Entrepreneur 360 International magazine is an affordable international publication in print an innovatively online which reaches millions of people. This is an invaluable resource for consumers looking to purchase products, services as well as learn and earn business opportunities. Advertisers maximize their effectiveness by reaching a specific audience. Entrepreneurs, small business owners, and non-profit organizations all benefit from this resource. When is the Best Time to: Start or Grow a Business/Non-Profit Organization? If you answered, “during a recession,” you’re half right. It’s exactly because your competitors or would-be competitors are afraid of the economy, because they’re pulling back or failing to expand, that your best opportunity is now. While they react out of fear, you are ready to seize the day! Still, it takes more than confidence to succeed. It takes, among other things, • A sound business plan • Financial resources (Do you know where to get them?) • Expertise (But it need not be your expertise) • Alliances, partnerships, networks (Every business needs to network) Welcome to our premiere edition! Entrepreneur 360 International magazine is your source for all the information, motivation, and resources you need to start or expand your business or organization regardless of economic conditions. We will also provide information to help you to choose your business if you are at that stage of your endeavor. In each quarterly issue we provide you with indispensable business-development information, in the form of: • Interviews with successful small business CEOs and entrepreneurs • Interviews with leaders of nonprofit organizations • Tips on how your success strategy may be affected by the latest trends • Articles on how to get financial and other resources for startup or expansion • Information on the latest business-related products and services worldwide • Updates on powerful professional resources and strategic tools from accomplished and successful entrepreneurs • Tips on how to become – and stay – successful. Entrepreneur 360 International is an international platform to promote your products and services, to learn new ways to improve, promote and grow your business, and to enhance your growth by providing you an opportunity for global business networking.
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his season is one of the most exciting times in the world of entrepreneurship! Entrepreneurship is the lifeblood of the American economy. No other world economy has been more entrepreneurial in the history of mankind-and that is one of the reasons our economy is the top of the heap.
Consider this Mindset of Higher Level Management in Corporate America: “If you want your employees to be motivated to do their best, and if you want them to be the most valuable asset on your balance sheet, then let them feel and experience ownership in the organization. Effective managers make every employee feel like a business partner. Why? Because when people feel ownership of something, they look out for it. Employees are motivated to take exceptional pride in their work and better performance when they’re treated like business partners, not hired help. If someone else can trust you with their treasure, why not trust yourself to manage your own treasure? This premiere issue will be one of the most inspiring entrepreneurial resources you will ever read in your lifetime. There will be a plethora of resources that will help give aspiring entrepreneurs, businessmen and businesswomen tips on how to become a successful entrepreneur. For those who ascertain a level of success, this powerful networking tool, printed and online marketing hybrid will enhance your existing business model and provide tips to excel your profits and clientele base.
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Dr. Inga Johnson CEO/Editor-In-Chief
Pamela I. Williams Executive Vice President
Roger Brown
Chairman of Advisory Board
Roderick Stevenson
Senior Creative Staff Director
Charles Walker Senior Staff Editor
FEATURES
6 First Impressions 9 Linda Rogers-Brown
16 Use the Right Words
20 Center Story
Kingdom Business The Dr. Jae Story
Anthony Fuller
30 How to Breakthrough
Nathan Farrior
36 Preventive Awareness R.A.P. Nation and Lloyd Leonard
Senior Staff Writer
Senior Account Executive Corporate Headquarters Editorial and Advertisement Office 2301 W. Meadowview Rd Henderson Bldg - Ste 200 Greensboro, NC 27407
Tel#: 336-790-6760 Ext 700 Fax#: 336-790-6760 Email: advertise@entrepreneur360intl.com Web: www.entrepreneur360intl.com
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If you are a salesperson, you are always seeking ways to sell more. If you are a businessperson, then you are a salesperson, no matter what your business is. You are selling your product or service, and so you should always be seeking ways to sell more. How do you make customers feel at ease with you, and your product, enough to make the sale? Obviously, there is no one right answer, or else every salesperson and businessperson in the world would be employing it. But there are some guidelines that you can follow which will put you on the right path. If you did not already realize this, now is a good time to make you aware: perception is reality. This is especially true in the world of sales. If the customer perceives you to be a swindler, or a less-than-reliable person, then that is what you are. If the customer perceives your product to be of poor quality, then it is. You have to make the customer feel at ease, and convince him that you (and your product) are legit. Often, the first representation of your business that a customer will see is your advertising output. The flyers, posters, and brochures that you have created will give the customer his first impression of you and your company,
