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Sandra Martini



Last Updated: 7/8/2009

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Gender: Female
Status: Married
Age: 40
Sign: Taurus

State: Massachusetts
Country: US
Signup Date: 4/5/2007

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Thursday, November 05, 2009 

Category: Jobs, Work, Careers
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MP3 File
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Turn up your speakers and click PLAY to hear my audio newsletter! (If you don't see the audio play button, Click here to listen. . .)

Affiliate programs are meant to be a win for everyone involved:

*  a win for the client who is given exposure to something she may not have known about otherwise

*  a win for the affiliate who gets to share a great product or program with her readers and possibly earn a commission for doing so

*  and, of course, a win for the product or program creator as they get more exposure, and potentially make more sales in both the long, and short, term.

So with so many “wins”, why are affiliate programs ticking people off and costing you both money AND your reputation?

1. Most affiliate programs require the affiliates to do way too much work by:
    requiring they set up special pages on their sites,
    requiring they send out emails on certain days and tweets on others – usually when many other people are sending out the same email or tweet,
    requiring affiliates to do promotional calls – so several people are doing the same calls, and
    as a result of the above, actually cost the affiliate money to have all of the above done by their team.

2. Most affiliate programs don’t consider how they appear from “the outside”:
    how it looks to your readers when they receive the same exact email, verbatim, from multiple people telling them “they’re special and only a few people are getting this incredible deal”,
    how it appears and feels to your affiliates when they’re emailed again and again to send something out, often with it interfering with their own marketing efforts (it can actually feel harassing), and
    as a result of everything above, how it feels to the affiliate who’s put so much into the program to not be paid for 60 or more days as is often the case.

Okay then, now that we’ve covered all the negative things about many of the affiliate programs out there today, let’s come back to how today’s article started. . .with the reason why you DO want to have a program:

When done right, an affiliate program is a win for EVERYONE involved!

Make It Real – My Request to You

First off, grab a sheet of paper and make 3 columns: Love, Like, Never Again.

Now think of all the affiliate/joint venture partnerships you’ve been a part of (whether as the affiliate, the person being promoted to, or the affiliate program host) and what you loved, liked and disliked about each.

Jot everything down in the appropriate column.

Now take everything you wrote in the “Love” and “Like” column and build your own affiliate program.

Use the best of what the shopping cart has to offer and then use your Team and your website pages to fill in the missing pieces.

Not sure what to do and want some help with it all? Sign up for “A Shot of Sandy” today and I’ll share the backend of my affiliate program management with you.

8:22 PM 
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Wednesday, November 04, 2009 

Category: Jobs, Work, Careers
I received yet another sales pitch email from a very well-known marketer the other day and this one got me curious so I clicked over to the sales page and what a surprise to see that the first testimonial was from "John C" and John lives in my tiny town of Lakeville.

Intrigued, I called a friend in ....South Carolina.... and asked her to bring up the same link -- "John C" with the same exact testimonial also lives in the small town of ....Moncks Corner...., ....South Carolina.....

Seems John gets around...now just think, if you're an affiliate or partner promoting this service, what does it do to YOUR reputation to be promoting products with false testimonials?

Then there's the case of the marketer who claims authenticity and integrity up one wall and down the other and was only going to release "100" of a certain product during a specific launch.

After selling over 150, she thought it would be wrong not to let those who so wanted and needed the product to have it.

While I absolutely agree that it's great to provide a product to those who want and need it, then, if not sooner, would have been time to tell her readers that she's releasing another 100, 200, whatever number she felt was appropriate due to popular demand rather than keep saying "only 100 are available and there's X left"

It's certainly okay to change your mind.  It's not okay to lie.

Sneaky marketing tricks like these, and many others like them, suck plain and simple. 

And a 3rd example which, while certainly not sneaky, just doesn't feel good for some reason: The marketer who only sends ezines/newsletters out and only shares free information when promoting events. 

Those ezines are frequent and usually full of good info since they want you to fall in love with them and sign up for their latest event/program/doohickey. 

Enjoy and use the info! Signup for the program/event if it's the right thing for you.  Just remember the pattern of sharing quality information that this person has shown you before they were promoting something.

