Tan Bing Song

By: Tan Bing Song Associations and trade organizations are great places to meet individuals. Usually organizations have a common theme, and it is an understood implication that all members participate to improve themselves and their businesses. Whether it is a chamber of commerce or a trade association, members have common problems, issues and concerns. By sharing issues and resolutions, members can benefit by the experience of others. Many business owners participate in organizations, not only to network, but also to hopefully circumvent some of the pitfalls encountered by other small businesses--learning from others. Networking Tips. Many trade organizations provide forums for networking. In some cases, these might be private online newsgroups, casual meetings, or even professional events with speakers. In order to take full advantage of these networking opportunities consider these tips. Who You Know. It is often not who you know, but who they know. I can't tell you ...

By: Tan Bing Song We're all aware of how difficult it is to find business builders. This can be tough...Even with the best recruiting techniques. For me one of the better ways to find business builders is to Retail to Recruit. Personally I think your MLM business should be made up of 75% retail customers and 25% business builders. Why? Having more retail customers ordering from you week after week, month after month, year after year creates that residual income we all want. Plus you now have an army of customers that are spreading the word about your products. People will talk more freely about products that are doing well for them, then they will about a business opportunity. In one case people feel they are sharing, in the other they feel like they are selling (guess which one?). When people talk about products they're sharing an experience, when they're talking about a business opportunity they feel like they're selling.  In my company we make great...

By: Tan Bing Song This is the second in a series of articles we will be publishing relaying thoughts and ideas from the Internet Retailer Conference in Chicago, which occurred June 5th through June 7th. Peter Kosciewicz, Director of E-Commerce for the Eastwood Company, and Chris Saito, Senior Director, Shopping Products for Yahoo! Shopping, delivered a presentation entitled "Social Networking: The Peer Pursuasion Marketing Tool." According to Kosciewicz, the Web today has grown into an "architecture of participation" that facilitates social networking through devices such as blogs, wikis, RSS, podcasts, and more. Forrester Research has published studies that show that traditional marketing is continuing to lose credibility. Social networking as a means of marketing overcomes this lack of consumer trust because it relies on the word of the consumer rather than the word of the producer. Research from Datamonitor reported that 85% of repondents in a survey indicate...

By: Tan Bing Song This is the second in a series of articles we will be publishing relaying thoughts and ideas from the Internet Retailer Conference in Chicago, which occurred June 5th through June 7th. Peter Kosciewicz, Director of E-Commerce for the Eastwood Company, and Chris Saito, Senior Director, Shopping Products for Yahoo! Shopping, delivered a presentation entitled "Social Networking: The Peer Pursuasion Marketing Tool." According to Kosciewicz, the Web today has grown into an "architecture of participation" that facilitates social networking through devices such as blogs, wikis, RSS, podcasts, and more. Forrester Research has published studies that show that traditional marketing is continuing to lose credibility. Social networking as a means of marketing overcomes this lack of consumer trust because it relies on the word of the consumer rather than the word of the producer. Research from Datamonitor reported that 85% of repondents in a survey indicate...

By: Tan Bing Song In my mind, small talk basically consists of 3 phases: <ol><li>The ice breaker</li>  <li>Get to know you better</li> <li>Graceful exit</li> </ol>So let’s go ahead and briefly touch on each phase and in turn give you some concrete takeaway strategies that you can apply immediately for each. <b>Phase 1: The Ice Breaker</b> So you attend a networking event… you make eye contact with someone you want to meet, you approach them and introduce yourself… now what? Well having a few powerful, open-ended ice breaker questions should certainly do the trick.  For example: <ul><li>A tried and true ice breaker is the proverbial, “So Jeff, what do you do?”  In other words “Jeff, what business are you in?  Now people love talking about themselves and their business so the idea here is to get them started talking.  Most people also love to hear the sound of their own voice so th...

