Miss me?

Yeah, I know – I promised that I would get back into the swing of things at the beginning of the year with regular posts here. I was doing just fine until YTB launched ZamZuu and Shazam! – I’m off promoting this cool new product launch that’s half the price and twice the fun for entrepreneurs. It’s also a ton of fun showing customers how to get a free account to start saving money from hundreds of stores they already know and trust.

Quite honestly, you’ve got to be brain dead not to see this thing. Shopping with hundreds of brand names stores on their websites and getting cash back when you do just for going through ZamZuu?

What’s not to get?

It’s free for customers to join. Stores pull from a nationwide inventory or regional warehouse. Most have the option of site to store for easy pickup. (And no shipping charges!) Just about every stores will also e-mail weekly sales right to your in-box if you subscribe off their sites – and you should if you’re a regular shopper. Frankly, I prefer far less clutter – and will use the new ZamZuu Dealz fan page as a central location to find great “dealz” – rather than scanning through hundreds of store e-mails. (I’ve signed up with some stores and get an e-mail a day – which honestly is a bit much.)

Here’s the biggest no brainer for me. It will never – ever – ever be more expensive for any of my customers going through ZamZuu than it will going direct to the store. Just can’t be done – they’re going to the same site stores and see the exact same products and prices anyone else does.

Customers who are smart enough to go through ZamZuu instead of going direct however – get cash back on every purchase made through ZamZuu. Something that can’t be done by going direct.

Back around Christmas, our office computer died. I had no idea what was available these days – nor did I have any feel for how much prices have come down. It’s been years since I even thought about buying a new desktop. What do you think is easier, hopping in the car and going from store to store or hopping on my laptop to do a Google search for “desktop computer”? As it turns out, one of the big box stores that are on ZamZuu had a sale for case, keyboard and mouse for only $229. At that point, I didn’t need to shop any longer. (Would you for that price?) I logged into ZamZuu and went directly to the store which was saved as one of our favorites – ordered the exact make and model I found earlier for exact same price and requested to pick up at the local store 10 minutes away.

After completing my order, I got confirmation of the order and information that I would be notified when it was ready.

Wanna know how long it took to complete the order?

Ten minutes later, I got an e-mail “Your order is ready for pick-up”. As I hit “print” and headed upstairs to go grab the confirmation needed off the printer, I just had to laugh at how easy that was.

But it gets better. Remember, this was back before Christmas and the height of the Christmas shopping season. As I walked into the store, I checked to my left to see long lines of customers waiting to check out – as I headed to the right – towards Customer Pickup. There I found heaven.

No lines.

I handed my confirmation to the friendly Associate, she hand me the product, paid in full and I was walking out the door within minutes of placing my order online.

The entire process from search to pick up took no more than an hour to complete.

And I got cash back from ZamZuu for doing it!

But the cash back is merely an added bonus to an already smarter way to shop. I wrote about how we shopped this year for Christmas, ordering everything on-line and having the kids Christmas presents sent to the local stores in Pittsburgh for my parents to pick up. Talk about a stress free Christmas! And as an added bonus – there was absolutely no way the kids could “peek” this year – because they were all hidden 600 miles away!

I do have to caution you on one drawback however. Because we didn’t realize how much we bought for the kids – we had to strap them to the roof in order to get all the presents inside the van to get home.

Note to self: If anyone takes that literally, we have found the poster child for “brain dead”.

Moving on…

Fact is, we live in a digital age now. The internet changed all that. If you don’t think so, just try to find a single big box store that’s not online these days. Everybody’s got a web site for a reason. It’s easier – faster – and far more convenient for the customer. It’s also extremely cost effective for the stores and can do nothing but increase profits for retailers.

I’ve had a couple of inquiries of late on where this number of $950 billion spent in retail in the last quarter of 2009 came from – while only 3% of it was spent on-line. (Video below) I’ve been so busy that I have not even bothered to research or ask about that number myself. However, if you’re looking for numbers and something that you can document, I’d highly recommend eMarketer. I did a piece on them back in June of last year and if it’s documentation you’re looking for about on-line shopping – this would be the company that I would look to for a number like that. The documentation sighted there will provide the most comprehensive study found anywhere regarding e-commerce and it’s growth over the next few years.

You can predict the future by looking at it’s past. Look at what YTB did with Travel? Took a bunch of “Average Joes” and sold over $1 billion in travel in 8 years, all because of the internet.

