Winner / Whiner Model

Do you know anyone whose attitude and disposition seems to drag you down? Do you know anyone whose outlook and energy bring the best out of you? I like to call this the Winner/Whiner model. I like to simplify things and divide the world into two kinds of people - Those who are Above, and those who are Below the Line. I know what you're thinking, and I'll bet it's... Huh??
Think of those people in life who always seem to be in charge of their destiny, and maintain a great attitude no matter what they face. They are accountable for their actions, they are responsible, and they can't help but be infectious. I call these folks the "Winners."
They might not be able to tell you whether their success is the result of their attitude, or vice versa, but I'm here to set the record straight. These "Above the Line" people are much more effective when presented with adversity, and they are almost unstoppable when things are going well. Needless to say, Salespeople in this category make a lot of sales. Why? Because as I've said so many times it's like an echo in my head: "When you make a sale, someone else has made a buy." Don't lose sight of the importance of that relationship. If you can't connect with your customer, and make them like you, you're at a serious disadvantage.
On the flip-side of the coin, are the Whiners. These are the people I refer to as "Below the Line." They make excuses, they blame others, and they are in a constant state of denial. They too, are infectious. In your personal life, and in business, it's easy to see what kind of people you'd rather associate with. Your customers feel the same way. If you can conduct yourself "Above the Line" as often as possible, more of your prospects will be willing to enter a business relationship with you.

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By Dominic Rubino

Dominic Rubino is a sales trainer and business coach whose personal mission is to make every salesperson a sales superhero. Visit his website at http://www.ultimatesalesmeetings.com

20 Ways to Blow a Sale

As in any area of business we can learn many things from our mistakes. There is no better way to refine your selling craft than to do a candid analysis of how or why you lost a specific sale to a competitor.
Every sales professional wants to leverage previous sales successes while minimizing repetition of prior strategic and tactical selling approaches. It’s the true professional who constantly looks for ways to remain at the top of their game and effectively eliminate most of his competition. Loosing a sale now and then can offer reminders and/or specific insights into how to further improve your chances on closing your next deal.
Selling is More Than A Legal Definition
Selling is a complex process between a minimum of two people by which at least one person makes a purchase commitment for goods or services offered for sale by another acknowledging party. A complete sales transaction must be concluded with a written or oral commitment, validated by financial remuneration from the purchasing party to the offering party. Correspondingly, the transaction is validated only when an actual exchange of the predefined purchased goods or services from the offering party has been completed.
Although the above sales definition may be somewhat stale and too rigid, it will give you some insights into where and how you can go wrong throughout the selling process. Below are just 20 of the most common selling mistakes one can make:
• The seller’s failure to demonstrate enough perceived value of the products or services offered to the buyer for the final asking price and terms.
• The seller’s inability to effectively define a cost effective solution to the buyer’s business problem(s) as originally was assumed by the buyer of the seller’s products or services.
• The seller’s lack of product or service knowledge
• The seller’s personal or professional transgressions made to the buyer during the selling process
• The seller’s inaccurate definition of the buyers purchasing authority
• The seller’s incorrect definition of the buyer’s financial resources – ability to pay for the goods.
• The seller’s misunderstanding of the purchase decision process within the buyer’s organization.
• The seller’s previous product or service performance inconsistencies
• The seller’s inability to effectively access his competitor’s product or service offering performance and the buyers perceived value of same
• The seller’s mistake of assuming his competitor will maintain previous pricing thresholds
• The seller’s lack of strategic timeliness of when to make a final proposal or pricing position
• The seller’s lack of anticipation of unprecedented competitor transaction terms and conditions offered to the buyer
• The seller’s inaccurate assumption that the buyer was able to correctly assess his own valid business problem(s)
• The seller’s inability to document all the required information the buyer needed to make a purchase decision
• The sellers incorrect assumption that a seller warranty of provided products or services would garner such a level of purchase consideration
• Either the seller or the buyer chose to be dishonest during the selling process and that was determined to be the case prior to a final purchase decision
• The seller chose to bring in the wrong resources, human or otherwise, to help close the sale
• The seller could not guarantee delivery of the promised goods or services
• Price was actually the ONLY purchase criteria
• The seller did not know who the actual competitor salesperson would be at the account for this sales situation
Again, these are only 20 possible areas that can cause a sales failure. Sometimes the valid cause of the loss of the sale can never be known because it is only truly known by the buyer. The buyer often chooses not to tell you why you really lost the sale or simply wants to be polite and exaggerates the cause. BUT YOU MUST ASK!
The most important point to be made here is to develop the desire to ask why you lost a sale and to ask! If you don’t ask you will never know! If you don’t ask for every sale you loose you can never truly achieve optimum selling performance.

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By Mark Smock

Mark Smock is 30+ year veteran of business leadership and is President of http://www.business-buyer-directory.com, the FIRST International business buyer directory of its kind. Business Buyer Directory provides a non-traditional means for proactive business buyers to locate businesses for sale worldwide that meet their exact registered purchase criteria.

Radio Advertising: A Long History Of Excellence

For years people have tuned into radio talk shows, radio morning shows as well as all those broadcasters and their funky styles. If you are like many, you flip on the radio as well. From a marketing standpoint, though, do you realize the value of radio advertising? While many say that your marketing dollars should be split into various categories, you will find that this is an excellence place to start. What does radio advertising have to offer you?
Consider first the amount of people that are on the radio at any given moment. In the morning, as people get dressed for work or school, the radio is on. When they get into their cars to head to work, the radio is on. The radio is playing in the office, on the way home again and maybe they tune it on before bed as well. It is the first thing that people wake up to. Radio advertising is powerful medium.
You can put just about anything on it as well. You can fill your marketing dollar tightly by putting it on a number of various types of radio advertising markets. Young adults tend to be one of the largest radio listeners in the afternoon hours. Market your product effectively to them during those hours. Adults love to tune in on their way to and home from work. Market your radio advertising dollars to them during this time. In fact, you can even market your product to young children on various radio stations geared towards them.
Radio is very versatile and allows you to tell your story for a smaller amount of your budget with excellent results. You will see that there are many reasons to head to the radio advertising market with your next product. Check out how well it can work with you and be impressed.

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By Leon Chaddock

for more information please see http://www.radio-advertising-help.co.uk

Network Marketing Training- The MLM Success Secret of Getting Your DMO in Gear

DMO.
Ever heard of that?
It stands for “Daily Method of Operation," or what you plan to do on a daily basis. It will be the key to your activity.
Simply, your DMO is your “Success PLAN." A PLAN for MLM Success that you execute daily, and that is how you operate daily in this network marketing industry.
Brick by Brick, day by day, you build your MLM business with your DMO PLAN.
PassionFire has introduced to the Network Marketing industry “PLAFSH”, which a module for that is included in a recent article. Your DMO will be how you put it to use and how you let it guide and structure your daily MLM activity.
INFERNO Secret:
Most people in MLM have too weak of a DMO and it creates nothing in results.
The amount of work that it takes to build an MLM downline is significant, and it does take time. Most new MLM distributors never understand that it is the CONSISTENCY of a DMO that is the secret, not just the activity.
Why?
You never know who the next superstar in your company will be, and it may as well be you. And it is the consistent activity that increases the odds of mlm success for you, as it “Increases Your Visibility”.
Increasing Your Visibility is simply “Putting yourself out There”, and giving yourself a chance to meet people or talk to people you already know about your business.
Your DMO structures your time working this business so you have a PLAN.
A PLAN for your MLM Success!
Want to know why a PLAN is so important?
It helps you to:
P…Put it in writing
This means you need to put what you are planning on doing in writing, and keep it in front of you.
How many Phone Calls are you going to do everyday? Put it in writing.
How many Leads are you going to collect a day? Put it in writing.
How many Appointments are you going to have this week? Put it in writing.
You get the drift. Writing it down FOCUSES you Laser sharp.
L…Lock and Load
Lock and Load means to get your ammo and gun ready for firing -- ready to pull the trigger on the Plan. Check over it and make sure that everything is on target, and will create enough activity to MAKE SOMETHING HAPPEN!
Many MLM distributors never check their DMO to see if it will do what they want it to do -- usually it will not as there is not enough activity for that to happen.
INFERNO Secret:
Your DMO needs to STRETCH you a little, so you can “grow into it. If you feel you can make 5 phone calls a day as a start, put 7 down to stretch you a little, and then do them. You will be surprised how good it feels when you complete them.
And ask yourself this: “Will my DMO really be ENOUGH to make something happen in my business?”
That is a key word ENOUGH.
Too many people fool themselves into believing that they are “working” when all they are “busy” -- busy at the wrong things.
INFERNO Secret:
You are NOT in charge of results, only activity. But the quality of your execution and numbers of times you execute the DMO tasks will influence your results.
A… Activate the Tasks.
Simply, you must activate and execute your plan with the tasks needed, as that is where the power in it lies. No action, no acceleration of mlm momentum.
You must engage your DMO with ENERGY!
It is the Force behind a Hurricane that creates the Power in it. It is the Force behind your action that will create the MLM Success power in it as well.
And make sure you are taking the action and doing the tasks that are needed. What will yield you results and sales as well as eventual signups and if you are operating PLAFSH, then you will be doing the right activity.
N… Need?
Simply, What does your plan need that is not there?
What is missing in it that needs to be there?
Are you working enough numbers?
Are you saying the right things?
Are you getting enough appointments?
Are you getting leads and from where? Warm market? Cold market?
What does your plan lack in follow up structure? Again, PLAFSH sets up a system for you to follow up like clockwork.
Are you working enough hours and are they the hours you can get a hold of people?
If you are calling people at home when they are at work -- HELLO! Not much chance of catching them at home huh?
Your DMO will create a DAILY PATH for you to walk.
INFERNO Secret:
Your DMO is the beginning of LEADERSHIP in your business. If you can take the Personal Leadership in your life and create a DMO, and then engage it effectively -- then you have a good chance of succeeding HUGE in your Network Marketing enterprise.
By the way...
DMO also stands for Disciplined Motion OnFire!
If you create a DMO and then are disciplined about working it, you will set your business OnFire eventually -- GUARANTEED in MLM and Network Marketing!
blessings...doug
(c) 2005/ all rights reserved PassionFire Intl
http://www.passionfire.com
http://www.passionfire.com/pf_heat_8.html

