People ask me for recommendations ALL THE TIME. I’m like a canary in a coalmine: my friends let me fly ahead and test things out so they can avoid my (very) costly mistakes. Having wasted tens of thousands of dollars on charlatans and the like… when I come across a worthwhile resource I fairly shout it to the heavens. Here are some services that have “done right” by me.

Morgana recommends:

JetSpinner and Article Submitter*

I started using this service to modify and auto-submit my favorite articles to hundreds of article databases. My message is all over the web, with links coming back to my blog, and my web traffic went through the roof!  It’s a GREAT service.

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MORGANA’S BUSINESS ROLODEX:

Site Build It*

Site Build It is the MOST incredible program for building your site. It forces you to create webpages that will take you to the top of google, and with every bell and whistle to track traffic and key words, create forms and blogs and everything you can think of. It’s a little tricky to learn how to use, but it’s worth it. And it’s an incredible value for the investment. You’ll save yourself thousands of dollars by designing your website yourself. Check out my other site at www.howtobeamoneymagnet.com. Did it all by myself in a matter of hours.

Practice Pay Solutions*

Are you ready to accept credit cards? Start taking payment in real-time. You can offer your clients more payment methods, automate transactions and much more! No more waiting for checks to clear. Be paid on time. Make things convenient for your clients. Sign-up for a merchant account today to get started!

Audio Acrobat*

On today’s websites text is not enough. Photos are not enough. You MUST have audio and video. And you don’t want to be held hostage to your professional webnerd. Broadcast your seminars, create podcasts and video downloads, record conference calls, record testimonials, and on and on, for next to nothing, without needing to be a techie. I’ve used audioacrobat for years, I use it ALL the time, and there are still a ton of features I haven’t tried out yet. Amazing bang for your buck!

Mari Smith’s Social Marketing Method*

Unless you plan to walk the streets with a sandwich board (something I don’t recommend), or spend a fortune on paid advertising, you’re going to have to learn to use social networks. Mari Smith makes it easy, affordable, and very, very effective.

Boost Business With Your Own E-Zine*

Learn how to publish a successful e-zine that attracts new clients, boosts sales, and establishes your credibility. Without my e-zine I am nothing.

Teleseminar Secrets*

For learning everything there is to know about designing and marketing successful and profitable teleseminars, Alex Mandossian is the undisputed expert on how to build your business and income over the telephone with teleseminars. And you can add a friend for free, and take it again as many times as you like, and get 50% off all his other programs. Whether you’re a newbie or a veteran, he’ll up your game.

Then when you’re ready to deliver teleclasses, you have two excellent options:

Maestro Conference*

With Maestro, you can re-create the dynamics of a live workshop through an ordinary teleconference. Create breakout groups, takes orders by phone — you can even “pass the mic” to people who “raise their hands” (no annoying background noise or anything like that). Try it for free.

Xiosoft’s InstantTeleseminar*

This is the easiest high quality bridge line service with a simultaneous webcast option. Excellent sound, takes written questions before and during the call. Also has “hand raising” and “pass the mic” functions, but doesn’t have break out session rooms, order taking rooms, or multiple hand raising options like Maestro.

Tammy Landau, Signature Products Coach

If you’re a coach, trainer, teacher, healer or service professional, at some point you better get a SIGNATURE PRODUCT. Your clients deserve the opportunity to take you home with them and learn from you on their own time, and any smart entrepreneur (like you!) needs multiple streams of income, and a break from trading time for money. My FAVOURITE teacher for info products is Tammy Landau. She’s the BEST.

The Admin Source

Did you get my celebrated e-book? It was easy peasy to make. I sent a recording of my best teleclass to Susie Ward, where she transcribed the text for me to edit, then she put it into a lovely e-book format and designed the cover.

KwMap.com

Browse the Keyword Map of the Internet.

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MORGANA’S PERSONAL ROLODEX:

Selfgrowth.com

The #1 self improvement site on the internet. Over 1 million visitors a month. I am their OFFICIAL WEALTH CREATION EXPERT.