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which, as we noted, is vital to your success. You absolutely must project positively from your ads. Therefore, it is worth your while to invest in quality commercial printing for your advertising campaign. Do not try to save money by doing it yourself. And certainly do not try to save money by printing less-than-stellar materials. Go to a reputable company, such as PrintPlace.com, and get full color materials printed. These things will look so good, and give customers such a good image of your business, that you will quickly make up the money you spent in getting them printed. Nothing tells a customer that you are a professional – that you know what you are doing – that you care about your product – better than attractive, colorful ads and flyers. If there is one guideline that I can give you that will help you with your customer relations, it is what I have been stressing throughout this article: never, ever skimp on your advertising budget. Make a company like PrintPlace your friend, and use their services often. If you do, chances are customers will perceive you as being of high quality, which means that is exactly what you are!
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One of the primary objectives of Entrepreneur 360 International magazine is to profile highly successful individuals. Those people who have reached the pinnacle of their professions and are willing to share their expertise and knowledge with the world. These seasoned professionals are invaluable resources to our communities and provide priceless and much needed services to the world at large. Entrepreneur 360 International had the honor to interview one of the most successful and influential business women of her generation, Ms. Linda Rogers- Brown; The Entrepreneur with the Passion to Enrich the Lives of Others.
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he life journey of Linda Rogers-Brown began in her hometown of Long Island, New York where she was born and raised. Linda tells the story of how the spirit of an entrepreneur was born in her when she was just ten years old. She started one of the neighborhood lemonade stands. The other children were charging ten cents for lemonade, but Linda decided to charge one dollar for hers. One day a policeman came by her stand to inquire why Linda was charging so much more for her lemonade. Linda informed the policeman that she needed to make a whole lot of money to help her mother out at home. She had witnessed her mother praying and crying because of pressing financial concerns. Linda had lived in a foster home and had just returned to live
with her mother. Wanting to ensure she would not be taken from her mother again, Linda felt a compelling need to help her financially. Upon hearing this, the policeman suggested Linda sell her lemonade for two dollars to help reach her goal faster. However, no one in the neighborhood would buy Linda’s two dollar lemonade. But, a policeman came by and bought the two dollar lemonade, followed by a long line of other policemen and firemen. Eventually Linda’s lemonade stand story was covered by the local news. In that moment, Linda realized the power of entrepreneurship and resolved to carry this spirit throughout her life. Later Linda relocated to Durham, where she started her own thriving cleaning business operating with twenty four employees.
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Multi-Level-Marketing:
A Proven Pathway to Financial Success A defining moment in Linda’s life and career came when she turned her business focus to multi-level marketing and direct selling. Linda realized that traditional business and just being an employee does not give people true financial freedom. More significantly, it does not empower them to build a legacy for their families and children. Yet, Linda understood that both financial freedom and a legacy could be achieved through the MLM industry. Through this understanding and a deep conviction coupled with a tireless work ethic, Linda convincingly demonstrated the extraordinary prosperity available in MLM. She reached the pinnacle of her profession, achieving both personal wealth and financial independence. With the wealth and resources acquired from her MLM enterprises, Linda was able to establish a legacy for her family, and immediately began to enrich the lives of her children. She was able to give them resources to meet their wants and needs as well as to secure their future. Securing her kids’ future was extremely important to Linda, because she remembers being ready and willing to go to college and her mother not being able to afford to send her. At the height of her MLM career, Linda was making more than $30,000 a month and earned an $80,000
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Jaguar due to her level of success and devotion to her business. The Jaguar was earned by Linda building an MLM down line in ninety days of 100 active people, all selling a certain volume of product. Linda tells us that the MLM business is about building relationships, and partnering together to build each other’s strengths so that everyone can reach their goals. Linda, displayed this kind of selfless leadership when, in one of her MLM ventures, she provide free office space for her affiliates to host selling parties. Linda declares, “When you make success available and accessible for others, they will flock to your leadership.”
