketing is not about gimmicks or manipulation. It is about building a relationship and making a lasting good impression.

****************************************************
Michael Oksa is the owner of My-Simple-Lead-System.com
( http://www.my-simple-lead-system.com/freelessons )
And offers free one-on-one training in profitable marketing.

Re-printing or use of this article on any website is permitted
but must remain intact and the About the Author section has
to be present with active hyperlink. More articles can be found
at http://www.my-simple-lead-system.com/blog
****************************************************

Email Automation Is Vital

Michael Oksa — Sat, 20 May 2006 04:00:00 +0000

Earning money online 24 hours a day is impossible without using automation. Autoresponders are a prime example of automation. In fact, if you are not using an autoresponder, you are throwing money away.

When choosing an autoresponder it is important to find one that has many useful features. My Simple Lead System uses Email Aces. Here is some of what they have to offer.

Unlimited Follow-up Messages
Send Text Only Messages / Send HTML Only Messages
Send Combined HTML/Text Messages
Visual WYSIWYG HTML Editor
Personalization. First Name, Last Name, Email, Etc.
Advanced Personalization. Create Your Own Values.
Message Open/Read Rate Tracking
Use Your Own "From" Email Address and Name
Turn Off or Skip Individual Messages
Turn Off or Pause Entire Campaigns
Send Broadcast Messages Instantly
Schedule Future Broadcast Messages
Share Campaigns With or Without Password Protection
Copy Campaigns Including Custom Prospect Fields
Cheat Sheets" To Make Sharing Campaigns Easy
Prospects Can Request The Next Message Instantly
Include Attachments With Your Messages
Unlimited List Size
Import Single Prospects
Import Prospects From A File / Export Prospects To File
Edit Prospect Data Individually
Prospects Can Edit or Correct Their Own Data
Create Custom Fields For Advanced Personalization
Automatically Capture & Store Prospect IP Address
Subscribe Method Tracking. ex. Email, Form, or Imported
Automated Subscriber Tracking. ex. From a Specific Ad
Blacklist or Block Individual Email Addresses / Entire Domains
Use Single Opt-In or Double Opt-In
HTML Subscribe Form Generator With Tracking
Customizable HTML Subscribe Forms
Automated Removed/Bounced Prospect Handling
Recycle Prospects
Support Ticket System
Step-By-Step Instructions
Highly Qualified Support Technicians

Email Aces offers levels of service for beginners and pros alike. Reaping the benefits of features like these is a vital step to earning money every hour of every day.

Sharing the Wealth

Michael Oksa — Sat, 13 May 2006 00:29:00 +0000

$$$MONEY MAKING SECRETS!$$$

This type of headline jumps out at us quite often. Well, I will tell you something, and it is not a secret: The surest way to make money is to help other people make money. One of the guiding principles of My Simple Lead System is to share what I know to benefit as many people as possible.

There are people who are afraid of sharing what they know about making money online. They may think if they share their knowledge that their downline could surpass them. This is as shortsighted as it is counterproductive. If someone is afraid of having a successful downline, then they will soon fail miserably, guaranteed. My advice to them is simple: measure your success by how many people you have lead to success.

People prefer to have an active and knowledgeable upline. When they find an upline willing to make an extra effort, they are more likely to take advantage of other things their upline has to offer. Share the wealth of your knowledge. Pass along information, tools, and resources that could benefit people on your team. Give them results, not secrets.

How To Make It Happen

Michael Oksa — Thu, 18 May 2006 02:15:00 +0000

Nothing will happen for you until you make it happen.

Some of us, myself included, are overly analytical, and tend to procrastinate. We may want everything to 'be in place', have all questions answered, and make sure it's the right thing before beginning anything.

It can be hard to find the proper balance between adequate planning and rash decision making. Leaders in all fields do not wait and wait and wait and... They are willing to rely on their own experience and the recommendations of trusted advisors. Simply put, they make the best decision possible with the information at hand.

For someone who is new to making money online it can be a daunting task indeed. After all, if you are new you have very little experience, and trusted advisors are hard to come by. That is one of the things that is unique about My Simple Lead System - you get both. You get the benefit of others' money making experience, and your own trusted advisor via the one-on-one personalized training.

There will come a time when you are not so new. You may, in fact, already be an online money making pro. If so, I'm willing to bet you can see the possibility and profitability of learning something new. You understand the power of new methods of generating more traffic, and more leads. The free lessons may be right up your alley.

Remove the inner blocks that keep you from taking action, and you will find yourself at a whole new level of success. Take action. Dive in. Do it now.