Lets dig into the controversy about using Facebook to grow your business. Most business owners still think it is a pretty silly social networking site that doesn't really have much to do with attracting "real" clients who will buy from you. Guess what ...they are RIGHT. Social Media is a place to build trust , its not about buying. At least  its not about buying right now. Once a business owner understands the purpose they can also learn how Facebook DOES provide return on the investment of time and the very small financial investment in things like ads. A recent study found that  78% of consumers trust peer reviews and only 14% trust advertisements.  Can you see KA_CHING  in those numbers It is crucial to be involved in your community. Ready to put the KA-CHING into your Facebook fan page? Client Response: My decision not to use Facebook has nothing to do with it being a social networking site. I won't use it because the owners will not guarantee privacy of personal information. In fact, they have stated publically that they believe all info should be available to everyone in this social networking age. As a woman who has been stalked in the past (a very frightening experience) and who is concerned about abused women trying to hide from abusers, I am absolutely opposed to this stance. I find it naive and arrogant. I welcome your comments. Reply: I completely agree with you and love the approach you are verbalizing about Facebook. AND I think there is an alternate to consider. First I too have been stalked in college and ended up putting the guy in jail , so I understand about the need for privacy, having escape plans from ones home and other settings  and completely agree with your stance. I have also had the experience of living in the Middle East – seven countries in fact and as a white girl  - very much the minority, I am keenly aware of the need to be cautious and keep my ears and eyes open as well as not to lead others directly to me and my home. If I were consulting with an abused woman I would advise they use a pseudo nym on facebook and every other marketing medium if they need to be  marketing on facebook at all. If your business doesn’t require marketing then don’t put your name out there as your real name. On Facebook , remember you don’t have to  use your real name or have a real picture so it is pretty easy to be anonymous when necessary.  In advising  individuals with that type of concern I would agree with you that I would not even be on facebook or any other social medium. Further I would advise people who are concerned about being stalked in the future,  that they had best get a Po box or alternate address – in the US this is pretty easy and can look like a regular street address. The much greater concern in the US is that if I google my maiden name, the TOP response on a goolge search is my full address for over 20 years history ( 7 addresses) , my children’s full names, my husband and my families addresses – all from the department of motor vehicles. TALK about scary! I am very glad that my name I use now is not my legal name so is not contained in the government databases as is my maiden name. So its back to being a pseudo name EVERYWHERE.

  During this presentation Gary Barnes showed us how to use 3 magic words to create your online offer. He begins with the concept that people buy the sizzle but want the steak. Your prospects need to see great pictures, hear words that appeal to their old brain that are simple to understand . By creating your personal 3 magic words you are able to “interrupt” their thinking, avoid being put into the pigeon hole and labeled “like everyone else”. Using Gary’s unique method gives you the advantage of 3 words to describe what you do , how you do it, and the end result . It also creates an  image in the mind of your ideal prospect. Here are some examples we came up with for a balloon artist . Hot Air Guy, Super elastic man. As you can see there is a crisp image that you get in your minds eye. You definitely don’t label such a person as just another balloon artist. The words pique your interest to want to find out more and this is the key part of successfully creating your irresistible offer. Once you have your 3 words these can be used to attract clients in your social media efforts and right on your website as part of your high value free offer. They also begin to form your “brand”  because these are uniquely yours. To find out more about this strategy and get the screen shot , step by-step details go to www.putyouryearingear.com and request your free access now. These will be going away soon.

Our team member Ann Albergotti delivered a powerful update on how public relations and press releases have seriously  change in the last few years. She explained how today’s online submissions can be done by you. There are some key points that you have to understand for your article to be picked up and accepted by the press, but at a minimum your articles can get published into online article submission sites and have back links to  your website. Here is how the strategy works. First use those great “keywords” that you discovered in strategy 1 and then incorporate them into the article you are writing. Don’t go overboard, be natural in your writing, putting in great content first. Keep your articles to abut 200 words. Then read back thru the article to see where you might exchange some words for the keywords. When you have the article created in the correct article writing format which is NOT a sales pitch but rather a news piece, go online to the site recommended and enter the information requested. The basic information you will need includes the title and summary description which is the best place to house the keyword rich summary of your article. Articles are searched by the media – news reporters to find experts , like you and then they select your article, may re-write it, may contact you for more details or may publish the article as is. During this presentation Ann also explained how to reuse the article information to further attract media and  prospects by putting the shortened versions out into the social  network sites as well. During the upcoming Put Your Year I Gear Ann will go into more detail about how to find out how to check on where your articles get published out to. The team will also help you build your press release kit so that once you are found by the media,  you can quickly respond in the way the press requires so that you will be awarded interviews on the radio, TV and for publications. When Oprah calls you have 24 hours to respond. To find out more about this strategy and get the screen shot , step by-step details go to www.putyouryearingear.com and request your free access now. These will be going away soon.

Mentoring from Loral - Have you ever wondered  what it would be like to ask the "oracle " and actually get a direct answer? What would happen if you knew exactly what to ask and you got the right answer , understood what it means and you  could go do what you needed to do to make that life changing event happen? That is the power of the mastermind group. The Spark of imagination. The power of knowing the truth. My new mastermind group has started meeting - weekly - I thought that would be a bit much, but really it is working out well. The group happens ( by fate or good fortune) to be fantastic ! Each contributes and the others listen. Each gets new direction , a spark of imagination, ideas that none of us thought of individually before. Those simple truths, a little imagination and some drive and initiative, keeps each one of us  going one or two or even three steps further down our  chosen path each week. What about you? Where do you get your spark of imagination? Where do you get your honest feedback - the Truth? I can hear it now.. but that truth can be brutal! That is just a little fear robbing you of your future. Push it aside and step into the real you.  Keep stepping one foot in front of the next . If you find you need a little help. Here are some ideas. If YOU have a chance to connect with a mastermind , I highly recommend it.