Does anyone look at their Twitter Direct Messages (DM’s) anymore?  They are pretty much nothing but SPAM!

Once in a great while I’ll take a look at my DM’s to see what’s in there.  After going in and taking a look, I always think, why in the world did I just waste my time looking at those Direct Messages (DM’s) again.  There’s never anything in there but Spam or Auto Responder messages.  I shouldn’t say that 100% of DM’s are all that way, but I would say that over 90% of the one’s I receive are some form of SPAM.

Unfortunately the nice newbie’s to Twitter don’t understand this yet and they send a sincere message that most of us will never see.  Sorry about this New Users to Twitter!  Nothing personal, it’s just the way it is.

Here are a few examples of my Direct Messages:

“Thanks for following me! The Trump Network will be a huge success story in America and those who recognize it early will thrive http://TheTrumpNameNetwork.com” (People, I love Donald Trump but the product doesn’t stand on its own without the business!)

“Thanks for the follow! For great social media tips, visit my blog http://BlogNotEvenWorkingLOL.com” (Website still under construction. Please don’t send others to a site that is not even there. That’s a NO NO!)

“Thanks for following! Get thousands more followers here http://Get1000’sMyAss.com” (I get these all the time.  Almost all of them are telling you how to get 1,000’s followers when they don’t even have 1,000 themselves. Most likely bots.)

“How ya doin? I have found the game-breaking software. Take a look. http://www.CouldntCareLess.com“

“Hi and Thanks for connecting. I sell hot sexy lingerie at http://xxxI’llUsuallyLookAtThese.com check out our specials.”  (Don’t we all look at these? Joking!)

Now if you are going to use Auto DM’s, please stop SPAMMING the people you start to follow. At least be nice enough not to do it right from the get go! It’s like that “USED CAR / FURNITURE SALESMEN APPROACH.” Nobody likes it, nobody wants it and I’ll bet if you’re doing it, you don’t like having it done to you!

Now I’m not saying that I don’t use an Auto DM to new followers because I do. I’m just saying if you are using one, do it right. There are right ways and wrong ways of doing anything. Maybe you think my way is the wrong way, but you know what, I don’t care.  These are just my opinions and do with them what you will.

Here are a few examples of DM’s I don’t mind and I use myself:

Thanks for the follow. This is an Auto-Response but we’d like to connect more. If you’d like that, click http://daveanddawncook.com

Hello! Thanks for the following   (Short and Sweet plus didn’t try to sell anything)

Thanks for your follow! We’re Dave and Dawn. We are looking forward to seeing your tweets very soon!

It’s great to have another fantastic follower.  Feel Free to connect with us. Dave and Dawn

I’m not saying that these are the best but it’s better than turning people off before you even get to know them.  Twitter in a lot of ways has basically become a Spam Fest.  I’m not saying that everyone on Twitter is doing it, but there seems to be more and more every day.

Do yourself a favor while separating yourself from 90% of the people on Twitter. Be upfront with people and treat them with respect by not pushing your sale opportunity on them every minute of the day. There’s more room at the top so become a leader in the Social Media circles. If you provide good content and offer them value, they are much more likely to want to work with you!

Reference Sites to get more out of your Twitter experience:

http://www.tweetblocker.com/ (Block the Spammers)

https://www.socialoomph.com/ (Automate your Tweets and Follow-backs)

http://www.tweetdeck.com/beta/ (Organize Your Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin and more…)

http://hootsuite.com/ (Organize Your Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, Ping.fm and more…)

Can you build a HUGE network marketing organization only using online methods and strategies like Twitter, Facebook, Youtube and etc…? NO!

Why is that you ask? Well it wouldn’t be much of an article if that was the only answer. So let’s go a little further and I’ll explain why I said “NO!”

I see and hear it all over the place. “Old School Marketing Methods Don’t Work Anymore!” Waa, Waa, Waa.  Actually, I bought into these beliefs myself awhile back. It is true that nobody really wants to make a list of their Friends and Family but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t work. The truth is, it works and people are still making a ton of money using these methods. As a percentage of people in these businesses, more are still making larger sums of money using Old School methods vs. marketing online. Let me explain.

