In an industry where many people are fighting nail-and-tooth to earn more money in any way possible, leadership by example is indeed a rare find. Network marketers are far more likely to tell downlines something that will make them stick around than something that will ensure their success. This is especially true when they have heard of some new technique that theoretically could work, even though they haven’t yet tested it for themselves.

This leaves you with a wide open opportunity to gain a competitive advantage: by simply embracing leadership by example, you can immediately do something almost none of your competitors-either within the company or selling for another company-will ever even think of doing.

One of the best ways to lead by example in network marketing is to setup various initiatives. For instance, one month, you could pick some specific type of advertisement and then thoroughly train every person in your downline on the advantages of using it; and the best way in which they can use it. You can then run a campaign yourself, record your results and methods, and send it to your entire downline.

Working closely with your downline will not only help them to improve how they do certain things, but it will also embolden them to stick around and to promote you to their friends, who might be on the fence, trying to decide whether or not your opportunity is legitimate.

So make this your new goal: always lead by example. Show your downline what to do and what not to do-and most importantly, make sure you have already done it yourself and know that it works. If you lead by example, everyone else has a chance to benefit and to help you in return; if you lead with theoretical ideas, you might help someone, but it will most likely be accidental.

Posted: June 24th, 2008 under Marketing.
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In the past, network marketing was something done completely offline. If network marketers advertised at all, they would do it with flyers or with classified ads in newspapers. Unlike marketers today, they had no opportunity to reach massive amounts of people at a very low price.

Today, you can reach network leads through dozens of different outlets-many of them Internet-based. Additionally, there are companies that now specialize in extracting highly-targeted leads for this exact purpose.

One quick way in which you can recruit network leads is to setup a “squeeze page,” which captures names and email addresses - and then send traffic to it. Once leads sign up through the squeeze page to join your mailing list, you can then send them a training course, which teaches them the various ways in which they can make money with a network marketing program. You can then make subtle attempts to get them to join your own network in several of the emails.

Another way in which you can recruit network leads to fill your downline is to send out mailings through e-zine advertisements. This is one of the fastest ways in which you can immediately reach tens of thousands of people with very little effort.

Additionally, you can use forums to recruit members for your downline. You can make useful posts on Internet marketing forums frequently; and then use a signature file that gives a brief overview of your network marketing opportunity.

Another way in which you can build a downline is to use free advertisements. If you have a low budget, you could accumulate credits on a traffic exchange or banner exchange program; and then use that to get your advertisement placed on various exchange sites. This is a relatively effective and easy way to increase the amount of people who join your mailing list through your squeeze page.

Posted: June 24th, 2008 under Marketing.
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One important part of network marketing is what’s called “downline retention.” You can view this similarly to how you would view traffic generation: you can take two approaches-you can either recycle traffic, so that it comes back; or you can constantly pump fresh traffic into the site. Ideally, however, you want both mechanisms to be working, as that will not only generate more traffic, but it will also keep more traffic on your site. This is true with network marketing.

At this point, however, you have a rough idea of how to gain that new traffic; and further, how to convert that traffic into members of your network. The next step is to retain those new members by training them and reducing dropouts-which go hand-in-hand.

You should start by developing some type of course, which starts by covering the absolute basics of network marketing-and the moves to the more complex, harder-to-understand parts. Additionally, if your goal is to retain network members, you shouldn’t attempt excessive upselling in your course. Rather, only suggest what you believe is absolutely necessary; and only what you believe will affect the best possible results for someone who is either an average or below average network marketer.

Now, in addition to producing a course, you may also want to create a manual of some sort. You can send this to each member of your network immediately upon joining. This can be a more comprehensive field guide that directs them through any potential problem they run into as a new network marketer.

Last, you will want to make yourself accessible to everyone whoever needs help. You might offer your email address to all of your new network members in a personal email you send to everyone; or you might even allow them to contact you by phone. These are all considerations you want to make, as the more accessible you are, the more trusted you will be; and the more likely people are to take your advice and stick around.