Eliminating Debt to Carry the Cross
About a year ago, Linda was diagnosed with cancer, and she told us it was a defining time in her life. After going through her treatment and the process of seeing her cancer go into remission, Linda developed a new outlook and perspective for her life and her pursuit of business. After finding out that one out of four people are being diagnosed with cancer, diabetes, hypertension and other debilitating diseases, Linda wanted to use her passion and resources to reach out to the total man, to be able to assist them physically, financially, spiritually, and emotionally, and empower them to move past their pain. Linda emphatically states, “To be substantial in this life, one must move
from pursuing singular success to impacting other lives in such a way that causes people to live a holistic, successful and balanced life.” Linda is on a personal crusade to bring back the principle of community caring, because as she reminds us, “No man is an island, and when you build a business around caring and loving people, you will inevitably succeed.” In this vein, Linda has a ministry called Eliminating Debt to Carry the Cross, which helps church members and individuals all over the world get out of debt. Linda, even as a single parent for over twenty-five years, has been a lifelong homeowner. She says a major part of one establishing a legacy is to become a landowner. “Once you own a piece of land, it is a lasting possession that can be passed on to future generations.” Finally, Entrepreneur 360 International asked Linda about her pending working relationship with Premier 360. One of her main goals for this exciting partnership is help create an online site that is a comprehensive learning center; an online site that will give people the knowledge, wisdom, insight and strategies that will equip them to master their
professions and soundly usher them into the cutting edge of the technology era. Linda sees Premier 360 as the perfect vehicle for individuals and businesses to learn and master the indispensable skill of being able to personally brand yourself. Linda explains every person must carve out their own business identity and establish an online website that tells their story and successfully introduces them to the world. She looks forward to applying her MLM strategies to the Premier 360 direct selling program and to continuing to grow her financial wealth with one of the best compensation plans in America. In closing, Entrepreneur International 360 Magazine, personally thanks Ms. Linda Rogers-Brown for the awesome privilege of profiling her. She is one of the most inspirational, and accomplished individuals of this generation; a game-changer and a champion maker, filled with the compassion and drive to change the course of history. Ms. Linda Rogers-Brown - The Entrepreneur with the Passion to Enrich the Lives of Others.
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by Kaye Z. Marks So you have got a great medium to reach your audience. Your ad has all the graphics spiffed up to attract attention and you have a great eye-catching photo. You know people are looking at it. But no one is responding. What’s going on?
address, phone number and other boring, but important, information in smaller font and towards the bottom of your ad. By using the space to brag about your largest, most impacting benefit, you could increase response by 300 percent.
Your copy is falling flat, that’s what. You need to use active language, and powerful words that get and keep attention. Here’s how.
Focus on the customer. Use “you” rather “we” or “I.” People want to know how you can help them, not about your great employees. Of course if your business is a service that employees provide, then yes, tout your employees. But tout what they can do for your customer, and what they’ve done in the past for similar customers. Show the customer that you have something that they need that will benefit their lives.
Use your headline. Headlines are the most important copy-related parts of print ads. If you have a dull headline, like the name of your business, you’re wasting precious space and money. That space could be used as a call to action or to give a benefit of your product. Keep your business
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Use the Right Words to Get a Better Response - cont’d Include a call to action. People won’t visit your store if you don’t ask them to. They won’t be motivated to visit your Web site unless you tell them you have one and give them the Web address to get there. Word your call to action as a command: “Visit our Web site today.” “Call today.”
Avoid overused words. Don’t use words that people have heard over and over again in advertising. Generally these words have only held false promises in the past. People remember words that burned them before. A few to avoid are “quality,” “value,” “service,” “caring” and “integrity.”