If you asked me last year if old school network marketing methods still worked in the industry my answer would definitely have been, NO! However, with all the information we have bombarding us today people have become more informed of scams and illegal programs. In short, everyone is a hundred times more skeptical now than anytime before. That being the case, we need to get in front of people building relationships in order to build something huge. Plus, you need to make the method so simple that ANYONE can do it.

Online marketing is a great way to build leads but, it is very difficult to build trusting relationships. Old school methods on the other hand are more about face-to-face which makes it easier to build trust & value. A person that trusts you is much more likely to join your business rather than wondering if they are falling for another online scam.

Now let us look at the way to building an organization that will take you to the TOP! Like I mentioned before, online marketing is great for building leads but not a huge organization. The reason is, most people will not take the time to do what is required to be successful online. Online marketing requires knowledge and strategies using social media e.g., Blogs, Twitter, Facebook, Youtube and etc… How many people do you know that will take the time to properly implement these strategies? The answer: not that many PERIOD Now watch the video below and I’ll explain.

For most people, online marketing is intimidating, requires knowledge and is very time consuming. Where do I start? What works best? Nobody is visiting my site? & etc, etc… That being the case, most people will quit your business even quicker online vs. old school methods. In other words, online marketing methods are very difficult to duplicate. Do you really think that Aunt Martha is going to build a big online business?

Now let’s take a look at Old School Methods. I get Aunt Martha in my business and tell her all I want you to do is share this DVD or Brochure with everyone you see. I know the old “3 foot rule.” But hold on, do you think Aunt Martha or the nice man down the street can do that? You bet they can!!! This is why Old School can build you a huge business. Online methods build leads. Old School methods build organizations! In other words, “It ’s so simple even a Cave Man can do it.” Sorry about that one but it just seemed to fit.

Most people are not willing to do what it takes to be successful online. Old School methods provide simple tried and true strategies that have worked for years and will continue to grow. Just call me Dumb DVD Dave and all I do is share the DVD’s. That all I do. I share the story of my opportunity face-to-face but let the third party tools do the selling. Can anyone do that? Yes! Can anyone build a online empire? Yes! But the real question is, will they do what it takes? The answer to that my friend is emphatically No! No Way! Probably Not Going To Happen!

In conclusion, if you want to build a HUGE organization, you need to adopt both methods and more…

1. Online marketing to build a presence online, a reputation as being a leader in your niche market and to build leads. Implementing these and other strategies will help you build a decent size business online. After building your leads and signing some of these people up in your primary business, you will have to evaluate their skill sets and plug them in to a system. Some may be able to build leads and more online but most will become more successful using the Old School methods. Then in turn, they can teach their organization to do the same.

2. Old School methods will provide you with an opportunity to implement systems that have worked throughout the years. Having a system that is duplicatable for the average Joe is what makes this method so powerful. Utilizing third party tools, meetings and simple strategies that anyone can do will let your organization grow away from you. Those ladies and gentlemen are the key words, “an organization that can grow away from you.” This in my mind makes the old school methods still very valuable today.

So, do you want to build a nice size organization or something HUGE? It’s your decision.

To finalize, if you want that HUGE Network Marketing organization, then you had better figure out a way to implement both an online presence while utilizing Old School methods.

Let me know what you think. Leave me a comment below. Love it or Hate it. I would like to hear your thoughts!

It sounds like a strange question, but do you know where you are going? Have you made any decisions for yourself in the areas of personal development, finances/wealth, health, relationships, spirituality and lifestyle?

What kind of person do you want to be? How much money do you want to make? What priority will you give to taking care of your health? What kind of relationship do you want with your mate and your family? Etc…

If the answers to these questions are No, then are you going anywhere?

According to all the reading that Dave and I have done from great self-development authors such as Jim Rohn, Tony Robbins, John Maxwell, Jeff Olsen and many others, the answers to these questions comprise your goals. With defined goals you have determined where you want to go and what you want to achieve. Without goals, there is nothing to strive for and you’ll end up stuck in the same spot in many areas of your life.