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By Doug Firebaugh

Doug Firebaugh is one of the top MLM Network Marketing Trainers in the world. Over a million people a month read his training ezine. He spent the last 7 years traveling the world speaking and training on Success. He lives in Birmingham Michigan, and you can receive a FREE subscription to his training ezine- The MLM Success HEAT- at: http://www.passionfire.com/pf_heat_8.html http://www.passionfire.com

Cross Cultural Solutions for Exporters

Globalisation, internationalization, trans-border trade and cross cultural business are all terms that have been coined over the past decade(s) to reflect the reality of the world economy. Although international trade has long been in operation, the scale, frequency and speed at which it is conducted today is incomparable.
Growth and success in today’s global economy depend on being able to trade internationally. However, although the larger multinationals of the world have no trouble doing so, smaller companies, such as exporters, have struggled to make an impact and benefit from the new world order. This is because cross cultural solutions are not being used to address cross cultural obstacles to their success.
This article offers first time exporters and SME’s some initial advice on how to capitalise upon cross cultural solutions. It will look at the two key areas all companies must address to crack foreign markets - language and cross cultural awareness.
Language:
The use of language is critical to cross cultural success in two distinct ways. The first being the use of written language in materials such as leaflets, manuals and websites. The other is the use of foreign languages to communicate with international clients.
Translations
If you have a product/service that you feel can sell well outside your country, you need to be able to present it in foreign languages. You should not expect everyone in the world to be able to read, write and speak English.
There are certain key facets of your business and product/service that must, as a rule, be translated. These include business cards, company brochures, leaflets, emails, websites and of course information about your product such as manuals.
Let’s look at a couple of these aspects, namely the business card and websites.
Despite technological advances there exists one piece of paper that remains constant when doing business across the world – the business card. When travelling abroad for business always ensure you translate your business card into the local language. This gives you two immediate benefits. Firstly, the recipient will always be able to find you as they can understand your card. Secondly, the translated business card will always make a greater impression to the receiver as you are saying, “I respect your language and culture and have thought through how to better our relationship.”
The website has now become the most popular point of reference for people when searching for information, services or products. As internet access improves globally, the number of non-English speaking internet users increases. If a business is serious about breaking into foreign markets it is imperative that the website is translated into the languages of target areas. At present the languages of choice are French, Spanish, Italian, German, Arabic and Chinese. A translated website is an amazingly economical yet productive means of attracting foreign custom.
Translation is the easy part of getting your cross cultural plan moving. There are numerous translation agencies that can help with these services. However, always ensure the translation agency is an established and recognised firm.
Speaking a Foreign Language
Communication is the fundamental starting point for any business relationship or transaction. If a common language does not exist the chances of any successful business occurring is slim.
Businesses now more than ever need to invest in multilingual staff. The ideal scenario is that the main people behind a company either know or learn a language. However, this is not easy. An alternative solution is having staff who can speak to foreign clients on the phone or via email in their own language. This capability dramatically increases the revenue potential of any business.
Cultural Awareness:
Cultural awareness or cultural intelligence is increasingly being viewed as a critical skill in securing success on the international stage. With more people from culturally diverse backgrounds meeting within the business environment, clear and effective communication is necessary between them. Although in many cases a common language may exist, usually English, culture can and does still cause problems.
The business world is littered with cultural gaffes that have had negative consequences. Take the case of the American manager who shouted at Indonesian staff and was duly chased with axes or the Australian executive who planted a kiss on his Muslim client’s wife’s cheek and lost his company millions of dollars in business. Not having an understanding of cultural differences can be a risky business.
Although there are many areas one could learn in terms of cultural awareness there are some key points the exporter or SME must get to grips with. These include areas such as how to meet and greet people, the use of names, body language, building relationships, giving presentations, negotiating and entertaining.
With a greater awareness of different cultures a person immediately becomes more effective in doing business abroad. Having an insight into how another culture thinks and behaves allows one to tailor their approach and hence maximise their potential.
Let us take a simple scenario. Two business people travel to China to start talks on a joint venture with a Chinese company. One goes with lots of preparation on their presentation offering concrete statistics, future projections and the like. They have no knowledge of how business is done in China. The other takes cultural awareness training and learns not only the protocol of meetings, gift giving and negotiating but also that business in China depends on guanxi (having good connections). As a consequence he contacted a reputable middle man to introduce him to the company.
Now who do you think would be more successful? Clearly the latter as he has learnt the rules of the game. Cultural awareness can and does give people real competitive advantage. For the exporter or SME using such cultural awareness appropriately can pay off in the long run.
Conclusion
The common phrase you hear today suggests the world is getting smaller. This implies we are all having an easier time communicating with each other. Incorrect. As the world “becomes smaller” the opportunity to communicate is greater and as a result the challenges this poses are also greater.
For businesses wishing to genuinely capitalize on internationalization a well thought out strategy that includes a cross cultural element must be drawn up and implemented. Competition is great and one of the easiest yet most effective ways of getting ahead of the rest is to use language and cultural knowledge to your advantage.

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By Neil Payne

Neil Payne is Managing Director of Kwintessential - a London based cross cultural communications consultancy working with businesses to trade internationally. Visit their site at http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/cross-cultural/cross-cultural-awareness.html

Marketing Online? Time to Think Christmas!

