What's The Most Important Word In Marketing?

What’s the most important word in marketing?
Free?

Why?

Truth?

Honesty?

Integrity?
At first glance, it seems like a simple question. But the more you think about it, the more complex it gets. One could probably argue any number of answers based on his beliefs, values or type of business.
But is there really one word that’s more important than all the others? One word without which your marketing efforts will be successful?
I recently surveyed dozens of marketing professionals, authors, consultants and small business owners on my blog. The results included a wide range of words; from the emotionally charged to the pragmatic; from the right brain to the left brain and from the customer focused to the company focus. But all of the suggested "most important words in marketing" fell into one of two categories: Traditional Marketing or Modern Marketing.
Traditional Marketing: The Old School

Traditional Marketing used to be all about advertising. It was expensive, short lived, and had little to do with the Internet or word of mouth. Also, it aimed its messages at passive audiences. Leading expert and best selling author Seth Godin calls this "Interruption Marketing," in which the marketer talks directly to as many consumers as possible.
Now, although this traditional style of marketing has lost some of its prowess to the fierce competition of the web, it’s still a powerful medium through which companies can reach their customers. Let's see which words the experts chose from this category.
NOTE: before you read the survey results below, take a minute to answer the question for yourself: What do you think is the most important word in marketing? Once you’ve made your decision, read on and see how your answer compares.
NEW

"NEW is probably the strongest word in marketing," explains Ronnie Horowitz from The TRIZ Journal. "People are attracted to new products like a magnet. Introducing new products on a constant basis is the best way to get attention and invaluable free publicity for your business."
WHY

Michael “The Success Doctor” Fortin believes the most important word in marketing is WHY. “It is much better to communicate why you are original, special or unique; why you are better, different or superior than competitors – not just the fact that you are. Imply your superiority by specifying as much as possible.”
CUSTOMER

Sivaraman Swaminathan from Customer World says we shouldn’t overlook the obvious word, CUSTOMER. “I think marketing has evolved because the focus is on the customer. The soul of marketing is the customer. Period. In marketing, you will fail even if you have greatest passion for the wrong target audience; you will fail if you don't know whom you should respect, and you will fail if you don't know which customer to trust.”
YOU

Similarly, Robert Middleton from Action Plan Marketing said, “The most important word in marketing is YOU. That is, marketing needs to convey very clearly what's in it for the client or customer.”
FREE

FREE was also touted by several experts as the most important word. Edward “Skip” Masland, owner of Web Solvers says “FREE was, is and will always be the most powerful word in marketing. It attracts eyeballs. It gets results and responses quickly. And marketers may not profit today – or tomorrow – but if they can generate a groundswell of interest from something free, they know they will profit sooner or later.”
On the other hand, Bob Serling from Idea Quotient wrote an article claiming that FREE was the most dangerous word in marketing. “I've been advising businesses for nearly 20 years that a business model driven by attracting prospects through giving something away for free is almost always a model for failure. And it doesn't matter whether you use this model online or offline – it will nearly always fail.”
LISTENING

Next, Karen from Dezign Matters explained that the most important word in marketing was something you DON’T say. “I think the word is LISTENING. A little time leaning back and listening quietly can save time, money and leave the client and customer feeling that someone truly heard what they were trying to say.”
BECAUSE

Michael Daehn, author of Marketing Ingenious explained, “I read a case study about cutting in lines at a copy machines. The hypothesis was that the word ‘please’ would get the best response. But the results proved that the word ‘because’ received a much better response given that the word offered a reason to let someone cut in line. Therefore, we as marketers need to give customers a reason to buy.”
RESULTS

Lastly, Michael Cage from Small Business Marketing Systems said the most important word in marketing was RESULTS. “Small businesses are often suckered into fluffy, fancy marketing concepts that sound great but produce absolutely nothing in the real world. If the business owner or marketing department can't tie what they do to results, likewise, they need to step back and get it right before passing go.”
Modern Marketing: The New School

20 years ago, nobody knew what the words “blog,” “RSS feed,” “personal branding,” “viral marketing” or “google” meant. But now – at the risk of sounding cliché – the rules have changed. Business is different. Customers are smarter. And marketing isn’t the same old run-a-bunch-of-ads-and-hope-people-buy-your-stuff system.
Now, it’s all about creating an emotional connection. It’s about being unforgettable, unbelievable and unique. It’s about providing an experience that’s so fantastic, customers not only remain loyal to you – but they tell all their friends to do the same.
Here’s what the experts said about the most important words in Modern Marketing.
RESPECT

It’s not surprising that Seth Godin – author of seven best selling books about how to make your business remarkable – always emails me back within 30 minutes. I drop him a line every once in a while to pass along an interesting website or, in this case, ask a question. He replied with a brilliant one-word answer: RESPECT. Period.
AUTHENTICITY

John More, owner of Brand Autopsy, maintained the most important word in marketing was AUTHENTICITY. “With the world becoming one gigantic ad, consumers today can sniff out anything that smells the least bit fake and inauthentic. Success will come truer and faster if companies can design products, programs, and services that are authentic in meaning, purpose, and delivery.”
Moore dug deeper on the topic of authenticity and explained that “Authenticity is usually a by-product of a purpose-driven business. And unfortunately, there ain’t enough businesses out there with the purpose of making a positive difference in the world.”
PASSION

Similarly, Tom Asacker from A Clear Eye says it’s all about PASSION. “Passion for one's business and for one's calling inspires and attracts people. They want to be to believe, to belong; to become. And that's the essence of marketing today.”
Tom and John’s posts on the blog discussion generated high amounts of support from other experts. Laura from the Smart Musings blog agreed by saying, “John and Tom are right. Consumers can distinguish between authentic and inauthentic marketing. Authentic messages will strike a chord with them. That may encourage them to buy. And once they become a customer, then they may too become passionate about the product. And that is the ultimate goal of marketing: not just to have passionate employees, but passionate customers.”
TRUST

Another popular word was TRUST. Kevin Berringer from Reflections on Business Blog simply said, “No trust = no belief = nobody listens.”
EXPERIENCE

Then, Chris Ray from Interactively Speaking voted for the word EXPERIENCE, as in The Customer Experience. “I believe this word summarizes respect, authenticity, passion, results, etc.” said Ray. “It ultimately decides whether or not a company succeeds.”
AROMA

Next, Jim Seybert from the Jim Seybert Company offered a most unusual suggestion: AROMA. “Brain scientists tell me that smell is the only sense that goes directly to the limbic lobe in our brains - and triggers nothing short of primal emotions. Marketers should pay attention to the ‘aroma’ of their brand. They need to identify the unavoidable, immediate and emotional reaction customers experience upon coming into contact with their brand.”
OPEN

Another intriguing response came from Nellie Lide of The New Persuasion Blog. Her word was OPEN. “You’ve got to be open. Open to others. Open to customers. Open to employees. Open to new. Open to old. Open to scrutiny. Open to derision. Open to joy. Open to different.”
TRUTH

George Silverman, author of The Secrets to Word of Mouth Marketing says it’s all about TRUTH. “Marketing has become synonymous with hype. The truth, compellingly told, is all you need. Just tell it in an interesting way, usually with a story. This allows you to tell the truth about your product and the truth about yourself.”
No WordThe last respondent of the survey was Sean D’Souza from Psycho Tactics. He decided to take the contrarian’s point of view. “There is no one single word that's the most important in marketing. Making such a claim would be like saying your heart is the most important part of your body. I think we try to make things too simplistic. In reality, marketing is a series of things that coordinate together to create magic.”
It’s All In The HuntIn case you haven’t already figured it out, the answer to the question “What’s the most important word in marketing?” is: it all depends.
Typical marketing answer, huh?
But ultimately, it’s not about the answer – it’s about the question. It’s about the creative thought process each businessperson goes through when he considers what the most important word in marketing is...to him.
Personally, I chose the word CONFIDENCE.
In other words, I want to instill confidence in the minds of potential customers that if they step onto my company’s front porch, they will be working with a credible, valuable, trustworthy individual whose unique school of thought will help them produce results.
But that’s just me. That’s how I roll.
Now, it's up to YOU to reexamine what “marketing” truly means to you and your company. In so doing, you will gain a better understanding about who you are, what you do and whom you do it for.
So, what’s the most important word in marketing...to YOU?
© 2005 All Rights Reserved.

______________________________

By Scott Ginsberg

Scott Ginsberg is a professional speaker, "The World's Foremost Expert on Nametags" and the author of HELLO my name is Scott and The Power of Approachability. He helps people MAXIMIZE their approachability and become UNFORGETTABLE communicators - one conversation at a time. For more information contact Front Porch Productions at http://www.hellomynameisscott.com.