Posted: June 24th, 2008 under Marketing.
Comments: 1

Mascots around the world are used for similar events in most countries. Almost all countries utilize mascots for some if not all of their sporting events. Football (American version), basketball, rugby, hockey, and especially soccer widely use mascots for college and professional games. Soccer is one of the most widely popular sports world-wide, so mascots are heavily used in these sporting events. Some teams use the soccer ball itself and dress it up as a personified mascot. Mascots can look very similar to each other and very different in various nations. Animal mascots are some of the most popularly used for sports on an international basis: - bears - birds - whales - sharks - crocodiles - alligators - tigers - bulls - rhinoceroses - dogs - wolves - cats - frogs

Mascots and the Militaries of Countries The military in most countries hold their own kind of mascots. Many nations have animal mascots associated with either the enter military, or like the United States one branch of the military. The bulldog is the official mascot of the United States Marine Corps. The current incarnation of the military mascot is “Lance Corporal Molly,” who resides at a recruiting depot in San Diego, CA.

Throughout England and Wales there are different animal mascots to represent the various branches. The Royal Regiment of Wales uses a live, white goat as its mascot. The Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment has the ram as its mascot. Its current incarnation is Derby XXVIII, which was given in 2005 to the Duke of Devonshire. It is also known as “Private Derby.” The Black Buck Antelope is the mascot of The Royal Warwickshire Fusiliers, a branch of the British army. Ireland has the Irish Wolfhound as its mascot for the Irish Guards. It was presented to them by the Irish Wolfhound Club. The Club was hoping to boost the public’s interest in the breed.

How Mascots Around the World are Different

Mascots do differ around the world and can be used for very different types of events. Several countries around the world have festivals and parades that are indigenous to particular areas of the globe. Tropical places like Jamaica, Trinidad, and many West Indies islands have parades and carnivals. They have parades to celebrate tribal people. Sometimes troops of people from many countries including the United States and the UK will dress up in exotic outfits our “tribalwear” and act as mascots for the events. Many of the costumes are very ornate involving a lot of beadwork, face paint, and sometimes bikini or loin cloth style outfits. The outfits come in an array of beautiful colors and contribute to a festive feel for the event. These human mascots can either walk or dance in parades, or visit with people who come to watch the parades. They are very interactive with the crowds and do this as a profession. Many undergo classes that teach them the art of being a mascot. Some are indigenous to their own country, while many troops travel to different carnivals and parades to perform as mascots around the world.

Mascots that are Meaningful to Multiple Countries

It may be hard to believe that there are mascots that are meaningful to multiple countries. Some may have the same mascots, but maybe a different style of the same mascot. An example of this is Ronald McDonald. Many countries such as China and France use him as a mascot for the McDonald’s Restaurant. However, the style that is used may be very different that of the United States. France has recently run commercials of both a young woman and a young man dressed up in modern fashion that still resembles the clown’s outfit. China recently featured a cartoon version of some of the McDonald’s characters in cartoon form using Chinese children in the background.

Also, the Olympics are a time when the whole world shares mascots in like kind. The 2010 Olympics that are to be held in Canada already feature three mascots that will be shared globally: Miga, Quatchi, and Sumi. The characters are patterned after Japanese anime styling.

Posted: June 24th, 2008 under Advertising.
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Everyone is always trying to find the new strategy that will allow them to turn their product from blah into Bam!, but it’s harder than it looks. But you can to produce a product that people want, by answering 20 questions about the four ps of marketing.

This marketing principle has been used successfully for years, but still many business owners don’t understand how it works or how it can benefit them.

The four ps of marketing are product, package, price and promotion.

Four Ps Of Marketing: 1. Product Determines The Rest Of Your Marketing

The product is what makes you money. And how well you market your product determines how much money. A good product puts you on the path to building a good business.

Because it is so important, there are twice as many questions about your product than about the other three ps.

1. Who is the target consumer?

Will this product satisfy the needs of your target market?

3. Does your product have something that competing products do not?

4. How does your product compare with buying trends, experiences?

5. Is the market strong enough to warrant producing your product?

6. Will enough people want this product to match the supply?

7. When will the product be requested?

8. How much product needs to be in place at any time to meet the desire?

Once you’ve answered all the product questions, you’re ready to consider the package questions.

Four Ps Of Marketing: 2. Packaging Is The Second Of The Four Ps

How much thought do you put into packaging your product? Do you realize that your package can give your product a competitive advantage or disadvantage?

Your packaging contributes to cost. The right package can save you money in distribution and eliminate having to replace damaged products.

Ask yourself these questions before making your final packaging decisions:

9. Does your package offer a distinguishing characteristic?

10. Are the dimensions of the packaging appropriate for the product?

11. Will the package keep your product save during distribution and storage.

12. Is your packaging excessive, requiring increased handling?

By answering product and package questions, you’ll be better prepared to consider price.