It seems that every year I have to remind my e-tail clients to prepare for the upcoming season because while it’s still sunny and warm out, they aren’t thinking Christmas (conversely, they aren’t thinking summertime in the middle of February either).
But from a search engine perspective one must prepare a few months in advance of the season to ensure they reach their full potential.
All to often business has to be turned away because an online retailer comes to my company in November hoping to compete organically for the Christmas market. When you tell them that they won’t even begin to rank until January they get very upset.
But this is the reality of today’s search engines. It can (and usually does) take 2 months or more for changes to be registered and begin competing. In competitive markets it can take even longer. While in the most competitive markets it can take years to establish oneself as an authority figure.
So at the very least, now is the time to get your campaign in order.
That means researching keywords, re-optimizing if necessary and ensuring your site is found in all the major search engines and directories. So let’s look at the steps necessary:
Step one – research the keywords your customers will use
As I mentioned in a previous article, you first need to know who your customers are. Only then can you perform a proper keyword analysis.
And I suggest that you do have to perform such an analysis, even if you know what keywords were used last year. This is because trends change, and people’s search habits change as well.
Last year your customers may have been new to the whole online shopping experience. But this year, they are much more experienced and are likely more able to search and find what they are looking for.
Also, search engines have changed from what they were a year ago. Not only is MSN a new engine, but Yahoo! and Google have also changed their ranking algorithms somewhat in the past year.
That doesn’t mean that you should totally forget about last year’s referrals however. No, I’d use them, but use them as a starting point.
Now since you are going to be researching for future traffic, you can’t really use existing tools such as Yahoo!s keyword suggestion tool or Google’s AdWords sandbox as effectively because they report on historical search trends.
They can help you create a larger keyword basket, however. One that you can then use to help refine your keyword choices and pick phrases which should drive traffic to your site.
Therefore you also can not rely on the search volumes provided by such services. You should have a pretty good idea (again based on last years traffic) what types of phrases will drive visitors to your site. In this case it is safe to rely on your gut and judgment as there is nothing else to help guide you.
Optimizing existing content
Once you’ve created your list of phrases it is time to re-optimize some pages for those terms you think will drive the most traffic in a few months. Remember, you are doing a little forward thinking here, trying to anticipate what your future customers will do.
Be sure to follow the optimization guidelines provided in the article I mentioned earlier. You can also follow the guidelines set forth by Google as they generally apply to all engines.
However you do it, try to optimize pages that perhaps aren’t performing as well as other pages. You don’t want to harm existing traffic, you only want to increase the potential of future traffic.
To be sure you don’t harm existing traffic, take a look at your analytics to find out what phrase are currently driving traffic, and which pages people are landing on. These are the pages you don’t want to change unless you absolutely have to. Instead, look for those pages which may apply to your new phrases and optimize those pages for the phrases.
Create new content
Chances are you won’t be able to do too much to the existing site without harming current rankings. Therefore it may be time to create new content suited to the new keywords you’ve chosen.
Try to create useful pages, however. Don’t make them too promotional and be sure to link them to other pages within your site, such as product pages, or pages with more information. Don’t just copy an existing page and re-word it either. It’s best to create fresh new content and work it into the existing site.
Plan a PPC budget
I can almost guarantee you there will be more websites this year than last year competing for that online market space. As more and more retailers find out just how inexpensive online marketing is compared to other forms of marketing they will begin to invest heavily in a web presence. This makes it harder for everyone else to rank competitively. After all, there is only so much screen space to go around.
If this happens to you and you find someone like Walmart or Sears moving into your space, it might be worthwhile to invest in a PPC campaign, at least through the Christmas season.
Consider starting just after Thanksgiving, and watch when you get the most clicks (and sales) through the campaign. Then as the weeks go on you can modify the campaign advertising only when you get the most exposure. This will help you keep costs down as you won’t be paying for clicks at off peak times which drive little sales to your site.
This type of bidding, often referred to as day parting, is an effective way to maximize your cost per click, and return on investment.
Also, be sure to end your campaign before the last day you can promise shipping. In other words, if you know that it takes 5 days to ship your product to your customer, then quit your PPC campaign on the 18th or 19th. This way you don’t have upset customers who can’t get their gifts by the 24th. This will also save you some money as in some cases the last few days before Christmas become the most active PPC spendings days.
Hope for the best but prepare for the worst
As with any online venture, there is the potential for failure. Your web server could fail, or your site could go down just at a crucial crawling period. While these types of things rarely do happen, they none-the-less do occur from time to time.
Therefore you shouldn’t focus just on the holiday season. You must also try and prepare for the times after Christmas when you will still get customers. That is why I said earlier not to mess too much with existing rankings or keywords. Why shoot yourself in the foot?
It’s best to try and prepare for what’s coming a few months down the road.
In the end, planning for Christmas shopping online isn’t much different than what a store has to go through. They want to keep their Halloween product on the shelves until Halloween yet they have to balance that with the Christmas gifts they could be selling at the same time.
Balance is required with your website as well, you don’t want to alienate existing customers by focusing on Christmas sales, just like you don’t want to lose Christmas sales preparing for boxing week.
So, as you move forward planning your Christmas online marketing campaign be cognizant of the other efforts you could be exploring, such as a PPC campaign for those phrases which you won’t be able to compete for effectively. Because you never know what other potential lies out there waiting for you to discover it.

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By Rob Sullivan

Rob Sullivan - SEO Specialist and Internet Marketing Consultant. Any reproduction of this article needs to have an html link pointing to http://www.textlinkbrokers.com

Is Database Marketing A Good Thing?

Database marketing is an important field. It allows the business to take advantage of names of individuals who may be interested in their products. These databases of people are often some of the best potential customers out there because they have already made purchases or shown interest in the products and services that you are providing. But, not everyone like these options and not everyone like database marketing.
Database marketing is information that is compiled about people from their previous histories. For example, people who fill out such forms as charity forms, subscription forms, credit card inquiries and free products have their names and information gathered. This database of information helps companies to figure out what other potential product they may be interested in. Their names, addresses and other information is gathered and stored in a database that then will be sold to others.
what makes database marketing so keen is that it provides people with advertising and promotional information that has their name on it. This helps to strengthen advertising opportunities giving individuals the belief that the product was picked for them. It is an excellent way to stay profitable because you are connecting with customers that have already shown an interest in this type of product.
Thos against database marketing claim that there is a need for protection from junk mail and spam and that it is a violation of privacy to have individuals send them this advertising. Yet, companies who use database marketing feel that it is something that people want and even have requested. It is a great way for people to connect businesses and services to the customers who want them.
Whether you take advantage of these opportunities to nor is really up to you. But, many businesses find it to be an excellent way to reach solid customers. And, because the information provided is not sensitive information, many people find no reason to not be in database systems.

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By Leon Chaddock

for more information please see http://www.database-marketing-info.co.uk

Designs on Designers

The Problem
In my refrigerator there is a wheel control that is used to change its temperature. It is jammed to position 3 by use of a lolly stick. Why? Because just about every fourth or fifth time I put something in there (especially when it is nearly full) the wheel is disturbed and the temperature setting is changed.
I cannot for the life of me work out how this design flaw was passed in the first place. Surely, this problem came to light when the prototype was being tested?
Another problem I have is with my car. The light in the dash that indicates the full beam is on is obscured by the steering wheel. No matter what position I change the steering wheel to, it still manages to obscure this important light. I am about average height but have to constantly crane over the steering wheel in order to find out if I am blinding other drivers. Once again, how did this pass the design test?
These are only two example - but we all know that there are many more.
Designers do not have an easy task. Depending on what they are asked to design, they are required to match artistic license and flair with functionality. They are faced with many obstacles along the way. Here are some of them:
1. The Client

When a new design brief comes along, the designer is usually handicapped right from the start. Whoever the client is, whether its the designer's own boss or an external client, they will have pre-conceived ideas that the designer is expected to accommodate. Straight away the designer needs to know how to play the politics involved in getting out an original, workable piece whilst pleasing the "wouldn't it be great if" crew. A confident designer with a proven track record can afford to demand some space from the client, or at least the opportunity to make some mistakes. A less confident designer may turn into no more than a draughtsman, slavishly turning the client's amateurish instructions into the dog's dinner it will inevitably become.
2. The Critics

Most designs are a compromise between aesthetics and functionality. Constructive criticism is possible when dealing with functional aspects. Aesthetics are a different matter: beauty is in the eye of the beholder. A designer can have the wind taken out of their sails at an early stage if someone says they think their design is not pleasing to the eye (or just plain ugly!). Let's just acknowledge the skill required to be a product designer. The rocket designer has it easy: 100% functionality required. The artist also has it easy with 100% aesthetics. Our product designer has to have a foot in both worlds - and perhaps his fingers in his ears!
3. Production

Yes, but how will it work in production? Good question. Most products are designed to be re-produced in mass production. All designers will have this in mind from the start. There is no point in designing the perfect product that costs zillions to produce. The problem is that the production manager will so enjoy pointing this out at every opportunity - great design - impossible to make. A good retort of course, is to state the reverse which is equally true: there is no point in designing the perfect production-friendly product if the end users don't like it: great production product - impossible to use.
4. Time