Signage and Branding for the Small Business

Increasing brand awareness through the use of print advertising, TV and radio advertising, the internet and direct mail campaigns are generally the most well known methods of building up your business profile in today’s dynamic market, another element in a successful brand strategy is vehicle and signage advertising which is one of the most important cost-effective advertising tools available to small businesses today.
Today's business world is an increasingly competitive place to be and your company identity is an essential component of your image. It is the publics’ first perception of you and your first opportunity to make a positive impression on potential customers. A well designed signage program can instantly and effectively communicate the style, professionalism and overall presence of your business, it conveys to people who you are, where you are and what you do.
Vehicle signage advertising is one of the most cost-effective advertising tools available to maximize the potential of your business. With distinctive and effective design, your shop vehicle becomes a moving billboard and communicates with your customers in a way that no other advertising medium can. It sends the message to potential customers that your company is expert and professional and is also established and reputable. Vehicle advertising is long lasting and works 365 days a year, if you consider how many people might see your vehicle everyday, how can you afford not to advertise on it? The options available range from small discreet magnetic signage to large spectacular full vehicle sign wraps.
Exterior and interior signage are also important marketing assets in promoting your business and enhancing its image, how your directional and informational signs are presented and function together with attractive storefront or forecourt signage are critical to a positive customer shopping experience which will in turn create more sales and leads. Advertising banners and displays can be used to announce new products, promote special events, advertise sales, generate excitement or attract and motivate customers.
There are many different materials available to signmakers depending on your particular requirements in terms of durability and impression you may wish to convey. Signage is generally estimated in terms of lettering, installation and substrate materials. One of the first things to do when choosing a sign company is to find one that specializes in the type of signage you require. Although most companies will not refer to any specialties in their advertising, many will in fact be particularly accomplished at making a certain type of sign. You will often find faster turnaround and better pricing when working with such a company. Working with people who are particularly informed about the issues surrounding a given project can significantly impact the types of signs that are created. If you are not using your own designer, you may want to consider the portfolios and completed projects of graphic designers working at the sign company. Alternatively, companies that already know what they want achieved should look for a sign company that accepts computer files by internet or on disk for direct output.
In today’s competitive business world, advertising and marketing is not an expense, it’s an investment. Effective signage is an important element of that advertising strategy.
(c) Copyright 2005, Tim McCarthy. All rights reserved.

________________________________________

By Tim McCarthy

http://www.dsigns.ie

Does Post Card Advertising Really Work?

You've decided to try advertising your business with post cards. The idea came to you from the post cards you receive from other businesses. You like the idea because it seems easy to do and economical. However, you've never tried this before so you question whether this method will bring you customers.
Let me say this first, "All Forms of Advertising Work!" However, you have to clearly understand how the advertising medium works and realize that each form has it's limitations along with costs associated with it.
At this time, I also I need to dispel a myth that has been around for as long as there has been printed advertising. Many, many business people believe that if they do a 1 time mass mailing it should be a slam dunk in sales.
Let me be the first to say. "With over 36 years of selling to the public, it simply doesn't work that way!" If you plan on being in business longer than 1 day, then you must continually advertise to keep the clientele coming to you.
Advertising in any medium has always been about repetition and getting your name remembered. It's called "Branding". Study businesses that use television commercials. They are constantly repeating their business message 1000's of times a day. They are the best free examples to watch and learn from.
So for your business, you can conclude that the more your prospects see your name or message repeated, the easier it is for them to get to know you and what you offer. Then it becomes an easier task to get them to buy from you.
So How Does Post Card Advertising Work?
You create an ad on a Post card. This can be done in your favorite graphics or word program. Then use the mail merge feature in the program to insert mailing addresses automatically. In case you haven't setup your address book you would need to do this before you do a mail merge.
Print out the cards, stamp them and then mail them out. If done correctly and repeated over and over again your customer base will grow. This is the simple mechanics of post card advertising.
So Where Do I Get Good Addresses From?
Before you can get good addresses, you must first know who it is you are wanting to target before you do your mail out. You wouldn't offer gun sales to anti-gun activists or religious material to a group of Atheists, now would you?
First, go to the large search engines and do some research to find out who uses your type of product and/or services. Once you uncover who they are, you then know who your target market will be.
As a side note, there are companies that do sell mailing lists that contain groups of people, organizations and businesses. It is all gathered and cataloged and based on personal interests and/or work related. You can buy these mailing lists or start your own.
Secondly you have to determine how often you will be sending your post cards out. The amount of times you repeat your message, to those you target, will determine how well they remember you. Let me show you how I am targeted by companies that I do business with and that get my attention as well as my order.
Example:
ImpactYourArea.com is targeted by companies that make promotional products. Everyday I receive something in the mail from some company. It could be product announcements, new product samples, promotions and/or valuable insight to generating more sales.
Some companies send me information at least once a month. Others 4 times a year. Then there are those companies that send me something only once a year.
Of those three company types which do you think I remember more? It would be those that send me something once a month.
From this example it should be clear that getting your message out repeatedly and often is how your prospects are going to remember you, your product and/or services.
So What Are The Limitations With Post Card Advertising?
Let's say you plan to send out 5000 post cards in a one time mailing. If you are targeting prospects that use your type of service or product, then statistically you should draw 1-2% in responses. Meaning that roughly 50 people may show some interest.
That doesn't necessarily mean you have converted the prospect into a buyer. It only means they have shown an interest in your offer and are willing to take it to the next step.
The next step, for them, is to find out a little bit more about your offer. These are your "Tire Kickers". Of those that responded your chance of converting them is also 1-2%.
So your chances of converting prospect to buyer, from your 1 time mail out could be 4-6 buyers from your original 5000 post card mail out.
Now most would say that the campaign was a failure. However, by the way this medium works it was right on target.
So How Do You Increase Response Rate?
Instead of sending out a 1 time mass mailing of 5000 post cards, consider sending out a smaller amount and do it in monthly increments. Repeat the mail out process once a month for 12-24 months.
So How Much Should You Send Out?
I would start small and build from that. This gives you the ability to spend a little at a time while measuring how each mail out converted. This keeps your advertising costs down and manageable.
Start with 500 post cards a month. Only target prospects you know that would use your product and/or services. Then I would repeat the mail out to the same group over the next 1-2 years.
Even if they do not buy the first or second time after they've received your card, they are beginning to get to know you and your product and/or services. As time goes by your chances of converting them to a buyer increases. There is also a good chance that those you target may pass your offer onto someone else.
In conclusion, never allow the idea that advertising once will be the solution to gaining repeat business. Don't forget that post card advertising does work if you learn how to do it right and you repeat the process over and over.
Copyright 2005 © Woody Quiñones & www.Impactyourarea.com

___________________________

By Woody Quinones

Woody Quiñones has been selling to the public since the age of 10. With over 36 years of marketing experience he has started several businesses with little or no money. Including his popular website, http://www.ImpactYourArea.com Woody is also an Authorized Kaeser & Blair Dealer, a published online writer, a licensed and certified locksmith of 17 years and can be located on numerous online business forums.

Marketing Options For Cleaning Companies – Part One

Cleaning companies have a variety of marketing methods open to them for gaining new clients.

· Telesales

· Yellow pages advertising

· Thompson’s Local Directory

· Mailing lists

· Leaflet drops

· Newspaper advertising

· Journal advertising

· Direct selling

· Internet advertising

In my own experience cold calling on companies has not met with any success. Most companies who want cleaning carried out already have cleaners in place and they will only change them if they think they can get it done cheaper or if they are dissatisfied with the cleaning. Managing to locate a company who are in the process of making a decision about their cleaning and telephoning them at that moment in time is a very long shot. You must make the decision as to whether it is cost effective to tie somebody up on the telephone for long hours for possibly little return. If for example your cleaning covers a very wide area such as a whole region of the UK then it may be worth it, but if you are restricted to a small area then probably not. What you may end up with are a lot of calls to give quotes simply because the company wants to see if they get their cleaning done cheaper than at present. Even in these circumstances and you submit a quote which is cheaper they still may not have the impetus to change if they are happy with their present regime. However you do end up on their files for that day when they do finally decide to change. So you could get a call one two or even three years down the line.
Advertising in the yellow pages is probably a must, as despite the advent of the Internet people do still use yellow pages to find services they require. At least this way the company are calling you for a quote so are more likely to actually require cleaners. From the point of view of closing a sale it is better if the client has chosen you rather than the other way round. The only problem with advertising in the yellow pages is one of cost. There are probably a large number of firms advertising their services that you are in direct competition with. Consequently you have to make your advertisement stand out from the others. To do this is a very costly exercise but ultimately should be worth it for the amount of new business it brings in.
Advertising in Thompson’s directories I find difficult to comment on. Whilst being cheaper than Yellow Pages in my own experience it has brought in very little new business.
Using a Mailing list and contacting companies with a sales letter, like telesales is a matter of chance. Again you have the time factor to pay for plus the postage plus the cost of buying in a mailing list if you do not put one together yourself. Putting a mailing list together is a very time consuming business. I know because I have done it, and again in our experience it brings in very little new business. If you have a high advertising budget then it may be something that you consider worthwhile.
As far as advertising in local newspapers is concerned this can become very costly for little or no return so I would not recommend this to any new cleaning business. Possibly with carpet cleaning and window cleaning you will have more success. However the take up from your advertisement will mainly be domestic customers not commercial concerns. Likewise advertising in specialist journals is a costly exercise but possibly worthwhile if your budget is large enough. However you have to research the journals carefully to make sure that the companies you are trying to target actually subscribe to these and more importantly read them.
Leaflet drops, direct marketing and Internet advertising will be covered in part two of the article.