Use power words. Use sexy words that will stay with readers. Words that evoke movement and excitement work best. Concrete words will also give you a leg up. Use “erase wrinkles” instead of “get rid of wrinkles.” Use persuasive words such as “give,” “hurry” and “invite.” Use words that evoke trust: “tested” and “proven.” Use words that flatter the reader like “wise” and “special” when describing them.
Do not waste your budget on commercial printing materials that are boring and that aren’t going to work for you. Spend more time and money on creating your message upfront, perhaps even hiring a freelance marketing writer or a consultant that can help you create a powerful message before you choose your color scheme or photo.
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The May 2012 issue of Entrepreneur 360 International magazine is a significant issue that reflects a defining moment for Dr. Inga Johnson aka Dr. Jae’. It marks the dawning of a new day, and ushers in a new era of progress and accomplishment for this enterprise. So in this inaugural edition of Entrepreneur 360 International magazine, it is only fitting that we highlight, in our center story, the architect and the heart and soul and CEO of three billion-dollar industry companies: Dr. Inga Johnson.
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Dr. Jae is a consummate professional and a seasoned and proven leader. She represents a two-sided model of success. She has excelled in two worlds; the Kingdom of God and the business world. She has navigated successfully through these two arenas with precision, focus, passion, and purpose - and this has empowered her to reach this phenomenal phase of her life. A phase wherein everything in her life, Kingdom and business related is coming into fruition. The cumulative impact of her lifelong pursuit of excellence has allowed Dr. Johnson to become one of the top thirty entrepreneurs in the world from our perspective. She is currently the active CEO of three major companies: Diverse Unlimited, Entrepreneur 360 International magazine, and the Premier 360 Direct Selling Program. Through this conglomerate of companies, this driven business woman has created potentially three billion dollar businesses that provide employment opportunities, and one business presents income streams that afford individuals an opportunity to make millions. The two
billion dollar industry companies are Entrepreneur 360 International magazine and Diverse Unlimited. While, the Premier 360 Direct Selling program presents a cutting edge and innovative business that taps into the multi-trillion dollar industry of multi-level marketing and direct selling. Dr. Johnson, always conscious and vigilant of the presence of God in her life, has also achieved much in the Kingdom of God, as she is committed to fulfilling the call of God in her life. Dr. Jae is currently a consecrated Bishop, an affirmed Apostle, and an author of books. Yet, in the bright light of her success, we want our readers to know that she represents a long journey of growth and development and not an overnight reality. So, Entrepreneur 360 International magazine wants to take the time to give our reading audience and the world at large, the background story of Dr. Johnson - The Two-Sided Model of SuccessKingdom meets Business.
Entreprenuer 360 International Magazine “Renewing the Standard in the Magazine Experience” Print Edition - Digital Edition - Online Direct
The story behind the magazine began in the year 2009. Dr. Johnson, endearingly known as Dr. Jae’ had recently written a book called “Strategic Marketing Resources and Concepts.” Mr. Roger Brown, already a long standing and highly successful entrepreneur and business owner, discovered Dr. Jae’s book at a local bank, Generations Community Credit Union in Durham, North Carolina. Mr. Brown was so impressed by the book that he felt moved to reach out to Dr. Jae’s business coaching practice. Upon meeting with Dr. Jae’, Mr. Brown shared the vision he was carrying for a magazine venture. He tells that the inspiration for his vision was drawn from a stretch of land on Fayetteville Road in Durham, North Carolina, where he observed seventy beauty salons and barber shops. Yet, Mr. Brown pondered,” How many people know their presence, their impact or their story?” Mr. Brown also
understood that historically there has been an absence of this market telling its own story, so he desired a literary vehicle to fill that void. Mr. Brown, then released what he thought to be a local Raleigh-Durham triangle magazine project to Dr. Jae’, whose creative ingenuity and seasoned expertise expanded the vision from a local hair and cosmetics magazine concept to a full spectrum national magazine. So the vision started by branding the local, hidden and overlooked individuals, smalls businesses and organizations and providing them an international platform to share their story. Thus, armed with the revelation that Dr. Jae’ was the missing component of the vision; Mr. Brown released the entire project to Dr. Jae and requested that she become the President and CEO. Mr. Brown currently serves as the Vice President and chairman of the advisory board.
