Fix your roof when the sun is shining

I met Stow, Ohio-based (FYI, Stow, OH is between Akron and Cleveland) Mike Sheehan on a BlitzTime event, and he really struck me as a definite cut above most insurance agents that I've met. Life insurance is not the sexiest thing to talk about, but Mike is extremely passionate about what he does. If the average entrepreneur or sales professional had a ounce of the enthusiasm that Mike Sheehan does, they would go a very, very long way.

Insurance is a very competitive, crowded industry. Some would even say that life insurance is a vanilla product. However, someone like Mike Sheehan will show you what is the best solution for you so in effect, he adds hot caramel, nuts, whip cream, and cherries to your insurance!

What I like most about Mike Sheehan is that he has very successfully used high tech tools like video email, social media, his website, face-to-face, and the speed networking over the phone to grow his business.

Check out this podcast from Friday, October 16th, 2009.



Make sure to visit Mike's website at www.YourInsurance411.com. Even though he is based in Ohio, with the power of the Internet he can help you no matter where you are in the USA.

Remember, it is better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.

All the best,

Sales Stretegies for Introverts (and extroverts that don't like to sell)

On Wednesday, October 14th, 2009, I had the extreme pleasure of interviewing America's #1 Sales Coach for Introverts (and Extroverts who don't like to sell), Patricia Weber, and it was an eye-opening experience.

I first met Pat on a BlitzTime event a few months ago and I've been trying to get her to do a podcast for a good while now. Well, when you're good you're good and she IS good and very hard to catch.

Here are some of the things that jumped out at me during the interview:

• People do not know how to network


• Networking can be fun, it depends on the kind of group you join. For instance, Pat does a lot of networking with her exotic car pals


• Social media is NOT a replacement for face-to-face networking - especially in you're a network marketer or a personal services provider (e.g., chiropractor, bookkeeper, etc.)


• Use LinkedIn to display your work history and to develop professional credibility; use Twitter share information; use Facebook to let people take a peek into your personal world; and use BlitzTime to "put the rubber on the road

With the tough times that our economy is going through, Pat mentioned that it is so important for people to learn how to market, sell, and how to network. She really broke-down what the difference between marketing and selling is, and how to do them both effectively.

This was probably one of the best interviews that I've had on the show to date, so make sure that you give it a listen. Just click on the player below to listen to the interview.



To learn more about Pat Weber and her services, go to her site at www.ProStrategies.com.

*** As of Wednesday, October 14th, 2009, she has a special promotion going on. CLICK HERE for the details. ***

Folks, we are committed to bring you the best and brightest. Make sure to tell people about this blog.

See you next time around.

Getting Passed the Gatekeeper

When you're making sales calls, getting passed the gatekeeper can be Herculean task. The gatekeeper is the individual that fields sales calls and protects his/her boss from solicitations.

Getting passed the gatekeeper is an art. Some things that can be helpful to your are learning the gatekeeper's name before you call on the decision maker in the organization, handwritten greeting cards, and little bags or boxes of chocolates.

Check out this show that GBN co-founders, Lisa Torres and Tyrone Turner (that's me!), did in April 2008 discussing this topic.



I hope that you find this helpful.

Happy selling,

Become a Web Marketing Whiz Kid

Kyle Nichols is the owner of a wonderful Internet marketing and coaching company, and what they have done is combine high-quality training and coaching from some of the best online marketers along with a very lucrative money-making referral program.

A member can truly earn while she learns. What is so pleasantly surprising is how affordable the program is, yet powerful enough for members to build an immediate and substantial long-term recurring income stream.

Kyle shared some tips on how we can become web marketing whiz kids by leveraging his latest product/program, You Can't Say No.

What is really appealing (to me, anyway) about this program is that it compliments whatever you're already working on by giving you more 'How To' online marketing knowledge. The catalog of training audios, videos, and the community of other online marketers that share best practices is extremely impressive. I can't believe that a person can have access to this program for less than $1.75 per day - unbelievable. Hey, You Can't Say No to that (pun intended).

To learn more about this product/program, visit www.WebMarketingWhizKids.com.

Click on the player below to listen to the interview that I did with Mr. Nichols on Wednesday, October 7th, 2009.

As Internet Marketing heavy-hitter, Perry Belcher, would say, "Hey man, the poops is out and you can't shove it back into the horse, so get with it because Internet marketing is not going anywhere and is only going to get bigger."

Hmmm...spoken like a true Texan.

With appreciation,

Offering rewards for the results you want

ReferQuest was founded by Camille Landau. The site was inspired by her desire to speed various transactions (finding a nanny, selling a car, finding office space) she was attempting to broker online. She had the idea when she noticed that the various searches were inefficient, and could benefit from the support of a third-party network. She believed that offering a referral reward would help speed the transactions, by bringing out a broader base of valid leads. ReferQuest was created to make e-commerce more efficient, and to help busy users make the most of their time.