_____________________________

By David Andrew Smith

David Andrew Smith is the owner of http://www.wesparkle.co.uk a contract cleaning company which also specialises in the care and maintenance of natural stone flooring.

How to Get Your Customer Talking

Before we can sell our products to our prospective customers, we must first get to know them and their needs. The best way to do this is to get them talking.
When you approach a prospective customer, it can be a challenge to get the customers attention, let alone getting them to strike up a conversation with you.
Most people don’t want to be bothered, their perception of a sales person is that of a used car sales man or the Macy’s girl who approaches you in the aisle and wants to squirt perfume all over you.
Another reason people don’t want to be bothered, is because they believe they will end up wasting their money on something they don’t even need.
If you can get them talking, you can figure out what it is they do need, and than explain the products you have that could possibly satisfy their needs.
Getting someone to talk to you is not as hard as you may think.
People love to talk about their job, their company, their family, and their pets.
Believe me, if you walk up to a customer and introduce yourself only to be blown off, say something along these lines;
I’m really sorry to bother you, but may I ask what it is you do for a living?
Ninety nine times out of one hundred, the person will tell you the company they work for, and what they do there.
Everybody is proud of what they do, and they should be. Once you have established what it is that your customer does for a living, get them to elaborate on it. Say things like;
“That’s really interesting, how did you get into that line of work?”
Or
“How long have you been in that line of work?”
Now that you have your customer talking, start digging for more, find out what his needs are.
Most important, as your customer is speaking, listen intently, look for identifiers that can lead the conversation in other directions.
As you listen to your customers talk, try to match up your products to their needs.
Once you have the customer talking, don’t be discouraged if you don’t get the sale right than and there. Not all is lost, in fact, it is just beginning, you have just taken the first steps toward building a relationship with your customer.
Remember, people love to talk about themselves, their jobs, their pets, their hobbies, etc.
So ask, it will get you on your way to more relationships and sales.
This article may be reproduced by anyone at any time, as long as the authors name and reference links are kept in tact and active.

___________________________________

By Jay Conners

Jay Conners has more than fifteen years of experience in the banking and Mortgage Industry, He is the owner of http://www.jconners.com, a mortgage resource site, he is also the owner of http://www.callprospect.com, a mortgage lead company.

Listen for Sales Success

Success on a sales call does not mean dominating the conversation. Oh sure, you've likely heard such wisdom about listening before. It makes sense. But based on national averages, few people actually practice it. Listening experts say that most of us listen with only 30%-50% efficiency.
I don't know what causes salespeople to turn on the verbal waterfall once they get a moment of opportunity to speak. Fact is, the other person's desire to listen to you is in inverse proportion to the amount of speaking you do. Talk a lot, and their interest wanes. In addition, their desire to participate in the conversation diminishes the more you talk. They get bored. Lastly, the more you talk, the greater the possibility you'll mention things they can object to.
Action Steps: Everyone knows how to listen. Technique is not the problem. The key is selling yourself on WHY you need to listen. It's the same with any activity.
If your desire to do something is strong enough, you'll get it done. Therefore, when you find yourself taking a mental vacation during presentations, ask yourself this question:
"Why do I need to listen to this person?" The answer tends to snap you back to the proper perspective.
"Because what this person says will tell me exactly what I need to say in order to help them buy, therefore putting more money in my pocket."
Have your purpose in mind before and during every conversation.
To your success!

_______________________________

By Greg Beverly

Every journey in life beginw with the first step. Find out how YOU can become a sales champion and live the life of your dreams by visiting http://www.salessuccess.yougethelp.com today.

Outdoor Advertising – How It Could Work For You

Of the £16,777m spent on advertising last year in the UK, 5.05% was spent on outdoor advertising – almost £850m (Source : Advertising Association/WARC). That’s more than was spent on radio advertising (3.24%), consumer magazine advertising (4.88%), cinema advertising (0.95%), and internet advertising (3.56%). It’s therefore no secret that outdoor advertising works, but what relevance is that for the smaller business who doesn’t have the £14m outdoor advertising budget that mobile communications firm O2 spent in 2004?
Good advertising starts at home
Suppose you run a tile company in an industrial estate visible from a motorway or duel-carriageway on the outskirts of town. Every time someone drives past and sees the blank exterior wall of your unit you’ve missed a potential lead. People may momentarily wonder who you are and what you do, but few have the curiosity to further investigate. And when they finally do come to re-tile their kitchen and see your yellow pages ad, they may well think “hmmm, I drive past that industrial estate every day but I’ve never seen a tile company. God knows where it is; we’ll go to Topps Tiles instead’. Whoops, you’ve lost a sale.
The solution – yes, it’s obvious, but the amount of business lost through inadequate or non-existant outdoor advertising is staggering. The guy from the tile company need only spend a few hundred pounds on a pvc banner with the phrase ‘BUY TILES HERE’ and hang it on the outside of his building facing the traffic and, wow, look how passing trade increased. Even better, a full, vibrant, inviting mesh façade listing the company’s products and services and inviting the customer to come in and find out more – suddenly you’re no-longer Topps Tiles broke brother, rather a genuine and serious competitior, and the public will remember you for it. “Have you seen that new tile company on the outskirts of town?”
Help your potential customers and they’ll help you
Whether you a promoting a product, event or service, the opportunities for tasteful and cost-effective outdoor advertising are massive. Take the example of bars and nightclubs – how often have you been put off from paying to enter an establishment because you simply don’t know what to expect when you get inside…hard house, 60’s classics, foam party? It’s a lottery, and when you ask the door staff they helpfully instruct to step aside. Solution? A easily changeable banner over the door with ‘TONIGHT – FOAM PARTY!’ – cheap, easy, incredibly useful and generally overlooked.
Whatever field of business you are in the opportunities for helping your potential customer make informed decisions and spread awareness of your offerings through outdoor advertising is vast, and the options, from small PVC banners to mesh building wraps are all-encompassing – all it takes is a little thought about how to use your space to your advantage.

_________________________

by: Tim Lamm

Prime 4 Print

http://www.prime4print.co.uk

Banners, backdrops, large format printing

Does Your Marketing Plan Need Changing?

Change is good, right? Not always. But when is it bad? Is it a question of good or bad? Sounds philosophical. Maybe it is.
Philosophize on this…why would one take something that is going good – no.. great – and change it? Obvious answer is to make it better. Not!
In business or in marketing, change is not always good. When you have certain promotional actions that are in place making things happen, or in better terms, making you money – don’t change them! Why do I say this? Because I see it time and time again. Someone has a marketing campaign that is bringing in a good return on investment and they up and decide to change their postcard! What?!?!?!?!? Change your postcard – why??????? “Er uh, we just decided to do something different.”
And then some three or four months down the road, they call back with their tail between their legs and ask – no demand to have everything back the way it was before. In this latter case – change is good.
I am not just saying that to say that one should always keep their postcard marketing campaign the same and never change it. Quite the contrary. Change your marketing, change your habits, change your way of life when it warrants it. There is really some truth to the old adage “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Maybe it is human nature to want to change everything once something gets going just the way they planned it. Who the heck knows? All I can say is step outside the human-nature box. Change only when things are drastic or when change is warranted.
Drastic circumstances deserve drastic measures. But how do you determine drastic? Sometimes that is really easy. Your company’s income is crashing. Do something! Change! Or better yet, figure out what you changed and get it back to what was working.
How about a plateau? Does that deserve change? Depends on how long that plateau lasts. I have never seen things leveling off and staying level forever. It either goes one of two ways – up or down. I know an optometrist who had a very successful practice in small town USA. He never really marketed. He never really had to. People knew of him from miles around. Mainly he did PR stuff – a fundraiser here, networking there, etc., etc. His good works made him well known and respected and the community ooo’ed and ah’ed over him so much the paper loved printing it.
But things changed. Malls started opening up. People started shopping out of small-town USA and into the bigger cities. The environment changed. But he didn’t. He still kept a good practice, but you could see something interesting – his gross income started to plateau. And over time – many years – that plateau gradually started to show where it was really going. I actually don’t have to say where – you’ve got the picture.
Now, would that demand drastic measures? Taking into account inflation, cost of living and other factors that are on the rise – yes, I would say that would demand drastic measures. Did he take them? Not until the direness became all too apparent. But yes, he finally did take them. He started postcard marketing his you-know-what off!
I have another client that is just a dream. They have had the same list for the past 5 years, ever since they have been in business – thirty thousand physical therapists they mailed to over and over and over and over and … They never changed. They figured if it was bringing in the income it was the thing that was working. And it worked and it still works. And today – they made Entrepreneur’s 100 Hot List for 2005.
So, next time you think about changing your marketing plan, look to see if it needs it. Look at your numbers. Are they improving? Declining? If your income is going up – don’t change one single thing. But if it is going down or flat lining – for heaven’s sake, change!

