Many years ago I attended a sales workshop in Arizona. It didn't take much to convince me to leave Toronto Canada in the middle of winter and go to Scottsdale. Little did I know how much that trip would change my outlook on selling.
Let me digress for a moment. Upon arrival at the hotel I was immediately impressed. A beautiful setting, first class service, lovely room, and sun, lots of warm sunshine! The next day, regrettably we were indoors for the first of three days in a meeting room, 17 of us, indoors in Scottsdale. On the breaks many of us would rush to stand outside and enjoy the sun. It was on one of these breaks we were standing at a side entrance to the hotel when a large number of very tall men approached. Now I'm not a tall person. I stand 5'7" first thing in the morning before gravity sets in. Turns out these "giants" were the San Antonio Spurs basketball team in town to play the Phoenix Suns. They were using a side entrance to avoid fans at the front of the hotel. I don't think I came up to the belly button of one of them!
But back to the sales workshop. Our facilitator had a captivating Texan drawl, causing me to listen intently to his stories and tips based on years of experience. The content was terrific, the group really bonded, and the three days evaporated. Towards the end of the final day I just had to ask a question of our workshop leader who had so impressed all of us. I was about to have one of those "ah huh" moments in life.
I asked "If you could share only one piece of advice on how to be a top sales person what would that be?" I'll never forget as he went into a pensive stance, holding his elbow while putting his forefinger to his lips, "What a tough question." He then paused for maybe a minute or two, it seemed longer.
What he shared was so profound I have added it to my repertoire of sales truisms. It has shaped my philosophy and behavior ever since. He started by cautioning us that in the sales profession we run the risk of developing egos bigger than the moon. Top sales people think of themselves as super stars and want to be in the spotlight. Confidence he said is a good thing, and recognition at the appropriate time and place is important in fact necessary, but an unchecked ego can do damage. And here it came, he paused and with conviction added, "If there is only one piece of advice I'd ask you remember, it is to always shine the spotlight on your customer. They are the most important person, not you!" The room went silent. Our egos on pause, we reflected hard on what we just heard.
For some reason my thoughts turned to the Spurs who, two days earlier had walked past us. They play under the spotlight all the time. Fans pay to enjoy their athletic excellence on the court. We want them to be in the spotlight, we want them to succeed, and we want them to play to win.
In sales, we're not playing basketball. It's a different game, and it's one of the best games in the world. If the sales arena is where you play and you want to win, remember these words of wisdom.
Always shine the spotlight on your customer.
2011/12/23
Why Business Credit Is A MUST For Every Business Owner
As an entrepreneur, you're hardwired to enjoy a greater level of risk than the average person. But do you enjoy the thrill of business and investing so much that you're willing to risk:
-Being hounded by creditors?
-Declaring bankruptcy?
-Being denied a mortgage?
-Paying more than your fair share of interest on your loans?
-Losing your house?
If you answered "no" to one or more of these questions, this may be the most important report you've read in a long time.
Because, if you're like most entrepreneurs, investors, and business owners I've met over the past 28 years, you're in danger of facing all of these horrific problems.
And it's all because of your business.
You see, entrepreneurs typically make one or more financially devastating mistakes when financing the launch, operation and/or growth of their businesses. In most cases, they don't realize that they're making a mistake.
And to tell the truth, even when they do realize they're making a mistake … they lull themselves into thinking that the consequences will be a minor annoyance.
Until, one day, they can't qualify for a mortgage. Or they can't get the to-die-for financing offered on the new car they're buying. Or they're hounded by creditors and eventually have to declare bankruptcy.
And it is all because they use their personal finances to fund the launch or expansion of their business. They then use personal credit cards to pay for business expenses. If you are in business or thinking about starting a business, business credit is a must.
Let me explain, most business owner have no idea that they can establish business credit and even fewer know how to how to establish business credit. If owners would take the time necessary to educate themselves about establishing credit they would no longer have to use their personal funds for start up capital or working capital.
They would also be able to use business credit cards which don't report to their personal credit reports, therefore, not lowering the personal credit scores.
The most important goal of business credit though is to obtain unsecured business lines of credit, which can be done once the business credit profile is set up properly. Once a business obtains unsecured business lines of credit, they then have the working capital they need to start a business or expand their business. The business owner has check book control to use the business lines of credit as they wish. And best of all, the business lines of credit don't report to the business owner's personal credit report.
If you have set up your business profile correctly there are a number of banks that will lend to brand new start up business. That is right, brand new start up business with no track record whatsoever. The banks will extend unsecured business lines of credit so they can have the start up capital they need to finance the business of their dreams.
Make no mistake about it; business credit is a MUST for every business owner. Don't put your personal assets at risk finance or fund your business!
-Being hounded by creditors?
-Declaring bankruptcy?
