As much fun as all this is – should you stop or slow down your home business or try harder to get new customers? All successful companies will tell you that it is wise to work hard if not harder during the holiday season.

Yes it is more difficult to get customers during the holiday season, but it is not impossible to maintain or surpass your monthly goals. You may have to spend a little more money and time advertising, but you have to be in the mentality that “I’m in business to succeed.”

Think of it like this. When you first started you business was it challenging? The answer for most will be yes of course. Now to maintain at the level of production or sales is that challenging? Some may answer yes and no depending on how established your company may be. Now the last question. If you had to put in so much effort to start and maintain you business why would you not put in an even stronger effort to maintain or surpass what you’ve work so hard to build during the holidays?

Think of the holiday season as another challenge and a test on your willingness to succeed! Get out there these last two weeks of the year and tear it up!

They are the product approach and the business approach.

Starting off with the product approach is usually the best way to entice your audience. When your working with a company you obviously believe in your product and or service and it always shows in your presentation.  A recent survey of product vs business approaches found that 90% of successful sales presentations started with introducing the product. All thought 90% is a high number don’t always start with a product approach.

You must be well in tune with your audience. Are they visiting you because they were turned on to the product or the business opportunity? Very important make sure you know your audience before you start your presentation.

***One last note – The better you know your product and the business opportunity the better your results. Make sure you know your stuff top to bottom.

So you’ve started your home business now you need leads right? Yes of course and here is one great way to get highly targeted people interested in what you have to offer and that is through forums.

What is a Forum?

Wikipedia defines an internet forum as: An Internet forum, or message board, is an online discussion site.
People participating in an Internet forum may cultivate social bonds and interest groups for a topic may form from the discussions.

So forums are basically… websites where you can discuss any topic. Topics such as your business opportunity. A forum is also what I like to call an indirect promotional tool. Which basically means you can chit chat about any topic, but your cant sell your opportunity at least not in the discussion part the forum box. However you will be able to advertise within your signature or resource box on the tail end of your post which is where you can promote all that you want about your business opportunity.

Here is an example: Lets say the topic is about a Top MLM Company. The last post on the forum displays a comment a little something like: Hello everyone I think MLM’s are all schemes and you cant make money off of them.

Then the next post could be your reply. “You couldn’t be father from the truth. I love MLM and I’ve made several thousands of dollars and you can too.” Your resource box or signature line would then read something like: Are you a stay at home mom and want to know how to start your own online business for $1.00. Please visit: Work At Home Jobs For Moms

So again a forum is a discussion board where you can search any topic being discussed and where you indirectly advertise your service, business opportunity, or product.

**One last note – make sure you read carefully the forum’s rules. If you don’t abide by them you can be permanently banned and thus removing you potential to get highly target people interested in you site.

If you’ve been around email marketers they would tell you that “the money is in the list,” the email list that is. It is vital that you capture potential customer’s first name, phone number, and email address.

Having an email marketing resource manager like Constant Contact.com or I Contact.com is relatively easy and …a great way to stay in touch with leads that perhaps may be somewhat interested but just need a little more time because they simply weren’t ready to buy. Keep them informed on all the latest news, events, testimonials and everything else to keep you company fresh in their minds.

What is Spamming?
Spamming is basically sending unsolicited emails to people that you do not have a relationship with. If a prospect has willing given you his or her email address and said it was ok to email them from time to time your ok. If a prospect has filled in their email address is one of your lead capturing web pages that’s ok too. Do not get email addresses from online or companies that sell emails that can get you into a legal lawsuit.