When you come across cases like this, and you will, I strongly encourage you to share your feelings with the affiliate, business owner, or appropriate contact person and let them know that it's NOT okay and then, depending on circumstances, consider unsubscribing from the list and ridding yourself of the negative energy associated with such misleading schemes.

Note: Affiliates and joint venture partners...always remember to do your due diligence before agreeing to promote to your list -- you don't want to unknowingly participate in false marketing.

And one more note...while there are certainly business owners out there who are doing all of the above, and more, there are plenty of business owners who truly are authentic and full of integrity and want to make a positive dfference in the world. :-)

2:11 PM 
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Friday, October 23, 2009 

Category: Life
It all started by my shutting down earlier than usual yesterday and not going through my regular process of setting things up for the next day -- what am I doing, when am I doing it, how much time will it take, etc....

As Sasha (big lab/rotti mix) and I went for our "Mommy and Me" morning walk this morning (Sasha's MUCH less demanding than my shepherd or llasa apso and so I'm sure to get this focused time in with her), I was thinking about everything that I "had to do today":

*Grocery shopping after being gone for over 2 weeks (thank heavens for PeaPod!)
* Finishing information page for new group program
* Sending "CONGRATS" gifts to everyone who completed 30 Day Blogging Challenge (gifts just arrived from Amazon!) -- this is something I wanted to do myself given the great accomplishment
* Planning menu (& get ingredients) for band's practice tomorrow night (something more than appetizers, but not as much as a dinner)
* Creating affiliate materials for upcoming program launch
* Complete and send "Online Essentials" info page to Team to get up on site
* Hosting Nancy Marmolejo's Women of Impact Implementation call this afternoon

There are several more, but you get the idea...

And as a slight feeling of overwhelm started to creep in from the "had to do today", I tweaked the words a bit to "wanted to get done today" and instantly felt a sense of relief.

I wasn't "doing", I was "done'ing" -- these things were going to be completed and I WANTED to do them, I didn't HAVE to do them.

That shift in verbiage created a HUGE shift in how I felt about the day.

The next time you feel a little overwhelmed, check out which words you're using to describe what you're doing and see if you can't tweak them a bit.

MAKE it a great day! :-)

2:59 PM 
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Thursday, October 15, 2009 

Category: Jobs, Work, Careers

Have you ever felt exhausted at the end of the day, knowing you worked your butt off and yet wondering what the heck you actually accomplished toward your goals or, worse yet,

wondering why nothing has been crossed off your “to do” list?  It’s more than a little frustrating to say the least and can lead to a feeling of overwhelm.

Here are seven "implement today, let's get things moving" strategies guaranteed to increase your productivity!

1.  Know that most “To-Do” lists are useless.

There, I’ve said it and those time management companies who insist we make lists and put pretty-colored “A”, “B”, and “C” identifiers after tasks will have to deal with it.

The reason why, quite simply, is that tasks have start times, but no end times.  If you make just one change, do this: Put a start and an end time for everything you do and watch how much you get done knowing you've built in deadlines!

Personally, I've renamed my "To Do" list to my "Success Tasks" list and found that the name change along with the built-in deadlines keeps me focused on the outcomes rather than the tasks themselves.

2.  The right “tools”.

You need to have a schedule – one where YOU purposefully script out those things that are your priorities for the day and you insure that nothing “bumps” them.  I have a schedule for each day, week and year so if a client asks me to attend a call or visit his office, I know what I’m doing.

Your schedule should include those things that you need to do every day until you have built a routine around them.  I write every day.  Not some days, not most days, but every day and it was only by having it on my schedule that it got done.  It’s now a routine that I rarely miss.

Another critical tool is what I affectionately call my “Chat Pad”.  I have a steno notebook for each client/key person that I deal with and keep a list of what I need to discuss with them (and the resulting actions of that discussion) so I can group phone calls or send one summary email rather than several throughout the day.

3.  Ask this question.

What is the most effective use of your time RIGHT ..NOW..?

For those rare times when you haven’t scheduled your time, ask yourself the above question and then follow through with working on the answer.  You will dramatically increase the quality of the work you do.

4.  Know your worth.

How much money do you want to make this year?  If we assume that you work 8-hour workdays and you will earn $50,000 this year, then each hour is worth $25.61 and every minute is worth $0.427.