What we’ve learned from these self-development experts is that well-defined goals with lots of specifics and details and an assigned deadlines must be written down. Writing down your goals with the added detail and due date is the first step to achieving your goals.

An advantage of having your goals written out is that you can review them (and adjust as needed) every day so that your subconscious mind can be put to work to help you reach your goals. Our mentors have said you’ll be quite surprised on what your subconscious mind can contribute when it is focused on your desires. This daily practice of reading your goals will also keep your focus on the major priorities in your life rather than unconsciously focusing on minor things.

The specifics and details that you’ll define for each goal will include the daily action steps that you can apply each day so you can always be progressing towards the achievement of your goals. The only way to reach your goals is to take small steps forward every day.

In closing, determine your goals in all areas of your life since each area is equally important, write those goals down on paper with specifics, details and a deadline, and then document the daily action steps you will do each day for each goal. Then before you know it, you’ll have reached those goals and will be ready to start the process again for your next set of goals for future achievement.

Dave and I were amazed by the fundamental points that Jeff Olson made in his book The Slight Edge. If you haven’t read it yet or listened to the audio book, we highly recommend it. The audio CDs are great since there is a 20+ minute exclusive with Jeff Olson at the beginning. 

Jeff so strongly believes in and has used this slight edge philosophy to create success in all areas of his life. Like us, Jeff has allowed Jim Rohn to be one of his mentors and The Slight Edge is based closely on the philosophies of Jim. One of Jim’s philosophies that Jeff uses is that success occurs over the progression of time. You must plant, cultivate and then harvest to follow the journey to success. In Jeff’s mind, planting and cultivating involve making every decision with your desired result in mind since every decision you make either takes you up the success curve or down the failure curve. You can’t stay in one spot; you are always moving either up or down.

Successful people are willing to do what unsuccessful people are not willing to do and according to Jeff, the things that successful people do are mundane and easy to do. The factor that turns these mundane easy things into success is the progression of time and the resulting compounding of the results. Successful people just keep doing these chosen proven actions over and over again until success comes.

The problem that most people have that are not successful is that the easy mundane decisions and actions are also easy not to do as emphasized by Jeff Olson & Jim Rohn. It is easy not to do these easy things because the results do not happen quickly since there is the old progression of time factor that always comes into play. With no immediate results many people give up when if they continued over time success would come.

There are numerous slight edge decisions that push you up the success curve as well as many slight edge decisions that pull you down the failure curve. The slight edge decision to eat a Big Mac is made because there are no immediate negative health effects. But if that poor slight edge decision is made again and again, over time there will surely be a negative health consequence. As Jeff stresses, we must know that every decision we make matters. Therefore, we must make every decision that will better us and move us closer to success. If we remain consistent in our proper use of The Slight Edge philosophy on a daily basis, we will be will on our journey to success.

Do you realize that if you want to be truly happy, you must make all your relationships great, especially those with your family? I know I’m pretty happy now, but when I stop and think about it, I know things would be so much better if all my family relationships were great.

One of the important ways to establish and maintain a great relationship is the ability to forgive and forget the little things. We are all human so there can be many little things that occur. In reality though, true big issues or problems happen very rarely. The trick is to properly recognize that almost everything is little and respond accordingly. The true BIG thing is the time already invested in the relationship and the many years to come in the relationship that can be empowering and precious. That’s the BIG thing that must be protected and nurtured.

A misunderstanding is a perfect example of a little thing that can often occur in any relationship. If it’s a great relationship already or both parties are working to make it a great relationship, the misunderstanding is quickly recognized as such and then it’s forgiven and forgotten. My family has recently experienced your typical family misunderstanding and some in the family have not yet recognized it for the little thing that it is. It is being pushed forward into the future and allowed to grow and further damage some family relationships. It is very sad and I have been making efforts to help others recognize the need to let it go and move on.