-Being denied a mortgage?
-Paying more than your fair share of interest on your loans?
-Losing your house?
If you answered "no" to one or more of these questions, this may be the most important report you've read in a long time.
Because, if you're like most entrepreneurs, investors, and business owners I've met over the past 28 years, you're in danger of facing all of these horrific problems.
And it's all because of your business.
You see, entrepreneurs typically make one or more financially devastating mistakes when financing the launch, operation and/or growth of their businesses. In most cases, they don't realize that they're making a mistake.
And to tell the truth, even when they do realize they're making a mistake … they lull themselves into thinking that the consequences will be a minor annoyance.
Until, one day, they can't qualify for a mortgage. Or they can't get the to-die-for financing offered on the new car they're buying. Or they're hounded by creditors and eventually have to declare bankruptcy.
And it is all because they use their personal finances to fund the launch or expansion of their business. They then use personal credit cards to pay for business expenses. If you are in business or thinking about starting a business, business credit is a must.
Let me explain, most business owner have no idea that they can establish business credit and even fewer know how to how to establish business credit. If owners would take the time necessary to educate themselves about establishing credit they would no longer have to use their personal funds for start up capital or working capital.
They would also be able to use business credit cards which don't report to their personal credit reports, therefore, not lowering the personal credit scores.
The most important goal of business credit though is to obtain unsecured business lines of credit, which can be done once the business credit profile is set up properly. Once a business obtains unsecured business lines of credit, they then have the working capital they need to start a business or expand their business. The business owner has check book control to use the business lines of credit as they wish. And best of all, the business lines of credit don't report to the business owner's personal credit report.
If you have set up your business profile correctly there are a number of banks that will lend to brand new start up business. That is right, brand new start up business with no track record whatsoever. The banks will extend unsecured business lines of credit so they can have the start up capital they need to finance the business of their dreams.
Make no mistake about it; business credit is a MUST for every business owner. Don't put your personal assets at risk finance or fund your business!
2011/12/04
Work At Home Internet Job - At The Speed Of Electricity
I'm a pretty average gal. I kind of do my own thing of which some seem relatively productive and others not so much. And a lot like other people, and I guess different from others then, I have a lot of different interests. I'm a full subscriber to the variety being the spice of life adage. With so many interests (some even approach full-blown passion), you'd think that it'd be fairly easy to find myself a job that put food on the table clothes on my back and left a little in my pocket for weekend skullduggery; and I mean something that really tickled my fancy and had me jumping out of bed five minutes before my alarm goes off. But that simply has not been the case. It may not help that a large slice of these interests are Caligulan in nature. Not only do I digress, I also have reason to believe that one of these interests may be piqued with paycheck in tow.
Work at home online jobs has got my name written all over it. Granted, I'm not exactly sure what these employers from the heavens are wanting me to do online, as there a fairly wide variety of topics covered. But, that's besides the point. What I'm talking about is waking up, or not even going to sleep, rolling over and that right there is me punching in-if I qualify for my work at home online job.
So, if you'd prefer to continue doing what you've been doing while procrastinating your actual job search and take home a couple of dollars, grab yourself an online job and work at home. You'll be searching, browsing and exploring the internet just like you do now, but probably with slightly greater restrictions than your current fear of breaking federal laws provides.
Work at home online jobs has got my name written all over it. Granted, I'm not exactly sure what these employers from the heavens are wanting me to do online, as there a fairly wide variety of topics covered. But, that's besides the point. What I'm talking about is waking up, or not even going to sleep, rolling over and that right there is me punching in-if I qualify for my work at home online job.
So, if you'd prefer to continue doing what you've been doing while procrastinating your actual job search and take home a couple of dollars, grab yourself an online job and work at home. You'll be searching, browsing and exploring the internet just like you do now, but probably with slightly greater restrictions than your current fear of breaking federal laws provides.
2011/11/24
UAE's Lady Achievers And Newsmakers
Arab societies have always been patriarchal in nature. The prevalence of strict Islam makes them male dominated in all walks of life. Despite the modern face lift of their infrastructure and economies they have had, most Arab countries are still adamant when it comes to providing their women with equal opportunities as men. For example, in a country like UAE, which has a high level of female education, the ratio of female participation in the workforce is still very low. As per the officially made available data, about 65% of the UAE's university students were females, but their participation in the country's workforce was only around 15%.
This might be about to change however, if the recent trends from media and various government resources had to be believed in. With a booming economy and increased job opportunities, the UAE government was trying out its best to empower their women with higher education and job placements. This has given rise to a sudden influx of the local women applying for jobs in various professions. One could see as a result, many young and confident Arab ladies taking up responsibilities on various fronts in the UAE today. From being radiologists to TV presenters or managing online ventures, the UAE's women are moving forward in all spheres gradually.