You intend on making $100,000 this year?  Then double the above figures: every hour is worth $51.23 and every minute is worth $0.852.

So for every workday hour that you waste, you have lost $6,250 on a $50,000 income and $12,500 on a $100,000 income.  Kind of puts things into perspective, doesn't it?

5.  Delegate, don’t abdicate.

As an entrepreneur (or aspiring entrepreneur) who now knows the value of his time, you recognize that it is worthwhile to delegate those activities that you either aren’t good at or dislike.

While delegating is critical to the most optimal use of your time and energies, be sure not to abdicate responsibility for those items.  Keep a running list of the tasks you’ve delegated and check in with that person (remind yourself using  your “Chat Pad”) to insure things stay on schedule.



6.  Post your goals.

Having your goals posted provides consistent motivation on why you are doing the things you are doing.

Want an extra kick in the pants?  Post a picture of that new car, new home, or dream vacation.  Seeing the reason you are working to meet your goals will provide your subconscious with extra motivation to get the job done.

7.  Keep a success journal.

Success “journals” can be done several ways.  You can simply keep a written record of all your successes or, you can follow Arnold Palmer’s method: he had a table wherein he inlaid his golf medals and, when he placed one medal in the table, he had a new hole grouted for the next, as-yet-to-be-won medal.  Always looking ahead, always anticipating the next success.

In closing, remember this: time can not be replaced.  You can replace money, you can replace clients or projects or your home.  You can not replace time.  Use it wisely.

11:30 PM 
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Tuesday, October 13, 2009 

Category: Blogging
CONGRATULATIONS to everyone who signed up for the 30 Day Blog Challenge!

It's tough to commit to doing something every day, especially when life interferes and things seem to conspire to take you off course.

Of those who officially registered, the following achieved their goal of blogging 30 times in 30 days:

Melissa McCreery, Too Much On Her Plate

Joan Celebi, Special Needs Parent Coach

Daphne Bousquet, Oh What Fun Events

Jennifer Miller, Jennifer V. Miller, Mastering the People Equation

Meredith Eisenberg, Tame the Internet Monster

Lily Iatridis, Boomerang Presentations

Vicky Voisin, The Paralegal Mentor

Tammy Redmon, The Coaches Coach and Tammy Redmon

Diane Stephenson, My Healthy Living

Lisa Montanaro, Decide to be Organized!

oh yeah...and me, www.FromTheDeskOfSandraMartini.com :-)

Please take a second or two to read over everyone's name and sites above -- notice the wide variety of industries.  This shows that yes, YOU can blog for YOUR business!

Also, I read several of the posts from several of the members listed above and there's a lot of great info out there -- schedule some time to check it out.

Whether you made this list or not, CONGRATULATIONS to everyone who tried and posted more than usual.

And, for those of you who did make the list, keep an eye out for a special prize early next week (and in case you're wondering, YEP. . .I will be getting a prize too!). :-)

11:18 PM 
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Tuesday, October 13, 2009 

Category: Jobs, Work, Careers
Just a week ago, I drove down to South Carolina to spend a few days helping my Mum settle in to her new home near Myrtle Beach -- well, that and drive her four pets down with me.

 The original plan was for me to leave last Tuesday for the 900-mile trek home (gotta love audiobooks and recorded teleseminars!), but Mum still needed a few things to feel at home.

No biggie...call the hubby and let him know I'll be driving home on Saturday (today).

My clients may know I'm here based on my tweets and Facebook posts, but otherwise have no idea, nor do they need to.

Then one of Mum's mini pinschers, Mini, got sick.  I found a vet and took her in.  It seems she's eaten something toxic and we're currently in a wait-and-see mode and giving her a combo of meds.

For obvious reasons, I didn't want to leave Mum without family in the area when we're not sure what's going to happen.

Once again, I called the hubby and told him that Mini goes back to the vet on Wednesday and I'll be leaving on Thursday.

A quick email to my Team and we're all set.

Can you imagine if I had a regular 9-to-5pm job?

For me, this is what a lifestyle business truly is -- being there for my family and friends when needed, the extra vacations are just a bonus. :-)

Isn't this reason enough to be sure YOU'RE business is a success?

