December 4, 2003 Volume 1, Issue4
Published by: Diane St. James/Shannon Barnard
http://www.homepartynetwork.com

<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>

Welcome!

This e-zine is for all members of the homepartynetwork Yahoogroup, and
for anyone else interested in home party networking.
Every issue will have some helpful content for all of us in the home
party business! There may be an occasional good recipe for home party
snacks and other snippets that we think will make this newsletter worth
reading. Hope everyone is getting in the Christmas spirit!

For all those who ADVERTISE in the Direct Sales and Wholesale
Opportunities section of our site, you are entitled to a free ad in
this Newsletter. Just send a 4 line ad with website link and your
contact information:
mailto:dstjames@homepartynetwork.com?subject=Ad for HPN ezine

<> ~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>

In This Issue:

Section I *Article *3 Magic Words that Boost Ad Response*
Section II *What's NEW at HomePartyNetwork.com?*
Section III *Tip or Tidbit *
Section IV *Ways We Are Promoting HomePartyNetwork.com*
Section V NEW Section *Recipe*

> ~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>

*This Weeks' HomePartyNetwork.com In The Spotlight*

NO ONE......

Get listed on the HPN Website AND in this ezine....only $5.00
and well worth it!

<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>

Section I

************************************************************
3 Magic Words that Boost Ad Response
© 2003 by marketingyoursmallbusiness.com
************************************************************

3 Magic Words that Boost Ad Response
Key to success is avoiding hype

For the small business owner, advertising is a critical expense
that helps to drive customers through the doors or to a website
on the Internet in the hopes that they will spend their money.
With tight ad budgets, small businesses need their advertising to
payoff every time. Ads that result in no sales are simply wasted
money.

There are countless online articles that tell you to use the
words "free", "guaranteed", and "limited time offer" in your
advertising to boost sales. They work, however the ongoing
overuse of these words has reduced their effectiveness somewhat.
When you're writing your next ad, keep the following advice in
mind when if you plan to use these key advertising terms.

"Free" - Getting something for nothing has universal appeal and
is a strong attention getter. Where most businesses fail is that
they give away something that is essentially useless, leading
customers to believe that your business falls into the same
category (i.e. "useless"). For example, many websites give away
free "e-books", in order to entice potential customers to visit
their site. The e-book itself is usually loaded with advertising
and links to the website, and contains very little real, valuable
information.

If you're going to advertise a free giveaway, make it a
legitimate, valuable item. If it's an e-book, try not to make it
a shameless self promotion piece that doesn't add any value to
your customers. In fact do the opposite.make it at least somewhat
valuable. Use the quality and value found in your e-book to
inspire your potential customer with confidence that you offer a
quality product or service. A credible free giveaway of any kind
that has value and contains no shameless self promotion will be a
huge credibility boost for your business.

"Guaranteed" - Customers appreciate the safety and security that
comes with a satisfaction guarantee. All reputable retailers and
businesses have some type of return policy, because they know
that it will encourage customers to buy, and only a small
fraction of people ever bother to return anything. The key to
guarantees is to be reasonable. A 100% money back guarantee is
reasonable. So is an exchange policy or warranty against defects.
Some of the more recent guarantees that have emerged in
advertising, especially on the Internet, are actually a turn off
to a potential customer. A "double your money back guarantee"
usually makes customers wary of the seller. Why 200%? Is that
what it takes to generate a sale, and if so, how good can this
product or service really be? When it comes to guarantees, mirror
those offered by the industry leaders in your business, and don't
go too far.

"Limited Time Offer" - If you're going to offer your customers
something for a "limited time" then follow through on your
promise. Customers don't appreciate being lied to. If you state
that your special offer expires tomorrow, then follow through on
your promise and rescind your offer tomorrow, even if its only
temporarily. When a business consistently offers "limited time"
deals week after week, customers lose faith in the credibility of
the business. Anyone who jumped on your offer believing that they
only had a "limited time" to take advantage of it will now feel
that you were not honest in your advertising and will not likely
give you additional business in the future.

"Free", "Guaranteed", and "Limited Time Offer" are great tools to
use in your advertising to get attention and stimulate purchases.
However, overuse and abuse of these terms can be very harmful to
your reputation and to your future revenue stream.

