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Sample Issue:
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Read this issue online:
http://www.health-ebiz.com/issue1.htm
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HEALTH eBIZ
Online Market-ing Tips for the
Health & Wellness Entrepreneur
April 2003; Issue 1, Volume 1
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Health eBiz is published monthly and provides up-to-date
information on wellness and market-ing trends, and
no-nonsense tips to build your bus-iness online.
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mailto:healthebiz@biz-reply.com
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
> Editorial
> Wellness News Roundup
> eBiz Tip
> Feature Article
> Recommended Resources
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EDITORIAL
Health Claims: Should Alternative Medicine be Judged by the
Same Yardstick as Traditional Medicine?
The criticism of alternative medical claims by traditional
medical practitioners is growing. Its true that there are
many alternative pracitioners out there who just want to
make a fast buck. There are also many desperate people who
are willing to try anything, and easily fall prey to these
claims.
Watchdog websites like Quackwatch
<http://www.quackwatch.org> are doing an excellent job of
exposing and reporting these claims. However the danger
that arises here is that of a cultural bias.
The bias that arises when practitioners of 'western'
medicine apply their own standards, while commenting on
ancient practices that are accepted systems of medicine in
other cultures and countries. Despite this criticism, a
growing number of consumers are opting for "alternative" or
"holistic" treatments.
In the USA, expenditure on complementary or alternative
medicine stands at US$2.7 billion per year [Ref:
http://www.independentliving.co.uk/tradmed.html]
By the year 2010, at least two-thirds of the U.S.
population will have used some form of alternative approach
to health care. [Ref:
http://www.heall.com/body/altmed/future/statistics.html]
The shift towards alternative treatment is partly a result
of the growing disenchantment with the 'cut, slash and
burn' style of traditional medicine, and the greed of drug
companies. But it also says something about the efficacy of
many alternative methods, many of which are only now being
recognised in the scientific world.
In countries where these so-called alternative systems are
actually the "traditional" ones, it may be perfectly leg-al
to make claims in the context of the system of medicine
practised there. However in countries that follow a
predominantly western system of medicine, it would be
illegal to do so.
So how does one function in a global milieu, where
complementary and traditional systems of medicines often
clash with one another, and practitioners of both end up
suing each other for libel and other claims?
Isn't it only fair to expect that if alternative
practitioners want to make health claims - especially in
the international market - they must also allow their
products and treatments to be open to independent
scientific scrutiny.
It is hypocritical to make a claim that has not been proven
by peer-reviewed scientific research, and then shout from
the rooftops that alternative medicine is being "supressed"
by vested interests.
For their part, traditional practitioners should try to
clear their minds of cultural biases, and embrace the
obvious benefits that a holistic view of medicine can offer
consumers and physicians alike.
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This editorial is based on the writer's personal opinion.
It does not claim to represent current facts or popular
opinion.
Do you agree or disagree? Cl*ick here to send in your
feedback about this editorial and it will be published in a
future issue with a link back to your website.
mailto:contact@ebizwhiz-publishing.com?Subject=Feedback
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WELLNESS NEWS ROUNDUP
FDA Allows Qualified Selenium, PS Health Claims
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized four
health claims, with appropriate disclaimers, concerning
phosphatidylserine (PS) and selenium. The first two claims,
authorized Feb. 21, involve selenium and cancer. The second
two claims, authorized Feb. 24, regard PS and cognitive
dysfunction.
Full story: http://tinyurl.com/a7kn
New Labeling Program Delivers Safety Information for Herbal
Products
American Botanical Council's new Safety Labeling
Program helps manufacturers put science-based safety
information on herbal supplement labels. The Safety
Labeling Program (SLP) is designed to help manufacturers
provide a range of safety data on product labels for the
benefit of both consumers and healthcare professionals.
Full story: http://tinyurl.com/a44k
SARS Health Claims Criticised
Type "SARS" into an Internet search engine and
advertisements from a variety of companies pop up offering
products as diverse as health supplements, disinfectants
and special protective suits that marketers say will keep
the new disease, severe acute respiratory syndrome, at bay.
Federal health officials warn that they will keep a close
watch on companies that seem to be playing on fear.