I have a sneaky feeling that this is the most common problem of all. Most situations require deadlines. Well the average client is hardly likely to say: "I want this product at some time in the future - whenever you can get around to it". Most new product launches are project-managed, with the designer always - I mean ALWAYS - allocated insufficient time. As time is a linear phenomenon, the corners that tend to be cut fall in the latter stages. This rather obvious statement is made in order explain why prototype testing and customer satisfaction measurements tend to be squeezed the most. Several weeks or months may have originally been put aside for these vital aspects when in reality two or three afternoons of prototype testing are all that separate a working model from the finished product.
5. Events

While you are designing your new product, the world around you is changing. Customers' purchasing habits are changing. The factories that might make your products are being upgraded. New legislation is being planned. New materials are now available. And, of course, competitors are bringing out new products and doing a great job in moving your goalposts. If only the world could stop while you perfect your design...
The Solution
The product design function comes in all shapes and sizes. Small companies may employ just one part time designer who often will be the business owner. I personally think that the make up of the design function is the most vital part. Large companies may have an in-house design team - that is fine. The rest should also consider having a design team rather than leaving it up to one person, even if outside resource is brought in to bolster the function for the lifetime of a specific project. It is common for companies, large and small, to pull in outside resource from a design agency - sometimes they will be given the full brief. If resources are scarce and only one designer can be afforded, I would rather have two part-time designers (perhaps seconded from other duties for part of the week) then one full-time. The reason for this is the need to be two things at once: focussed on tunnel vision creativity and focussed on outside pressures and influences.
The ideal ingredients of the design team are the following:
- Outer function

- Moderating function

- Inner function

Ideally the designers will all be qualified professionals. As well as having their own fields of design expertise that they will bring to the team, they will also fall into one of the above three camps. The outer function will deal with external pressures: they will be more experienced and will be given the task of dealing with demands made by the client or the boss. They will fight for resources, including precious time for the team. They will defend the teams decisions. They will also keep a watching brief on changes in materials, trends, legislation and competitor activity. They will work closely with the production team. They will act as a filter, feeding back to the design team only information and requirements that are needed. Let's say the client insists on a particular design feature and the external function see merits in this, or - let's get real - are told to include the feature or else. This can then be communicated back to the team as a bona fide decision that must be adhered to. Other tittle-tattle can be discarded.
The inner function will need to consist of free-thinkers who are given time and space to produce innovative ideas. They need to possess innovative thought processes and an open mind. They will be protected from outside interference as much as possible. Their ideas will be taken up by the moderator function which will feed back to them, moderating their expectations in line with outside realities whilst giving them encouragement.
The moderating function will work with the inner function, turning their ideas into workable solutions. They will also do the same with the information and decisions that come in from the outer function. The moderating function will not necessarily have the free-thinking attributes of the inner function, but will not be bogged down in having to deal with the external contacts. They will be the end-designers. They will turn the ideas fed from both the inner function and moderate these with the demands from the outer function and come up with the design.
The whole team will need to feedback on the aesthetic elements, as the widest possible poll of these aspects would be required.
This is not design by committee. This is a team of people who must be joined to each other at the hip. They will be expected to argue their corner but will also compliment each other, giving way to each other's strengths and be prepared to give in when the time comes. The team will become one entity and not a group of individuals - not a committee.
I can only imagine that there were some on the design team of my refrigerator and car who were aware of the design faults I have highlighted. I am sure that if their design teams had been structured the way I have suggested above I wouldn't have a lolly stick in my temperature control and would not have to be in fear of causing a pile up on the motorway.
Insectocutor is a good case study where product design has moved over the years from purely functional to a balance between function and aesthetics. Their fly killer machines have traditionally been built for food factories and out-of-sight kitchens. In the last few years they have recognised that there is an increasing trend to have fly killers in front-of-house areas such as retail shop floors and open kitchens. They have also seen an increase in the use of fly killers in domestic homes. As such, the Discreet Series and Select Series have been developed. These are kind to the eye whilst still doing an excellent job of dealing with flying insects. Their most powerful machine is a marriage of both aesthetics and functionality. The IND61 can kill flying insects within a 500 sq metre area and looks majestic as it guards us from up on high. Insectocutor have the perfect design team - where do you think I got my ideas from!

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By Vernon Stent

Please have a look at the Insectocutor fly killers at the Arkay Hygiene web site. Here is the mighty IND61 Electric Fly Killer machine.

Principles of Selling for Professional Practices - What Process Works for You?

In this time of seeming constant change, no professional practices or firms can be complacent about their future. The threats come from various directions, some obvious and visible such as larger merged firms or new starts, and some less so, such as internet services. Unless you take these seriously, what does your future hold? It is important that, regardless of size, you look seriously at what you do to generate fees and to find new clients. This article covers some of the key aspects you need to think about and gives some ideas for how you can be more proactive and more effective in generating revenues. We offer some things to think about for identifying the best ways you can do this for your practice and the type of market you work in. If you start to apply these principles you can build a more sustainable business with more guaranteed revenue flow.
Traditionally, most professional firms have had to grow through forms of networking, referrals and personal relationships, because of legal restrictions. However, these constraints have been removed and, the market dynamics have changed in many areas. The “New World” requires you to operate differently if you want to survive. However, the first prejudice to overcome is your own reaction to the word “sell” and to rethink what it means. After all, you did not do all of your training to become a “seller” did you? Why should this thinking be so prevalent? In our society, one of the biggest barriers is the public perception of selling and sales people. How are they usually portrayed in our media? No wonder you do not want to be thought of like this! Yet, it is a misrepresentation if you think about how many people are involved in selling jobs every day of the week. They are working in a very different way, where they are behaving professionally and, generally, with integrity.
What are your concerns about selling? How people might perceive you? You do not like the idea of pushing people? The good news is that effective, professional selling does not have to be about this! Dictionary definitions will tell you that selling is about “convincing of value”. If you are to do that, you need to establish the right kind of relationship with clients and prospects, where you can find what their real issues are and what they consider as value – and then show them how you can satisfy that. The fun part of selling is that value is an individual perception and will change according to the circumstances too. Rather than think of yourself as a “seller”, what about a “provider of value”, “solution provider”, “problem remover” or similar? Do any of these seem better? When we were working with one accounting practice it made a great difference when the main players rethought this and saw themselves in another light. They became much more positive and had success with approaching existing and potential clients with this mindset (and some added skills we had developed with them!)
Whatever size your organisation is, there will be threats happening in your market. As many firms merge and grow, they can offer wider ranges of services to clients. Others look to establish relationships with organisations in different, but synergistic, areas where are opportunities can be generated for each other. For simple services which can be commoditised, the internet may be a threat where some clients will think they can do things for themselves. There is an answer to this – decide to become proactive in your sales effort. (Or would you prefer “fee generating”?)
To move from the more traditional, reactive style of your market to a proactive one, creating your own opportunities, does require a number of changes. These start with the people being willing to change their attitudes. For those who will not, ask them what is stopping them? What do they think they gain by staying as they are? However, it is better to start with those who are more positive and happy to move in the direction you want. We are not suggesting that your practice or firm becomes like the American law firm (and a few leading City ones) where future success and promotion is almost totally linked to billable hours and revenues generated with the mega-hours and pushy culture that often goes with it!
One early step to take is to identify the sales process which works best for your organisation and in your market. Whether people like it or not, consistently good performers will follow a process, albeit with some flexibility. This means that they can deliver results consistently. When “modelling” top performers from an investment bank, this caused something of a surprise as they thought that their successful people were all more opportunistic and entrepreneurial! These could be successful – occasionally!! Good sales organisations are clear about their process and use it for a number of things. We have examples we are happy to share.
When you have identified each stage of your process, then it is possible to break them down into best practice activities. From these, you can check the competencies needed to be able to work though them. This allows you to provide any necessary training or development to ensure that the skills are embedded.
Those who are going to do the revenue generation can now plan their prospect and client contacts more effectively. They also can be better prepared for meetings and assess how well they are progressing.
The other major benefit when you have assessed your process is that you can see where the critical control points are. From this, you can create the sales control system to measure how things are going. This tool is vital to any form of effective sales management as it puts the focus on the activity leading to the results, which is where you can take any necessary corrective action. You can set standards for the various stages and also work out the ratios needed to ensure that you achieve the desired results. This enables you to measure the right things – and will help more accurate forecasting too.
When this is in place, it becomes much easier to assign roles and responsibilities. Who will manage the process? Who are the doers? Who are the support staff? Pulling all of this together has produced some significant improvements in organisations where we have worked. Where this particular process was developed (a bank outside the UK) they have seen a considerable growth in sales, product retention rather than cancellation, and staff retention in this area.
There is another key element to this. What style or approach to selling will work best for your firm. In the professional services sector you will almost certainly want to have some emphasis on relationships and maybe a relationship selling model. An alternative to this, which is perhaps even more applicable especially for new business generation is to introduce a consultative selling approach. This requires an emphasis on communication skills, relationship building and knowledge of your business and the prospect’s market place – plus sales skills. Consultative sellers will help clients and prospects to identify the real issues they are facing and to create a sense of partnership in helping to find a solution. In the short-term, the solution may not be what you offer, or someone else could be better positioned to supply it. However, getting into the right “mindspace” of the client or prospect will pay off in the future.
We have seen many professional services firms make significant progress when they have changed their attitude to selling and introduced the processes and skills. It is not about selling your soul to the devil, it is about becoming more proactive and effective in “convincing of value”. This will enable your firm to take more control of its destiny and to generate the revenues you need to achieve the plans you have.

