Christopher Van Buren

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I’ve compiled this list from a webinar I’ve attend on the rookies mistakes that many new home base business owners make when the first enter the business. I must admit that I have personally fallen prey to a few of the one I will be writing about. My hope is that I will be able to assist you in avoiding these same pitfalls as you build you home base business.

Mistake #1 We elevate our prospect above ourselves

This is often done by elevating their opinions above yours and or elevating their time over yours. It is a given that we need prospects but it is important to have the mind frame that you have gold in your hands and act like it. It is important that your prospect values the time they meet with you. If they say there are busy, guess what you tell them? You are busier!

Mistake #2 We chase and convince instead of attracting

You are not in the business to chase prospects to look at your opportunity, nor do you want to be trying hard to convince prospects. I mean think about it, you can be a good convincer, but what will you be convincing your prospect to do? Go to a website, conference call, or meeting? But what are you truly looking for? You are seeking dynamic leader s for your business, and the best way to attract these leaders is by being one first. You are looking for prospects that are looking for you. At the end of the day the opportunity is either for them or it’s not.

Mistake #3 We talk too much and throw up all over prospects

Instead of the saying “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!’ New home base business owners suffer from “I’m talking and I can’t shut up!” It is important to remember the more you say the less your prospect wants to hear. But the less you say the more they want to hear. Engage your prospect by asking questions.

Mistake #4 We make the opportunity sound easy

Often we say to our prospect “It’s so easy, all you have to do is get people on the call.” Or “Everyone is going to do it.” But in reality we don’t want people who are going to do it if it is easy. We want people who will step up to the plate; we want people to plug in. You want to inspire them rather than motivate them. You want to find out their Why? Their Reason? Their Purpose?

Mistake #5 Not Treating this business like a business, it is not a hobby

This statement speaks for itself. It is vital that you concentrate on your behavior (activity), not results. Maintaining the proper mindset is vital to success as a home base business owner. Remember sow now and reap the benefits later.

Mistake #6 Look for leaders not needers

Strive to work with people that deserve it not the one’ who need it, you can’t fix people because they need us. People are looking for someone not to take care on their needs; they are looking for someone to lead them.

Now armed with this information I hope that you will be able to avoid these mistakes in your home base business.  And would love to hear your thoughts on this subject, so please feel free to send me your comments.

I would also like to invite you to Get FREE Instant Access to My Social Media Income Transformation 8-Day Video Training Series

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I was recently reading an article in Success Magazine by best selling author Robert Stuberg, where he defines the 12 personality characteristics that define successful salespeople.  After reading it I am compelled to add it to my blog as a blueprint to follow in my journey as an entrepreneur and salesman. And I hope you find value in it too.

#1 Establish a high level of self-confidence and self-esteem.

Your self-confidence depends on your self-esteem.  And there’s a direct positive correlation between how much you like yourself and how well you do everything else.  The higher your self-esteem, the lower your fear of rejection will be.  The more you like yourself, the more effective you are in getting along with others.  And people have more confidence in you when they feel you like are care about them.

#2 Develop your power of commitment and perseverance.

One of the best ways of building self-esteem is backing your sales effort wit the willpower of commitment and perseverance.  The primary reason for sales failure is not sticking with it long enough and hard enough to get the winning experience to maintain self-esteem.  They’re willing to take no for an answer.

Selling is a business of percentages.  Successful salespeople know success is directly related to the number of calls they make, and that 80% of sales are made after the fifth visit to a prospect.  It’s terribly important to make and absolute commitment to succeed in your sales career.  This is a 100%, no-compromises, take no-prisoners dedication to become the best in your field.  You’ve made an ironclad contract with yourself.  And once you’ve done that, failure is not an option.

#3 Have a positive self-concept.

Customers will accept your image of yourself, so act in every way like a top sales professional.  When successful salespeople see themselves in a role that’s helpful to customers, it’s what the customer also sees.  Position yourself mentally as a successful consultant to your customers, someone who is on call as a problem solver and adviser.

#4 Refine your ability to set goals and pursue them.

Every successful salesperson is goal-oriented.  Goals must be concrete and achievable, even if at first they seem a bit beyond your reach.  Set your goals in the way suggested by the French philosopher Teilhard de Chardin: “Our duty as men (and women) is to proceed as if limits to our ability do not exist.  We are collaborators in creation.”

The key to effective goal-setting, of course, is writing goals down and reviewing them frequently.  Go over then every day, if needed, to keep you on course and on your timetable.  Be ready to make adjustments as necessary.  Goals are also a marvelous tool for organizing your time effectively.  Develop the nightly practice of setting goals for what you plan to accomplish the next day.

#5 Be courageous.