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r. Johnson is endowed with the ability to take concepts and people’s ideas and turn them into a prosperous reality. So under the leadership of Dr. Jae’, the vision of the magazine changed from local to international and expanded the new venture to a global scope. Thus, Dr. Johnson, through Entrepreneur 360 International magazine, would provide a new international print and online platform to present to the world at large information about the invaluable resources available from aspiring, well-established and highly successful entrepreneurs, small businesses, corporations and non-profit entities. Recently, partnered with a national distribution company we will distribute the printed magazine in the United States, Canada and other countries, in stores such as Barnes and Nobles, Books-A-Million, and others. This magazine is a global business bridge to connect successful entrepreneurs, professionals and companies to the world wide audience that is in search of the top flight services and products they provide.
Business Solutions and Professional
Enhancement Services “A Total Makeover” Diverse Unlimited provides comprehensive custom graphic design, custom web development and professional branding services that have the capacity to make a business both sound good and look good to enhance their strategy for long term success. These qualities make Dr. Jae and the three companies she leads stand out from the competition. Diverse
Unlimited also includes these additional services: video and audio services, virtual office phone and fax services, merchant processing, life coaching, business coaching, marketing coaching, email blast and lead services, and quality printing services. Diverse Unlimited will continue to raise the value of our services and professional branding power.
The Premier 360 advertising package houses a direct selling/MLM division that connects one to the trillion dollar industry of direct selling. This industry releases $10 to $20 million a month into the hands of affiliates. Dr. Jae’ has put together an unparalleled team of distinguished professionals and experts to be a part of the Premier 360 team. This enables them to provide an incredibly strong infrastructure and support system for to help their affiliates, partners and clients in business reach the pinnacle of success.
Premier 360, a new trendsetter in the industry, has become the new solution!
It offers a phenomenal, affordable advertising, marketing and branding package that provides the best of two worlds: Online Advertisement and a Magazine Connection that puts you in front of millions of people! This global powerhouse is now available to the world because Dr. Jae’ clearly understands the problem today is not that entrepreneurs, small businesses, organizations and ministries fail to realize the need to advertise, market and become professionally branded. Rather the problem today is being able to afford it!
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This problem precludes many entrepreneurs, small businesses, organizations and ministries from the opportunity to become known in their local area and around the world. For those companies that can afford advertising and marketing the industry have preset standards that elude assumptions that one must pay astronomical prices to advertise, market and become professionally branded! This global giant of advertising and marketing was created, and driven by an uncompromising spirit of excellence and is committed to making business branding affordable to the masses. Our uni-level compensation plan pays our affiliates 10 levels deep, with the highest commissions in the industry paid on the first 4 levels. It contains bonuses that allow you to quadruple your income monthly and win a luxury car of your choice [Jaguar, BMW, or Mercedes]. You will receive a yearly advertising package valued at $10,000/year for only $360/year and no monthly fees paid to Premier 360.
Subscribe Today! Send email to: subscribe@entrepreneur360intl.com or Call (336) 790-6760 ext. 700
Visit us online at: www.entrepreneur360intl.com
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There is also a journey of success for Apostle Inga Johnson in the arena of the Kingdom of God. Apostle Jae’ has been actively involved in ministry leadership for over eighteen years. She has helped found and build numerous ministries and churches, faithfully serving as minister, evangelist and prophet in these local institutions. She is now Senior Pastor of the Kingdom Center located in Greensboro, North Carolina, as well as a consecrated Bishop and an affirmed Apostle who oversees numerous churches and pastors throughout the East Coast region. She has founded a Bible College named Kingdom International College of Theology and an International School of the Prophets named Kingdom International School of Prophets. Apostle Jae’ is also a Kingdom Coach and Strategist, who shares and imparts wisdom and knowledge to help others walk into all of what God has called them to do. She expresses her conviction in saying, “God is concerned about the whole man, his triune being - body, soul and spirit. And God wants man to have success in all three realms and so do I.”