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By Graham Yemm

Graham Yemm has over 20 experience as a consultant. He runs a UK based consultancy, Solutions 4 Training Ltd and works both in the UK and internationally with organisations helping them to develop their sales strategy, processes and skills.

Here is How to Attain Freedom with Your PC!

This morning, there was a Ladybug in the shower floor.
I looked at it and it made me realize that most people are in the same situation as that Ladybug.
She felt secure on the floor ... until I turned on the shower and water started to fall on the floor. Then she got scared and she flew on top of the shampoo bottle. But her wings could have carried her out of the bathroom window. She could have flown wherever she wanted. But like most people, we simply climb to the closest step.
So what happened to her right after really scared me.
When the water started to bounce off my head onto the shampoo bottle, she panicked and to my amazement, she flew back to the floor where she once found security!!!
Don’t we do that?
So that is the reason why you haven’t succeeded yet!
The bottle of shampoo simply was not the right destination.
Are you doing the good thing online to make any money? 95% of the websites you have seen don’t make money. If you copy them, you won’t succeed and first thing you’ll know, you’ll be back to your 8to5 job, frustrated!
You have seen lots of offers on how to make money with your PC, but for having bought a lot of programs myself and for being online for years, I know that very few teachers will show you the correct and complete way. There exist 9 simple steps and if I don’t show you each one, then it may take you years to discover them on your own.
A man called me last week saying he has been online since 1998 and like a lot of people that have been online for many years, he still hasn’t figured it out.
Once you have read my 9 steps, you will know where the window to your freedom is.
Click here: http://www.freeadguru.com/cgi-bin/i.pl?c=a&i=30576
Caring for your success, Iain Noble.

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By Iain Noble

Candles

A candle is a light source usually consisting of an internal wick which rises through the center of a column of solid fuel. Typically the fuel is some form of wax with paraffin wax being the most common.
Prior to the candle being ignited, the wick is saturated with the fuel in its solid form. The heat of the match or other flame being used to light the candle first melts and then vaporizes a small amount of the fuel. Once vaporized, the fuel combines with oxygen in the atmosphere to form a flame. This flame then provides sufficient heat to keep the candle burning via a self-sustaining chain of events: the heat of the flame melts the top of the mass of solid fuel, the liquified fuel then moves upward through the wick via capillary action, and the liquified fuel is then vaporized to burn within the candle's flame.
The burning of the fuel takes place in several distinct regions (as evidenced by the various colors that can be seen within the candle's flame). Within the bluer, hotter regions, hydrogen is being separated from the fuel and burned to form water vapor. The brighter, yellower part of the flame is the remaining carbon soot being oxidized to form carbon dioxide.
As the mass of the solid fuel is melted and consumed, the candle grows shorter. Portions of the wick that are not evaporating the liquid fuel are themselves consumed in the flame, limiting the exposed length of the wick.
Candles made of beeswax are used in the Orthodox Church as a form of sacrifice and devotion to God or Saints. They are used in various Orthodox services and ceremonies and are symbolic of Christ, who is "the Light of the World." According to a different symbolism, the two elements of a candle represent the two natures of Christ: the Divine (the burning wick) and the Human (the wax body).
Candles in all shapes, sizes and colors are suggestive of love. Candles symbolize the Light of Christ. They are carried in procession; they are lit when we pray both at home and in Church. The most frequent cause of residence hall fires, are candles and other open flames. Candles, of any sort, including decorative or religious ones are prohibited in the halls (this includes candles with the wick removed). Incense, oil lamps, alcohol lamps and open flame burners are also prohibited in the halls.
Votive candles are small cylindrical candles about 2.5 inches (6cm) in height and 1.5 inches (4cm) in diameter. They melt into oil when lit, which requires them be burned in small glasses or cups made for this purpose.
Traditionally, votive candles were white and unscented, associated with religious ceremonies. Votive candles in red or clear glass holders are often found in Catholic churches at the feet of statues of worship. To light a votive is to make a prayer, usually for a specific purpose. Today votive candles are sold for a variety of purposes and come in many colors, both scented and unscented. Their long-burning strong flames give off a pleasant glow and votive glasses make the candles fairly safe compared to taper or pillar candles that can be knocked over.
Many people enjoy burning scented votive candles while taking a leisurely bath, or using several to light up a room with golden ambience. Most votive candles burn between 5 – 8 hours or more.
Votive candles are made from paraffin or wax, but there are different grades of paraffin with different melting points. Often paraffin is mixed with other types of waxes like beeswax or vegetable wax. This is done to obtain the rigidity necessary for the type of candle being made.
Depending on the quality of wax used, a candle may burn very fast or very slow. It may have a low melting point and produce little to no oil, such as a taper candle that sits in a candle holder "ring," or it may have a very low melting point and turn to oil, as with votives that sit in glass cups. Pillar candles, large candles often with multiple wicks, have their own formula. Candle quality also varies widely depending on the candle maker. Aside from birthday candles, the only "official" category of candles smaller than votive candles are tealight candles. These candles, about 1.5 inches (4cm) high and 1 inch (3cm) in diameter come in their own little tin cups and normally burn about 5 hours. Like votive candles they also turn to oil when burning and do not leave behind melted wax, but burn away clean.
Votive candles can be purchased virtually anywhere from the grocery store to import emporiums. They are handy to have on hand in case of a power outage because they burn slowly and flames are protected by their glass holders. However, when a votive candle is burning, the glass cup gets very hot and can easily burn a bare hand. If the hot oil should spill it could cause severe burning. Therefore votive candles are best left to sit in place once lit. A scented votive can add not only a nice glow, but a wonderful aroma to any home.

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By Michael Sanford

For more information on candles please visit the candles resource center at http://www.candle-help-guide.info

Double Your MLM Earnings

Network marketing, also known as multi level marketing (or MLM), comes in many forms. One of the most popular network marketing methods is selling by brochure, and one of the biggest companies using this method is Avon, the worldwide cosmetics company. The Avon rep distributes her brochures around the neighborhood, collects them again in a few days together with the orders, and, at the end of the 3 week campaign, she passes her orders to Avon. After a few days the orders arrive, she (or he!) delivers the orders, collects her money and, after deducting her commission, pays the remainder of the money to Avon.
If you are distributing brochures in this way there is a good way to double the money you make.
Around ninety five percent of the time taken to sell through brochures is spent traveling from house to house. When you get to the house, instead of placing one brochure in the postbox, try two different ones! It takes very little extra work and can result in double the sales.
It seems so obvious yet so few people do this, there are certainly none in our area or where my friends and family live. Instead people deliver just the one, maybe feeling some sort of loyalty to the company producing the brochure – ‘I’m an Avon Lady’ or whatever. That’s OK, but how about loyalty to you and your family? You owe it to yourself and your loved ones to maximize your income.
Of course there is no point delivering two brochures that sell the same or similar things. But there are different ones available: Avon is well known for its cosmetics, and there are various other ones: vitamins, household goods etc.
Two different brochures will bring you more money, and don’t forget your down lines: your team members will be happier if their earnings increase and they will be more likely to stay in your team. Think double!