By: Tan Bing Song If you’re networking with strangers, you’re wasting your time. A consultant friend of mine recently complained, “I’m doing 2-3 networking events a week – and I’m worn out.” When I asked why she felt networking was important, she replied, “One of my marketing goals is to do at least 1 networking event a week.” (I pointed out that she just admitted to doing 2-3 a week – and perhaps doing 1 a week is smart and doing triple that goal is causing some of the fatigue.) But there’s much more to the great American business myth of networking. Myth 1: The more you network, the more effective your networking activities become. Truth 1: It’s much more important to become well-known in 1-2 circles than to spread your networking activities over many different groups. Depth beats breadth every time. I then asked her how networking was working for her. She said, “I don’t think I have gotten a shred of business out of it in the last six months.” Her rationale for doing networ...

By: Tan Bing Song 1. Don't ignore your own "Acres of diamonds" - ask your existing clients to refer some of their family, friends and associates to you. If they're happy with your service they will be more than happy to do it and your job will be much easier since they are coming recommended by someone they trust. 2. Former employers and associates in other fields can be a great resource for finding new business. Give them a call, or better yet have lunch and catch up with them but don't be shy to ask for referrals! 3. Ask your current prospects who they know that may need your products or services. It may sound odd at first but give it a try and your opinion may quickly change. Especially if you've gone out of your way to help them. Remember that most good people generally enjoy helping others when you make it easy for them. When you ask the people inside your circle of influence to help you by referring new clients, you're helping yourself,...

By: Tan Bing Song Today I am going to talk about something that seems to be one of those things that people either love or hate. What I am talking about is network marketing, also called mlm or multi-level marketing. Right from the beginning I will say that there is no need to have extreme views about this, it is simply a business model that you can use if you wish. However, it is crucial that you understand HOW the business model of network marketing works. I think there are basically two reasons that some people seem to be almost electrocuted, simply by hearing someone mention the word network marketing. Either they have tried it themselves, and because they didn't have a clue on how to do it they failed miserably. Or they belong to the group of people who can't get the idea that mlm = pyramid scheme out of their heads. This second misconception is easy to debunk. Pyramid schemes are illegal almost everywhere, do you really think large multinational companies could op...

By: Tan Bing Song Networking is obviously an essential part of network marketing. Every successful network marketer knows this to be true. Although networking is such an intricate part of network marketing, the two terms are not synonymous. However there are many similarities. Both rely heavily on people skills. Both require people to confront their fear of talking to other people. Both carry with them the risk of rejection. Both also carry with them enormous opportunity. And to some people, both are considered dirty words. Of course people that consider networking as something that is 'not done' don't understand what networking is really about. The same can be said of people that think network marketing is something that is beneath them. Many people think of networking as a way to get connected solely for their own advancement in life. In that respect a person might feel that it is unethical or not noble to network. This line of thinking stems from the idea that ad...

By: Tan Bing Song With resume gaps now the norm, workers should pay attention to how they spend their time between jobs.              The reason is simple: Employers want to know how job candidates spent their time when they were out of work. Learning?  Traveling?  Moping?  Being productive or non productive ? Planning for the future and  doing things or just sitting around as if you were putting in time in  a prison cell  ?  Unless you project the image of a can-do job seeker, you're likely to have a tough time bouncing back from periods of unemployment.                Most job interviewers will be looking at what you doing to be productive with your time during your period between jobs.               One cannot stress the importance of demonstrating continued involvement with career-oriented activities.  It's not only critically ...

By: Tan Bing Song We all make use of traditional forms of getting new business in – advertising, direct mail, brochures etc but networking is one form of marketing which, has been under-utilised. Until now that is. Small business owners are finally beginning to under stand the power of networking and what it can do for their sales figures. But what is networking? In its most basic form, it’s word-of-mouth advertising but originated by you, not your customers. It involves taking every opportunity to raise awareness of your product or service amongst the people you meet. At a more sophisticated level, networking can be achieved by taking advantage of the formal networking groups or events that have been arranged purely with the idea of putting potential partners together.  But how can you, as a small business owner, become a more effective networker and take full advantage of the opportunities presented? We are going to give you some key tips and ideas on how to be a better n...

By: Tan Bing Song Do your employees and staff really know and understand your core marketing message? How effective are they at sharing that message? If you really want your business to grow… the people in your organization need to be taught the most effective way to network. You’re pretty good at representing your company. You believe that networking is a powerful business building tool. You understand the value of creating new business relationships. You attend business networking events. You are personable, professional, and you know your stuff. What happens if you can’t make it to a networking event? What if you want to expand your networking activities but don’t have the time or the energy to do it all yourself? How effective would your people be if they had to show up in your place and represent your organization? Do they know the right thing to say and the right questions to ask? Networking is the most powerful form of face to face marketing. What you say can make or...