_____________________________

by: Joy Gendusa

Joy Gendusa founded PostcardMania in 1998, her only assets a computer and a phone. By 2004 the company did $9 million in sales and employed over 60 people. She attributes her explosive growth to her ability to choose incredible staff and her innate marketing savvy. As an Expert Author, she is always willing to share her marketing advice through articles, interviews and speaking engagements; visit www.postcardmania.com.

14 Top Lead Generation Tactics

According to former Harvard Business School professor David Maister, typical marketing practices are not only inapplicable for professional service firms, but they may be dangerously wrong.
Often professional service firm principals tell me they are frustrated with the quality of their marketing materials, they are concerned with their firm's low profile or they feel pressure because their efforts are not generating enough new client leads. Are any of these issues for you?
Many professionals do not know there is a body of knowledge about what does and does not work in marketing professional services. A review of the marketing recommendations of Maister, Robert Bly, Alan Weiss and other experts reveals a recurring theme of what does and does not work in professional service firm marketing. My own 20 years of practical experience in marketing professional service firms supports these findings. The best marketing for professional service firms is educational in nature. Here are the top 14 tactics that work, in order from the least to the most effective:
The inadequate seven
14. Cold calling -- This should be done by a business development person, never a principal. Nothing says "trust me" like a cold call. A better approach is what I call warm calling, which is following up with seminar invitations.
13. CD-Rom or video brochures -- These can be great lead conversion tools, but they cost too much for lead generation. Instead, stick the videos on your Web site.
12. Printed brochures -- Again, don't spend too much money up front to generate leads. Instead, create these as PDF files that Adobe Acrobat can read, and place them on your Web site.
11. Sponsorship of cultural/sports events -- Being title sponsor of the right event can have an impact, but it is not the best use of lead generation dollars.
10. Advertising -- Isn't it ironic that none of the great advertising agencies built their clientele by advertising? However, if you specialize in an industry and they publish directories, it is always good to have your firm included.
9. Direct mail -- This is the traditional direct mail of a letter and a printed piece, like a response card. Some accountants and financial planners have used this cost effectively, maybe offering a complimentary consultation (there is a much better form of direct mail; see tactic No. 1).
8. Publicity -- While getting your name in the newspaper and trade journals is a cost-effective way to increase awareness about your firm, it doesn't always translate into leads.
The magnificent seven
7. Paid ballroom seminars -- Rent out the ballroom at the local Marriott or Hilton and charge for an all-day or half-day seminar. Participants should take away a substantial packet of good information from your firm (and a good meal, too).
6. E-Newsletters -- This is the water drip torture school of marketing and the opposite of Spam. By signing up for your newsletter lists, prospects are telling you that they are interested in what you have to say but not ready for a relationship now. These people should receive valuable how-to information and event invitations from you on a monthly basis until they decide to opt-out of the list.
5. Networking and trade shows -- An excellent way to gather business cards and ask for permission to include them on your e-newsletter list.
4. Community and association involvement -- Everyone likes to do business with people they know, like and trust. You need to get involved and "circulate to percolate," as one Ohio State University professor used to say.
3. How-to articles in client-oriented press -- Better than any brochure is the how-to article that appears in a publication that your target clients read.
2. How-to speeches at client industry meetings -- People want to hire experts, and an expert by definition is someone who is invited to speak. Actively seek out forums to speak and list past and future speaking dates on your Web site.
1. Free or low-cost small-scale seminars -- The best proactive tactic you can employ is to regularly invite prospects by mail and e-mail to small seminars or group consultations. If your prospects are spread out geographically, you can do these briefings via the Internet (Webinars) or the telephone using a bridge line (teleseminars). These can't be 90-minute commercials. You need to present valuable information about how to solve the problems that your prospects are facing, and then a little mention about your services.

Keywords: marketing practices, Cold calling, CD-Rom or video brochures, Printed brochures, Sponsorship of cultural, sports events, Advertising, Direct mail, Publicity, Paid ballroom seminars, E-Newsletters

________________________________

By Henry DeVries

Henry DeVries is a marketing coach and writer specializing in lead generation for professional service firms. An adjunct marketing professor at UCSD since 1984, he is the author of "Self Marketing Secrets" and the recently published "Client Seduction." Visit http://www.newclientmarketing.com or e-mail questions to henry@newclientmarketing.com.

What To Say When The Media Calls

Nothing makes sales take off like media saying good things about you. Thousands, even millions, of people hear a media source they know and trust explain why your business is good.
You never know when media are going to call. The customer who just left delighted with your product may happen to live next door to a newspaper reporter looking for a story. When some people feel gratitude, they automatically think of sending a note or making a quick call to their favorite columnist or broadcast personality. These tips often result in stories.
When a reporter calls, take the opportunity to present your story in the best possible light. Speak slowly and clearly when you say something you would love to find in print. This signals to the reporter you are saying something important. It gives her a chance to write down your words.
Illustrate your most important points with stories. Tell about customers who came to you with common problems and how you helped them. Offer to provide the names and contact info for some of these customers. Very few people mind if media call to ask their story or opinion.
Give the reporter several ways he can contact you later if he needs more information. Not being available at the moment the reporter needs you can result in an incomplete story or no story at all.
If the reporter asks a question you can't answer, offer to get the answer. Call back within the hour if possible. Once a reporter gets a story underway, they like to finish it as quickly as possible.
What happens when the media voice on the other end of the phone wants to know about something bad? Embarrassing or controversial news can put your business on the defensive.
That angry email you got from someone who thinks your service is a scam might have forwarded their note to the investigative reporter at a TV station.
One radio station I managed seemed to invite reporters prowling for scandal. A TV crew surprised me in the lobby wanting to know about two contest winners who had not received their prizes. We were already aware of one of the cases and had already moved to correct the error. Unfortunately we had never heard of the second person claiming to have won.
Despite the explanation we offered, the TV reporter slanted the story to make the radio station look like it had something to hide. He felt like a scandal angle would help ratings and he wasn't about to give it up.
This illustrates an important point: once media starts work on a story, you have no control on how it turns out.
In most cases, the best way to handle media calling with bad news is to tell the truth. Be forthcoming and show how you are working to correct the problem in the future.
Attorneys may advise a different approach. When legal liability is involved, most lawyers say tell the media thanks, but you can't discuss the issue at this time.
Reporters often slant a story as either a wonderful new development or a sad situation. If your business is portrayed in less than glowing terms, take heart. A large part of the media audience doesn't believe everything they are told. Invariably you will get new customers who try your business simply because media told them not to.

________________________

by: Kevin Nunley

Kevin Nunley specializes in helping people get their product, service, or idea into the news. See his affordable press release packages at http://DrNunley.com Reach Kevin at mailto:kevin@drnunley.com or 603-249-9519.
kevin@drnunley.com

Peak Performance

One of the best books I have ever read is a 1986 classic written by Charles Garfield; Peak Performers: The New Heroes of American Business. Garfield spent nearly twenty years trying to figure out what causes some people to excel to amazing successes, while others bask in the glow of mediocrity.
He discovered all types of individuals can become peak performers, that they are made....not born. Regardless of industry, he uncovered these superheroes of the business world in every corner of the United States.
Possessing key attributes, a peak performer will very likely:
• Be motivated toward results by a personal mission

• Posses the twin capacities of self-management and team mastery

• Have the ability to correct course and manage change
Every field has those who reach the top. There are those who are in the top 10% and then those dominate in the top 1%. I am constantly fascinated by those who have that "spark" that leads them to achieve more than other from similar background. Amazing people who are able to work harder (or is it smarter?) and do so without visible signs of effort. They accomplish more than any one could ever imagine. These people stand out as an example to us all.
I have a friend who we have call "Midas". Since college he has had a spectacular career. He is able to spot great investments and helps others build their companies and maintains a phenomenally strong network of business and personal contacts. All this and he still has time to be a dedicated husband and father.
How about you? Are you a peak performer? If not, do you have the desire to accomplish more in your career and personal life? Here are three ideas that can help you on your path to peak performance:
• Never stop learning. Read books, magazines, newspapers, websites, blogs and other materials. Develop a never ending thirst for knowledge.
• Have a plan. If you do not know where you are going, how will you know when you arrive? Set goals and write them down. Refer to your goals regularly and make decisions that lead you toward their completion.
• Take action. Many intelligent people never reach their potential because they do not ever get moving. Even if you have to adjust your direction, having momentum makes it easier to get things done.
Make the commitment to be better tomorrow than you were today in everything that you do. With this as your mantra, the sky is the limit on what you will achieve.