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by: Tony Luck

Tony Luck runs an Avon network marketing team with his wife Katy. Together they have a team of over 20 built up over the last 4 months. To see if you could benefit from joining Avon, visit their website http://www.avon-recruitment.co.uk

SMS Marketing using SMS Software - Pros and Cons

SMS Marketing using SMS Software: The increasing mobile phone penetration globally has instantly resulted in SMS becoming an effective alternative to traditional modes of business communication. With over 1.2 billion mobile phones and increasing penetration among semi-urban, rural areas mobile text messaging (SMS) just cannot be ignored by marketing leaders.
SMS Software is an effective tool to send short, instant and personalised text message (SMS) to the target audience. Brand managers like to be in contact with their existing customers and prospects to inform them about new products, features and other value-added offerings for them using SMS Software.
Their main concerns for marketing leaders related to SMS marketing are security of their database, getting a flexible platform to run SMS campaign at a schedule convenient to them, doing the campaign effectively, irrespective of the numbers of messages to be sent.
The critical questions related to SMS marketing, from the perspective of marketing leaders, are as follows:

• Whether the platform provided by service providers is secure?
• Is the delivery being carried out using reliable channels?
• Are the message delivery service levels measurable and is the client data is confidential?
• Is there enough transparency e.g. online delivery and real time reports?
  

SMS Marketing using client application software:
A flexible and high throughput service using client software is the solution to marketing men woes. Companies such as ValueFirst Messaging Private Limited (www.vfirst.com) provide highly effective SMS Service solution to marketing companies, advertising agencies to carry out in-house SMS marketing campaigns. In fact, such companies provide an end-to-end service using its software products for complete marketing activities which can be done on SMS.
The user is able to devise his own campaign and carry it out without any involvement of the service provider. The client software application products are installed at client premises and campaigns are carried out with clients getting on-line MIS. Delivery reports which are provided by the service provider help the user in cleaning-up his data-base. It is easier to do small campaigns, run contests and advertising agencies can use the platform to carry out simultaneous campaigns for multiple-customers.
SMS limitations: While SMS users enjoy several benefits like sending an instant, personal message which is always read, there are limitations associated with SMS. It is nothing more than 160 characters of text, devoid of sound, pictures and special effects of traditional print media. In spite of the limitations SMS has its own specific uses which help marketers give specific information to their customers. Incoming SMS on 4-digit or 5-digit short codes in conjunction with conventional media has become the most effective tool for generating leads and carrying out contests for promoting brands.

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by: Vijay Shukla

This article has been contributed by (Mr.) Vijay Shukla, Country Head, ValueFirst Messaging India (http://www.vfirst.com). Vijay has over 10 years of industry experience of management consulting and mobile data services. He can be contacted at vijayshukla@yahoo.com

Planning Your Marketing

Planning your marketing is an essential part of your efforts to attract clients or customers to your business.Everyday, you will be presented with various marketing communication opportunities. Many organizations will be just too happy to work with you to market your business. By planning ahead, it will be easier for you to decide what works for your business: what fits your budget and what reaches your audience. Your marketing plan will keep activities and budgets on track year-round.This module will give you some guidance on how to build a marketing plan and what to consider when you do this.
As a business owner you are responsible to bring customers or clients to your business. Failing to do this in an ongoing and cost effective way will result in your business closing down and you losing money in the process. Writing your marketing plan can help you identify the most cost-effective strategies you can use to present your business to your target audience.
Your written marketing plan need not be lengthy and complicated. You can even make it as simple as possible. It is an internal document where you can be honest and direct when describing your company's weaknesses. A marketing plan gives you a roadmap that can drive action and point the way. A marketing plan can help you:
Identify which customers are your best prospects.
Evaluate company data against your industry or market.
Track results so that you learn what works.
Without a plan, you may be moving fast but you may not be moving in the right direction. Here are five steps to creating a strategic and practical marketing plan:
Step 1
Check where you are
Have a look at our section on Forms & Format to help you here, or download one of the various SWOT analysis formats.
Your first step is to take a comprehensive look at your company's challenges, its position in the market place, the level and intensity of competition and other factors that may affect your marketing strategies. This is the market research portion of your plan.
Challenges: When you open your business, you are faced with the huge task of letting your target market know that you exist and are willing to serve their needs. You are faced with the challenge of communicating with your target market to get them to become your customers.
Position in the marketplace: Your promotional strategy should highlight the "unique selling points" of your business.
Competition: This involves a complete analysis of the businesses already offering your type of goods and services within your geographical area (e.g. county, town and city).
You want to learn how many businesses are already in the marketplace, what they offer and where they are located. By looking at this data, you can identify the relative strengths and weaknesses of your competitors in the area of price, quality, selection, promotion, services, customer service / personnel support, facilities / atmosphere and location.
Step 2
Identify your customers
It is only logical that, in order to market your products/services, you need to know who your customers are:
To whom or what do you plan to sell your product to?
How do customers perceive themselves?
How do you plan to acquire customers?
What distribution methods will you need?
What features do your customers want?
What are they prepared to pay?
What form of advertising and promotion will be effective to produce sales and sell the product?
What will promotion and advertising cost?
Where is your target customer most likely to buy your product?
How important is price to a customer?
How important are product or service quality and convenience to your customer?
Focus on customers' needs. Listen to your customer.
Why should anybody buy your product or service?
What is the benefit or improvement in their condition?
Whose life will be enriched?
Who will get the greatest improvement from your product or service?
With which customers does your competitive advantage make a difference?
With which customers does your competitive advantage make the biggest difference?
Step 3
Decide on your objectives
Marketing objectives quantify the results you are looking to achieve. By clearly stating these results in advance, you provide performance criteria against which your future results can be compared. Whatever marketing objectives you decide on, they should meet certain criteria. They must be realistic, measurable and be guided by short, medium and long-term deadlines.
Profit: Profit objectives state the bottom line progress you want your marketing efforts to achieve. You may set the goal of achieving 2 percent profit in your first year, and increasing it by 10 percent every year hereafter.
Market share: Market share objectives state your desired cut of the total industry sales pie, or at least the local industry. If the total revenue of all the wedding planners in your county is $2 million, how much of that is yours? If you only have 2% of that pie, you may want to increase your share to about 10% after launching your marketing campaign.
Sales volume target: Your sales volume affects your cost structure. The higher the sales you generate, the lower your cost. Specific sales volume levels can give you more bargaining power with your suppliers.
Sales volume objectives should clearly state the total goods or services you intend to deliver. Your goal can be to increase your sales in the next two months after a marketing campaign by X amount.
Step 4
Writing the plan
Now that you have an overview of customers and market conditions, you can flesh out your plan.
This plan needn't be a formal document, but should at least consist of a written outline to share with staff or outside consultants and to refer to later. The plan should cover:
A summary of your market position and goals.
A definition of what you expect to accomplish in a specific time period (e.g.: “We will sell 150 widgets by the fourth quarter.”)
A list of target markets, including segmentation and niche area.
An appropriate strategy for each segment or market.
Budget: The final section of your marketing plan is to determine your budget, making sure that you have the funds to cover your production, printing, media and other miscellaneous expenses.
Production: This can include the creation of your logo design, stationery, mailing labels, company brochure, photography used, advertising and direct mail costs.
Printing: This will cover the printing costs of your letterhead and envelopes, company brochures and direct mail.
Media: This is the cost of buying media for your print ads, radio ads and other tactics.
Miscellaneous: Other costs that may be incurred such as postage, holiday cards, thank you notes and others.
Marketing channels: This is where you choose the types of marketing materials and distribution vehicles that you will use to attract target customers, including flyers, postcards, email marketing, newsletters, Web site and more.
Competitive strategies: How will you respond to your competitors - for example, if a competitor lowers his price?
Step 5
Map your progress
Use our Marketing Campaign Worksheet or Advertising Effectiveness Log.Include benchmarks in your plan. Use these benchmarks to take stock of whether your marketing efforts are paying off or if you should rethink your approach. Calculate the category and cost of marketing communications and compare with set specific sales forecasts.
For direct mail efforts, check how the campaign is going by creating a spreadsheet that includes specifics of each order as well as a way to identify customers (like a customer identification number). Also, ensure that you include plans for implementation or a marketing calendar. Plans are great, but if you don't also designate responsibility, set deadlines and hold people accountable, marketing efforts can't succeed.
It is important that you respond to the results that you get. Markets change all the time and you must be ready. Make sure you review the plan every year to see if you must revisit any goals.
Have a look at our Forms & Format section on the http://www.my1stbusiness.com for tools to guide and assist you with your marketing.