I know that I'm supposed to be a neutral reporter, but please pardon my enthusiasm about this service - I absolutely LOVE this concept! It is going to help average peopled, 'grassroots captitalists', and Fortune 500 executives alike. You can join for FREE and you only have to pay a reward when you are satisfied with the referral you were given. This is truly a Web 2.0 service.

What also jumps off the page at me is that prolific networkers with huge databases can now be paid for giving referrals. These folks were already giving referrals to others and now they can get paid for doing so.


How ReferQuest Works

Overview:

Online customers waste time in search of buyers and sellers for their time-sensitive transactions. ReferQuest increases e-commerce's efficiency by providing incentives for refer-ers to match buyers & sellers. Clients post referral fees on ReferQuest to provide incentive for uncovering the connections they seek. Visitors refer the requests on to their own contacts. ReferQuest brokers the messages and tracks the dealings between the parties. ReferQuest updates and publishes star ratings of participants, supporting mutual accountability. When transactions close, ReferQuest collects the commission the client had posted, disbursing it to the person who provided the successful referral, and taking its own commission.

Using ReferQuest as a client:

ReferQuest allows you to post notices regarding what you're looking for, and how much you're willing to pay when someone (a "connector") helps you find it. The referral fee you post will attract connectors to assist you as you seek or sell a service or item.

ReferQuest doesn't take any payment upfront; when you're satisfied that you've found what you're looking for, the site trusts you to pay the referral fee you set. You can indicate that the transaction is closed by clicking on the status update button that appears next to the record of your posting in your Dashboard.

Paying the referral fee when you've finished a transaction will help you gain and maintain your standing as a highly-starred requester. A high rating will help ensure that highly-starred participants will want to work with you. It's up to you to decide how much you'll pay as a reward to find what you're looking for.

ReferQuest does not charge fees to post. It does charge by taking a 20% commission of the commission you post. For example, if you post a $20 reward, ReferQuest will take $4, leaving $16 for the connector. If you want the net fee you offer a refer-er to be $20, you would commit to pay $24.

Working with ReferQuest as a connector:

Anyone can make referrals on ReferQuest. Connectors (people who make referrals) don't have to be professionals. If you see a posting and know someone who could fulfill the request, you can send them an message through the ReferQuest system. Your friend will then have a chance to contact the requester via ReferQuest. If the requester chooses your friend, they will be expected to report the transaction as closed, at which point they will be prompted to pay you the reward they promised.

All members of ReferQuest are on the honor system, and honest participation helps members gain, and maintain, higher star ratings. When the requester closes the transaction (that you helped to set up), you are due the referral reward that they offered . It's easy for the requester to pay the reward through the site. If you're the connector and want to make sure you get paid, or if you were referred, and want to make sure the friend who connected you got paid, then you can send a note to the requester through the site, prompting them to pay. Keep in mind that ultimately, however, ReferQuest can't force the requester to pay... so, when choosing among requesters whose requests you can serve, check to see that they have a good rating.

Getting paid as a connector:

Payments on ReferQuest are made through PayPal.

Check out the interview I did with Camille on Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009 by clicking on the player below.



Make sure to check out ReferQuest's website at www.ReferQuest.com and sign-up TODAY.

See you at the top!

All the best,

Are you healthy enough to succeed in business?

Atlanta-based Donna Wilson is a holistic health consultant that has a white-hot burning passion to help others improve their lives from the inside out. That is to say to get there mind, body, spirit, and environment right.

To paraphrase Donna, she focuses on 8 things to have a full life:

1. Make time for family



2. Make time to socialize and meet new people



3. Take care of your body



4. Serve your community



5. Educate your mind



6. Tune in to the universe (i.e. spirituality, religion, GOD, etc.)



7. Take time to smell the roses and rest



8. Have fun

Donna's blog is at www.DonnaWilsonsWorld.com.

Check out the interview I did with her on Wednesday, September 9th, 2009 by clicking on the player below.



Live strong,

The Accidental Entrepreneur: Turning Your Passion Into Profit

I had the good fortune to meet Mary Cravets on a Speed Networking Over the Phone event. She is a prolific networker that organizes and promotes face-to-face speed networking events in her home town of Sedona, Arizona.

She is the owner of Brilliant Virtual Assistance. What they do at Brilliant Virtual Assistance is provide support for entrepreneurs and companies that need help, but don't wish to incur the costs of hiring and maintaining employees. Whether it's consistent administrative support, or collaboration on a one-time project, their wide range of services, convenient access and inherent flexibility make them a great option to meet the ever-changing needs of business enterprises.

They are not a staffing agency so there are no agency or advertising fees. You pay only for services rendered.

She typically works with busy real estate agents and networking marketing / MLM professionals who have more than 4,000 sales representatives in their organization. However, her company has the flexibility to work with other entrepreneurs and sales professionals who are looking to free up their time from doing administrative things so that they can focus on revenue generating activities.

Being that her company is virtual in nature, they have clients all across the USA.

Listen to Mary's story on how she became an entrepreneur accidentally and how that accident has become a rather profitable operation. This interview took place on Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009 at 8:30pm EDT.

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Make sure to visit Mary's site at www.BrilliantVA.com.

All the best,