FamilyEbiz

Greetings from Moscow, Idaho!
This is Stephen Beck with Family Entrepreneurs.

Before we get started:
We have moved everyone to the new Family Entrepreneur Newsletter location on 1Shopping Cart. Some of you have joined after I started using 1 Shopping Cart and you are getting past newsletters sequentially, one a week for 12 weeks. I figured it was easier to come up to speed if you got one a week rather than read all of them at one time.

Even though you are getting past newsletters once a week, you will receive the current newsletters as I send them out. They have timely information and I do not want you to be left out. So, if you get an old one and a new one in the same day, don’t panic...it just happened that way.

Now, you veterans who have been with me for a while have not been put on the auto-responder that sends the past newsletters once a week (because you have already read them, right?). But if you want me to put you on the list that sends the past newsletters once a week, just shoot me an email requesting this.

Whew! Enough of the logistical part. Let me tell you about a couple more things before we get started:

The “Starting Your Own Business…For Families and Teens!” Workshop on DVD is here! Check out all the details here:
http://www.familyebiz.com/dvdsalesletter.htm

If you RECOMMEND the “Starting Your Own Business…For Families and Teens!” Workshop on DVD to your e-loop, email list, Yahoo group or on your website, you will be paid $30 for each sale. Check out our affiliate program here:
http://www.familyebiz.com/affiliates.htm

Biblia

The Psalms 112 Man Part I
On one of my very first newsletters, we looked at the Proverbs 31 woman. What a beautiful picture of the consummate Christian woman. Here is a woman who manages her household so well that her home can not contain all of her industry. It just breaks out of her four walls and spills out all over her community. But, such a passage leaves us to wonder. Where is her counterpart? Where is the man that the Scripture holds up as the model man? Well, I believe that we find him in Psalms 112.
As we read this passage, think of your sons.

Ps 112
Praise the LORD!
Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, Who delights greatly in His commandments.

This is the starting point from which every thing else flows! It is interesting to note that the Proverbs 31 woman is also noted for fearing the Lord.

2 His descendants will be mighty on earth; The generation of the upright will be blessed.

This man has done a good job of discipling his kids. He has taken Deuteronomy 6 seriously and his descendents will rule and reign as a result!

3 Wealth and riches will be in his house, And his righteousness endures forever.

Notice where this man’s wealth is found. Here is man who knows his greatest assets are found in his home and through God’s mercy and power makes the best use of those assets. He does not miss what is already under his nose. Also, he has wealth because it is not being siphoned away by interest payments and impulsive buying!

4 Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness; He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.

He is a light to his neighbors - believers and unbelievers alike. He is gracious because he can afford to be (again, you do not get the picture that he is saddled with debt – barely getting by). He knows who he is and what his purpose is.

Practica

The Funnel
I would like to run a concept by you that has changed the way I approach business in general and the internet in particular. The concept is called the Funnel. Picture in your mind a large funnel (I always see a yellow plastic one for some reason!) with the wide end at the top and the spout at the bottom. It is easy to enter the top of the funnel where the mouth is wide and entry requires minimal effort. But as you progress down the funnel, it becomes more narrow and less comfortable. You begin to feel some friction.

It is the same with your customers. It is easy for your customers to sign up for a free newsletter or perhaps a free downloadable E-book. Then they may purchase a $10 book. If they like what they read, and they begin to know and trust you, they may spring for a $25 tutorial on CD. Now, they have quite a bit invested in you (and you in them). They like the way you word things. They like the way you make concepts clear and come alive. Most of all, they are getting lots of great information...and the stuff you tell them actually works! Now they are ready to spend some real money and buy a course, or a workshop or maybe even some personal coaching. You see, with each step they are working their way deeper into the funnel. Also, with each step, there is more friction – more discomfort. The stakes are higher. The commitment deeper. This is why you must reassure them that they are making the right decision. They must know that you care about them and that you are in this for more than the sale. You are not just building a customer base, you are building a trust – a group of people who can understand your message (including the deeper nuances) and then help you broadcast that message. Actually, this is what affiliate programs are all about.

I hope you see the magic of the funnel. People who are new to internet sales are only interested in finding a product. Just give me something I can sell! But others who understand the big picture, want multiple products at multiple price points. Even beyond that, they want products that increase in sophistication as their customers grow in market savvy. Meaning, as your customers grow in confidence and in their knowledge of internet marketing (through you hopefully!), you will want to provide products to meet that need for greater sophistication. Products that do more. That handle more tasks automatically. That can take them to the next level. Now, some of you are totally new to all this. That’s fine. But you need to have the big picture in mind so that you make the right decisions at the outset. You also need the big picture to fully appreciate the power of this type of marketing.

This is why product selection is so important. If I am building a funnel, am I going to choose a bunch of unrelated products?!? No way! I want everything to “funnel” (pardon the pun!) customers back to my funnel. Whether it be a book, a CD, a DVD set, an E-book, a retreat or a workshop…it needs to be related and bring the customer to your funnel or allow him to move deeper inside your funnel. All of your marketing, whether it be emails, newsletters, fliers (a flier should go out with each of your products) or search engine traffic, should all have the goal of leading customers into your funnel. And of course, like a funnel, the friction increases as the sides gets narrower. Thus, you will want many easy-entry, low-priced products (books, E-books, CD’s) at the top of your funnel, and then fewer medium-priced products (workshops, tutorials, DVD course) as the customer progresses and still fewer high-priced products (retreats, mentoring programs, software, cruises) as the customer reaches the end. On a practical note, one product can be sold in several formats. I sell my book, A Father’s Stew as a $13 book, a $10 E-book and a $25 audio-book. I wrote one manuscript and packaged it 3 ways and all of them sell very well.

And this is why a newsletter is so important. How else are you going to reduce the friction as they travel down the funnel? How else will you gain their trust? How else will they begin to like you? (if not, they can always unsubscribe!) Most importantly (to me anyway) is that this is the way I can get the message out. I can proclaim at the top of my lungs that Jesus Christ owns this world and He will rule and reign through families like you and me. And if I can help families start small, portable businesses which God may bless some day and cause to grow and multiply, then I will have done my job. And if I can make a living at the same time, I will be a blessed man indeed!

Warmly in Christ,

Stephen Beck

www.curriculumconnection.net
www.familyebiz.com
info@familyebiz.com

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