Article contents © 2003 by marketingyoursmallbusiness.com
Will Dylan is the Author of "Small Business Big Marketing" a
powerful e-book for small businesses available through his
website www.marketingyoursmallbusiness.com . Will also
ghostwrites articles just like this one for your small business
for just $77. You can contact Will at
askwill@marketingyoursmallbusiness.com

***********************************************************

<> ~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>

Own your own virtual Pet Store! Earn 25%, up to 3-5% of your downline,
managers earn 30%. 3 levels of webstore kits, starting from $49.95. You get
your own petstore website (link url). Hundreds of products to offer! Weekly
SALES and other goodies to bring your customers back again and again!
Comes with CARING and FRIENDLY Support from some names you may
recognize! Diane St James and Shannon Barnard! :)
http://www.partypetshop.com

<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>

P.S. I Love You is dedicated to offering our customer’s unique
greeting cards, inspirational artwork and stationery items. All
designs are created exclusively for P.S. I Love You by
nationally known artists. This is an unprecedented concept in
the greeting card and stationery market. Email me for a catalog.
Become a Consultant. Email me at distjames@ptd.net with either
catalog or opportunity in the subject line.
http://psiloveyou.iact1.com/Deescards

<> ~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>
Section II

*What's NEW at HomePartyNetwork.com?*

Look for a new FACE LIFT by the next issue as we will be changing
around the Home Page of HPN! :)

We have added several new articles to help your businesses
They can all be viewed here:
http://www.homepartynetwork.com/articles.htm

Direct Sales vs. Network Marketing - by Michael L. Sheffield

OVERCOMING YOUR BIGGEST MARKETING OBSTACLE
By Charlie Cook

7 Questions Home Business Owners MUST Answer
By LuAnn Elliott 2003

<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>

*Hand Made Pillows* Wood Crafts * Mug Rugs * Scented Items*

*Christmas Items* and more

http://www.eiannaspillows.com/dianesshop/

<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>

Section III

* Tip or Tidbit - by Diane St James *

When you have made a sale do you follow UP?

Follow up is very important. Even though we all get busy with day to
day routines, it can increase sales to go this extra mile!

After someone has received your product email them or if you only
have their snail mail addy, write them and thank you note and ask if
they are satisfied with their purchase.

They WILL be impressed by this. I have made many a purchase
both on and offline and rarely get a follow up after the purchase.

At the SAME time, ask them if there is someone else who may like
the same item (or product line) that they just purchased and that
you would love to drop them an email or a catalog. This opens the
door to new prospects, perhaps your buyer's sister, mother, neighbor.

Now if you've read this far and are saying "Yeah, yeah, yeah...we all
know about follow up", that is good. But do YOU follow up?? :)

<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>

Section IV

*WAYS WE ARE PROMOTING HomePartyNetwork.com*

~ ~ ~ Advertising/Listings/Events ~ ~ ~

Listed at WAHMCountry.com

Listing in InternetbasedMoms.com

Listing on My Own Ezine in the Home Business Directory

<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>~~~<>

Section V

* RECIPE *

"Easy Holiday Quick Breads"
by Rachel Paxton

Quick breads are a quick, easy accompaniment to any holiday meal.

For the best-tasting holiday quick breads, here are some helpful
hints:

- Only grease the bottoms of the loaf pans or the sides of the
bread will pull away from the sides of the baking pan.

- Bake in the center of the center rack of the oven.

- When adding liquids to the dry ingredients, stir only until dry
ingredients are moistened. Batter will be lumpy.

- Quick breads can be made ahead and frozen from 1 to 2 months.

Cranberry Pumpkin Bread

2 eggs, beaten slightly
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup canned pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine eggs, sugar, vegetable oil,
and pumpkin, mixing well. Combine flour, pumpkin pie spice,
baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center
of the batter and add the pumpkin. Stir in cranberries. Spoon
batter into 2 greased and floured loaf pans. Bake for 1 hour.

Cranberry Bread

2 cups flour
1 egg
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup cranberries, sliced
1 cup sugar
1 cup nuts, chopped (optional)
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon baking soda
Juice and rind of 1 orange
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add water to orange juice to make
3/4 cup liquid. Mix all ingredients together and pour into a
greased loaf pan. Bake for 30 minutes.

Pumpkin Bread

5 cups flour
4 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1 large can pumpkin
2 cups nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together
vegetable oil, sugar, and eggs. In another bowl, mix together
flour and baking soda. Add flour and pumpkin alternately to the
egg mixture. Add nuts. Pour into 2 greased loaf pans. Bake for 1
hour.

Apple Bread

3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/4 cups oil
2 apples, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
1 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together all
ingredients until well blended. Pour batter into 2 greased loaf
pans. Bake for about 1 hour.

Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom who is the author of
What's for Dinner?, an e-cookbook containing more than 250 quick
easy dinner ideas. For more holiday recipes, organizing tips, home
decorating, crafts, holiday hints, and more, visit Creative
Homemaking at http://www.creativehomemaking.com.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Hope you have enjoyed this issue!
Best of luck with your sales!
Thank you for reading!