Like any other region of the Middle East, it's deemed highly inappropriate for the UAE's women to speak up with strangers in public. All government owned universities have been made single-sex for this reason. With a bullish economy and a large expatriate workforce in their own backyard however, people are now trying to come out of their orthodox mindset. This has now allowed for the women to work with their male colleagues in places like Dubai. The local media proudly keeps on displaying the achievements of lady police officers, medicos, businesswomen and other similar working women.
Take the case of Fatma Mohamed Haj (21) for example, who had to face a stiff resistance from her family when she decided to be a radiologist. Her profession would have asked for touching male strangers and working late at nights. She won her argument by negotiating tactfully though, and is headed to get her first job very soon. Similarly, Nariman al-Rostamani (19), used to face taunting men in public, but it only grew her into confidence, and made her task as a TV presenter more interesting. There are many young women who still can't argue their cases with their families and therefore, may never get to have a public profile ever. However, the few like Fatma and Nariman are enough for creating a stir in the UAE's life and pushing forward with the empowerment agenda.
Amna Mazam is a student counselor who teaches working women about negotiating skills. It comes handy in getting family's nod for job placements. She confirms about the difficulties faced by the working women in the UAE, however feels positive about tomorrow at the same time. While many males do still not like the idea of working wives, there are some who might be willing to move ahead with time. An IT student, Fahad Qahtani (25), believes working wives can be a good idea for husbands as they won't annoy by chattering about domestic issues. Jokes apart, Fahad's opinion does indicate about the changing times in the UAE, and the future ahead for its aspiring women.
This might be about to change however, if the recent trends from media and various government resources had to be believed in. With a booming economy and increased job opportunities, the UAE government was trying out its best to empower their women with higher education and job placements. This has given rise to a sudden influx of the local women applying for jobs in various professions. One could see as a result, many young and confident Arab ladies taking up responsibilities on various fronts in the UAE today. From being radiologists to TV presenters or managing online ventures, the UAE's women are moving forward in all spheres gradually.
Like any other region of the Middle East, it's deemed highly inappropriate for the UAE's women to speak up with strangers in public. All government owned universities have been made single-sex for this reason. With a bullish economy and a large expatriate workforce in their own backyard however, people are now trying to come out of their orthodox mindset. This has now allowed for the women to work with their male colleagues in places like Dubai. The local media proudly keeps on displaying the achievements of lady police officers, medicos, businesswomen and other similar working women.
Take the case of Fatma Mohamed Haj (21) for example, who had to face a stiff resistance from her family when she decided to be a radiologist. Her profession would have asked for touching male strangers and working late at nights. She won her argument by negotiating tactfully though, and is headed to get her first job very soon. Similarly, Nariman al-Rostamani (19), used to face taunting men in public, but it only grew her into confidence, and made her task as a TV presenter more interesting. There are many young women who still can't argue their cases with their families and therefore, may never get to have a public profile ever. However, the few like Fatma and Nariman are enough for creating a stir in the UAE's life and pushing forward with the empowerment agenda.
Amna Mazam is a student counselor who teaches working women about negotiating skills. It comes handy in getting family's nod for job placements. She confirms about the difficulties faced by the working women in the UAE, however feels positive about tomorrow at the same time. While many males do still not like the idea of working wives, there are some who might be willing to move ahead with time. An IT student, Fahad Qahtani (25), believes working wives can be a good idea for husbands as they won't annoy by chattering about domestic issues. Jokes apart, Fahad's opinion does indicate about the changing times in the UAE, and the future ahead for its aspiring women.
2011/11/16
Working At Home? This May Help...
When you work from home, one of the hardest things to get right is knowing where to do your work. In your bedroom? In a special home office? Well, here are a few pointers.
A Dedicated Space is Best.
I really believe that you won't get far unless you set aside a space and use it for work only. Why? Well, if you use your work space for things other than work, then you'll get distracted by anything you leave there. Other people in the family might become frustrated by not being able to use the space, or you might find that you simply don't have anywhere to put all the important pieces of paper you acquire, meaning that they get lost.
The Art of the Home Office.
A home office is really what you want -- this really needs to be a dedicated room of a reasonable size. You shouldn't have too much trouble if you convert a small bedroom, as most bedrooms are actually surprisingly large once you take away the bed.
Your essentials for a home office are a desk, chair, computer, filing cabinet and phone/fax. If you don't have spare ones of these lying around then you should buy them used, or from some kind of discount store -- don't spend a cent more than you need to on your office furniture and equipment, at least to begin with. Still, though, do try to find things that don't look too bad, and that match.
