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If
you can't read this, select
here.
 Dear
Friends and Colleagues,
It's
official! Summer is over! Kids are back at school
(both yours and your customers) and its time to really bear down
and focus on the rest of the year!
I
hope you all had a great summer. Liz and I have been
spending a lot of time on Lake Champlain with the baby. As
you can see from the picture, he seems to enjoy himself!
Unfortunately,
he has also started teething, which makes him just miserable at
times. The only thing that consoles him, believe it or
not, is a reggae-themed song from Sesame Street called, "Do
De Rubber Duck." It's actually a hilarious video,
and if you're within earshot of the Sanpietro family at any
given time, the odds are high that you'll me singing it to the
boy (in a dead-on impression of Ernie, I might add!).
Lots
to discuss this month. Boot Camp deadlines coming due, as
well as a new one to announce. Also, a great new
partnership with a fantastic organization AND some speaking
engagements around North America that are open for you to
attend.
Warmest
regards,
John
John
Sanpietro
Certified
Personal
& Professional Development Coach
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Time
for the 2007 Blogger's Boot Camp!
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Many
of you have been asking for it, and I'm happy to
announce that the 2007
Blogger's Boot Camp will place on
four consecutive Tuesdays - October 9th thru
October 30th.
Since
the last Blogger's Boot Camp, (which produced over
fifty solid business blogs!), hundreds of
stamping blogs have sprung up. Unfortunately, the
vast majority of these blogs are NOT good business blogs.
They're not designed to generate sales or profit.
Rather, they're personal blogs created by people who
happen to spend a lot of time stamping.
My
motto is - IF YOU'RE GOING TO BLOG, LEARN TO BLOG
RIGHT! The 2007
Blogger's Boot Camp will teach you to do just
that! We'll cover some of the basics, as well
as many of the new features available to you since the
last Blogger's Boot Camp. Also, now that some of
the rules have changed, we'll cover the things you
can now include on your blog that you couldn't before.
Among
the topics:
-
Why
you need a blog (rather than a
traditional website)
-
What
you can do with a blog that you can't
do with a traditional website
-
How
to set up your blog
-
What
you MUST include on your blog
-
What
you should NEVER include on your blog
-
How
to generate sales through your blog
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How
to drive new customers to your blog
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How
to generate profit from your blog
(above and beyond sales)
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How
to use your blog to recruit long-distance
downline
-
...and
more!
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We'll
also have a guest speaker during
one of the calls. One of my star
pupils and quite possibly the most
successful stamping business blogger today
- Erika Martin (www.stampinmama.com)!
I'll interview Erika about the blogging
portion of her business and she'll be
available for Q&A, as well. |
The
calls will take place on four consecutive Tuesdays
at 10:00 p.m. eastern.
In addition to the four weekly calls, Boot Camp
members will also receive:
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Access
to the recordings of all four calls
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Access
to the password-protected Boot Camp Blog,
which will contain additional information,
resources and articles to help you
-
Access
to SIMB documents with step-by-step
instructions for putting together certain
parts of your blog
The
regular cost of the Boot Camp is $59.99, but you
can register for the Early Bird Discounted
price of $49.99 if you sign up by September
14th!
Click
Here To Register
And
if you have a Group of 6 or more, you qualify for a 20% Group
Discount! E-mail
me for more info.
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SUDSOL
and Stamping Is My Business! A
Great New Partnership!
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I'm
very happy to announce that, beginning this month, SIMB
has partnered with SUDSOL (Stampin' Up! Demonstrators
Sharing On-Line), and will begin providing exclusive
content to SUDSOL subscribers.
Each
month, I'll be writing an article for subscribers, as
well as throwing my two cents into various discussions
when I can't help it.
I'm
really excited to be working with this organization and
its dynamic group of demonstrators, and look forward to
a long and healthy relationship.
If
you're not familiar with SUDSOL, you can check them out
at www.sudsol.org.
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Last
Chance to Sign Up for
Get
Organized!
The
SIMB Organization Boot Camp
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We're
starting this one next week, so if you're looking to get
your business organized (your time, money AND physical
space), this is your last chance to sign up!
For
more information, or to register, click
here.
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Unprofitable
Idea of the Month -
Calling
Yourself a "Creative Coach"
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Lately,
I've seen a couple of people doing this in their
signature lines, and it really makes no
sense.
Calling
yourself a 'creative coach' is, at best, confusing, and,
at worst, misleading:
-
First,
the title, 'creative coach' says nothing about the
fact that you're an expert in rubber stamping and
scrapbooking. It really doesn't tell me
anything about what you do.
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Second,
the title provokes the assumption that you're going
to help me with my all-around creativity.
Actually, you're going to focus on one area of
creativity.
-
Third,
you could argue that I could call myself a 'creative
coach,' too. When you think about it, I coach
my clients on creative ways to run their
business. But for me to use the title would be
equally confusing and misleading.
I
think the rule should be that if you and I can use the
same title, neither of use should be using that title!
If
you have an Unprofitable Idea you'd like to see
featured, send
me an e-mail.
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Come
See John in Calgary, Halifax or Indianapolis!
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 "John
is the BEST business speaker in our profession!"
- Glenda Travelstead
I'm
happy to announce that a few of my upcoming live
presentations will be open to the stamping public!
They are:
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September
14-15 - Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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September
28-29 - Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
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October
26-27 - Indianapolis, Indiana
If
you're interested in attending any of these events,
please e-mail
me for more information.
Also,
we are now
booking dates for the 2008 (and the first half is
starting to fill up).