Probably the greatest single deterrent people experience in achieving success in sales is fear.  Primarily it is fear of the consequences of acting.  It is fear of failure.

While the fears we encounter in our careers seldom concern physical safety, the consequences can be almost as debilitating if such fears aren’t faced squarely, challenged and managed.  In the simplest sense courage is managing your fears and taking action to overcome them.

#6 Operate with personal integrity.

I consider personal integrity the magnetic north on our moral compass.  It’s a constant reference point that assures a true course in life.  No appraisal of your business conduct will hold you in higher regard than being considered a person of integrity by your customers and colleagues.

I will be adding the final 6 personality characteristics that define successful salespeople.  Selling, after all, is a people business.

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Through the use of the internet you can spread your message around the world 24/7.  Here are 6 cost effective tools you should be using to maximize your online marketing.

Tool #1 Email

Email is the workhorse of the modern economy.  Think about it, you are more likely on email more than you watch TV or talk to your family.  And it doesn’t matter if you work for a major corporation or a home base business you need to be using email to help build relationships with your customers.

Tool #2 Email Newsletters

Bet you didn’t know that email newsletters are inexpensive to produce and cost almost nothing to distribute.  In fact even a simple quarterly newsletter offering a friendly hello and a short, informative article or product review can help you attract more sales.

Tool #3 Auto Responders

With the use of autoresponders you can automatically follow up with customers via email.  This is a “set it and forget it!”  way to grow sales with virtually no work, by reminding clients to keep purchasing from you.

Tool #4 Blogs

You can create a blog for free using vendors such as WordPress or Blogger.com.  But I recommend purchasing and hosting your WordPress blogs, since it is both inexpensive and you are able to control what content or advertisements appear on your blogs.  But the main reason blogs are so effective is first, they pull web traffic like a magnet.  Google, Yahoo and other search engines love blogs, because blogs include information that is far more up to date and relevant that the typical website, and the majority of blogs are topic specific.  Secondly, blogs can help you position yourself as an expert in your field.  I blog about real estate and home financing.  So people who are searching for information on these topics can easily find my blogs.  Lastly, you can start a conversation about a topic and allow people to comment on your blog.  Warning don’t forget to moderate your comments, which means approve all comments before they appear on your blog.  This will prevent spam comments.

Tool #5 Social Networks

Social networking is one of the very best ways to brand yourself.  Three of the most popular and largest social networking sites are FaceBook, Linkedin, and my personal favorite Twitter.  The key to social networking is all about building groups, friends, followers, or connections, and then carrying on conversations with them and building a relationship long before your start to promoting.

On site like Facebook and Twitter, your conversations should be about both your personal and buisness life.  Sharing information about things like your pets, hobbies and interest will endear you to those who are following you.  So by the time you start to discuss your product or service, your followers will be more receptive because they’ll feel they already know and like you.

Tool # 6 BizPack

BizPack an incredible new tool for small and home based business owners.  This is the first complete marketing and tracking system for business success. Features include are Contact Manager, Web Meeting, Personal Development, Marketing System, Udeduct, & Residual Income Opportunity.

With the power of these 6 tools you have the ability to spread your message around the world 24/7 like a wildfire.  If your business can benefit from word of mouth promotion, then all the new friends you make doing online marketing can help you spread your marketing message.

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BizPack, the newest product from United First Financial, combines 6 (six) powerful tools into one power-house of a turn key marketing system.  These products include:

Go To Meeting and Go To Webinar – One of the worlds fastest growing and highest rated online meeting services.  With the economy and the cost of Travel being what it is today, more and more people are turning to “webinars” to come together.  This is a $99 value in and of itself!

Online Marketing – Search for “Christopher Van Buren” in Google…go ahead….we’ll wait.  You may notice this site is among the TOP results.  This is due to the training and skill sets placed into action from the same Online Marketing course you will receive!

Success Magazine Subscription – One of the best periodicals for the entrepuener, networker, or home based business owner.

A world class CRM tool – Never miss a prospect again.  Online access to a database that we show you how to grow and grow.  Its one thing to buy leads….its another to never run out of them!

Udeduct – A highly customizable tax deduction tracker.  Do you know how many additional deductions you qualify for by owning a home based business?  This not only tells you…it shows and tracks them for you!

Personal Development Courses – Created for the Home Based Business or Small Business owner.  These are created and published by the best selling author Mark Victor Hansen.  Creator of the “Chicken Soup for the Soul” series

All of this combined with a world class business?  How can you go wrong?

The best part is:  From now until the official launch in March….ITS FREE TO JOIN!  That’s right.  You can become a BizPack agent and or customer by simply clicking here and providing your name, phone, and email.