Full story: http://tinyurl.com/a44j
(Requires fr^ee registration at NY Times)
Grow^th Horm^one Scams
Are grow^th horm^one supplements all they are being made
out to be? The New England Journal of Medicine has
denounced misuse of an scientific report it published in
1990 about grow^th horm^one. [Drazen JM. Inappropriate
@dvertising of dietary supplements. New England Journal of
Medicine 348:777-778, 2003] Many marketers are
misrepresenting the article's significance and claiming
that boosting H^G^H blood levels can do everything from
reduce body f@t to turn back the body's biological clock.
The article "Grow^th Horm^one Scams" by Stephen Barrett,
M.D. traces the history of these claims and why you should
disregard them.
Complete article: http://tinyurl.com/a44n
Supplement Claims Trashed by Quackwatch
Two supplements being heavily promoted by network market-ing
companies have come in for criticism by the health
watchdog, Quackwatch. The organisation has written a
lengthy investigative report debunking the promotion of
Seasilver<http://tinyurl.com/a44q>, a liquid herb and
nutrient product marketed by Seasilver Inc., of Carlsbad,
California. In another report it has dissected many of the
"preposterous" statements that Robert R. Barefoot makes
about coral calcium products<http://tinyurl.com/a44s>
NCAHF Blasts M-L-M
The National Council Against Health Fraud has issued a
position paper warning consumers to shun multilevel
companies that sell health-related products.
Complete article: http://tinyurl.com/a44t
FDA Takes Action Against Ephedra Products
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has initiated several
actions designed to protect Americans from risks associated
with use of ephedra products. Currently there are many
dietary supplements containing ephedra which are sold as
appetite suppressants for dieters, to improve endurance
during exercise, and to generally boost energy levels and
alertness. On the basis of new evidence in the medical
literature and in adverse event reports, there are reasons
for heightened concern that dietary supplements containing
ephedra may present a significant and unreasonable risk of
illness and injury.
Complete article: http://tinyurl.com/a44u
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QUOTE UNQUOTE
"Behind every successful woman...is a basket of dirty laundry."
- Sally Poe
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E-BIZ TIP
Follow-up or Perish
Most network marketers understand the importance of
following-up with lea-ds and customers. It has been proven
that most prospects must hear your message at least seven
times before they b-u-y. Online that may be much higher.
Following-up by telephone is fine for those building a
local bus-iness. But if you want to go global, you must have
a system in place that allows you to follow-up by email.
Using Autoresponders makes it easy to follow-up with your
lea-ds.
Autoresponders are your personal lead-capturing and
market-ing "Automated Response" system designed to make your
response and follow-up with prospects easier than sending
out messages manually.
The "Two Step" method of market-ing uses autoresponders with
the steps outlined here:
1. CAPTURE the Lead - using an autoresponder or email
address - anything that will allow you to contact them
again.
2. FOLLOW-UP - using a series of autoresponder messages (at
least 7-10) every few days that will keep your product or
opp-ortunity fresh in your prospect's mind and get the
sale/sign-up for you.
Many marketers I have dealt with still do not comprehend
the significance of this. They just can't seem to
understand that if you are simply allowing potential
clients to visit your site once, then leave, you are losing
money
And you have just wasted all those expensive 'guaran-teed
hits' you paid for with this month's rent. If you had
captured their em@il address, you would at least have a way
of contacting them again.
Everytime I visit a website that does not offer me an
incentive to leave my em@il, I feel sorry for the person
who owns it because they have just lost a potential
customer. Don't let YOUR website be one of them,
[FIRSTNAME].
If you and your down-line want to work your lea-ds
efficiently and increase your sal-es, you simply MUST use an
autoresponder on your website. If you don't follow-up, one
way or another, your bus-iness will surely perish.
Find out why "Collecting Follow-Up Information Can Be a
Life Or Death Experience"
http://ebizwhiz-publishing.com/articles/dean2.htm
Get an Autoresponder for your website today
http://ebizwhiz-publishing.com/autoresponders.htm
Watch this space: How do you get your lea-ds to leave their
em@il address with you? Catch this tip in next month's
issue when we show you the best bait to use for capturing
those precious lea-ds.
Resources:
"How to Double Your Small Bus-iness Sal-es in 20 Minutes a
Day With Follow-up Market-ing"
Learn to get the most out of every prospect and client who
contacts your bus-iness - online or in the real world.
http://ebizwhiz-publishing.com/followup.htm
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INTERLUDE
If you do a lot of things to build bus-iness, you'll build
bus-iness. They don't have to be done perfectly to work,
although the better you do them, the better they'll work.
But the main point is that you have to do them -- a lot.