Four Ps Of Marketing: 3. Consider Your Questions on Product and Package To Select A Price

You need to be able to price the product right for the customer. Fail in this and the customer may end up not choosing you because the price is too high and they don’t think it is worth it, or it is too low and they think that means the product is cheaply made. Ask yourself these questions:

13. What price do the forces of supply and demand dictate?

14. As supply increases, how much does cost per unit decrease?

15. How much does the price decrease with volume changes?

16. What is the best price for the product?

Now that you’ve answered the first 16 questions, you can start thinking about promoting your product.

Four Ps Of Marketing: 4. Promotion Decisions Base on All Your Prior Decisions

Promoting or marketing your product will be much easier after you’ve succeeded in answering the first 16 questions. They form the base of your marketing.

The remaining four questions will then leverage your marketing strategy and tactics.

17. How much do should you spend on different promotion tactics?

18. How well does your promotion mix match your business’ other marketing practices?

19. How well does your promotion mix match your product, and its stage in the product life cycle?

20. Does your promotion match the needs and desires of the target consumer?

Once you’ve answered all 20 questions, you know enough to create a marketing plan.

Four Ps Of Marketing: Conclusion

The Four Ps of Marketing build from answering the 20 questions. Answer all of them before deciding on a product, pricing it, packaging it and selling it.

Knowing the answers to these questions means you will have a much better chance of selling it to your target market.

Posted: June 24th, 2008 under Products.
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The world is a small place thanks to the Internet, but there are still plenty of differences between people by nations. Those differences often translate into global and domestic marketing problems.

As a result, marketing techniques require the use of national and cultural characteristics.

Values, concerns and attitudes need to be considered for target markets using the concept of market segmentation.

Global and Domestic Marketing: Consider Differences In People By Nations

Different cultures within the USA, and across the world, are going to have different buying habits. This presents a problem when you are trying to sell a product across nations.

The United States is known as a melting pot, and that means marketing to different cultures within one nation. That’s hard enough, but when it must be done across borders, it gets even harder.

Global and Domestic Marketing: Demographic Characteristics Vary By Nation and Culture

Demographic segments vary across the world. For example, some characteristics for Generation Y in the USA may be similar worldwide, but most will be quite different.

The World War II generation in the USA was influenced by the second world war just like most people in the Western world. However, the influence of Pearl Harbor on the USA WWII generation was greater than for those in the rest of the world.

If a business plans one campaign for the world around characteristics for USA markets, the campaign will fail in the rest of the world.

Global and Domestic Marketing: People From Different Nations Think Differently

People’s attitudes, morals, values, concerns, and expectations vary by nations. They result from each nation’s culture, history, experiences, and social expectations. Different nations vary by what they teach in their schools, what they expect within families, the role of established religion, and the type of government.

What is considered “good” in one nation may be considered “bad” in another.

For example, religious freedom is a basic right in the USA. We consider forcing a certain religion on a person to be abhorrent. Yet, in other nations, governments and powerful people force their religious perspective on others even to the point of murdering those who don’t accept their religion.

So psychographic characteristics like attitudes, values, and concerns change drastically across borders.

Global and Domestic Marketing: Buying Habits Are Nationally Specific

Each nation’s economic well-being influences buying habits of its citizens.

Obviously, the people in some nations have more spending power and more discretionary income than those in other nations. But even among comparatively wealthy nations, people spend differently.

For example, people buy even the most basic needs according to buying habits within their nations. Many buy groceries daily from local “farmer’s markets.”

In the USA, we don’t buy groceries like that. Instead, we buy many processed foods weekly or monthly. We also eat lots of fast food although we know that most of it isn’t as healthy as what we could cook at home. We just think we are too busy to spend lots of time shopping and cooking.

I’m sure that many European residents are appalled by our over-processed food and would never consider serving it to their families.

If we are so different in the way we purchase survival products like food, how much more different are we when it comes to buying other products.

Global and Domestic Marketing: Conclusion

Developing a marketing campaign for the people in one nation and trying to transfer that campaign to another nation doesn’t work.

International marketing demands that a unique marketing program be created for each nation and that marketers know characteristics of the people in each nation.

In order for businesses in all nations to improve their business and national economies, the world needs to share specific characteristics that cause people to respond to marketing campaigns differently. When that happens global and domestic marketing opportunities will become more equal.

Posted: June 24th, 2008 under Marketing.
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