7:20 PM 
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Tuesday, October 13, 2009 

Category: Blogging
I don't know about you all, but I've had enough with receiving emails with subject lines of "this one will work", "the secret pill", "do this and thrive", "are you good enough", "you're an idiot if you don't do this", etc.

While helping my Mum settle into her new home, I've been checking emails a lot less than usual and so am seeing more of the above types of subject lines all clustered together.

The above all came in within the last 2 days (and I've been unsubscribing at a record pace).

It's really very simple. You want to succeed?

Create simple systems which support your goals and then consistently implement. Period.

I know it sounds boring, not nearly as exciting as what others are promoting, but this is a heck of a lot more effective. Promise!
3:16 PM 
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Monday, October 12, 2009 

Category: Jobs, Work, Careers
There was a teleseminar I was interested in attending last week (promoted in a colleague's e-newsletter) and so I dutifully clicked the "register here" link.

That link took me to another web page (after 3 tries), which gave me another description of the same teleseminar and asked me to "register here". I clicked that second link and it brought me to yet a third page which asked me to, you guessed it, "click here to register".

Enough is enough!

Even though the teleseminar is something I'm interested in and, as an added benefit, it's f'ree, it's just not worth the hassle of TRYING to sign up. I gave up at the third registration link.

So I have to ask you, are you "client friendly" - that is, are you easy to do business with?

Do your clients cringe in frustration when trying to order something or pay you for services or do you make it as easy as possible?

Here are just a few things you must incorporate into your business to be "client friendly":

1. Accept different payment methods.

Even though many of us live in an "online bubble", reality is that many people aren't comfortable with paying online. As a result, offer your clients the option of printing your order form and faxing it in or consider accepting checks and money orders.

The slight inconvenience to you will be more than made up for by the number of increased sign-ups and sales.

2. Minimize the clicks.

The more hoops you make your clients jump through, the less likely they're going to do it. Our attention span is short and it's very easy to click over to another website.

Recognize that and adapt your business accordingly.

3. Accept multiple payments.

Many people (and business owners) live on budgets and use credit these days -- by offering payment plans which allow customers to spread out their payments, you make it easier for them to do business with you.

Your business systems must take into account that we are, as a people, too busy and overwhelmed with different things competing for our attention. The easier you make it for us to do business with you, the more likely we will, and in greater quantities.

Your Coaching Challenge
I've seen an overwhelming amount of emails lately from people professing to teach systems and processes and yet working with their businesses is tantamount to running a gauntlet: emails aren't responded to, product links don't work or take you through a maze before you can actually order, etc.

In setting up the systems for your business, I challenge you to pretend you are your own client and go through all the same steps your clients and prospects must experience.

Then improve your process.

After you go through the steps, ask someone who is NOT familiar with your business to go through the same steps.

Then further refine and improve.

If you're not sure how to set up the right client-centered systems and processes for your business, I encourage you to check out a 50-minute strategy session with me personally.  You'll learn specific results-based steps designed to create a sustainable, successful business - no matter your industry.
2:03 AM 
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Sunday, October 11, 2009 

Category: Jobs, Work, Careers
Do you find yourself needing to write more and more?

Here are 7quick  tips to get you writing effective articles:

1. Select a good topic.

There's no sense writing an article if no one wants to read it. Before you launch into an article, think about your target market and what their wants and needs are - what keeps them awake at ..3am..? If you're not sure, go hang out in some forums and see what they are discussing.

If you are writing for an audience larger than your target market, I recommend you visit some article directories (such as www.ezinearticles.com) to see what the most read topics are.

2. Choose your title wisely.

Once you've written a good, strong article, don't ruin it by giving it a weak title. The title is your headline - this is the first thing people will read and, in this day of instant decision making, could easily turn people away if they are not hooked.

And if you're on Facebook or Twitter, your title becomes your post/tweet and the one thing which your friends will base their decision on in deciding whether or not to click through.

If your article includes a list, include that number in the title so people know what to expect. For example, this article is titled "7 Tips to Writing Great Articles for Your Ezines and Blog Posts" and you know what you're getting.

3. Think bite-size.

Online readers have very little patience for long paragraphs, so break your article down into various sections. Notice how this article is broken down into small paragraphs with subheadings. It's easier for your readers to digest -- especially if they are reading it online.