The Kingdom Center Complex
Over 9500 Square Ft Acquisition for Headquarters Location The Favor of God once again materialized in Dr. Jae’s life as she has signed off recently on office space in a prime real estate area in Greensboro, North Carolina located less than 2 miles from Four Seasons Mall/ High Point Road. The 9500 square feet office space will serve as headquarters of all business ventures as well as Kingdom ministries. The name of the headquarters will be called The Kingdom Center Complex, because Dr. Jae’ wants the world to know that she attributes all of her success to God. She is not ashamed, but very proud of her allegiance with God and the very name of the complex will acknowledge and announce God’s presence and place in her life.
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We asked Dr. Jae about some of her future and ultimate goals in terms of where she is and what she is currently doing. Dr. Jae’s emphatic response was, “In terms of the Kingdom Center Complex, it’s now all about access and acquisition. It’s time to go to work and walk out what I have been called to do to for the masses. We are committed to making sure that every inch of the 9500 square feet that we have been given is being properly utilized for its intended purpose.” Dr. Jae’ plans to hold expos, symposiums, and events, and to provide meeting and conference space, and workshops both in business and for the Kingdom at the Complex. She envisions turning the headquarters
INVITING - CONVENIENT - AFFORDABLE
INVITING - CONVENIENT - AFFORDABLE
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into a comprehensive learning center for both business and Kingdom purposes. She plans to maximize the space by making all wisdom and knowledge available and accessible to the world at large. Another character trait that places Dr. Jae’ in a unique class of leadership is her passionate willingness to share her wisdom and expertise with others. Most highly successful people keep their proven formulas of success secret and to themselves. Dr. Jae’ wants to share her wealth of knowledge and know-how with people. She tells us, “The goal and purpose should be to replenish and reproduce after your own kind, success begetting success.” I want to show people how to use their gifts and talents to reach their dreams and fulfill their purpose, Be The Coach.” We next asked Dr. Jae’, since we know that what you have accomplished has not been an overnight success, what have been some of the challenges, obstacles and roadblocks you have faced and overcome in reaching your destination of success? Dr. Johnson states that she possesses a bounce back spirit that allows her to overcome extreme adversity in her life. She shares with us that years ago, she suffered a major fall in business where she experienced a period of total loss. It was a time of great success and she was thriving with her own company, when things drastically turned for the worse. Through a combination of alliances with business partners and clients with unknown shady character [junior and inexperienced financial decisions]; Dr. Jae wound up losing the company, her house and car, and filed for bankruptcy which was
unsuccessful. For a period, she was ostracized by her peers and colleagues both in the business world and in the Kingdom. But although she was left for dead by many, her resilient belief in herself and her unwavering faith in her God allowed her to rise up again from her circumstances and get back on the path to success. Finally we asked Dr. Jae, what would be the one thing you want the world to know? She poignantly replied, “I think the message to the world, would come out of a series of messages I’ve ministered entitled, “The attempt of Silencing the Gift, My Assignment is Greater than the Assassination, God is About to Blow on Your Residue, Satan, I’m Finishing Strong, A Ceasefire, An Extreme Makeover.” So, I would want people to know no matter what trials, tribulations, crises, past failures, mistakes or setbacks they may have faced, God is still faithful. So there is never a reason why you cannot literally walk into and realize all the dreams and visions God has given you. You can live a triumphant life, you can do it! So in closing, Entrepreneur 360 International magazine celebrates, salutes and honors Dr. Inga Johnson aka Apostle Inga Johnson for her matchless and peerless leadership, her tireless work ethic and relentless drive, her uncompromising spirit of excellence, and for her out-of-the-box and limitless vision that is empowering, inspiring and is being divinely used to transform lives and bring success to the whole man.