In the past, I probably would have been one of the family members who over-reacted to the misunderstanding and caused more damage. Luckily, I can say that it is the personal development skills that I have been learning recently that have allowed me to respond in a positive and productive way. I realize now that it is so sad to allow a little thing to cause even any damage in a life-long family relationship; let alone, allowing it to continue to live and be pushed forward to cause more damage. I want to recognize all future issues as little things and work to strengthen and maintain all my family relationships. I will be very excited if some of you will join me in this goal. We’ll benefit immensely and so will our families.

Did you know that the average American works approximately “5 Months” just to pay their taxes? Plus, did you know that when you start your own home-based business, you could save an incredible amount in taxes over the course of a year?

As promised in this video, the current Business Mileage Rate for 2010 is $.50/mile.

Let us take a look at how the Rich save on paying taxes vs. the Poor and Middle Class.

• The Rich own companies/corporations and other businesses which are assets.
• The Rich spend their money through these entities first to buy more assets and then they’re taxed by the government on whatever money is left over. Then buy liabilities.
• The Poor and Middle Class mostly own liabilities and very little in assets.
• The Poor and Middle Class are taxed by the government FIRST and then spend whatever money is left over.

Do you see the major difference here?

By not having your own business, the income you receive is taxed at a much higher rate and more is taxed with little to no tax deductions. And many Americans have little or no savings or investments for retirement. But by starting your own home-based business, you are now starting to think and invest in your future like the Rich. Your own business will give you tax write-offs that you would never have by being just an employee.

As a home-based business owner, many of the things you are paying for now, become legitimate tax deductions. Here are just a few examples of legitimate write-offs by having your own business. The first thing you must do is establish a home office. Now that you have a home business with an established home office, what are some of the typical things that you can write off?

• Telephone – A separate business telephone and any expenses related to it- such as long distance- can be an income tax deduction. A home telephone is not a write off because it’s also used for personal use. Note: Deductions for cell phones are limited to the business use percentages.
• Office Equipment – Personal or a Notebook computer, printer, copier, calculator and etc can be deducted if they are used exclusively for your home business. If not exclusive use, then a deduction is allowed but again limited to the business use percentage.
• Office Furniture – A desk, chair, filing cabinets, lamps, and other furniture that you use in your home office.
• Office Supplies – Includes pens, paper, file folders, ink cartridges for your machines, erasers, bulletin boards, calendars, dictionary, glue, transparent tape and etc.
• Travel – Auto, airline tickets, hotel rooms and etc. If you travel during the course of operating your home business, you’ll need to keep a contemporaneous log of your expenses. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) allows you to deduct so many cents per mile. On Jan. 1, 2009, the standard mileage rates for the use of a car (also vans, pickups or panel trucks) are .55 cents per mile for any business miles driven.  Airline tickets and hotel accommodations are fully deductible for a business-purpose trip.
• Entertainment – Dinners, lunches, sporting events and other legitimate functions can be used at 50% of the expense when business is discussed and documentation and records are kept.
• Mortgage/Rent – A percentage of mortgage/rent, utilities and other home services can be write-offs based on your overall square footage used exclusively to run your home business.
• Professional Fees - Don’t forget the payments to your lawyer and accountant for services directly related to the operation of your home business including tax return preparation.

The above are some of the major tax advantages of owning your own home based business.

Starting one of these businesses can cost you anywhere from less than $100 to over $1,000’s. There are all types of home-based businesses out there today, but you have to decide which one is right for you and your family.

A final word of CAUTION! Do your research and don’t get caught up in the “Hype” of becoming rich over night. Too many companies and individuals use this tactic to recruit you into their business. A legitimate business will require work and effort on your part. But the rewards and tax advantages will eventually outweigh not starting your own business PEROID.

**Since tax laws change every year, check the current laws so you know exactly what you can and cannot deduct on your income taxes. For more information you can visit www.IRS.gov/ to find out the current laws. Anyone who operates a home business should consult their accountant or tax adviser to get the most legitimate deductions available.