You’ve gotta like the odd when it comes to everything else!

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So, how do they look so far? Remember – “If you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it every time”.

We spent the majority of Saturday ‘De-Christmasing’ the house. As we were packing all the ornaments and lights for another year, we kept thinking about our goals and got more and more excited about the new year. While the Holiday’s have been great, we’re ready to get back to work!

We sent out our Monthly Newsletter on Friday and also posted 76 “Goal Setting Tips” that President and COO of YTB Marketing Andy Cauthen put together. We checked some of our stats late Saturday night and were completely blown away over how many people actually downloaded Andy’s “Guide”.

It’s EMPOWERING isn’t it??!!

Now that your goals are out of your head and onto something you can see like paper our thinking and perspective has changed dramatically. It makes a big difference – and somehow these goals that have been nothing more than passing thoughts have substance and passion behind them.

Believe it or not – the hard part is over – actually taking the time to write these goals down. Now comes the fun part – going after them.

To some, this may seem like a daunting or impossible task.

Jack Canfield, author of “Chicken Soup for the Soul ” and one of the teachers of the hit movie “The Secret” expressed in this same movie that we can drive at night only seeing the next 200 yards in front of us to reach our intended destination. Reaching a Goal is much the same way. You know it’s there, but you find your way a little bit at a time.

Just remember that the impossible can be broken down into possibilities. Napoleon Hill said “Whatever the mind can conceive and believe – the mind can achieve.”

Everything you see and use today was first born as a goal. The computer you’re reading this on – the software used to enable this communication – the house you live in – the warm air from the furnace – all conceived first from thought – as a goal.

So how do we turn our goals from paper into reality?

Andy’s Goal Setting Tips has some great tools attached in helping you. Here are some great tools from the list and a couple of our own that we’ve learned from experience.

• Use a journal to keep track of your goals: Keep daily or weekly records of your progress including affirmations, successes, appreciations for your hard work, rewards, resistances, obstacles, etc. We found that writing at night, just before bed is very effective. Many times we dream about what we’ve written in our journal. What that means is that you’re subconscious is working on your goals – even in your sleep! (How easy is THAT?!)
• Create a collage to support your vision: To make a goals collage, cut out pictures and words that you like from magazines and glue them onto a piece of paper the size of a placemat. (We use a cork board and pin them up – both are hung in our Master Bath.)
• Use your computer to support you in reaching goals: There are many ways you can put your goals on your computer. Scan your collage or a poster/picture that inspires you into your computer, and use it as wallpaper. (You can also use Google Images and search key words) Create a screensaver with your images or just put up a digital “post it” with your goals list.
• Carry your goals with you and read them out loud: We purchased a pack of 3X5 index cards and write down our top ten goals for the day. We write them in the present tense as if you have already achieved them and say them out loud at various times of the day. It’s important NOT to use the same list from the day before. Don’t just copy them, start with a new sheet and write down the most important goals of the day. (Some can remain the same goals from the day before, but don’t use your previous list to remind you.)
• Be grateful for what you have NOW: This is probably the most important aspect of attracting newer, more meaningful aspects (or Goals) into your life. It puts you in a positive frame of mind – what’s going right – not what’s going wrong. Ever notice how people who complain about not feeling well are always sick? People who complain about bills and money are always broke? Likewise, the people who always talk about being lucky are the luckiest people in the world. An attitude of gratitude puts you in a vibration that attracts more things to be grateful for.

These tools work – and while we don’t have the time or space to document the science behind them, there some very compelling studies that prove they work.

It’s a new beginning – a clean slate. Life is meant to be fulfilling and enjoyable – not some chore or filled with excuses to do just enough to get by.

You have no idea the POWER you possess within you. We put men on the moon – communicate with each other from all corners of the world instantly – and sit in the air at 30 thousand feet while surfing the internet at the same time.

Look at your list – what are YOU going to do that makes your life outstanding?!

You’ve taken the first – and probably most important step in achieving your goals. That’s writing them down. Now it’s time to go after them. You may not have any way of knowing just how yet – but until you doing something to move towards them – you’ll never reach your intended destination.

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With the way some get so easily offended these days, I felt an asterisk here was appropriate. Fact is, your actual time of merriment may vary. (I’ve heard typical results are an average of 1.39 hours.) Others would consider the word “Christmas” offensive, so instead please replace this word with “non-denominational period of celebration”.