Photos of The Kingdom Center Complex
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by: Kaye Z. Marks Expert marketers and sales people know that product resistance is often part and parcel of selling your products and services. It may be because of a particular concern on the product that’s preventing your prospective customers to buy from you. Or it may also be that they’re hesitant on how effective it can be to their situation. Most of the time, your target audience will be able to express it verbally. But when resistance is non-verbal – meaning, your target audience’s face reflects confusion – you just need to read between the lines, and interpret the body language and expression. While managing your target client’s hesitance to your sales speech, it would indeed be very difficult for you to do that. Nevertheless, experienced marketers would tell you that such reaction is actually a good thing. It means that even with an objection, your target clients are actually considering your product if not for a few concerns they have. These then should be properly addressed in order for you to turn then into buying customers.
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Trained sales agents know this. And as a business owner you should too. Most often than not, the concerns brought up by your target audience may not be the actual issue they’re concerned with. In fact, it may just be that they’re not sure of how they should convey what they need to know from your products and services. This then makes it difficult for your target clients to agree to what you are offering. Unless you understand and overcome the issues pertaining to their objection, you as a business owner will never be able to get your target customers to agree to buy your product or avail of your service. This is what is important when handling customer resistance to your product. Your prospects are simply unwilling to make a commitment to buy from you. This is certainly the hardest part in any selling process. When you ask your prospect to agree to a sale, yet the prospect hesitates, or worse, responds with a resounding ‘no’, you should be able to overcome that. Most successful business owners can vouch that when you are able to rise above the rejections, you’ll more likely to get customers who are not only one-time buyers, but repeat business clients as well.
What you need then is communicating with target clients in order to convince them to consider your prodcuts and services despite the issues. You can do this by requesting a commercial color printing company to produce marketing tools that would best clear up the issues in the client’s minds. It’s all about providing assistance so that your prospect can finally make a decision – which is hopefully to your advantage. The good news though is that not every customer can resist your offer. There were many times those buyers close a sale even without you convincing them to do so. Since they are convinced that the product is good for them, you don’t even have to introduce or say your sales speech. All you got to do is to point them to the right direction and you’re on your way to being successful in your marketing campaign.
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e are living in a time and day when violence and the threat of violence permeate our entire culture, and are present in every area of our society. These uncertain and perilous times call for a brand of leadership that is both fearless and focused; one that carries direction, vision, and a solution that effectively addresses the crisis that threatens our communities. Entrepreneur 360 International magazine is proud to present to our reading audience and to the world at large, such a voice of leadership that fits this bill: Mr. Lloyd Leonard and the R.A.P. Nation.
Who is R.A.P. Nation?
R.A.P. Nation stands for Raising Awareness Prevention, and is a non-profit program against sexual violence developed exclusively for college students, both male and female. R.A.P. Nation operates under Family Services Incorporated. Family Services Incorporated is a non-profit 501(c) 3 organization serving Forsyth, Davie and Stoke counties in North Carolina since 1905. Family Services Incorporated works together with individuals and families, offering a full range of services, including counseling, education, intervention and advocacy. The R.A.P. Nation college student organization focuses on preventing sexual violence against women. It begins with mentoring and educating males and females while transforming negative attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors, and attitudes. Participants of R.A.P Nation will learn how to identify and respond to sexual violence, as well as develop the skills needed to create healthier relationships through discussions, role playing, skits, ongoing education, and a preventive campaign and activities developed by student peer educators. Student peer educators will promote strength of character, while educating young men and women that violence of any kind is wrong. R.A.P. Nation is committed to raising awareness, transforming negative beliefs and behaviors, increasing positive bystander behavior and prompting men and women to teach the next generation that sexual violence is wrong and should never be condoned, ignored, or tolerated.
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R.A.P. Nation preventive support programs address the following issues; recognizing both healthy and unhealthy relationships, revealing and addressing negative beliefs and behaviors towards women, developing effective communication skills with, for and towards women, increasing the level of positive and active bystander behavior in order to assist in the resolution of violence , and recognition of boundaries and consent. R.A.P. Nation is definitely having a positive impact in the lives of our college students and is helping transform a generation. It is currently under the dynamic leadership of Mr. Lloyd Leonard, who serves as the program coordinator.