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by: Ben Botes

Learn more at http://www.my1stbusiness.com/sales-letter/landing2.htm
Ben Botes MSc. MBA, is an Entrepreneur, Speaker, Writer, Coach and academic. He is the founder of My1stBusiness.com, South African Business Hubs
Join the My1stbusiness.com Reseller Program and earn 40% referral commission http://www.my1stbusiness.com/affiliate
Read Ben's Blog at http://www.my1stbusiness.com/weblog

The Power of Knowing Your Customer

Often times we believe the depth of our customer does not extend beyond that of the business they do with us.
In fact, it goes way beyond that. People love to talk about themselves, and if you take the time to talk to your customers about non-business topics, you will find that, more often than not, they are more than happy to engage you in conversation.
By getting to know your customers, you can find a whole lot of valuable information from them. Such as where they live, do they have a family, what their hobbies are, do they have pets, etc.
By finding out this type of information, you can determine what their needs are, than proceed to tell them about the products you have, that you believe would be ideal for their needs.
Another plus when it comes to getting to know your customers, is that every time you speak with one another, you are strengthening the business relationship you already have with them.
When I talk about getting to know your customer, I don’t mean that you have to extend an invitation to them to join you at Thanksgiving dinner.
All you have to do is take a little extra time to get to know their names and what their needs are.
For instance, if you have a new customer whose name is Mike, and building train sets is his hobby. The next time you see him, you can address him by his name, and ask about how the trains are coming along.
One, he will be thrilled that you remembered his name, and two, since building train sets is his hobby, he will be more than happy to tell you all about it.
These types of techniques kick open the door to more sales. The better a person gets to know you, the better they will begin to trust you, and the more likely they will be to do business with you.
People prefer to do business with people they know and trust, it gives them a comfort level. So get to know your customer and work on earning their trust. They will not only do business with you. They will most likely refer their friends and family to you as well. Good luck.
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.

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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.

10 Ways to Design Yellow Pages Ads

Here is some common sense advice for those "unchangeable for a whole year" Yellow Pages ads
Yellow Pages advertising is one of the most popular forms of advertising in the country today. Almost every home in America (96.9%) and business has at least one copy of "the book".
Almost three out of five (58%) of all adults say they check the Yellow Pages for a phone number and/or address at least once per week, with 77% using the book monthly.
While the Yellow Pages can be excellent reference tool, they are not a red hot advertising vehicle.
Here are 10 ways to use the Yellow Pages
1 - As in all advertising, hit them with the benefits. Since people who look in the Yellow Pages are ready to buy right now, sell them on the benefits of your business or service.
2 - You don't need thick borders or extra cost color, the Yellow Pages people offer that to everyone. Look how many are on every page.
3 - The key to a sizzling Yellow Pages ad is to sell your services in print. It’s about standing out by offering the solution to their problem in a way that your competitors can't match. The key is the headline. Put a headline on your ad that sells your benefits and assures the prospect will read your ad. If you have a hard hitting headline that projects a strong benefit and relates to the needs of your prospect, half the work is done. Some headlines that help you do that include:
"How to xxxxx"
"6 reasons why ..."
"Before you xxxxx 6 factors to consider" The rest of your ad should expand on the benefits you've presented in your headline and show specific ways you'll help your prospect fulfill their needs.
4 - Spell out your "Close" in simple terms. Because they are in there looking for a solution, tell them to "Call us now on xxx xxxx" you'll get more responses than you would if you simply listed a phone number.
5 - Advertise like you talk. Inject your personality into everything you write. No-one wants to read boring and stuffy legal-ease.
6 - Despite what many think, you do NOT have to include a comma and "Inc." after your business name when advertising. You don't see ads that say "Buick, Inc."
7 - The only thing color has been proven to do in Yellow Pages advertising is increase the price you pay for the ad.
8 - Avoid Bragging - Don't boast "biggest and best". It turns people off, even if it is true.
9 - If you have a guarantee, spell it out. A guarantee will make your credibility skyrocket
10 - Remember that every business (with a business telephone) will be in the yellow pages, free, in the listings.The Yellow Pages are generally a reference tool. Design your ad accordingly

________________

By Mike McDaniel

For more about Yellow Pages, get my article "15 Tips for Better Yellow Pages Ads" MailTo:15TipsYP@BigIdeasGroup.com
©2005 BIG Mike McDaniel, All Rights Reserved BIG Mike is a Business Consultant and Professional Speaker. His BIG Ideas Group helps business grow with promotions, special reports, mastermind groups and seminars. http://BigIdeasGroup.com
Subscribe to "BIG Ideas" Newsletter MailTo:SignUp@BigIdeasGroup.com

Being Visible on a Budget

Once upon a time a company introduced a new product. They didn’t want their competition to know, so they didn’t advertise or even send out a news release. Sales of the new product were disappointing. The manufacturer was unhappy. What went wrong? Any thoughts?
My answer is that this kind of “stealth marketing” doesn’t work. You need to be visible to sell something. When this manufacturer started promoting their new product, sales picked up.
So visibility is good for business. But how do you get visible with limited resources? Here are some programs I recommend.
1) Postcard marketing - Use postcards to ask for referrals, announce events, build website traffic, say thanks, and more. Of course, for best results you need a good list.
2) News release program - Does your company bring new products or services to market? Publish literature? These are great subjects for news releases. Send releases to editors at relevant publications regularly to get more than your fair share of coverage. Public relations activities like this are time-intensive, but cost much less than advertising.
3) Feature coverage - Getting major coverage in the right media outlet can enhance visibility and credibility quickly. Use research and planning to ensure your topic is timely. Then target specific editors.
4) Case history articles - Highlight your company's capabilities with problem/solution articles. Well-written case histories are in demand -- by readers and editors alike. These stories make great website content, too.
5) Internet - Creating and maintaining a website is relatively low cost, especially compared to printed pieces like brochures. If you need to reach young adults, teens or business people, the Internet is where you need to be. E-mail marketing can be a good tool, too, but be sure to get the recipient’s permission.
6) Newsletters - Developing a good newsletter takes market intelligence and careful planning. Then you need discipline and skill to crank out something worthwhile on a schedule. But it’s worth it! A good newsletter can gain you loyalty, credibility, and – oh yeah – visibility.
7) Identity - Maintaining a consistent identity is a low-cost way to maximize impact. Consistency and professionalism help any business over time. Consistency means repetition. That's what solidifies ideas in our brains. Professionalism is about looking good. If you want to be taken seriously, present a professional image.
Whatever you do, repeat, repeat, repeat! A single mailing (for example) may get disappointing results. Don’t be surprised or discouraged. Keep at it with a consistent look, message and audience, and over time your message will sink in.
©Copyright 2005 Clairvoyant Communications, Inc.

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By Claire Cunningham

Claire Cunningham, president of Clairvoyant Communications, Inc., helps companies jumpstart their sales with increased visibility. Claire shares her marketing communications expertise at http://www.clairvoyantcommunications.com and through monthly e-newsletters Communiqué and Communiqué-Small Business. Avoid costly errors with Claire’s “Top Marketing Communications Mistakes Companies Make.” Call 763-479-3499 or e-mail claire@claircomm.com for a copy.