4. Write for your audience, not for yourself.

If you want people to read your article, write it in a way that is easy for your readers to understand - don't use acronyms without explaining them, keep the techno jargon out unless you are writing for an audience that understands it and keep the vocabulary simple. There's no sense writing an article if no one is going to understand it.

5. Read, review and then read again.

You MUST proofread your work. Do it once, go do something else and then do it again. If possible, ask someone else to read it for you - he will undoubtedly pick up things that you miss.

6. Tell them who you are.

You want your readers to know who you are and how to reach you. Include a call-to-action resource box at the end so potential clients and other e-zine publishers know how to get in touch with you. You want them to visit your website to learn more about you and what you do.

7. Get it out there.

Now that you've done all the work to write a great article, parcel it into pieces, proofread it and write a compelling resource box, you need to get your article out there. I recommend www.ezinearticles.com yet again as well as www.submityourarticle.com as great article directories to submit your article to. If you prefer to build relationships with e-zine publishers personally, then I highly recommend Charlie Page's Directory of Ezines at www.directoryofezines.com for a wealth of information on e-zine publishers.

Your Coaching Challenge

Whether you currently have a newsletter or not, I challenge you to write 3 articles for your target audience.

If you have an ezine, GREAT! you can pull these out when you are pressed for time and need to send it out. If you don't, you can submit them to associations for their newsletters or post on article directory sites for your industry.

The important thing is to practice writing valuable content to build your credibility while getting you increased exposure.
12:01 PM 
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Saturday, October 10, 2009 

Category: Jobs, Work, Careers
If you read my post from yesterday about "How many ezine subscribers do you really have", chances are good you're looking to get more targeted subscribers.

Here are 7 simple ways for you to grow your ezine list - - with integrity and authenticity!

1. Make it easy.

It's amazing to me how many people have only one sign-up spot on their website or don't include an invitation to sign up for their newsletter in their email signature.

You need to make it glaringly obvious to EVERYONE that you would like to share your newsletter with them: put a sign-up box on *every* page of your website, include an invitation in your Resource Box and on your email signature. Include a note on the back of your business card and any brochures or flyers you send out.

2. Coregistration.

Speak with ezine publishers who offer products or services which are complementary to yours.

When someone signs up for your newsletter, you refer your colleague's newsletter and vice versa. Coregistration has the benefit of adding subscribers to both your and your colleague's newsletter with no real effort.

3. Squeeze Page.

A squeeze page consists of either a simple one page website where the sole goal is to collect email addresses for your ezine OR it's a "front page" over your actual website where visitors can either choose to enter their information, click away or, in most cases, click to "enter site".

You can see an example of a one page site at www.GetControlOfYourBusinessNow.com. This is a simple one page website which I'm using while my new site is being redesigned.

4. Ezine Directories.

You can submit your ezine to online directories such at Charlie Page's Directory of Ezines (www.directoryofezines.com). The Directory allows people to search ezines by topic and decide if they wish to subscribe. It also allows other ezine publishers to contact you about using one of your articles in their newsletter.

5. Advertising.

Take a good look at other websites/newsletters which cater to your target market and advertise either on their sites or in their ezines.

By focusing only on those sites/ezines which cater to your niche, you will have a higher chance of getting interested prospects as subscribers.

6. Direct Mail.

Send a postcard to members of your target audience where you do nothing aside from inform them about your ezine and invite them to sign up.

If you are a virtual assistant who works with real estate agents, you could send a postcard to all the local (and not-so-local) real estate agents and invite them to become a subscriber.

7. Speaking.

One of the fastest ways to get sign-ups for your newsletter is to speak at public events and offer a susbscription to your ezine. You can speak at your local chamber of commerce, ..BNI.. Chapter, real estate company, or any civic groups such as the Rotary Club or Lions.

You can also offer a drawing where you give something away in exchange for names and email addresses. Just remember to let your audience know that everyone *wins* a subscription to your newsletter!

There are dozens of additional strategies to get people to sign up for your newsletter. Do some research and choose those which most resonate with you. Remember the old adage: "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step" -- the same is true in obtaining a thousand subscribers! :-)
11:56 PM 
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