Introducing Mr. Lloyd Leonard
Lloyd Leonard is a native of Detroit, Michigan and moved to Winston-Salem, North Carolina when he was fifteen years of age. His father, Lloyd Leonard Sr., was an entrepreneurial pioneer, the first African-American to own his own Chrysler Plymouth car dealership in the area. His mother worked for the Detroit Public school system for twenty-five years as a teacher before leaving and relocating to the Carolinas. He Lloyd attended a school called Gesu and then Mt. Tabor high school, where he saw a need to personally reach out to kids after watching his mother tirelessly work with children; first at the Central Y.M.C.A as a counselor and then for years as a site supervisor and summer camp director for years. She continued her work at a group home with mentally-ill clients, became a habitation therapist, a community outreach therapist, and eventually a Rape Convention Coordinator for Family Services Incorporated. Inspired by his mother’s lifelong model, Lloyd took a job as a Rape Prevention Coordinator. Lloyd passionately states, “I took the job as a Rape Prevention Coordinator because I wanted to make a difference within my community as well as make my community a safer place for my wife, daughter and all other women. In addition, I enjoy working with the young high school males and assisting in teaching in teaching them how to co-exist with young ladies from a healthy standpoint, recognizing proper body language, increasing positive bystander behavior, consent, safe boundaries, empathy and dispelling the common myths and facts about sexual assault.” Lloyd’s leadership and devotion to the cause has had a positively infectious impact on his peers, as reflected in the response of co-presidents and fellow members of R.A.P. Nation, Paige Roberts, Avery Blackwell, and Korpo Roberts. They, just like Lloyd, have fully committed and sold out to the cause of awareness and prevention against sexual violence, and are collectively working together to protect, inform, enlighten and empower an entire generation.
Why Hip Hop?
Entrepreneur 360 International asked Lloyd why he decided to use the world of Hip Hop as a major component and platform to implement so many out of the box strategies and approaches to get his message across. Lloyd’s answered, “Hip Hop is a way of bridging the gap between myself and the peer educators. It’s also used as a teaching tool as it relates to exposing the negative images and stereotypes that have influenced a lot of the younger generation.” Secondly we asked him, what is your attraction to the Hip-Hop world? And Lloyd responded, “My attraction to Hip-Hop stems from my childhood growing up both in Detroit as well as in Winston-Salem. My mother and my father bought me my first set of turntables when I was thirteen years of age and I just continued to embrace the art form throughout high school and college.” Lloyd also co-owns an apparel line which he started with his late father called Authentic Hip-Hop, which the public can access through its website- www.buyahha.com. Lloyd will in the near future be launching a hip-hop related social media website that will feature unsigned hip-hop artists, established recording artists, an e-commerce store, interviews with artists, community awareness, current news and mix-tapes entitled www.therealplanethiphop.com. Other R.A.P. Nation Intervention Projects created by Lloyd include:; Partnership with the Next Great American DJ Skills, a Partnership with NBA Basketball star Josh Howard and the Josh Howard Foundation in Winston- Salem, North Carolina, and a Bi-Weekly Rap-Ups on College Campus or On-Site.
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In addition, Lloyd has developed a forum entitled Does Hip-Hop Dislike Women? The Forum featured national activist Byron Hurt, female rapper and recording artist Yolanda Whitaker, best known as Yo-Yo, rapper Special Ed, Big Rapper Pooh, local radio personalities; Tap Money and the Five Foot Phenom Kyle Santillian of 102 Jamz located in Greensboro, North Carolina; along with Dr. Shepherd and Chelii BlackJediuzn Broussard of Winston-Salem State, as well as Dr. Tony Jones of the North Carolina Coalition Against Sexual Assault. Lloyd also extends an open invitation to all college students to check out R.A.P. Nation’s new website www. therapnation.com, where they will be able to take the survey and receive a free cd entitled, “Volume 1 Dispel the Myths Know the Facts, by The Great American DJ Skillz .” In closing, Entrepreneur 360 International salutes both R.A.P. Nation and Mr. Lloyd Leonard for utilizing the “Transforming Power of Preventive Awareness.” They are providing an invaluable resource and service to our communities, and represent a cause that should be both applauded and supported.
For more information about R.A.P. Nation, visit them online at www.therapnation.com
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