Breaking My Own Rules

I've been bad.

It seems since the release of our big project that we've been talking about for months now ( Direct Sales Success Kit ), I've been breaking one of my own rules. Which is, limiting my business hours and not working on anything business related after my son comes home from school.

I suppose it's a good thing I'm breaking my own rule of not working too much, because it means my motivation has been high. Something I haven't been able to say in a very long time. Although I tried, nothing seemed to interest me and business had taken more of a "job" mindset. I dreaded working, and just didn't want to do it. But the Direct Sales Success Kit excited me. Working on it was exciting, but marketing it is even more fun. I absolutely love it, and it's amazing how I can thrive when handed an assignment like this. I'm actually MORE organized and accomplish 10 times more when I have more to do. Weird eh? The less I have to do, the less I get done, but the more I have to do the more organized I get and zip through all tasks in less time than if I were to have only a few things to do.

So while much of my long hours of working has been on writing articles, posting on message boards, and doing other marketing related tasks, I've also been working on sites I haven't worked on in a long time. Mom's Market got some edits outside of just new advertising, Mom's Ezine Directory got a new catagory added (Free content for publishers), and I added new products to Soy Wax Candles. This week I've even visited message boards I haven't been to in awhile (some for years even!), and it was so nice seeing familiar faces that I haven't had time to chat with recently.

Even though I feel great working hard again, I feel bad right now that it's almost bed time and I'm still sitting on this computer. I can't seem to stop, because when I do some other idea pops in my head and I just HAVE to finish it! Fortunately this time around my family isn't suffering too badly without me. Home cooked meals still find their way on to the table, and housework seems to be at least half way caught up (that I fear is a challenge I'll never overcome haha).

With all the ideas still swimming in my head, I know I could stay here and work for another several hours. However, I know my bed time is one rule I absolutely cannot ignore (I've been down the late night work habits road before, and got very sick), so I'm very thankful for my hand-dandy dry erase board sitting beside me. ;)

Mom's Networking Chats

Join us every week for a open general networking chat!
Next Chat: Tuesday, April 5th, 2pm EST

Newtorking can be a valuable tool in building strong relationships online, as well as a way to meet others that could be benificial to you in the future. Many find new and interesting message boards, websites, ways to market, people to do joint ventures with, and other valuable tools for business simply by joining in a simple chat.

Meet fellow moms, share tips, and make connections!

For more information, visit:
http://www.homebusinessspecialists.com/networking-chat.html

Hope to see you there!

You've waited long enough

Finally, specific help for mothers in direct sales. We know direct sales can be hard, but we've got something that can help. Don't waste another penny or any of your precious time before you read this....

The failure rate for direct sales is high, but one of the biggest reasons for failure is not knowing what to do next after you join. Uplines can be helpful, but not always the answer to all your questions.

The answer? The Direct Sales Success Kit.

We've spoken with many, many others who are in the exact same place you are. We've listened to the challenges you face and questions you ask and we've heard the cry loud and clear. You want to be serious about your business and you want to make serious money. Don't be ashamed or feel 'money-hungry' because you want to make money. You went into business because you want to be home for your children when they need you, while also being able to bring in an income.

With the Direct Sales Success Kit you won't have to ask yourself, "Now what?" You'll be able to use this kit to make your plans and goals. You'll know exactly what you need to do each and every day to succeed in your home business.

With this kit you will learn to:

- Overcome your fear of selling
- Stay ahead of your competion and gain the sales you deserve
- Set and reach goals, so you earn more money
- Save time and money in research by learning from experts

This isn't just another downloadable file. This is an actual package with forms you can customize, print out and really use. You'll also find your success kit on CD for easy access anytime you'd like.

You'll also receive a free month at our "one on one" membership site with your package. Once you've read the entire package and have had ample time to review, make notes and write down your questions; you'll be able to gain access to our membership site. Your free month doesn't start until you're ready. This is not just another informational product that will leave you in the dark after you are finished reading!

Don't let this opportunity to succeed slip by - one sale lost could lead to many, so don't waste another second!

For more information, visit:
http://www.DirectSalesHelpers.com

To your success!


P.S. Don't forget, with your kit you will receive one month F*R*E*E membeship at Direct Sales Helpers!

Have you heard the news?

Hello everyone!

I have exciting news specifically for mothers in direct sales.

On Monday, March 28th, we will be announcing the release of the very special product just for mothers in Direct Sales. We've spent countless hours of our time testing, researching, and gathering resources to offer this to you, in hopes to help you succeed in your business.

Are you subscribed to our newsletter? Our subscribers will be the first to be notified on Monday, plus one subscriber will win a FREE copy of the product just before we announce the big release. To subscribe, visit:
http://www.DirectSalesHelpers.com

Playing the Automated Customer Service Game

Instead of Customer Service is should be called Wasting My Time Service!