10 Ways to Design Yellow Pages Ads

Here is some common sense advice for those "unchangeable for a whole year" Yellow Pages ads
Yellow Pages advertising is one of the most popular forms of advertising in the country today. Almost every home in America (96.9%) and business has at least one copy of "the book".
Almost three out of five (58%) of all adults say they check the Yellow Pages for a phone number and/or address at least once per week, with 77% using the book monthly.
While the Yellow Pages can be excellent reference tool, they are not a red hot advertising vehicle.
Here are 10 ways to use the Yellow Pages
1 - As in all advertising, hit them with the benefits. Since people who look in the Yellow Pages are ready to buy right now, sell them on the benefits of your business or service.
2 - You don't need thick borders or extra cost color, the Yellow Pages people offer that to everyone. Look how many are on every page.
3 - The key to a sizzling Yellow Pages ad is to sell your services in print. It’s about standing out by offering the solution to their problem in a way that your competitors can't match. The key is the headline. Put a headline on your ad that sells your benefits and assures the prospect will read your ad. If you have a hard hitting headline that projects a strong benefit and relates to the needs of your prospect, half the work is done. Some headlines that help you do that include:
"How to xxxxx"
"6 reasons why ..."
"Before you xxxxx 6 factors to consider" The rest of your ad should expand on the benefits you've presented in your headline and show specific ways you'll help your prospect fulfill their needs.
4 - Spell out your "Close" in simple terms. Because they are in there looking for a solution, tell them to "Call us now on xxx xxxx" you'll get more responses than you would if you simply listed a phone number.
5 - Advertise like you talk. Inject your personality into everything you write. No-one wants to read boring and stuffy legal-ease.
6 - Despite what many think, you do NOT have to include a comma and "Inc." after your business name when advertising. You don't see ads that say "Buick, Inc."
7 - The only thing color has been proven to do in Yellow Pages advertising is increase the price you pay for the ad.
8 - Avoid Bragging - Don't boast "biggest and best". It turns people off, even if it is true.
9 - If you have a guarantee, spell it out. A guarantee will make your credibility skyrocket
10 - Remember that every business (with a business telephone) will be in the yellow pages, free, in the listings.The Yellow Pages are generally a reference tool. Design your ad accordingly

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By Mike McDaniel

For more about Yellow Pages, get my article "15 Tips for Better Yellow Pages Ads" MailTo:15TipsYP@BigIdeasGroup.com
©2005 BIG Mike McDaniel, All Rights Reserved BIG Mike is a Business Consultant and Professional Speaker. His BIG Ideas Group helps business grow with promotions, special reports, mastermind groups and seminars. http://BigIdeasGroup.com
Subscribe to "BIG Ideas" Newsletter MailTo:SignUp@BigIdeasGroup.com

The Cry Baby Sales Person ----- What Should We Do?

Rick, I have a salesman that does a pretty good job but he is always whining about something. He takes up a tremendous amount of my time, inside sales and anybody else that will listen. I don’t want to fire the guy because he does put up decent numbers. What do you suggest?
Joe, VP of Sales, Building Products Industry
Dear Joe;
Wow! If I used this term with my wife she’d probably take my head off but you have what is typically known as a high maintenance “Cry Baby Salesperson”
This condition is known as “High Affliative Needs”. It can be a sales person’s downfall. We all have affiliative needs but for a sales person, if they become excessive, they can undermine any real talent they have. This type of person is generally a very likable person and can strike up a conversation about anything, anywhere. That is why they seem to achieve relative success in field sales. But remember, if this person is wasting your time due to this condition, chances are, some or most of his customers feel the same way. You need to find out.
The question you need to ask yourself: “Is this sales person maximizing the full potential of his territory in market share, profitability and share of spend at existing accounts?
The answer to that question will determine whether you must coach, mentor or manage this individual.
Mentor
• If he is attaining peak territory performance. Become a confidant and be totally honest with him. When his points are valid – acknowledge that. When he is just whining --- let him know. Be constructive and supportive. Encourage him. Give him examples and help him come to the same conclusions about each situation as you do.
Coach
• Since you stated he put up decent numbers, it sounds like he is worth your investment of time. Start with the numbers. What should peak performance in his territory be? Set some stretch goals. Work with him utilizing your sales expertise in targeting, goal setting and action planning to achieve these stretch goals. During the process, his high maintenance, affiliative needs should be apparent. Demonstrate how they can interfere with the achievement of his goals.
Manage
Some managing is certainly mixed in with the coaching process but if coaching doesn’t do the trick and he is actually performing below territory expectations it may be time to get tough. Stick with objective facts. Stick with the numbers. Clearly define expectations and stick to them.

______________________________

By Rick Johnson

Dr. Rick Johnson (rick@ceostrategist.com) is the founder of CEO Strategist LLC. an experienced based firm specializing in leadership for wholesale distribution. CEO Strategist LLC. works in an advisory capacity with company executives in board representation, executive coaching, team coaching and education and training to make the changes necessary to create or maintain competitive advantage. You can contact them by calling 352-750-0868, or visit http://www.ceostrategist.com for more information.
Rick received an MBA from Keller Graduate School in Chicago, Illinois and a Bachelor's degree in Operations Management from Capital University, Columbus Ohio. Rick recently completed his dissertation on Strategic Leadership and received his Ph.D. He’s also a published book author with four titles to his credit: “The Toolkit for Improved Business Performance in Distribution,” the NWFA & NAFCD “Roadmap”, Lone Wolf-Lead Wolf—The Evolution of Sales” and a fiction novel “Shattered Innocence.” Rick’s next book due in November is titled; Lone Wolf – LEad Wolf The Evolution of Leadership

Getting the Appointment

What are you doing now to try and set up an appointment with your prospect? Calling? Is that all? Guess what? Every other salesperson is doing the same thing. They’re trying to get the appointment that could be YOURS!
So, what are you going to do about it?
Stand out!
If you want the prospect to believe that you and your company are different, then you must prove it to them from the beginning! Your initial contact with them should show that you are creative, that you are persistent, and that your business is the better choice for them.
Calling your prospects is only one of the many resources you have for establishing contact with them and setting up the appointment.
Not only are you limiting yourself to one option, you’re also using the method that may leave the worst impression on your prospect. When you call, you are assuming that you are important enough for your prospect to stop whatever they are doing at that moment and talk to you so that you can try to sell them something.
How inconvenient and annoying is that? VERY.
So let’s use our imagination, shall we? Let’s think of some creative ways to get in front of your prospects and grab their attention. There are many obvious modes right in front of you, like snail mail, e-mail and faxes.
This doesn’t mean you should stop calling your prospects. It means that you should stop relying on this method to gain that appointment. Using a variety of mediums (like those mentioned above), and learning to match them with the right message, will get you through to your prospect and capture their attention.
Got guts?
Have the courage to try something fun and new with your prospects. Too scared? Think about it this way: if your boring method isn’t working with them now, don’t you think it’s time to try something new? You might as well have some fun with it, anyway.
Your level of comfort and unique style will help determine how risky you will allow yourself to be. If you’re not ready to take the full plunge, there are still ultra-safe solutions that bring remarkable results.
For example, create a customized document with creative business ideas and solutions that your client can use to become more productive or more profitable.
Sound strange?
Take a step back and look at the idea objectively. Your prospect will only buy from you if you can prove that your product and company will make them more productive and more profitable. So that should be the primary purpose of your contact.
A result-based document like this will be sure to stand out among the many brochures your prospect gets from other salespeople. It will be read. Even if your ideas stink, your prospect will notice and remember your name because your approach was different from others.
Important: Never send your client a brochure about your company. Nobody wants to read about how great you think you are. Prospects want to read about themselves and how they can improve to gain better results. They will consider you when you show them how you can fit into that equation.
(Don’t send brochures? Well, what else can I do? For more ideas, send a blank e-mail to appointment@tomrichard.com.)
Keep standing!
Some prospects, in an effort to be polite, may simply try to wait you out. They will ignore your voicemails and e-mails, and wait for you to get bored and go away.
You must have the longevity to remain pleasantly persistent with your prospects, or you may lose the appointment and the sale!
Being pleasantly persistent means that you are NEVER annoying or pushy (pleasant) and that you apparently will NEVER go away (persistent). When faced with this type of person, your prospect has only one logical option left, and that is to finally meet with you.
Make it personal
If you want to have pleasant contact with your prospect, you must establish a relationship that is personal. A call from a salesperson is a nuisance, but a call from a friend is always a pleasure.
Send your prospects personalized e-mails, or handwritten notes to set the tone for the transaction. Regardless of your company, your product, and the nature of your situation, you can still find ways to make your contact with your clients as personal as possible. Your effort to contact them in this manner will show them how important their business is to you. This sets the tone for your relationship, and this relationship sets the tone for the sale.
Focus, focus, focus
It’s too easy for prospects to wait out inexperienced and overzealous salespeople! The only thing separating you from your competition is your ability to decide that you are going to win. You will get the appointment with the prospect because you have the creativity to stand out and the determination to remain persistent!
Throughout this entire process, keep a clear objective in mind. See your transaction as a series of goals. Sure, you may want that appointment, but first you must work on getting your prospect to pick up the phone and call you, or finally take your call.
When you represent your good ideas creatively, personally, and persistently, you will not only get the appointment, you will get the SALE!

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By Tom Richard

Tom Richard is the author of a weekly ezine titled, Sales Muscle, as well as the book Smart Sales People Don't Advertise: 10 Ways To Outsmart Your Competition With Guerilla Marketing. To view his works please visit http://www.tomrichard.com