You will instantly be provided with your own replicated site.  This provides you the ability to tell others and build a HUGE business before we even launch this powerful product.

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Have an awesome, wonderful, enormous Day.

YES, I said enormous.

Whatever you do today, do it BIGGER than life.

And make it count in ways you never have before.

Give the one you love a kiss if they are near.

If they aren’t, send them your love, a text message, or give them a call

to let them know you were thinking of them.

Don’t let THIS day go by without acknowledging someone you truly care for.

I mean, really folks?

Today is a VERY good day.

Just because.

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HELLO!  WHO’S THERE?

WHERE AM I?

Don’t you know my child.

HOW’S THAT? WHERE ARE YOU?

You know who I am. And you brought yourself to me.

I DON”T UNDERSTAND

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Fight! Fight! Fight!  The battle must go on

As I sit in the window these words are running on and on

But why must we continue to fight day in, day out?

If only once we can just sit together and just look into the sky.

No one has to say a word.

Just look and behold the beauty of the clear blue sky.

Then let our minds take us to a plain of existence.

That there is no need to Fight! Fight! Fight!

For the real battle starts in the mind.

Just free your soul and let your spirit free

Take the time to enjoy the sunshine,

Marvel at the beauty of the sunset.

Be seduced by the crashing waves of the shore.

And make love under the moon and stars til we see the dawn.

If we could just wake up!

Free our mines

This life could be better than the next.

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My friend Kristene post this on her bulletin today on Tagged and want to share it with you.

There is someone thinking about you today. There was someone thinking about me. Off and on, during the course of their day, they sat down, or stood and passed a thought of you. That same someone smiled. They thought about how unique you are; how special; how different. Although they may not say it, you have made an impact NO ONE ever has.

See, not everyone knows how to say, THANK YOU; YOU HAVE MADE A DIFFERENCE IN MY LIFE; I LOVE YOU BECAUSE YOU ARE MORE REAL TO ME THAN ANYONE HAS EVER BEEN. Not everyone has eloquent speech, or even the courage to say how they truly feel. So, instead they THINK about you. They smile without you knowing.

Understand this and embrace THIS truth as well; YOU ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOU REALIZE. And, if no one ever says so? Be confident in knowing, someone cares about you and is paying attention to you in silent partnering.

Someone thought about me today. Someone smiled for me today. Someone cares for me more than they are able to express.

Today was a good day.

Today I shared love.

My life in enriched, in silence AND in words.

I am blessed to be loved by quality people.

I appreciate God for His grace.

I am a gift God is giving to those who NEED.

I am humbled.

Have a great weekend folks.

Peace*

By my good friend Kristene and poet from Tagged

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I was packing up somethings yesterday and I found 4 poems that I wrote on 2 napkins back on 9/8/94. The odd thing about finding them is that it’s probably the last time I’ve written anything. So I wanted to share them here with all of you.

Inner Peace Part 1

Joy swept past me in a blink of an eye

And in its place slowly creeps in the darkness

To fill the void that has been in my soul

I desperately fight to regain the joy of yesterday

But the bitter cold sweetness if the dark is so inviting

As if this was the one true element in my life

I was truly missing.

But I must resist. I shall find the glorious light of

joy once again.

However, where do I begin?

Now as I look out 2 the world it seems to be as baron

and isolated as the desert.

Though I’m surrounded by people they seem to not

have any faces.

All I can see are ghost, no people, no faces, no names

Where is the light? I truly need to see once again

To embrace the shadows and to end the fear

In my minds eye I know I am love.

But it seems as if my soul is turning to ice

Has the weight of this life kill the joy I once knew?

Will my soul feel the sunshine and joy run thru me like the river Nile?

Or shall I become as the Dead Sea

Alive but yet not alive?

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What shall be my fate in this short life?

Do I continue to bring comfort to those around me,

while my heart and soul seem to be dying day by day?

I’m trapped in this world of confusion

Fighting to stay far away from the rat race.

But this fighting has put my essence in such a strange place.

A land of reality where pain and pleasure are one in the same.

For how does one know what pleases if he doesn’t know what displeases.

I want to shout, scream, cry, laugh but all at the same time.

So I do none and I continue to die.

I think love can be the answer.

But how do I? Who do I? When do I?

When those I have looked to in the past nearly destroyed me,

stripped me of so many of my dreams and beliefs.

Program me to act as the silent cornerstone

Never taking time to ask if I was weary

Do you now need support from those who you have supported all this time?

But such questions are never asked.

It is up to me and only me, as if has always been.

I shall set my heart and soul free!

I shall raise from the ashes as the Phoenix!

And soar to great heights

To proclaim these words: “This World Is Mines!”

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