Yup, it's venting time! I spent I don't know how long on the telephone with a very "well-known" company. (Of course, won't mention any names here.) But, this company is not only well-known for their products, they're supposed to be well-known for their customer service.

Hello, and thank you for calling XXX!
If you're calling for XXX please press 1...
If you're calling for YYY please press 2...
If you're calling for ZZZ please press 3...
If you're calling for OOO please press 4...
For all other calls please press 5...
To repeat this menu please press 6...

(1 Pressed)
If you're calling for XXX and you're III please press 1...
If you're calling for YYY and you're AAA please press 2...
If you're calling for ZZZ and you're BBB please press 3...
If you're calling for OOO and you're CCC please press 4...
For all other calls and you're DDD please press 5...
To repeat this menu please press 6...
To return to the main menu please press 9...

Okay, I'll stop now but, you get my point! Only to be put on hold over and over and over again. This is Customer Service? This is what these people are praised upon? Boy, I sure am glad being a work at home mom I can put the personal touch back into Customer Service! Remember that and we'll always have the edge!

Setting Your Goals Correctly

One challenge many of the direct sales moms we talked to struggeled with the challenge of reaching their goals. What we've seen is a lot of great goals, but not many that are achieving them. So the question comes to mind.....are you making the right plans to reach your goals? It's GREAT to set a certain amount you want to make, so you have a little motivation, but without the proper planning reaching that goal is going to be more difficult.

Ask yourself the following questions:

What have you done in the past that created sales?
How can you improve on ideas for creating sales?
What ideas for sales have you seen but not tried?

Take a minute to write down every way you can think of to make your
sales (such as through parties, catalog shows, drawings, etc), then make
some more specific goals for doing each task. Such as "contact 10 people
and book at least 3 shows".

Follow that basic process and before you know it you'll know exactly where you want to be and more importantly how to get there!

Excerpt from Direct Sales Success Kit

You CAN Be a Great Salesperson!

In this week's issue of Mommy's Helper - Mom's Market Ezine:
( Can be read at: http://www.momsezine.com/issue-72.html )

~ Notes from Anita and Kara

~ Business Article - You CAN Be a Great Salesperson!
When you are in sales, you have the choice to be successful or unsuccessful. The only one to set limits on your income and success is you! A career in sales is a challenge. Use that challenge to motivate and excite you. Meet and beat that challenge!


~ Latest Message Board Topics

~ Childcare Article - Dinnertime Chatter
One of the themes I see on the various internet boards I belong to is that children eat and run. First, whatever happened to manners. We were not allowed to leave the table without permission and unless it was an outright emergency we had to stay until everyone was done eating. Also, we used dinnertime to catch up on the day’s activities. When my dad wasn’t there, my mom would ask my sister, brother and I how our day was. Did everything go well, any problems? WE COMMUNICATED.

~ Humor Article - Children, Television and Video Games
I’ll give you three guesses as to why these sounds drive me nuts. If you guessed because they sound like A) children, B) television and C) video games, you’re right!

~ Recipe - Baked Apples (Crockpot)

Read this week's issue at: http://www.momsezine.com/issue-72.html

Enjoy!

Keeping Your Team Motivated

A popular question among direct sales representatives is how to motivate your team or downline. Here's a couple of ideas that might lend a helping hand ;-)

Companies often have incentives for reps, but sometimes that isn't
enough. To keep your team motivated, you could do a number of things:

- Hold your own personal incentive for your team
This could be something as simple as a a gift certificate for the one
who sells the most in a month.

- Set up a message board just for your personal team
A great way to keep in contact with everyone. Many wahm boards already
have a section for your company, so if you don't have the time to set
up your own you could use a specific board for your team.

- Send out a monthly newsletter to your team
Keep it personal and let them know how you are doing....motivate them
by explaining some of the ways you have advanced durring the month.

- Contact your downline on a monthly basis
Personally contact everyone and see how they are doing. This is a good
idea even if some in your team are making sales without your help. Just
check in and see if anyone has questions or problems - they may be
afraid to ask for help.

Excerpt from The Direct Sales Success Kit

Free Advertising & New Contest

In case you missed the announcement in our ezine today, we've put together a special list of free and low cost advertising just for wahms. You can download your copy of this list here. Be sure to let me know if you have a resource to add. ;)

Also I wanted to mention a friend of mine is having a "Post the Most" contest at her boards. Go to Christian WAHM, join the boards, and join in the conversation! Whoever posts the most by March 31st wins over $60 in prizes. Good luck to all who join the contest!

Easter Egg Fun, Customer Care, and more

In this week's issue of Mommy's Helper - Mom's Market Ezine:
( Can be read at: http://www.momsezine.com/issue-71.html )

~ Notes from Anita and Kara

~ Business Article - The Power of Customer Care
We recently had most of the interior of our house painted. We are getting ready for a huge out of state move and are in the process of getting the house ready to "show" to potential buyers. We wanted it to look nice, but also didn't want to spend a fortune.

