The SPAM that frustrates me the most is that which comes from uneducated website and business owners who, I guess, don’t know any better – but should.

• If you took my email addy off of another website, and you’re contacting me to see if I want to be invited to join your site – but you don’t have your site listed, or any way for me to check out what site you’re talking about – I consider that SPAM!
• If I receive an email sent to every email addy off of one of my sites (eg. Lauren@, newsletter@, schedule@ – all @the same site) with an offer to join your mailing list – I think you’ve harvested all the mails off of my site, and I consider that SPAM!
• If I find that my email addy (whichever one it is) is listed along with every single email addy in your address book to receive your offer, or Specials – I don’t appreciate you circulating my email address to the other 25 people on the list and, I’m sorry but, I consider that SPAM!
• If I am continually being invited to join membership sites by someone I barely know, or who’s name I have to look up somewhere to recognize – I may not report it as such, but I consider that to be SPAM too!
• If I receive your newsletter out of the blus, and see down at the bottom that I have the option of opting out of receiving any more of your newsletters, BUT I never had signed up to receive your newsletter in the first place – yep, SPAM!

No, I don’t report everything that I consider SPAM, most often I just delete them. Occasionally I’ll even respond with a polite request to be taken out of their address book, or at least off the “invite list”. If I know you, and we’ve built a relationship then I am usually appreciative of the thought, and will consider the invite.

I guess what it all boils down to is – know who you are sending your emails too. Do not send unsolicited offers, or invites to people you really don’t know. NEVER grab emails off some random website. Have an opt-in list with a legit sign-up that has given you permission to send those recipients your offers, etc.

You save yourself, and others a whole lot of time, and have a better chance of getting your message in the right hands – not in the SPAM folder!

Some benefits of an online party, for Reps. and guests alike…

-An online party saves time and money for everyone involved – hostess and guests.  Travel time is really as long as it takes to get to your computer and into the online party room.  In this time of rising gas prices – it may add up into more of a turn out because no one has to get in their car and drive anywhere!

-You can invite more than you normally could for an in-home party and reach a broader audience – the internet world!  An online chatroom can accommodate more people than an in-home party might.  Therefore, the presentation of your products or business opportunity reaches more people.

-When you host an online party, you don’t have to provide snacks, or a clean house, or even be dressed for that matter! LOL!

-Child care is not as much of an issue an issue, because you’re not leaving home, but  you might want to have little ones busy with an activity or DVD to allow you to party.

-An online party allows you to communicate with your customer base, especailly those out of state.  You can use an online party as another tool for selling to your regular customers. It also offers them an opportunity to interact with you, ask questions etc. in more of an immediate way than email, or a monthly newsletter could offer.  Also, less costly than a long distance call.

-For most direct sales consultants, instead of handling the orders and payments, credit card issues, etc. themselves, the company takes care of that as customers order through their website.  Commission is earned via the online ordering system and added to your check. For customers – they order through a secure website, and their order is shipped to them directly from the company.