Heaven forbid I am accused of misleading or offending anyone on a day like today.

We’re having a wonderful time in Pittsburgh with the family. The drive up on Monday through the mountains of Virginia and West Virginia was one of the most beautiful we had ever seen. (It’s a shame the camera on the iPhone stinks – otherwise we’d have some great pictures to share.)

A delay of just two days, was well worth it based on the number of stranded cars in medians and ditches. By the time we passed through, the roads were very clear and very passable.

By the time you read this, my bet is that all the Christmas presents have been opened and I am now attempting to disassemble the packaging and inserting batteries. (You need an engineering degree to unpack some of these toys!)

Oh the joy of parenthood!

The kids and I created this little “ditty” for you in hopes it puts a smile on your face.

It just may bump the national average of merriment up to 1.40 hours!

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Winter officially arrives today. The winter storm that dumped on the east coast over the weekend setting record snowfalls for December from Virginia to Long Island has caught the kids attention.

Why? We’re heading up to the winter wonderland this week for our annual Christmas break.

Each year we rotate the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday’s with the kids Grandparent’s. Not that we have anything against Mema and Papa (we spent time with them over Thanksgiving) – but Christmas never really “feels” like Christmas in South Georgia. While Pittsburgh may not always have snow during this time of year, there’s always colder temperatures with warm fires, and lots of hot chocolate.

As we visit and enjoy this time with our family, I’ll be taking a break from writing this week. I do have something scheduled to post Christmas morning, which I think you’ll enjoy. Other than that…playing in the snow and spending quality time with family will consume the next week and a half.

Of course you can’t have snow, without some sledding (which we have a perfect spot for) and a good old fashion snowball fight. The big thing this year has been “My Face LOL” videos that have been going around – and I’ve caught the bug. I did one of these last week, but took some additional head shots of the family and recreated the following video. Brian, our son has taken the prize for best “face” in the family and has won the staring roll as Santa, with Brittany, Ronda, and I taking supporting roles as elf’s.

Enjoy!

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One thing I absolutely LOVE about YTB is the way this company figures out a way to pay out more money to the field. If you’ve every heard Coach or Scott speak, or had an opportunity to speak with them one on one – you’ll realize that they’re “Reps” at heart. When you spend 20 some years as Reps like they did with AL Williams, the feeling doesn’t leave you.

They’re unlike any CEO – President or Executive I’ve ever seen. You take one look at them on the street and you’d never know their net worth. They look – act – and befriend you just like anyone else. Average people at best.

But there is nothing average about how they take care of the field, giving those that are motivated by sales – be it travel or team building – the Founders of YTB create every possible avenue they can think of to put money in the hands of those who want to go out and get it. If it’s too hard, they figure out a way to make it easier. If not enough are qualifying, they change it or enhance it. One segment goes down – they create another segment to compensate.

It’s always been about how much money they can pay out to the field. YTB is constantly tweaking – enhancing – making it better, easier, and more lucrative for anyone who is willing to go out and get it.

Honestly, it’s been so lucrative, that it’s gotten us in trouble. California assaulted the company with it’s hideous claim of being a “gigantic pyramid scheme” in an attempt to end the companies existence. When you pay out 70% of what cames in instead of the 10% average the travel industry pays – that’s going to garner some attention.  What do we hear all the time from the critics? “All the money is in the recruiting” right?

Well, yes – and it’s not hard to do when the travel industry pays out a max of 16% and you pay 70%. Duh?!

What’s so amazing to me is that even after the assault from California – not only did the Founders protect the compensation, but they enhanced the comp plan for new IMR’s, (Independent Marketing Representatives) cutting the requirements in half in order to get to the bonuses into the Power Team quicker. As a result, what once took twelve sales to get your first $1000 bonus – now only takes nine sales.

As a side note: For anyone who’s thinking of the 60% rule where 40% of the nine couldn’t be both Reps and TSO’s. At most three of the nine (33%) would actually qualify as both. (If that) After seeing this rule in action since the settlement, it’s been nothing more than window dressing and never been a factor in anyone’s organization. I know it can be a real chore dealing with all the ignorance surrounding Reps, Affiliates, Associates, TSO’s and IBC’s. In this case ignorance enabled the company to settle with California and agree to terms over a perceived issue that ultimately had no consequences in compensation. California nor anyone outside of the company truly knows how teams are built, nor how many are actual “recruiters”.

