Can you really be successful online working at home?

There's no doubt that millions of people want to work at
home, and that a substantial percentage of them are looking
to the Internet to provide them with the means to do so.
The question is, can the Internet deliver what these people
need to make working at home a viable alternative to the
traditional world of work?

The answer is YES -- but only if certain crucial conditions
are met.

1) Sell Value

The problem with many people wanting to establish a home-based
business is that they're not selling anything people really need
to buy. Too often they're selling overpriced products or services
provided by third-parties who themselves profit by signing up
new independent contractors. This is not a viable success
formula.

To prosper in business, online or off, you must offer your
prospects REAL VALUE; that is, you must offer them something that
will improve their lives, something which is superior to what they
can find locally, and which you can deliver at a competitive cost.
If what you're selling doesn't meet these basic criteria, you are
courting failure.

2) Have The Necessary Business-Development and Prospect Contact
Tools

Value is essential but value alone cannot build a successful online
business. You must have certain critical tools, including

* a domain. The only people who are succeeding online are those
with their own domains. Without a domain you are essentially a
squatter on someone else's cyber "land" and are at the mercy of their
business. If they go out of business, you automatically go out of
business -- like it or not! Sadly, large numbers of people have
discovered this too late!

* a listserver. A listserver enables you to send unlimited non-spam
e-mail. If you cannot do this, you cannot initiate and control the
necessary marketing to your prospects.

* a Sales Manager. You need automated, personalized prospect lead
follow-up. The Sales Manager provides it.

* professional design. Web design is far too sophisticated nowadays
to leave to inexperienced and amateur hands.

* traffic development tools. Your business is only going to succeed to
the extent that you have a certain flow of new prospects every single
day. Does your current business offer you these prospect leads?

* ongoing technical assistance. Like it or not, the Internet is based
on changing technology. You must have as part of your success team
the technicians who can help you master it and ensure that your
business is always up and running.

3) Learn How To Work Your Prospects & Make Sales

For your home-based business to succeed, you need to develop a sales
mentality. The Internet is the ultimate sales emporium. Prospects
will visit your website and email you every single day. They expect a
prompt response, with their inquiries being handled expeditiously and
professionally.

Even if you're only able to work your home-based online business part-
time, you need to think like a full-time entrepreneur, making sure
that you are ready to deal with your prospects as soon as they are
ready to do business with you.

This means being able to get out information fast (your Sales Manager
is vital for this)... and following up over and over again until the
sale is made (again, something the Sales Manager is made to do.)

The sad fact is that all too many people who are running online home-
based businesses are relying on the Internet to do their work for
them, hoping that they themselves won't have to contact any prospects,
much less "sell" them anything. This is nonsense. The Internet is
unrivaled for what it does -- giving people worldwide the ability to
disseminate unlimited amounts of information and to connect with
people for a trifling cost. However, it does not take the place of
good ol' personal contact and relationship building. The Internet is
a vital business tool, like the telephone, but you will never
succeed in your home-based business if you're not willing to work
with your prospects in whatever way it takes to make the sale.