- Joe Girard "How To Sell Anything To Anybody"
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FEATURE ARTICLE
5 Compelling Reasons to Choose a Wellness Opp-ortunity
Copyright 2003 Priya Shah
http://www.health-ebiz.com
I actually have two separate online bus-inesses -
1. Selling wellness products, and
2. Selling digital information products (eBooks)
Because I can look at things from both perspectives, I
often tend to compare the two bus-inesses from the point of
view of the better opp-ortunity.
But if I were asked to recommend a single bus-iness as the
best way to make a living online, the Wellness bus-iness
would win hands down.
And no, I didn't choose it because its easy. On the
contrary, selling health supplements, vitamins and related
products online is NOT easy.
Not only is there tremendous competition, but it simply
can't be done by working two hours a day, as is the common
perception.
If you sell wellness products, you have to deal with REAL
people. People with human needs and problems.
You must be available in person, or by phone, or at least
by email, to clarify doubts, answer queries, be prompt and
sensitive to your customers' needs and generally make your
customer feel good about doing bus-iness with you.
You must also provide constant support, training and
leadership to a growing organisation of distributors, and
help them grow their bus-iness.
This can be extremely time-consuming because few of these
tasks lend themselves to complete automation.
A seller of digital products has it somewhat easier. (S)He
need not even interact with customers, because everything
from product delivery to answering customer queries can run
on autopilot.
Digital product sellers can (and often are) literally
sitting on a beach while their websites churn out profits.
Given these disadvantages, why would anyone still choose
the Wellness industry?
The reason I believe is because ANYONE, regardless of their
talent or creativity, can actually make a steady LIVING for
a lifetime in the Wellness industry.
And of course, there are a few who even go on to become
millionaires.
Here are the reasons why I think Health and Wellness should
be the #1 Choice for Entrepreneurs online.
1. Health Products fulfill a Basic Human Need
Health is a #1 concern for many people - often more
important than even sex (also a top seller online) or food.
The lack of health can make you feel... well... lousy. And
most people will pay their bottom dollar if they can find
something that alleviates their pain or discomfort.
To put it more plainly, NOT buying an eBook will not make
much difference to your state of mind or body. But not
taking your prescription medication can make you feel very
bad indeed.
2. Health Products are Consumable
Unlike digital products that can only be sold ONCE to a
customer, vitamins, supplements and prescriptions require
monthly re-orders or autoships.
Once people start using them and benefiting, more often
than not, they will continue to use them.
If you treat your customers right, they will b-u-y from you
month after month, providing you with regular commissions
and a more or less stable source of in-come.
There's usually no need to keep selling to them again and
again (barring the obligatory seasonal promotions).
If the products meet their requirements and you give them a
good deal and great service, they will give you repeat
bus-iness for a long time to come.
3. Your in-come Grows Exponentially
When selling a digital product (as an owner or an
affiliate), your potential for future in-come actually
DECREASES with every sale you make.
Unless you are among the few top marketers who can churn
out a new product every month, or can earn more on back-end
commissions, your potential for in-come will always be
limited by your creativity.
In contrast, because most wellness opportunities also
involve building an organisation, every product sale
actually INCREASES your potential for future in-come, by
growing your organisation of customers and potential
distributors purchasing every month.
If you help your downline earn a regular in-come, few will
quit the bus-iness they have built so earnestly. Again YOU
benefit from the RESIDUAL commissions that the organisation
provides.
4. Wellness Opportunities have a High Feel-Good Factor
One of the main reasons that I suspect people stick around
in the wellness industry is the feel-good factor. It can
really make your day when someone calls or writes, telling
you how wonderful your products made them feel. Or how it
gave them their life back. :-)
Even more than making money, the feeling that you have
helped another person feel better is always a strong
motivator in working your bus-iness.
I've no doubt it feels good when someone who purchased your
eBook writes to tell you how it helped them succeed. But I
can bet it comes nowhere near the feeling you get when you
help someone beat a life-threatening illness or conquer
their pain.
5. The Need for Wellness Only Increases with Age
As we grow older, we want to work less and enjoy life more.
We also want to live healthier lives and enjoy enhanced
community interaction.
Wellness opportunities are ideally suited to seniors
because they have the potential to fulfill all their needs,
ranging from financ-ial security to improved health and
personal interaction.
Lastly, working a wellness opp-ortunity empowers you to take
steps to improve your own health and well-being.
