If you are thinking about starting a home business as a marketing consultant...and are looking at a structured program by an expert to learn from (instead of doing it totally on your own), then chances are whatever program you get involved with will have some sort of CD or DVD that does much of the selling of your services for you.

What I mean by that is, they give you tools that give your prospects an idea of what you can do for them. And all the prospective client has to do is pop it into their CD or DVD player and they'll know whether or not you can help them or if they want your help.

Now, as someone who has created one of these CD's for my own system I can tell you there are two ways to use these tools and you should probably test them both.

One way is to make someone listen to the CD before you even meet with them -- sort of as a prerequisite of even talking with them.

Problem with this is they usually don't take the time to listen to the CD. You could be handing out CD to unqualified prospects. You could be handing them out to people that don't need, don't want, or can't afford your service. So, they're not going to listen to it, and you're going to waste your time and you're going to waste their time.

But...at the same time...anyone who does get back to you is most likely on fire and ready to work with you.

The other way to use these tools is sitting down with the prospective clients and asking enough questions first. Once you determine that they're qualified, they're interested, that they can probably afford it, then ask them to listen to it, and then set an appointment when you'll come back and review it.

That's what I like to do and have my people do. That way you limit your costs and save yourself time.

Of course, if you're working with a good program, they will probably have these tools online. And it's even easier to just send the prospect to the site and it won't cost you anything.

Whatever the case, these tools are great for selling by "remote control." And if you are going to learn how to be a home based marketing consultant from a structured system or program (there are plenty out there), and if they have a tool like a CD or DVD, then follow the simple guidelines above and you should do quite well.