By: Tan Bing Song Which one will you be in network marketing? The truth is the odds are against you; chances are you’ll be a statistic. Hmmmmm bet the super star space commander upline guru that signed you up or wants to sign you up told you that did he/she?  Here are a few stats that may alarm you: Did you know that 70,000 people sign up into a network marketing company EVERYDAY?  But did you know that 95% of the people that sign up into a network marketing company will quit within the first year? WHY? Well there are a lot or reasons, poor support, poor company, poor product, poor compensation plan, poor upline. But to me one of the biggest reasons is… PEOPLE HAVE BEEN LIED TO!! Most people have been lied to from the get go. Many of the people who are recruiting people into companies (hate that term recruiting) are lying to people and telling people what they want to hear so they will join their company. Now on one had you can’t blame many of these p...

By: Tan Bing Song There are a variety of organizations that run networking groups across the country. The largest group is probably BNI, which offers members the chance to attend weekly meetings and develop new professional relationships to help them grow their business. some chambers of commerce are now organizing "leads groups" for their members as well. These groups are intended to offer members a way to connect with each other and potentially refer each other business.  In most "leads groups" each group allows no more then one representative from any industry, so if the group has a mortgage broker other mortgage brokers have to join another group or wait for the seat to open up. The idea is that by restricting membership, you eliminate competition within the group. The agenda at most structured networking meetings is pretty straightforward. Each member is given an opportunity to introduce themselves, then there is a short presentation by one or two members...

By: Tan Bing Song At a Chamber of Commerce Business Card Exchange several years ago a well-dress woman walked up to me, business card in hand and, in perfect form held it in both hands in front of me, gesturing for me to take it. I took the card from her and smiled. She looked up and in a polite voice, said "Thank you," and walked away. How sad. Here was this obviously well-intentioned woman, who most likely owned an interesting business but never learned what to do at a card exchange. Somewhere she bought into the idea that you were suppose to hand out as many business cards in as little time as possible. Clearly, this does nothing but waste business cards. Great for card businesses, not so great for yours. The other extreme is the person who spends the entire time at a card exchange talking to the same individual, sometimes even people from their own company. Again, this is quite unproductive. The purpose of a business card exchange is to get to meet new people in a ple...

By: Tan Bing Song On the face of it, network marketing should be very effective. You buy a product, recommend it to all your friends and earn a commission on what they buy. This 'word-of-mouth' advertising is what the big TV advertisers most fear: your product endorsement to your friends actually carries much more clout than an expensive tele-ad. So, you earn a few pennies or bucks on each sale. But the big money comes (or is supposed to) when you recruit your friend to do as you have done - to recommend the product to all their friends - and recruit them into the network, too. And you get a few bucks on their sales, and as your network grows exponentially, so does your income. So why doesn't it work? Why do 97% of network marketers fail? There are two main answers. First, the compensation plan. To earn anything at all you have to shift product. Suppose that you get $1 on average for each order that flows through your downline. That means that you and your team have t...

By: Tan Bing Song Do You Strive To Be Number One? Today I want to talk about Games and what it takes to be number one, and what happens if you’re not number one! Well let’s go to the ball field and take a look at sports. First off there is a recruiter.(this is where you are) then there is a coach (your up line) Then there are the players ( your down line) and then you have tryouts (your prospects) Now you know in order to have any sport be successful you also have a big back office to take care of the money end of the deal! (your accountant, Financial advisor, stock investor , Lawyer and so forth.) Only the winning teams get the biggest Money deals so they all Jockey for the number one spot. You should be no different! Advertisement takes on a whole new meaning when you have the means to do it! Let’s take for instance the super bowl games. Look at how much is dropped for a 30 second spot at half time! Does that spot become that important? Well we made it that way you and me...