I Love My Psychic” Lorrie Kazan

My friend Lorrie was chosen as one of the top psychics in a world-wide audition by the Edgar Cayce Institute. Be sure and register for her Free Psychic Thought and Prosperity Meditation at www.ilovemypsychic.com. 310/376-5742

Gaia Soulmates

This is where singles who are into magic and manifestation can meet their mates. And new members receive a FREE MP3 to help attract their soulmate when they join. Click here and share this with your friends. Gaia Soulmates

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VICE IS NICE:

I’m NOT a paid shill for any of these products. I just really like them…

http://angeladrawsmoore.blogspot.com/

This is the website of award winning artist Angela Moore, and the art is INCREDIBLE! It figures that Angela and I have the same taste: she’s my cousin. Her pictures are magical, lyrical, and fantastical. Pretty and spooky. Scary faerie tale stuff. Really awesome.

ChocAlive

I had some out of these dark chocolate truffles, dark and sweet and creamy. They blew me away, especially when I read the ingredients. (No sugar. Agave juice instead. I couldn’t tell the difference.)

Ribber City

“Sweet Heat” is the best barbecue sauce I’ve ever had. I’ve been using it as a dipping sauce for everything. I’ve been told I should try the “Hanero-infused Honey Sauce” on ice-cream.

Moon Maid Botanicals

The Radiant Rose Cream is so amazing that I went for days without putting on any makeup. It made my skin look that great. And I love the smell and the ingredients.

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A * next to a name means I’m a fan, a customer, AND an affiliate. If you use my link, I’ll get affiliate credit, and that would be very nice.

Here’s the biggest, most revolutionary business secret that’s so OBVIOUS it’s almost impossible to see: LEARN TO ASK.

1) ASK for input. You wanna know what your customers want? Don’t guess or try to be a mind reader. Just ask them! Obvious, huh? Before you build the widget, write the proposal, or design that seminar, ask your audience what they’re looking for. My best teleclasses came from “tell me what you want to know” emails. What could be easier than answering questions? And nothing makes people happier than giving them what they ask for. ALL the super successful people I know ask before they offer.

2) ASK the experts. Oooooh this has been a tough one for me! One of my earliest phrases as a toddler was “Gana do self.” That philosophy’s okay when you’re learning to tie your shoes, but it’s not so great when you’re building a business. If I hadn’t had coaches and mentors every step of the way, I’d be answering phones and fetching coffee today. If they didn’t fire me first. (I make an AWFUL secretary.) And believe me, I’ve wasted years and maybe a million dollars by not asking questions soon enough, by trying to figure it out all by myself.

3) ASK for help. You know all those gurus who say ‘Do the hard stuff first’– I say don’t do it at all! Give it to someone else. The stuff I do well I do very, very well. Instant money magic and quick life transformation? No sweat. But don’t let me near accounting, scheduling, or mailing. I conisistently make mistakes, no matter how careful I try to be. Hiring someone else is a NECESSITY! That weakest link is going to bring you down. If you’re the weakest link, replace yourself.

4) Work with the best. Getting good help is essential for your survival, whether it’s medical, personal, or professional, and it can be HARD to find! And frankly I’ve hired some scammy creeps who cost me tens of thousands of dollars on bad “help”, so I’m going to open up my rolodex and share my business faves.