All
SIMB presentations are designed to inform, motivate and
inspire your downline or group to define their goals and
build their business.
Unlike
many other speakers, however, SIMB presentations are designed
exclusively for stamping professionals - not the
entire direct sales industry. John understands the
unique challenges stamping business owners face,
and is able to address them specifically.
We
also understand the financial difficulties stamping
business owners face and have priced these presentations
accordingly.
John
will share concrete steps everyone can take to make
their business a success - whether they just want a
self-supporting hobby, or a full-fledged stamping
business!
If
you would like more information about booking John for an appearance in
front of your group, send
us an e-mail, or select
here for more information.
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Sample
of the Month
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 Submitted
by:
Fran
Sabad
Stamp Sets:
Carved and Candlelit, Typeset Lower Alphabet
C/S:
Pumpkin Pie, Basic Black. Whisper White
Inks & Markers:
Pumpkin Pie, Always Artichoke, Basic Black
Accessories:
Creepy Crawly Designer Series Paper, Coluzzle, 1/8"
Handheld Punch, Black Gingham Ribbon
Congratulations
to Fran, who wins a $10 SIMB Gift Certificate! As
part of our efforts to continually improve, I'm happy to
announce the NEW & IMPROVED SAMPLES SECTION.
Utilizing blog technology, the new samples section
features a search function which allows you to look up
samples by a particular stamp set or theme. You
can also click on each sample for an even larger
version. In total, WE
NOW HAVE OVER 500 SAMPLES and are adding more and more
every day. Use
this link to view the new
Samples Section. We
are now looking for
Halloween
and
Holiday
samples!
If
you would like to submit a sample to be considered for
Sample of the Month and the Samples Section, just send
me a scan via e-mail, or mail your sample to: John
Sanpietro, Stamping Is My Business!, 36 Fir Street, Jay,
NY 12941. Please
include your name, e-mail address, phone number and all
materials used to make your sample.
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Book of the Month
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 Made
to Stick - Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die
by
Chip
Heath and Dan Heath
What
makes an idea stick? SUCCESS!: Simplicity,
Unexpectedness, Concreteness, Credibility, Emotions and
Stories.
The
Heath brothers illustrate these six principles by
discussing ideas that stuck, and how each utilized these
principles to establish the longevity necessary for an
idea to gain momentum.
Its
a very interesting read, and it may trigger a few ideas
in you, as well! (The actual piece of duct tape on the
cover is a nice touch!)
Select
here for more information from Amazon.com.
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Stamping
Business Q&A
Can
I Get Rid of Constant Contact?
Lots
of SU Demos have been asking me this question over the
last month. My answer to all of them has been the
same:
No!
The
e-mail broadcasting features unveiled so far with the
new DBWS are, unfortunately, not superior to the
features in Constant Contact.
With
Constant Contact:
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you're able to outsource your mailing list management
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Subscribes and unsubscribes are automatic
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CAN-SPAM compliance is automatic
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tracking is all-encompassing. Not only do you know
who opened your e-mail, but what links they clicked on,
as well
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You're also able to utilize PayPal to take registrations
for events and product orders
-
AND you can now embed audio and video in your
newsletters (which is a lot easier than it sounds)
Perhaps
the most important feature, though, is
flexibility! As appealing as it is to have someone
do your newsletter for you, you have to do your
own newsletters!
Generic
newsletters look generic! They sound
generic! They lack your voice, and
specific references to your business or your schedule
(if any) are usually relegated to a minor position.
This
often translates into a lower open rate and/or a lower
response rate!
Remember,
your newsletter is your main marketing vehicle for the
month. You need to make sure you're
conveying everything YOU need to in that newsletter!
Even
if your newsletter doesn't look as good as someone else's,
content is more important than aesthetics!
(If
there's a question you'd like answered, or a topic you'd
like me to cover, feel free
to
send
me an e-mail)
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Testimonials... |
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I just
had to email you and let you know what happened to me yesterday. I
sent out a press release about my World Card Making Day Event...and less
than an hour later I got a phone call from the local TV station.
They want to do an interview with me on the 12:00 news!!!! I
couldn't believe it. This never would have happened for me without
your Marketing Boot
Camp. I am so thankful to you for all you offer to stamping
business owners.
-
KW, Wisconsin
I
love listening to your CD's
over and over and over. Each time I "hear" something new
that I can use to better my business.
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JC, California
Both
the Marketing Boot Camp and your book
are giving me the boost I need
to turn this hobby into a
business.
Your ideas have really changed my mindset from,
"well if they come they come" to "how do I get
in
contact with more people".
-
RD, Illinois
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Quick
Links...
Order
the Electronic Version of "Stamping Is My Business!"
Order
the Printed Version of "Stamping Is My
Business!"
Order
one of the SIMB Training CDs
Join the Stamping Business
Coaching Group
Find out how to book John to speak live to YOUR group
Learn
more about the SIMB Referral Program Sign
up for 1-on-1 Coaching
Sign
up for an @StampingIsMyBusiness.com e-mail address
Order
the "Stamping Is My Business!" Tote Bag Stamping
Is My Business! Homepage
E-mail
Me
Past Newsletters
July,
2007
June,
2007
May,
2007
April,
2007
March,
2007 February,
2007 January,
2007
December,
2006
November,
2006
October,
2006
September,
2006 August,
2006
July,
2006
June,
2006
NEWSLETTER
ARCHIVE
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Companies I Use
People
always ask me what companies I use to run my home-based
business. The links below are all companies I work with
and recommend:
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