Keywords: Peak Performance, Charles Garfield, The New Heroes of American Business, Read books, magazines, newspapers, websites, intelligent people

________________________________

By Thom Singer

Thom Singer is the author of the book "Some Assembly Required: How to Make, Keep and Grow Your Business Relationships" (New Year Publishing 2005), and the leader of "The Business Development / Networking Blog". More information at http://www.thomsinger.com and http://www.thomsinger.blogspot.com.

How Can Fundraising Consulting Help Us Raise Money?

If you need to hold a fundraiser and don’t know where to begin there is help out there for you. It is time for you to seek fundraising consulting advice especially if your fundraising event is going to be on a larger scale. Fundraising consulting will help you organize and take you through the steps to ensure your fund raising efforts will be successful.
A fundraising consultant will advise you where to start and the process you will have to go through to get where you’re going. Usually you know what you need the funds for but don’t know where the money will come from. All fundraising events start the same way regardless of if they are already established or something new. Using fundraising consulting services will help you add a professional look to your fund raising campaign.
The first advice you will get from a fundraiser consultant is that to start asking those closest to your organization for help. Depending on the size of the fund raising and your organization you will need the following: a board of directors, staff, volunteers, vendors, community businesses and individuals and finally a foundation. The second most important bit of advice you will receive from a fundraising consultant is never lose sight of the ones that started this with you. Start with those that are the closest to you to ask for help and stay with them throughout your fundraiser, these are the people that will get you through. They are your donors and will be critical to the success of your fundraiser.
A fundraising consultant will tell you that if you approach a new person for help, the first thing they will ask is what other sources of funding do you have. They will check to make sure where your support is coming from. If you have a strong support group it can go a long way in convincing someone that the fundraising is worth it. Through fundraising consulting, you will learn whom you can do business with. You will learn what vendors give donations and which ones don’t. If they don’t care to donate to your fundraising directly, they may give you a discount on your purchases.
Fundraising consulting is the only way to go when trying to organize on a large-scale project. The advice you will get from your fundraising consultant will mean more dollars in the end for your project. Once you establish a connection with a fundraising consulting service, you can use them for all your fundraising needs in the future.
How can fundraising consulting help us?

Keywords: fundraising, fundraising consulting, purchases, discount

___________________________________

By Peter Crump

For a website totally devoted to Fundraising visit Peter's Website Fundraising Answers and find out about School Fundraisers as well as Fundraiser Ideas and more, including Cheerleading Fundraising, Church Fundraisers and School Fundraisers.

Secrets to Getting in Front of Your Best Prospects

As a salesperson, your ultimate goal, of course, is to make that sale. But the process begins with selecting your best prospect. The objective is to spend more time with your best prospects and less time with suspects.
In order to do that, there are three ‘secrets’ or keys to getting in front of your best prospects:
• Define or identify who your best prospect is.
• Be active. The primary reason sales people fail is lack of activity and/or focus.
• Be persistant. Follow up with clients. Be there when they need you.
Who, then, is your best or ideal prospect? The obvious answer is anyone who has a need, can write a check or make a decision. If you were to pursue that avenue, however, you would be reaching out to nearly everyone. Remember, you’re not interested in any prospect, you need to identify your best prospect.
For example, if you asked a successful realty agent who their best clients are, they would say someone who is renting but looking to buy, or a homeowner who wants to sell. That makes sense, but it’s too ambiguous. The next logical question would be “What is your primary source of income?” The answer: Listings – a realty agent’s best prospect is someone who wants to sell their home, because that’s where the money is.
You have narrowed the field, but need to take it a step further. Your next question, then, is “Who is most likely to sell their home?” We posed this question to Paradigm Associate real estate clients.
After careful thought, consideration and research, they identified three target groups who would be most likely to sell their home in the Metro New York area. They include households that no longer have children in the school system, therefore, they do not want to pay exorbitant property taxes associated with large single family homes; households impacted by consolidations and layoffs in banking, finance and advertising – many have decided they no longer can afford or need the proximity to New York City; and homeowners employed by international companies where employees are likely to be transferred every few years, because often, they are responsible for buying/selling their own homes.
Based on that information, it would make sense to devise a selling strategy that focuses on reaching out to these three specific market segments as opposed to reaching out to everyone who may or may not move in the next two years.
Therefore, when defining who your best prospect is:
• Review your prior sales records and activity logs and compile a list of why your customers purchased from you in the past.
• Next, confirm that these are, in fact, the reasons they selected your firm. The most effective way to do this is to call your customers.
• Ask your clients the following questions – What was the major benefit you received by working with our organization? Why did you select us and not our competition? What advice do you have for us? That is, what should we be doing more/less of? What should we be doing differently?
The first two questions remind both you and your clients about your strengths, your capabilities and they reaffirm the things you do well. It’s much easier to reach your best prospects when you are clear about what distinguishes you from your competition. The third question allows you to develop a close relationship with your customer. Not only will you discover future needs, but it presents an opportunity to become a trusted advisor. More often than not, the best prospects in your market will buy from those they trust.
Once you have identified your best prospect, remain active. Ask yourself the following questions:
• Do I have a list of 25 decision makers I can contact each day?
• Do I see at least one key decision maker each day and have an agenda prepared for them?
• Do I have a clear picture of how my product or service can benefit my future client?
• Do I have goals in place for each of my customers?
• Do I have a follow-up system in place?
That last question leads to my final point – You need to be persistant. In my more than 18 years of sales training, what I have found in tracking results is that our clients work with us not because of our good looks, best jokes or tee times, but because we follow up.
The best and most successful firms are those whose sales people are persistant. I recently had a discussion with Lew Hoff, Founder and CEO of Bartizan Data Systems. He told me about his firm’s first client which he signed on in 1970 and who remains with him today. Through the years, this client has provided Bartizan with more than $1.5 million in revenue. After all these years, Lew asked his customer why they chose Bartizan over the four more experienced providers. His client’s response was, “Because you were the only one who followed up.”

_________________________________

By Michael O'Reilly

Michael W. O’Reilly is a Senior Business Development Director for Paradigm Associates, LLC, an executive leadership development firm based in Cranford, NJ. He specializes in working with privately held companies that are focused on succession planning or assuring optimal value as a takeover target. His primary focus is helping organizations implement strategies to double their business, strengthen systems and gain easier access to capital. Recognized as a former salesperson, trainer and franchisee for Dale Carnegie Training, O’Reilly and his instructional and sales teams have worked with more than 3,000 business people from 200 different companies. He is a recognized speaker on the subjects of sales strategies and business development.

Generating Sales Leads

Any company that relies on selling a product or service needs strong sales lead generation. A sales lead is a prospective customer. Businesses try to get as much information about their sales leads as possible. They need to find out what makes this person a potential buyer of their product. Many sales-based businesses develop lists of potential customers. They use different tactics to come up with these lists. Some of the most common methods of customer lead generation are referrals, telemarketing, and advertising.
Referrals come from many sources. They can come from other businesses, referral services, or from current customers. Companies in a particular field may refer clients to one another. For example, an auto mechanic that specializes in transmissions may refer customers to another mechanic who mainly deals with electrical problems. It is very uncommon for competing businesses to do this, but companies that offer different products in the same field do it quite often. Some businesses exist solely to provide other companies with lists of prospective clients. These businesses are called list services, and they can be a great help in customer lead generation. These services compile lists for other businesses to be used for direct mailing, telemarketing, or business-to-business sales. On a more personal level, satisfied customers may tell their friends and family to buy from a particular business. Good word of mouth can be the best sales lead generator.
Telemarketing is another widespread sales lead generation technique. This often involves someone cold calling people to tell them about their products. Telemarketing has a high rate of failure, as many people do not like receiving unsolicited phone calls. If some people do respond positively, then the telemarketing is a success. Telemarketers benefit greatly if they have a list of referrals to call. This way they are not making purely cold calls, greatly increasing their chances of success.
Advertising is another way to generate leads. Any type of advertising, be it radio, print, or billboard is great for letting potential customers know what products a business offers. Advertising itself has become a huge business. Some of the most successful companies in the world are advertising firms.
Customer lead generation is one of the most important parts of sales. Salespeople are much more successful if they have an idea of who may be interested in buying their product.

______________________

By Jimmy Sturo

Lead Generation Info provides detailed information about sales, mortage, MLM, business-to-business, internet, and insurance lead generation, lead generation telemarketing, and more. Lead Generation Info is the sister site of MLM Leads Web.

