The success rate in the home business world is very low.
This is both sad and avoidable.
One of the biggest mistakes home business owners make is too proudly representing the company behind their income opportunities, when they should be proudly representing themselves.
I have a home business that I love, and I deeply respect the company, but I am trying to build my business not theirs.
If I help them during the process of building my business that is a wonderful bonus.
In fact, the single greatest thing that you can do to help your company is to succeed, and you'll do that quicker and better by learning how to "brand" yourself.
What do I mean by branding yourself? I mean that you want to do everything practical to get exposure for your name, not the name of the company you represent.
I don't mean that you should deny your company affiliation.
I mean that you want your prospect's first impression to be of YOU, not your company.
Why? Here are four excellent reasons: 1.
If you create a reputation as a competent home business owner and the unthinkable happens - the company you represent goes "belly up" - you can simply find a new company to represent.
However, if all you did was promote your company, you have no reputation.
In fact, because you were NOT branding yourself, your reputation will be highly tarnished by the failure of the company you so proudly represented.
2.
If you were wise in selecting a company, they will already be very well-established and won't really need any help from you in establishing their name.
3.
Branding yourself will make you a much more "attractive" person for someone to work with.
In short, it will help you attract more people into your business because you look, talk and act like a professional.
4.
As you gain experience in branding yourself, you will grow in self-respect and self-confidence, and both are almost essential for success.
How do you brand yourself? Here are three suggestions: 1) Don't use the website address of your company's replicated marketing website.
Instead purchase your own name as a website.
It is best to use either.
com or.
biz.
Either are fine.
Next, ask the company you get your domain name from to setup a redirect to your replicated marketing website.
Your prospects will end up on your company's marketing site, but they will be impressed that you sent them to your own website address using your name.
2) When asked what you do or, when telling someone what you do, don't say, "I am an independent representative of XYZ Corporation".
Or, "I own an XYZ Corporation distributorship".
Instead, say something like this, "I own an Internet Marketing business".
Or, "I own a web-based nutrition business".
Or, "I help people who want to start a home business".
3) Expand your Internet footprint.
You can do this very simply by also purchasing your name with the dot info ending.
Use this domain name to setup a simple, but professional website that provides info about yourself.
Imagine being able to say to a prospective new customer, new team member or new Affiliate, "If you want to know more about me, go to my personal website".
Now, when your website is your actual name that is even more impressive.
Frankly, they don't have to go to your website to be impressed.
Some will go, but many will not.
Here are two more ideas that will also help you to brand "yourself": 1.
Check out e-mail companies such as Gmail and Ymail and other similar "web-based" e-mail services.
See if your name is still available.
If you have a common name you might have to include your middle initial.
Many try to create some cryptic message in their e-mail address, but they are just wasting valuable advertising.
2.
Setup a signature file that goes out with every e-mail you send.
It will not only save you time, but your signature file (commonly referred to as your sig file) will include your name, your website address and it should include a one line mini-advertisement.
Use the following example as a guide.
Sincerely, Your Name Your website address Your one-line advertisement (813) XXX-XXXX Your e-mail address
This is both sad and avoidable.
One of the biggest mistakes home business owners make is too proudly representing the company behind their income opportunities, when they should be proudly representing themselves.
I have a home business that I love, and I deeply respect the company, but I am trying to build my business not theirs.
If I help them during the process of building my business that is a wonderful bonus.
In fact, the single greatest thing that you can do to help your company is to succeed, and you'll do that quicker and better by learning how to "brand" yourself.
What do I mean by branding yourself? I mean that you want to do everything practical to get exposure for your name, not the name of the company you represent.
I don't mean that you should deny your company affiliation.
I mean that you want your prospect's first impression to be of YOU, not your company.
Why? Here are four excellent reasons: 1.
If you create a reputation as a competent home business owner and the unthinkable happens - the company you represent goes "belly up" - you can simply find a new company to represent.
However, if all you did was promote your company, you have no reputation.
In fact, because you were NOT branding yourself, your reputation will be highly tarnished by the failure of the company you so proudly represented.
2.
If you were wise in selecting a company, they will already be very well-established and won't really need any help from you in establishing their name.
3.
Branding yourself will make you a much more "attractive" person for someone to work with.
In short, it will help you attract more people into your business because you look, talk and act like a professional.
4.
As you gain experience in branding yourself, you will grow in self-respect and self-confidence, and both are almost essential for success.
How do you brand yourself? Here are three suggestions: 1) Don't use the website address of your company's replicated marketing website.
Instead purchase your own name as a website.
It is best to use either.
com or.
biz.
Either are fine.
Next, ask the company you get your domain name from to setup a redirect to your replicated marketing website.
Your prospects will end up on your company's marketing site, but they will be impressed that you sent them to your own website address using your name.
2) When asked what you do or, when telling someone what you do, don't say, "I am an independent representative of XYZ Corporation".
Or, "I own an XYZ Corporation distributorship".
Instead, say something like this, "I own an Internet Marketing business".
Or, "I own a web-based nutrition business".
Or, "I help people who want to start a home business".
3) Expand your Internet footprint.
You can do this very simply by also purchasing your name with the dot info ending.
Use this domain name to setup a simple, but professional website that provides info about yourself.
Imagine being able to say to a prospective new customer, new team member or new Affiliate, "If you want to know more about me, go to my personal website".
Now, when your website is your actual name that is even more impressive.
Frankly, they don't have to go to your website to be impressed.
Some will go, but many will not.
Here are two more ideas that will also help you to brand "yourself": 1.
Check out e-mail companies such as Gmail and Ymail and other similar "web-based" e-mail services.
See if your name is still available.
If you have a common name you might have to include your middle initial.
Many try to create some cryptic message in their e-mail address, but they are just wasting valuable advertising.
2.
Setup a signature file that goes out with every e-mail you send.
It will not only save you time, but your signature file (commonly referred to as your sig file) will include your name, your website address and it should include a one line mini-advertisement.
Use the following example as a guide.
Sincerely, Your Name Your website address Your one-line advertisement (813) XXX-XXXX Your e-mail address