In this case – a critics ignorance truly is bliss. ;-P

If that wasn’t enough, Convention came and the Founders not only increased the Travel Commission Contracts, but created contracts up to 100% commission, with full life and health benefits. It’s still unmatched in the industry when you factor cost, benefits, and percentage all in one. I’m still waiting for a legitimate contender to beat these contracts. Instead, I get excuses about not being allowed to offer insurance to non-employees. Even better – that only ONE person qualifies for the insurance in the entire company. (While the income disclosure lists BOTH the Affiliate and RTA categories with individuals who exceeded $25K annually.)

For the true lovers of travel – you just can’t beat these contracts in the industry.

Let’s not forget the $10K Challenge for the newcomers and the mentoring money for the veterans who are helping them. I’ve never seen something so simple and easy as handing out one DVD a day and collecting a name and e-mail. To spend $4 in tools and training per DVD and turn it around for a profit of $29.33 per DVD just for collecting a name and e-mail address is also unmatched in business. (More about how to do that is found here.) For the mentors, there’s additional money for training, and if you do your job correctly, there are overrides on all product sales from each business center.

Are you beginning to see how much money is available for anyone who wants to go after it? These aren’t some impossible, unreachable goals here. (Unless you can’t ask someone to watch a DVD.)

Well hold on to your hats folks – because Coach, Scott and Kim did it again.

Remember the interview and article Travel Weekly wrote over the weekend about Scott and Noah Mantos up in New York? Nadine quoted Scott saying the company would roll out new features and it’s vision for the future in Las Vegas in January.

Part of that vision was announced this week on a Directors call and it’s a Christmas bonus like no other I’ve ever seen.

Some of you need more than 6 sales to earn a $1,000 Leadership Bonus because of fall off. You know, the people who bought a Business Center who quit after two months because they couldn’t figure out that it takes additional training and work. (It’s always been part of this business.) Well, the $1,000 Leadership Bonus is no more than 6 sales away. Yep, the company is going to reset everything just before Christmas so you can get a bonus.

But it gets better. Whenever you earn a Leadership Bonus, the sales associated with that Bonus will be locked away. No more replacing the sales that fall off from any previous Bonus. (And you know how that works when you get into the high teens and twenties.) This works exactly the same way as it currently does at 30 sales BUT NOW it happens at 6 sales. And as extra incentive – all sales made after October 31st will count toward your next Bonus. If a Site Owner makes a $99 payment and it is one of their first four payments, it will count as .25 toward the current bonus. All sales made prior to November 1st will not count toward any Bonus unless they are one of the 6 that count for your current Bonus. Those sales will count toward the $10,000 Bonus.

The program is good through the first quarter of 2010. (Maybe longer.)

That’s one heck of a Christmas bonus – because you’re in control of it!

I’ve read that Coach, Scott and Kim are evil con men. Just this week as a matter of fact in the comments section of Nadine’s article in Travel Weekly. (That oddly enough is masquerading as a “press release” because critics need more excuses to be angry and bitter.)

Sure doesn’t look that way to me – how ’bout you?

So what do you say? Make your list – check it twice, and go show someone how they can earn a $1000 bonus this Christmas!

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Heading out today for fight the chaos in the stores?

Not us. We’ll be spending more time as a family this year as the girls crowd around the laptop and check out Facebook for the best shopping deals of the weekend.

Confused about what Facebook has to do with Black Friday and the busiest shopping weekend of the year?

Just another innovative idea from the good folks at YTB who will be posting cyber specials all weekend long to help me, you, and anyone else who wants to avoid the crowded malls – saving both time and money this holiday weekend.

I gotta hand it to the YTB Home Office. They really know how to marry and capitalize on the latest and greatest market shifts.

Let’s face it – purchasing products over the internet is more the norm these days rather than the exception. Stores like Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Macy’s, Sears, The Home Depot, Bass Pro Shop, The Finish Line, Champs, Target, Boarders (all right – you get the idea here) wouldn’t create these sites if people weren’t actually spending money on-line right?