3 Ways to Increase Your Sales

Last week I got a call from Jose, who was looking for help improving his ads. He'd been running the same ad in four local papers for two months and only gotten one response. He was understandably frustrated. With more than a dozen very satisfied clients, he knows that the residential property management services he and his brother provide should interest more people, but he wasn't having any success getting attention or generating leads.
Jose knew that to grow his business he'd need to do some marketing. He had a web site and was doing all the networking he could in addition to running his ads. Isn't this what he should be doing to attract more clients? Aren't advertising, web sites, mailings and networking what marketing is all about?
Webster's dictionary thinks so; it defines marketing as an aggregate of functions involved in moving goods from producer to consumer. In other words, marketing is a collection of activities. Is this how you think of it? Has approaching marketing with this mindset helped you increase your sales and pr0fits?
Think about it. You started your business to provide products or services that help people. You work long and hard for your clients to ensure they get what they want. You know that the more helpful you are to your clients, the more likely they'll be to hire you again and the more often they'll recommend you.
Your products and services are focused around your prospects' wants and needs. Focus your marketing on these wants and needs and that will guide your marketing activities.
Marketing is Helping Your Prospects Get What They Want.
Marketing is not about you. It is not building your brand name, (unless you're a Fortune 500 company and have the advertising budget to match). It is not convincing people to buy your products and services. It is not a group of activities that move goods and services. It is about your customers and what they want.
Working with Jose, I had shown him how to refocus his marketing on what his prospects were looking for. A few days ago Jose called me back to tell me about his experience with trying out this helping model of marketing. During a recent visit to Home Depot, he struck up a conversation with a prospect, Bob, who asked what Jose did. Instead of going through the litany of services his company provides, Jose said, 'We help landlords manage their properties more efficiently and make more money.'
That got Bob's attention; he wanted to know how Jose helped landlords. Jose briefly explained his company's services from the landlord's point of view. Bob asked for Jose's business card, so they could have a conversation about Jose managing Bob's 56 rental properties.
Whether you are crafting your advertising copy, elevator speech, or the copy for your web or print brochure, it should focus on what your prospects want. When your prospects see you as helping them instead of just trying to sell them, they'll be more likely to respond.
Want to help your prospects get what they want so you can increase your sales and profits? Focus your marketing on helping by doing the following three things.
* Regularly ask your prospects what they want, what their goals are and how you can help them.
* Use this information to shape your marketing copy.
* Describe in brief and in detail your clients concerns and how you help them on everything from your business card to your sales letters to your ads and to your web site.
When you focus your marketing on helping your prospects get what they want, you'll get what you want; more leads, more prospects and more clients.
2005 © In Mind Communications, LLC. All rights reserved.

_________________________

By Charlie Cook

The author, Charlie Cook, helps service professionals, small business owners and marketing professionals attract more clients and be more successful. Sign up to receive the Free Marketing Strategy eBook, '7 Steps to get more clients and grow your business' at http://www.marketingforsuccess.com

7 Ways to Jump Start Your Cold Calls

Cold calling has to be one of the most feared aspects of every sales person's and business owner's day. With some important key tips, you can make cold calling painless and enjoyable and as easy as calling a friend.
Here are 7 key ways to jump start your cold calls:
1. Research Your Market
Before you start your cold calls it's important that you be prepared so your prospect feels you really do understand their situation. Research the company you are calling, identify what issues they are having based on your other clients in their same industry and ask others in your company the main reasons why people buy your product or service.
The better prepared you are about discussing you prospect's issues, the easier it will be to allow the conversation to flourish.
2. Change Your Mental Expectations
Traditional selling has always taught us that our main goal of the cold call should be an appointment or a sale. With that mental focus, what happens is our mind is focused on the end goal before we even have a conversation with the person we are calling.
This creates a major conflict because you will be trying very hard not to use words that make you sound like all you care about is the sale. And even more importantly, if your prospect senses you are focusing on the appointment or sale, they will immediately be defensive.
So what to do? Change your mental expectations to focus on building a conversation first and then once you have generated a good dialogue, you can then determine if you are a fit or not with your prospect.
Be careful not to mentally “jump the gun”.
3. Understand Your Prospect
Take a few minutes to think about your focus of your call. Think about how you are going to approach the conversation. Put yourself in the mind of your prospect.
How would you want to be approached? Certainly the last thing you want to hear is a sales pitch from someone you don't know.
Instead, begin the conversation diffusing any mystery as to who you are with “Hi, my name is Jim and you and I haven't met yet”. This removes the mystery of who you are and allows you to begin talking about how you can help them solve a problem, rather than you having to default to a sales pitch.
Think before you speak.
4. Build Trust Through Conversation
Learning to build conversation is the key to cold calling success. Engaging in a conversation should be as natural as calling a friend. Your objective is to build trust on your call so that your prospect feels comfortable conversing with you rather than trying to focus on getting you off the phone.
How do you build trust? You build trust by removing any elements in your approach that connect you to the negative “salesperson” stereotype.
5. Ask A Question
Begin your cold call with “Hi my name is John, maybe you can help me out for a moment?”
Yes, that's really all you have to begin with because in the next few seconds you will hear “How can I help you”. That is how you can build a two-way dialogue rather than having a one-way talk.
The truth is you are asking for help because you don't know if you can help them yet, right? Until you have the information you need about their situation, you can't determine if you are a fit or not.
6. Eliminate Pressure
Pressure is the main reason most cold calls turn into a negative rejection-filled experience. It doesn't have to be that way.
If you can become aware of things you are doing that is triggering pressure on your prospects, you can turn cold calling into a very productive and enjoyable experience.
The key is to never force your sales pitch, engage only in a natural conversation, and most importantly let your prospect talk. By doing all three you will eliminate pressure from the call and your prospect will be more open to the idea of what you have to offer.
7. Learn To Determine A Fit
So how do you know if your prospect is a fit with what you have to offer? You need to ask them this question towards the end of your problem solving discussion “Is solving your problem a top priority or something that is on the back burner for now?”
By determining the answer to this question, you can see if you can decide if your prospect is worth pursuing or not. You will also be able to determine their time frame which helps you better adjust your expectations.
Make no mistake about it, if you really want to be successful cold calling you'll need to let go of traditional sales thinking. Try these 7 strategies and watch how cold calling can be fun and productive.

__________________________

By Ari Galper

Ari Galper makes cold calling painless and simple. Learn his cold calling secrets that even the sales gurus don't know. To receive your 10 free audio mini-lessons visit http://www.Unlock-The-Cold-Calling-Game.com

3 Ways to Increase Your Sales

Last week I got a call from Jose, who was looking for help improving his ads. He'd been running the same ad in four local papers for two months and only gotten one response. He was understandably frustrated. With more than a dozen very satisfied clients, he knows that the residential property management services he and his brother provide should interest more people, but he wasn't having any success getting attention or generating leads.
Jose knew that to grow his business he'd need to do some marketing. He had a web site and was doing all the networking he could in addition to running his ads. Isn't this what he should be doing to attract more clients? Aren't advertising, web sites, mailings and networking what marketing is all about?
Webster's dictionary thinks so; it defines marketing as an aggregate of functions involved in moving goods from producer to consumer. In other words, marketing is a collection of activities. Is this how you think of it? Has approaching marketing with this mindset helped you increase your sales and pr0fits?
Think about it. You started your business to provide products or services that help people. You work long and hard for your clients to ensure they get what they want. You know that the more helpful you are to your clients, the more likely they'll be to hire you again and the more often they'll recommend you.
Your products and services are focused around your prospects' wants and needs. Focus your marketing on these wants and needs and that will guide your marketing activities.
Marketing is Helping Your Prospects Get What They Want.
Marketing is not about you. It is not building your brand name, (unless you're a Fortune 500 company and have the advertising budget to match). It is not convincing people to buy your products and services. It is not a group of activities that move goods and services. It is about your customers and what they want.
Working with Jose, I had shown him how to refocus his marketing on what his prospects were looking for. A few days ago Jose called me back to tell me about his experience with trying out this helping model of marketing. During a recent visit to Home Depot, he struck up a conversation with a prospect, Bob, who asked what Jose did. Instead of going through the litany of services his company provides, Jose said, 'We help landlords manage their properties more efficiently and make more money.'
That got Bob's attention; he wanted to know how Jose helped landlords. Jose briefly explained his company's services from the landlord's point of view. Bob asked for Jose's business card, so they could have a conversation about Jose managing Bob's 56 rental properties.
Whether you are crafting your advertising copy, elevator speech, or the copy for your web or print brochure, it should focus on what your prospects want. When your prospects see you as helping them instead of just trying to sell them, they'll be more likely to respond.
Want to help your prospects get what they want so you can increase your sales and profits? Focus your marketing on helping by doing the following three things.
* Regularly ask your prospects what they want, what their goals are and how you can help them.
* Use this information to shape your marketing copy.
* Describe in brief and in detail your clients concerns and how you help them on everything from your business card to your sales letters to your ads and to your web site.
When you focus your marketing on helping your prospects get what they want, you'll get what you want; more leads, more prospects and more clients.