Morgana’s Magic Rolodex just a few of my faves These are MY experts, who’ve made my life a whole lot easier, and my business a whole lot better. I am such a HUGE FAN of them that I’ve been wanting to share them for a long time: I completed Alex Mandossian’s Teleseminar Secrets class, and was up in San Francisco for the reunion event two weeks ago. He’s the guy who taught me to ASK my audiences what they want: http://tinyurl.com/charmed-TSS And I’ve just started his Double Your Income program with Raymond Aaron. (I already double my income every year, so can you imagine what this class might make possible?) http://tinyurl.com/charmed-DIY I mentioned I took Ali Brown’s Online Success Blueprint workshop (her last ever, in person) late last year. I even paid for my assistant to attend too. I wish I had taken it earlier! It’s too late to do it live, but she’s offering a home study version: www.tinyurl.com/charmed-ali Tammy Landau introduced me to my FIRST Joint Venture and my first on line info product. (Do you remember From Employee to Entrepreneur?) Her “Create Your Signature Product” starts Monday. It’s so grotesquely UNDER priced (talk about insulting her relationship with money), that I told her I would kick her bottom if she ever did it again. http://tinyurl.com/charmed-TammyLandau Did you get my celebrated e-book? It was easy peasy to make. I sent a recording of my best teleclass to Susie Ward, where she transcribed the text for me to edit, then she put it into a lovely e-book format and designed the cover. http://www.theadminsource.com/ Mari Smith is THE expert on social media (facebook, twitter, linked in, etc) and she is SO NICE! As generous and knowledgeable teacher as you’ll ever find. http://tinyurl.com/charmed-MariSmith    There are so many more, but I’m running out of room. I’ll share more over time.

I’ve seen people asking for Marketing Tips and Tricks on my social networks, and being the busy little do-gooder, I spent at least an hour composing a response. I thought I’d post it here. Cause frankly, my business is thriving while so many other coaching practices are suffering with the economy. I’m very lucky, and I thank my good fortune every day. And I work HARD to create that good fortune:

I spend a big chunk of my time marketing. This blog, my emails, facebook (it’s invisible marketing–I just make friends and make myself visible without actually “selling” anything), Joint Ventures (I’ve been approached a LOT for those), radio/magazine/teleclass interviews, taking classes and making friends.

Some of my marketing does itself through the re-use of my material: people re-publish my articles for their blogs and e-zines. If you’re reading this here, you probably know what I’m talking about. I just have to monitor them to make sure I get attribution. Along the same lines, free publicity comes to me when magazines or radio shows approach me. But it’s still a lot of labor.

And I’ve spent tens of thousands of dollars this year on websites, copywriting (though one scoundrel took $6,000 and didn’t deliver. ouch), and placing myself as an “official expert” on selfgrowth.com ($3,000), new photos, business cards, product design, e-books to give away on my website.

In past years I paid $15,000 a year on a publicist. She was worth it.

Last year I travelled the globe teaching classes and signing books at bookstores.

I take classes in SEO. I’ve been checking keywords and trying to optimize my pages and blog posts. I discovered stumbleupon and Digg, and I spend time stumbling and digging friends and asking them to reciprocate.

Last week I took Ali Brown’s Online Success Blueprint Workshop. Boy did those new business cards pay off! I didn’t have to say a word, and people asked for them. They didn’t even care what I did; they just wanted a card with me on my back, in a red dress.) Next month I begin Alex Mandossian’s class on making money with teleclasses.

I’ve even marketed on behalf of my coaches, interviewing them for teleclasses, editing and publishing their articles and bios on my blog, sending out notices to my friends on facebook, tweeting everything…

Networking meetings don’t do that much for me–they’re inefficient. I just go to them for the comeraderie.

Marketing is a fulltime job. I don’t think people have a clue (until they read this post) how much I invest in marketing my business. Aside from learning to be a killer coach, marketing is the single most important element of being a professional coach.

Heck! Even my email signature has my photo, an invitation to my e-book, and a testimonial. Ali Brown taught me that. And my email address is shows my website url.

And this is the year it finally paid off. I have never, ever, made as much money as I have in the last three months. I’m selling the right thing at the right time; and after all those years investing in marketing, my visibility counts.

I don’t believe five hours a week on marketing is enough, not if you’re serious about your business’s survival. And this is true of any business these days. Marketing IS your primary business, so that you have the PRIVILEGE of coaching clients.

Copyright 2008 Morgana Rae… Obviously. If you want to use this in your blog or newsletter, contact me first.