And do I even need to reiterate the oft-repeated quote that
it will be the next Trillion Dollar Industry?
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About the Author:
Priya Shah is the Editor of "Health eBiz," an ezine for
Health and Wellness Marketers. Sub-scribe here to receive
information on wellness market-ing trends and market-ing
tips to build your busines online. http://www.health-ebiz.com
mailto:healthebiz@biz-reply.com
-------------------------------------------------
You have permission to publish this article electronically
or in print, fr^ee of charge, as long as the bylines are
included and none of the links or content are removed or
changed. A courtesy copy of your publication would be
appreciated, but is not necessary. Also available by
autoresponder: mailto:article6@ebizwhiz-publishing.com
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RECOMMENDED RESOURCES
Consumer Health Digest
A fr^ee weekly e-mail newsletter edited by Stephen Barrett,
M.D., and cosponsored by NCAHF and Quackwatch. It
summarizes scientific reports; legislative developments;
enforcement actions; news reports; Web site evaluations;
recommended and nonrecommended books; and other information
relevant to consumer protection and consumer
decision-making. If you are a wellness marketer, you must
sub-scribe to this publication to keep abreast of new
findings and controversies that could affect your bus-iness.
http://www.ncahf.org/digest/chd.html
Telephone Sal-es Talk: Key To A Successful Home-Based bus-
iness
Talk to anyone who is successful in Network Market-ing,
Referral Businesses, and Direct Sal-es, and they will tell
you that "the telephone is a golden key to home-based
bus-iness success," and yet, those same telephones inspire
fear in countless people, whether new to the world of
home-based bus-iness or not. This fr^ee ebook will show you
how to eliminate your fears and teach you the fundamentals
of successful Telephone Sal-es Talk.
http://ebizwhiz-publishing.com/lib/telephonesalestalk.zip
___________________________________________________________
@D-SWAPS
The Alternative Medicine Review weekly newsletter
A resourceful ezine of breaking headlines, schools, and
new products concerning the alternative medical field
and your health.
Send mailto:11939-sub-scribe@zinester.com or visit
http://alternativemedicinereview.com/ezinesubscribe.html
Hot Health Tips!
A Simple Source for Natural Solutions. Fr^ee weekly
e-zine delivering tips and sources to help you make
healthy choices. Sub-scribe now and immediately get
your welcome lett^er with instructions on how to get
your FR^EE HUGE e-book LOADED with health information
To sub-scribe send mailto:hothealth@getresponse.com
or visit at http://www.hothealthtips.com
Motivate Me (a fr^ee daily newsletter for you)
Start your day right Motivational quotes and bus-iness tips
that you can use rig^ht now to start making more money.
Exclusive interviews with self-made millionaires. Product
reviews, insider tips, special member-only contests.
http://www.livingyourbest.com
___________________________________________________________
Submit Articles for Health eBiz
We accept contributions from sub-scribers for articles as
well as a "sub-scriber in the Spotlight" feature where you
can showcase your wellness opp-ortunity.
More information:
http://www.health-ebiz.com/submit.htm
___________________________________________________________
Disclaimer
The products and the claims made about specific products on
or through this site have not been evaluated by the United
States Food and Drug Administration and are not approved to
diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease. The information
provided on this site is for informational purposes only
and is not inten-ded as a substitute for advice from your
physician or other health care professional or any
information contained on or in any product label or
packaging. We do not endorse any products featured and
recommend that you investigate them thoroughly and consult
with a healthcare professional before taking any decision.
___________________________________________________________
Resources
M-L-M and Network Market-ing Resources
http://ebizwhiz-publishing.com/mlm.htm
M-L-M and Network Market-ing Articles
http://ebizwhiz-publishing.com/articles4.htm
Coaching and Tools for Personal Grow-th and Learning
http://ebizwhiz-publishing.com/learn.htm
Opp-ortunity Seeker lea-ds for your Home bus-iness
http://ebizwhiz-publishing.com/freeleads.htm
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"Do, or do not. There is no 'try'."
- Yoda, The Empire Strikes Back
Feel fr^ee to forward this ezine to a friend
If this was forwarded to you, you can sub-scribe here
http://www.health-ebiz.com
mailto:healthebiz@pushbuttonresponder.com
Contact the Editor:
Priya F. Shah
contact@ebizwhiz-publishing.com
http://www.health-ebiz.com
Copyright © 2003 EbizWhiz Publishing
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