_____________________________

By Charlie Cook

The author, Charlie Cook, helps service professionals, small business owners and marketing professionals attract more clients and be more successful. Sign up to receive the Free Marketing Strategy eBook, '7 Steps to get more clients and grow your business' at http://www.marketingforsuccess.com

Make Your Referrals Count

Just because we receive a referral, it doesn’t mean that the sale is ours and the deal is closed even before we make contact.
For all you know, the person being referred to you may have also been referred to someone else, so don’t take your referrals for granted.
Treat your referral as though it is someone that you have never heard of before, make believe you were cold calling and came across this name on your list, and when you called them, they showed interest in your product.
Now, you would never treat your very own hard earned customer with anything but the best customer service, would you?
Of course you wouldn’t, you found this customer on your own through hard work and you want to keep them.
Think of your referral in the same light.
Far to many times I have seen referrals that have been given to people that just let them sit around for days. The assumption is, I believe, that because this customer was referred to them, that it is a done deal and they can take their time with it. This is not the case.
The minute you get a referral, you should be calling that customer, the simple fact that you believe a referral to be a done deal, should be all the reason in the world to call them immediately.
The customers point of view . . .
If a customer is looking for a particular product or service, and they put the word out on the street, they will be expecting a phone call very soon.
Lets suppose you were looking to have your bathroom updated, and a friend of yours referred you to a guy who installs kitchens and bathrooms, and you never heard from the guy, and if you did it was many days after the guy received your referral. You probably wouldn’t be too thrilled about doing business with him now, would you? I doubt it.
So the next time you get a referral, make it count, call that customer immediately, they are sitting by the phone, waiting on your call.
When it comes to referrals, don’t hesitate for a second, because if you do, your referral could end up in the hands of your competition. Best of Luck

______________________________

By Jay Conners

Jay Conners has more than fifteen years of experience in the banking and Mortgage Industry, He is the owner of http://www.jconners.com, a mortgage resource site, he is also the owner of http://www.callprospect.com, a mortgage lead company.

Building an Action Plan

Going into your workday and waiting for things to happen, and then reacting to them is not a very productive way of doing things. You may as well be going into your workday blind.
This is why it is so very important to have an action plan.
An action plan, simply put, is a plan of action, there just is no other way to say it.
Your action plan should be built piece by piece, based on what it is you want to have accomplished during your work week.
For starters, take a pen and a piece of paper, and write the days of the week across the top of the page. Below each day of the week, write down the number’s one through five, with some space in between to write.
Next to each number, under the given days, write down your goals, or what it is you want to achieve during those times of the day. When you are finished, put it in a place where you can readily see it.
When I was working in the mortgage industry, this is how I would make my action plan. I was taught a similar way, but this is what worked for me, and nobody said it had to be rocket science.
For instance, I would start my Mondays off doing my reports, after that I would make my follow up phone calls from the previous day’s customers’ sessions. I would continue on down my action plan to number five, and if time allotted, I would add a few things.
I would create a new action plan every Friday afternoon. This way I was prepared for the coming week and I knew exactly what I would be doing day to day, hour to hour.
Before I started using action plans, I would just come into the office and go with the flow. I would wait for the phone to ring, or for a customer to walk in. The time in between was all just dead time, and my day would drag.
The action plan is designed to keep you focused, and make you productive during your work day.
The action plan also works as a time table. It splits your day up into segments. Think of every next stage of your action plan as something to look forward to. This will get you through your day at a much more productive pace.
When you leave your office at night, you want the feeling of accomplishment, not the feeling as though you have wasted an entire day. The action plan will give you the feeling of accomplishment.
Sometimes we need to go back to basics. We need to start at the beginning, and do the things that made us successful to begin with.
Your work day can be stressful, and your action plan can be a positive way to keep you focused on your daily goals, and your mind off of anything stressful.
So before you start another work day, put together an action plan. It doesn’t have to be fancy, it only has to be want you want to accomplish day to day throughout the week. Best of Luck!

______________________________________

By Jay Conners

Jay Conners has more than fifteen years of experience in the banking and Mortgage Industry, He is the owner of http://www.jconners.com, a mortgage resource site, he is also the owner of http://www.callprospect.com, a mortgage lead company.

Drop Discounts and Earn Top Dollar

Every dollar you discount is a dollar of pure profit you're giving away. Therefore, your efforts to remove discounts will be richly rewarded.
When buyers see list price, they expect discounts to follow. By changing the way you address the relationship between pricing and discounts, you can stop giving away heavy discounts and escape the commodity pricing pressures in your business.
Here are 4 simple techniques that you can use to wring every dollar you deserve out of your next sale.
Amplify the Pain
First, find and amplify your buyer's pain. Before any discussion of price, your buyer must be truly motivated to make a change. In other words, make sure the buyer understands just how much it is costing them to NOT implement your solution.
The life insurance business has used this approach for years, because nobody wants to think about dying. The agent asks the prospective insured to think about all of the effects of being inadequately insured. Do you have enough money set aside right now to pay for a decent burial? How will the mortgage be paid next month? Who will pay for the children's college? These types of questions heighten the awareness of the buyer to the gravity of their decision, which increases the perceived value of the solution as well as creating a sense of urgency to make a positive decision.
But wait, you say, not all buying decisions are pain-oriented. Very true. Many of our buying decisions are tied to gain of some sort, whether financial, power, prestige, or comfort related. Still, these gain drivers can be made even more effective by bringing in the pain elements. All you need to do is consider the flip side with the prospect.
For instance, if you are considering a new mattress on the basis of increased comfort, what will happen if you don't get the mattress? Will you, or do you now suffer from back or joint problems? Will you wake up tired, drag through your day, and be unproductive at work? Will you waste more time sleeping than you need to, because of lack of quality sleep time?
When you consider questions like these, the new mattress doesn't just become a luxury. Instead, it's a necessary tool that will cost you many productive hours at work and in your relationships if you fail to have it. With pain, we now have a motivated buyer with a sense of urgency.
Quantify the Problem
The next step for maximizing your selling price is to quantify the buyer's problem. Often the buyer will need a little help with this. Some things are easy to quantify. For example, what would it cost if a company's website goes down and visitors can't access company information or conduct transactions? That may be easier to quantify than putting a dollar figure on what a bad night's sleep might cost you the next day.
You can quickly quantify any situation by going through a best case/worst case/likely case scenario. For instance, the best case situation for your website to go down would probably be in the middle of the night, perhaps on a weekend. You'd loose some traffic, but only a very small percentage compared to overall weekly traffic. The worst case might be to lose your website right after your company is featured on CNN. While this could happen, the probability is rather small. Now it's easier for the buyer to understand that a likely scenario could be to lose their website during a normally-heavy traffic time, perhaps mid-day or early evening. With such a likely scenario clearly in mind, it's easy to understand how financially painful the loss would be.
Package Your Solution
A third tactic for maximizing your selling price is to package your solution. Don't price out components separately, but show a single price for fixing the buyer's problem. The price should include all of your offerings that are necessary to deliver the complete fix.
Once you've bundled your solution for a single price, it's hard for your buyer to shop elsewhere. The more of your offerings that your buyer needs, the more difficult it will be to find another source that can duplicate that same set of offerings. Buying them a la carte from multiple sources will almost always prove to be more difficult, if not more expensive.
I'm amazed at how many companies believe they have to provide line-item pricing because their buyers ask for it. Of course they ask for it! That's so they can nit-pick each item and squeeze out a bigger discount. Most companies are a little high on some items and a little low on others, but still offer a great overall value. Your prospect will never point out the under-priced items, but you can bet they'll grind you on the ones that are a little high.
Pick a Proud Price
As you set the price for your offering, the last thing to consider is the cost of the problem the buyer quantified earlier. Remember that you're presenting a neatly-wrapped solution package to a buyer who's motivated to solve a painfully-expensive problem. Their problem should be a lot more expensive than the price you want to ask, preferably by a factor of 3 or more. Feel free to name your price, and pick a good one!
It shouldn't be exorbitant, but it doesn't have to be the cheapest in town. You deserve to make a good buck relative to the problem you're fixing. This is no time to be shy and leave money on the table. And if you haven't been able to point out how their problem is costing them much more than the price of your solution, don't be surprised when you don't get the order.
Summary
To earn top dollar for what you offer, you'll need to amplify your buyer's pain, quantify their problem, package your solution, and make sure the cost of their problem is always much higher than the price of your solution. It's worth working a little harder to defend your pricing because another name for discount is pure profit. Use these techniques and you won't have to give either away anymore.

_____________________

By Paul Johnson

Paul Johnson of Panache and Systems LLC consults and speaks on business strategy for systematically boosting sales performance using Shortcuts to Yes™. Check out more salesforce development tips at http://panache-yes.com/tips.html Call Paul direct in Atlanta, Georgia, USA at (770) 271-7719.