By: Tan Bing Song Top networking marketing opportunities, also known as multi-level marketing opportunities, run rampant on today’s Internet.  You’ve no doubt received some kind of solicitous e-mail or seen some kind of advertisement in the margins of a web site you’ve visited that talks about amazingly easy ways to earn thousands of dollars with a simple home based business. The truth behind many of these “top networking marketing opportunities” is that they are using the sign-up fees from new members to pay dividends to existing members rather than actually generating any revenue from legitimate products and services.  So no matter how much money they promise to make for you, if you can’t see any discernable product or service of value involved in the opportunity, you can assume that this is one of those “top networking marketing opportunities” that is actually an out and out scam. The truth is that for many of these top networking marketing opportunities, only one...

By: Tan Bing Song To truly know what network marketing really is you must know exactly was it isn’t first. Actually there is nothing illegal or dishonest about network marketing and it is not a pyramid scheme. A pyramid is a program that has people invest large sums of money in the hope that others will too and the money will somehow get back to them and they will get rich. This is just a game played with money that has no real sales value. The products that are so-called being invested in are just the tools to hide the money game. A pyramid scheme is based on taking advantage of people and is very much illegal. For one person to actually make money in this scheme someone else has to lose it. The whole premise is built on a lie and in no way going to make one rich.  Network marketing on the other hand is very much legal and has great potential for those who work hard at it. There are real products or real value to be used to make money. The prices are not in the thousands eithe...

By: Tan Bing Song As a working mom, you may already feel overwhelmed, juggling dual responsibilities of work and family. When it comes to networking – yet another task – you may feel that “the time I’ve spent at networking has never really paid off.” Creating a personal and professional network is essential for your work + life success. That’s why working moms need to approach networking with a different paradigm, explained below as a three-part process. Relationship Building Networking isn’t just about collecting business cards from people you think may help you. It’s about planting seeds and nurturing long-term relationships that mature over time. As a mom, you may understand this process well because it calls upon the same nurturing skills you already use with your family. Empowering Actions How many times have you attended networking events and seen others jabber on about themselves and frantically hand out dozens, if not hundreds, of their cards? This frenetic approach...

By: Tan Bing Song Have you created a core marketing message to use throughout all of your marketing efforts? I'm not talking about some catchy slogan or play on words using the name of your business or the service you provide. It's not some meaningless phrase like "we do it right" or "quality service you can trust." Anybody in business can say those things and they're really basic expectations anyway. A core marketing message clearly and concisely communicates what you're out to do and for who. It speaks to your ideal target market and gets them to respond and seek more information. So many small business owners and professional service providers never take the time to create this for their own business. Most are creating a new message with every new "marketing campaign." They're constantly trying new ideas. And each new idea becomes a new chance to try and come up with that home run message that gets the phone ringing off the h...

By: Tan Bing Song Entrepreneurs with businesses in early start-up differ on what they believe to be the most important element, although many professionals will argue that creating a solid business plan should definitely be the first step. A well-crafted business plan lays out all the details and strategies, includes projections for revenue and spending, and will be reviewed in detail by bankers and venture capitalists. But in fact, the most important document that should be created even before the business plan is the “elevator pitch.” The fact is, most people will not read a business plan unless they have been motivated to do so beforehand. The elevator pitch is that motivating factor. It's the hook that gets them into the room. It's the catchy jingle that gets people to pay attention to the ad. It's the best parts of the business plan, without the boring details. The elevator pitch is the place for the excitement, not the place to include all the technology, buzz...

By: Tan Bing Song NetApp solutions and tools administration graduates can easily build a solid, lucrative IT career virtually anywhere in the world. Attracted by the benefits of NetApp certifications, lots of IT aspirants dedicate their time to expanding their area of knowledge on NetApp solutions and tools, hoping to obtain a certificate in the field as soon as possible. However, it is important to note that hard-work doesn’t always improve your prospects of becoming a NetApp graduate! In order to improve your chances of achieving your goals, you should consider replacing self-study oriented materials with appropriate Network Appliance training programs. Trainer-oriented Network Appliance training programs are by far the best means to quickly assimilate the knowledge and the skills required for becoming a NetApp graduate! Conducted upon a set of active-learning techniques, trainer-oriented Network Appliance training programs involve a higher degree of comprehension, feature that r...