~ Latest Message Board Topics

~ Childcare Article - Easter Eggsperience
When I went to the grocery store to purchase an Easter egg dying kit for my family, the shelves were packed with so many different kinds I couldn't decide which one to buy. Sometime between my childhood and the nineties, the egg dying process evolved from dropping a tablet into a cup of vinegar and water into swirling, spinning, or speckling eggs into Faberge recreations. I finally picked up the "Tie-dye" coloring kit because the box had a picture of a smiling family decorating eggs and the words "fast" and "easy" written in big letters along the bottom. I tossed it into my cart.

~ Humor Article - Easter Eggs: Tiny Works of Heart
I never could understand why people would pay so much money for those expensive egg decorating kits when most peope have all the tools they need lying around the house! And, oh, the fun that can be created when you allow your kids to use their imaginations!

~ Recipe - Amish Corn Bread

Read this week's issue at: http://www.momsezine.com/issue-71.html

Enjoy!

Are You Taking Care of Business?

In this week's issue of Mommy's Helper - Mom's Market Ezine:
( Can be read at: http://www.momsezine.com/issue-70.html )


~ Notes from Anita and Kara

~ Business Article - Are You Taking Care of Business?
Too often, when we say we are "taking care of business", we think about the paperwork, the accounting, the inventory, etc... the trivial things that are important to get done in order for our business to run smoothly and efficiently. While necessary, they are not the most important.

~ Latest Message Board Topics

~ Childcare Article - Are You Bringing Up Your Child In The Right Way?
If you have children, you have to spend sleepless nights and restless days to nurture them. Children are like plants that need regular watering, weeding and pruning. Thus, parenting is a full time job where all your skills will be tested by none other than your children. As a parent you have to be ready to bear the child~s whining, protests when you tell your child to clean the room.

~ Humor Article - Spring Over-Organization Syndrome
Spring isn't just all about pastel colors, blooming flowers, and baby birds. Noooo. In fact, spring brings on kinds of peculiar conditions. First there's spring fever which causes normally responsible people to sleep in late, skip classes and shirk off going to work just so they can take a walk in the park and feel the sun on their face. Then there's the typical colds and flu. And I don't even have to mention the allergies. But there's one condition that no one ever warns you about: Over-Organization Syndrome.

~ Recipe - Artichoke & Cheese Dip

Read this week's issue at:http://www.momsezine.com/issue-70.html

Enjoy!

Increased Traffic & Sales?!?

I've been just so busy lately working on our project with all the writing, editing, proofreading ect...That I've really felt like there's quite a few things I've been neglecting lately. But, for some reason I had noticed quite an increase in my traffic recently and yesterday was a record-breaking advertising sales day! I won't brag too much but we're talking a Huge jump! Of course I'm not going to complain a bit ... but yeah, just a little curious! Wouldn't you be?

Last evening I was just skimming over my mail and had noticed I had gotten a complimentary issue of Today's Blue Suit Mom from BlueSuitMom.com. I had just glanced at it and put it aside thinking I'd take a look later. Well, this morning I had a couple of minutes to take a peek and sure enough there I was! Well, not really me but MommysHelperOnline.com was listed in their 'top picks' of website for moms! YAY! Hehe...maybe thats where it came from!

Success Tips, Fun, and More

In this week's issue of Mommy's Helper - Mom's Market Ezine:
( Can be read at: http://www.momsezine.com/issue-69.html )

~ Notes from Anita and Kara

~ Business Article - The Biggest Obstacle to Success
I was asked by a friend of mine to describe the Biggest Obstacle to Success that I'd encountered since coming to the Internet. I thought for a bit and answered, "Above all else the biggest obstacle had to be Me."

~ Latest Message Board Topics

~ Childcare Article - Sneaky Fun; Play With Your Kids and Still Get the Job Done
"Mom, I'm bored!" "Dad, play with me!!" Sound familiar? If you're a parent, these plaintive cries from your children can become daily shouts. As busy moms and dads, we're continuously torn by the demands on our time. Here are some simple ways to spend time with your kids while getting the jobs done that need to be done (including the toughest job of all, parenting). These Sneaky Fun ideas are also great ways to teach our children exactly how to successfully accomplish many routine tasks.

~ Humor Article - Put Me in the Zoo
“Put Me in the Zoo” was one of my children’s favorite books for a while. It is a book about a leopard with multi-colored spots who wants to go to the zoo. With the help of two kids, he learns his true place in the world is not the zoo, but the circus. That is where our lives cross. You see, I live in a circus already.

~ Recipe - Maple-Flavored Barbecue Chicken

Read this week's issue at: http://www.momsezine.com/issue-69.html

Enjoy!