Because I do so much shopping on-line my inbox has been flooded with all kinds of cyber deals this week to get ready for Black Friday. Best Buy is sending me this – Boarders is sending me that – and the vast majority of the deals are internet only. Some may be as small as free shipping and others are an additional discount for shopping on-line with them. The point here is that each of these retail stores have a new medium to reach customers in order to increase profits at a time of year that could make or break their bottom line.

Somewhere in the neighborhood of 250 MILLION people also subscribe to Facebook to connect with friends, post pictures, post links to funny videos and find the best deals for this years Christmas list.

Haven’t seen that last bit yet about the Christmas list? You will if you know where to look.

Because shopYTB has the inside track from hundreds of stores this holiday season, they’ll be posting all their specials this weekend on their three top fan pages for you to simply browse, find a deal you like and then go out and snag. If a deal from one of these major retailers wasn’t good enough, you can access the store through the shopYTB portal (something you can sign up for and do for free right here) you’ll get additional savings in the form of cash back.

Don’t have a Facebook account? Not a problem – each of the following pages are public – meaning you don’t need a Facebook account to see the long list of deals that will be posted this weekend.

www.facebook.com/CoachTomer
www.facebook.com/JKimSorensen
www.facebook.com/YTBDealsandSteals

Simply hit up one of these pages during the weekend for a list of specials and stores that are offering up some great savings this weekend. You can forget the crowded malls, the traffic, and the chaos that Black Friday always brings this time of year.

Save more time with family.

Save money.

Save your sanity.

It’s just a better way to shop for Christmas this year.

Thanks YTB!

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Each year the family swaps holidays with each set of Grandparents. This year we’ll spend Thanksgiving with Ronda’s side of the family and Christmas with my side of the family. Next year we’ll switch holidays. It’s something we’ve always done, long before the kids ever came along and it works for both us, and our families.

With Thanksgiving comes the annual start of the Christmas shopping season and Black Friday. It’s a day I’ve tried to avoid like the plague. I hate crowded malls, the parking nightmare, and hoards of people. While the girls don’t seem to mind the experience, shopping at one set of Grandparents on Black Friday just to transfer it to another set of Grandparents for Christmas does raise the problem of attempting to smuggle it back home in the car so the kids don’t see what we’ve bought. Then there’s the added problem of transporting the presents to and from Grandmothers house for the Christmas holiday. (Can you imagine the shipping charges or airline baggage fees associated with all those presents under the tree?? Yikes!)

I’m happy to report that most of these problems have been resolved this year thanks to shopYTB.

I’ve always been a big fan of shopping online and have been doing it for years. This year, because of what YTB has created for both ourselves, family and friends, we can all eliminate the nightmare of shopping the traditional way this holiday season – along with the added bonus of getting cash back when it’s all said and done. So far, it’s looking as if the shopYTB concept is the start of a new tradition in our family during the holiday season.

What got the ball rolling was my wife and mother who have been planning just what presents to get for the kids this year for Christmas. Mom had found the perfect doll house for Brittany and wanted Ronda to see it. While the two discussed the item over the phone, Ronda went to the internet to look it up online.

Not only were we able to find the item online, but also found one of the better prices through WalMart.com.

As an added bonus for everyone involved – Ronda can access the WalMart.com web site through the shopYTB portal, purchase the doll house, and have this large item transferred (site to store) to the WalMart near my parents for my mother to pick up free of charge. It also keeps the item out of Brittany’s prying eyes and hands here at home and she has no idea it will be sitting under the tree this Christmas.

We’re also finding other items from stores that offer free shipping, which eliminates the need to even hit the crowded stores and malls this Christmas season. In addition, I’ve had the unpleasant experience of hitting several of the same stores because one store was completely out of stock. I’m seeing more and more products offered exclusively online that are not found in stores – expanding the offering with more products to choose from.

While I’m also aware of the extended hours each store operates during the Holiday Season, it still doesn’t beat the 24/7 hours available from the comfort of our own home. Just after the kids went to bed last night, we ordered new bathroom decor for the kids bathroom that they’ve picked out. (A new beach and surf theme, fresh off their cruise experience.)

This year, not only is shopping for Christmas going to be far less of a hassle, but it will be nice to actually receive a check with cash back for doing it this way come the beginning of the year. Each purchase saves money in an assortment of ways.

If you’re like me, it one heck of a deal – and avoids all the hassle of the Christmas shopping season.

Just one more reason and example that makes YTB a great value for me and my entire family!

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