Jim Rohn - One of the Best

I remember back in my corporate life I used to listen to some great mentors.  Zig Ziglar, Brian Tracy and others just to name a few. But never in my life has anyone changed my thoughts and beliefs like Jim Rohn. Mr. Rohn has given us so much wisdom over the past few years that we could never begin to thank him enough. He has changed our lives.

His passing was a great loss to us all but his legacy will never die.

The most powerful message I remember receiving from Mr. Rohn was his talk on “Why Not You?” He has always been such an inspiration and was always the best at explaining things in such a simple manner. “Why Not You?” really hit home with me and I’ll cherish those words for the rest of my life! Thank You Jim.

He approached this topic by asking four questions: Why? Why not? Why not you? Why not now? As he mentioned over and over again, anyone can change their lives in any two given years. Why not you?

Why not you living in a beautiful beach house in Hawaii?
Why not you traveling to Paris for a weekend getaway with your friends and family?
Why not you becoming smarter because you have read the greatest books in the world?
Why not you having all the money you ever need to live a full life?
Why not you spending all the time you want with you children or grandchildren?
Why not you living a with family that loves you so dearly?

Ask yourself, Why Not You?

That is the key to life. Believe you can do it and, as they say, you can achieve it.  Most of Mr. Rohn’s teachings were so simple that, they were easy to do and easy not to do.  Just continue to learn and grow. That will be the best tribute we could ever offer back to Mr. Rohn’s legacy and teachings.

“It is the set of the sails, not the direction of the wind that determines which way we will go.” – Jim Rohn

Now days you’ll find almost every type of product or service has a Network Marketing company wrapped around it. Why? It’s one of the best ways for a company to maximize their profits right out of the gate. It’s an easier way to get the word out about a product or service without all those advertising costs associated with traditional marketing. Plus, the people telling you about the item are usually very excited to tell you about it because they are getting paid to spread the word.

Think about these and many more…

Want to get more Leads in your Business? There’s a FLOOD of Network/Affiliate programs for these as well.

Everywhere you turn there’s a new network marketing company with the Best Product, Service, and Training and, of course, they have the Best Compensation. But do they?

Most “Do Not”, but because of all the hype, people fall for these overpriced products and services in the hopes of becoming RICH! The first thing you need to do is separate the business from the hype. Then analyze whether or not you would buy the product if it wasn’t attached to a business opportunity. If you don’t plan on buying the product for the rest of your life, then it’s probably not the best business opportunity.

Let’s use a juice for an example. The juice tastes great, and I know it’s good for me because it’s loaded with all that stuff I need, but the juice costs One Person $100 per month. Do you really think that you would continue drinking that juice for the rest of your life? Be honest! That’s $1,200 per year for juice. If you wanted to really become healthier, you could find another method e.g., change your diet, walk around the block and get off the couch. Your mind and body will do the rest. I’m not trying to say these types of products aren’t any good. They are, but that doesn’t make it a good business.

The reason this doesn’t make for a good business is that most of the sales come from the people who are trying to become wealthy. The product really couldn’t stand on its own. That’s if you were only selling the product. Most of these businesses are really only selling a dream. That is why most people quit, YES QUIT, or the company isn’t around very long.

Another reason people quit is because they don’t see enough income in the first few months. They work hard talking to everybody they run in to and maybe sign up 5 people out of 50. Actually that’s not too bad, but being new to this industry they think it’s a lot of work for a whopping $50. Remember, most people need instant gratification and $50 or even $150 after signing up 5 people just isn’t enough.

We have made the same mistakes ourselves in the past, and we learned from our mistakes. The main thing we learned was not to get caught up in all the HYPE! And trust me, most of these businesses are just that, HYPE. When we were introduced to our main income earning business, we weren’t really interested because it wasn’t a BRAND NEW GROUND FLOOR OPPORTUNITY. As a matter of fact, it was quite the opposite. They’ve been around for years with strong cash reserves and a well-priced valued product. Wow, what a concept and we were SOLD. Now we get Paid-Daily and up to 700% commission. After obtaining a true understanding of what works and what doesn’t, our team has never grown so fast, and they are making money today, not in the distant future.