What Are Car Boot Sales?

If you live in England then you will already be familiar with car boot sales but I will still offer some valuable tips on how you can make money or find a bargain. However, if you are a resident of any other country then you are unlikely to know what car boot sales are and I hope to enlighten you as to these weekly events.
Firstly, a car boot is the same as a car trunk. So, car boot sales involve selling items from the back of your car. Well, that is how they began. Car boot sales used to be a small gathering of people who filled the back of their cars with goods that they wanted to dispose of and set up a trading stall in the hope that they could make a few pennies from their unwanted goods. Car boot sales have now become big business. Think of them as an offline version of EBay.
Car boot sales typically take place on a Sunday, although it is true that their popularity has led to them occurring on other days of the week. The most common locations for car boot sales are parking lots or even fields, anywhere that can accommodate a number of traders. The sellers pay a fee to park their car and put up a table on which to display their goods. Nowadays, there are professional ‘car booters’ who visit sales on a regular basis and may even have a truck full of goods for sale.
Most car boot sales do not charge an entrance fee for buyers who walk in to see if they can pick up a bargain but a growing number of organisers have realised that having an entrance fee, however small, can bring them extra income.
So, once you have decided that you have unwanted items that you want to sell at one of the car boot sales there are a number of tips to ensure that you leave at the end of the sale with more money than unsold items.
Ideally you want to have your goods in the best possible condition to attract high volume of sales. To be specific, if you have baby clothes that your child has grown out of then you want to make sure that they are washed and stain-free. Car boot sales attract buyers in search of a bargain but also of certain standards.
You should always have an idea of how much you want for an item that you are selling at car boot sales but be prepared to accept less. Haggling is a major part of car boot sales and you are wiser to accept a slightly lower price to make successful sales rather than stick to your original price and end up taking your goods home.
If you are a buyer at car boot sales then you need to be careful when it comes to electrical equipment especially. I have been conned quite a few times into buying kitchen equipment that it turned out did not work once I got it home. There are a lot of people at car boot sales who are genuine about saying that a particular item is in working order but it is impossible to connect an item to the mains and test it in the middle of a field so be careful.
Car boot sales can be great fun if you are a buyer or a seller. As with everything else in life you need to be selective and not buy something you don’t need, unless you want to have your own stall at one of the many car boot sales happening next week!

________________________________

By Janet Lemke

Janet Lemke is the owner/administrator of http://www.rkgsales.com. She can help you obtain information about this any many other types of sales and selling. Try her site and see what you think.

Sales 101: Handling The Angry Customer

I am often reminded of the following true story whenever I encounter a hostile customer or prospect, witness a scene where someone is losing their cool or observe someone getting chewed out for something that they may or may not have done.
No one enjoys being yelled out, cursed at, bullied or manhandled in any form, whether physically or verbally. It does however, happen at times. What options do you have to diffuse the situation? Can you separate yourself from the abusive behavior being directed at you before you lose your cool and strike back? How can you keep your emotions in check so that you might still accomplish your task?
Several years ago, my brother, Jim, a stellar salesman, was attempting to set an appointment with a longtime out-of-state customer. He was unable to reach the man after numerous attempts. He faxed him, he e-mailed him, he left messages, he even mailed him letters, but to no avail. The man would not respond. This went on for weeks. His account soon became delinquent. What now?
It appears that this customer, let's call him Mr. Frank Jones of the Jones Company, was extremely angry about a situation involving a shipment of goods that did not arrive on time and had caused him great inconvenience and loss of revenue. Everyone at Jim's company had attempted everything possible to satisfy the order in a timely manner, but eventually fell victim to considerations beyond their control. They had done everything possible, including regularly communicating with the customer at the time, but things simply did not work out properly.
Jim was concerned. He had known Mr. Jones for a number of years and the Jones Company was a long-term customer of considerable value to his firm. Jim weighed his options and decided that the only thing left to do was to get in his car, make the three hour trip and show up on Mr. Jones' doorstep at 8:00am on the following Monday morning.
Jim pulled up to the parking lot of the Jones Company at 7:50am the following Monday morning, and found Mr. Jones' Mercedes in his regular parking place. He took a deep breath, prayed for a moment and proceeded out the door for the inevitable confrontation with Mr. Jones. Noticing him entering, Sue, the receptionist, promptly got out of her chair to meet him. Jim greeted her and asked to see Mr. Jones. "Ah… he's not in today Jim, you should really try to call him first." Jim started to explain what Sue already knew, and without further dialog, both realized that each of them were fully aware of the situation.
Jim smiled at her, made mention of Mr. Jones' car out front, excused himself and began the long walk down the hall to Mr. Jones office. He knocked and peered inside to be instantly recognized by Mr. Jones. He jumped up from behind his desk as my brother calmly stepped just inside his office. What occurred next was the worst blast of foul language, nasty expressions and crude threats ever made by a person. Mr. Jones continued to yell and curse at Jim referencing him, his company, his family, his friends and anyone else he can think of. Sue cringed from down the hall expecting a horrid exchange.
As it was, there was no exchange. Jim simply stood there, directly in front of Mr. Jones until the verbal assault had finally concluded. Jim never said a word during the entire fifteen minute episode. He simply allowed Mr. Jones to vent. It wasn't easy, but he did it.
Mr. Jones wanted a confrontation. He wanted Jim to speak so that he could continue his assault, but there was no response, only eye contact. Jim waited until it appeared that Mr. Jones was regaining his composure and simply said, with a straight, genuine expression on his face:
"Okay Frank; Don't sugar-coat it. Give it to me straight."
Frank started to laugh, and then he howled jovially for some time. He approached Jim, put his arm around his shoulder and gestured towards the sofa for them to sit together. Jim left thirty minutes later with the relationship repaired and an order in hand.
Wow! How many of us could have handled it that way. Could you keep your composure while being assailed from all directions? How did Jim succeed? He simply did the following:
1. Jim took action and continued to act until a solution was reached.

2. He put his personal feelings aside, removing his emotions from the equation.

3. He allowed the customer to vent until he was finished, without interruption.

4. He knew that in reality, there was actually nothing personal in Mr. Jones assault.

5. Jim was committed to keeping Mr. Jones' business
Remember this story and learn from my brother Jim when you encounter an irate person or angry customer. Be smart. Live to sell another day!

________________________________________

By Daniel Sitter

Daniel Sitter is the author of the popular, award-winning e-book, Learning For Profit. Designed for busy people, this new book teaches simple, step-by-step accelerated learning skills, demonstrating exactly how to learn anything faster than ever before. Learning For Profit is currently available from the author’s web site http://www.learningforprofit.com/ and a variety of online software and book merchants. Mr. Sitter is a contributing writer for several online and traditional publications. His expertise includes sales, marketing, self-improvement and general business topics.

Needs Based Selling

I am sure you are familiar with the phrase, “I could sell ice cubes to an Eskimo.” First, allow me to personally congratulate anyone out there who has sold ice cubes to an Eskimo, for I believe this to be quite a difficult task to accomplish.
You would have to be one heck of a sales person to accomplish this, but why would anyone waste their time selling somebody something they didn’t need?
First of all, imagine how long it must have taken to pull off a sale like that, I doubt the Eskimo jumped at the chance, it must have taken a lot of persuasion on the part of the sales person.
Second of all, the Eskimo doesn’t need ice cubes, so why would anyone waste their time selling them to an Eskimo.
Okay, enough about the selling of ice cubes, I think you get the point.
This brings us to the title of the article “Needs-based Selling.” Sell your customer only the things that they need, you will find it to be a much easier sale, and you won’t spend a whole lot of your time selling it.
If somebody told me that they sold a heater to an Eskimo, I would be very impressed, because this person chose their target market wisely, and then sold his customer something that they need and can use.
If I were an ice cube salesman, my target market would be supermarkets, convenience stores, and liquor stores, because they buy bags of ice in bulk to distribute amongst their paying customers. Why on earth would I waste my time selling my ice cubes to Eskimos?
“Needs-based Selling” is selling people the things that they need and can make their lives more convenient. Get to know your customer before you start selling them your products, get to know as much as you about them.
In my early twenties I was in the market for a new car. When I went to the dealership, the salesman asked me a few probing questions, such as, how old I was, If I lived in the area, and wether or not I was married. After gathering this information, he started taking me in the direction of the jeeps and sports cars. Because he found out almost immediately that I was young and single, he did not walk in the direction of the mini vans.
The next time you have a customer in front of you, take a little bit of time to get to know them and their needs. Once you have accomplished this, offer your customer the products you believe they will need and can use. If they need it, they most likely will buy it.

______________________________

By Jay Conners

Jay Conners has more than fifteen years of experience in the banking and Mortgage Industry, He is the owner of http://www.jconners.com, a mortgage resource site, he is also the owner of http://www.callprospect.com, a mortgage lead company.