Do make sure that you have everything in the room that you'll need for your business, and that your equipment is good enough that you'll be able to use it for long periods of time without it becoming painful. If you plan to do a lot of phoning, for example, buy a headset so that you can do it hands-free. It's also worth spending just a little extra on that chair, if you're going to be sitting on it a lot.
You should also make sure that the room is well-lit and decorated in a style you like: one that says 'serious', but not 'dull, terrible work'. Keep it at a comfortable temperature, with good ventilation. Many people like to make their home office visibly different to the rest of their house, by having a differently-coloured carpet or wooden floor, or painting the walls an entirely different colour. Whatever you do, though, I have no doubt that it'll be better than 99% of the corporate offices out there. The most important thing is that you don't spend too much, but that you make sure to solve any problems you have with your space as soon as they come up.<
A Whole Other Building.
One thing that some people like to do when they set up home offices is to make it completely separate from their house: a business annex. This could be expensive -- for goodness' sake don't build a whole other building if you don't have something like a shed or garage to convert -- but it is also one of the most effective ways to work from home. It's not so much a 'home office' as an office that you've built right next to your home -- and it gives you a much clearer sense of when you're working and when you're not.
This option is especially worth considering if you do a manual trade, especially if you already have some kind of workshop space. I knew a carpenter who saved himself all sorts of headaches when he moved his home office away from his bedroom and into his existing workshop in his garage.
A Question of Tax.
When you're organising your home office, don't forget about tax. The area of your house that you do business in should be tax-deductible, and so should any equipment you buy or other work you have done. Don't use it as an excuse to get carried away, but do remember that you're not spending quite as much as you think. As long as you don't go overboard, your home office will be one of the most important investments you will make -- as anyone who's ever tried to work from home without one can tell you.
A Dedicated Space is Best.
I really believe that you won't get far unless you set aside a space and use it for work only. Why? Well, if you use your work space for things other than work, then you'll get distracted by anything you leave there. Other people in the family might become frustrated by not being able to use the space, or you might find that you simply don't have anywhere to put all the important pieces of paper you acquire, meaning that they get lost.
The Art of the Home Office.
A home office is really what you want -- this really needs to be a dedicated room of a reasonable size. You shouldn't have too much trouble if you convert a small bedroom, as most bedrooms are actually surprisingly large once you take away the bed.
Your essentials for a home office are a desk, chair, computer, filing cabinet and phone/fax. If you don't have spare ones of these lying around then you should buy them used, or from some kind of discount store -- don't spend a cent more than you need to on your office furniture and equipment, at least to begin with. Still, though, do try to find things that don't look too bad, and that match.
Do make sure that you have everything in the room that you'll need for your business, and that your equipment is good enough that you'll be able to use it for long periods of time without it becoming painful. If you plan to do a lot of phoning, for example, buy a headset so that you can do it hands-free. It's also worth spending just a little extra on that chair, if you're going to be sitting on it a lot.
You should also make sure that the room is well-lit and decorated in a style you like: one that says 'serious', but not 'dull, terrible work'. Keep it at a comfortable temperature, with good ventilation. Many people like to make their home office visibly different to the rest of their house, by having a differently-coloured carpet or wooden floor, or painting the walls an entirely different colour. Whatever you do, though, I have no doubt that it'll be better than 99% of the corporate offices out there. The most important thing is that you don't spend too much, but that you make sure to solve any problems you have with your space as soon as they come up.<
A Whole Other Building.
One thing that some people like to do when they set up home offices is to make it completely separate from their house: a business annex. This could be expensive -- for goodness' sake don't build a whole other building if you don't have something like a shed or garage to convert -- but it is also one of the most effective ways to work from home. It's not so much a 'home office' as an office that you've built right next to your home -- and it gives you a much clearer sense of when you're working and when you're not.
This option is especially worth considering if you do a manual trade, especially if you already have some kind of workshop space. I knew a carpenter who saved himself all sorts of headaches when he moved his home office away from his bedroom and into his existing workshop in his garage.
A Question of Tax.
When you're organising your home office, don't forget about tax. The area of your house that you do business in should be tax-deductible, and so should any equipment you buy or other work you have done. Don't use it as an excuse to get carried away, but do remember that you're not spending quite as much as you think. As long as you don't go overboard, your home office will be one of the most important investments you will make -- as anyone who's ever tried to work from home without one can tell you.
2011/11/03
How You Can Create Advertising That Sells...
A well-planned and properly executed marketing program should include a sufficient commitment of capital resources to an ongoing, well executed advertising program. Yes, this includes your business.
Businesses spend too many dollars, however, on ads that simply will not result in increased sales and profits. These ads are poorly conceived, poorly written, poorly designed, poorly targeted, and poorly placed.
Sounds like a poor way to do business, doesn't it?
I often ask clients (as tactfully as possible), why they have run a particular ad. I get a lot of blank stares. A few tense moments will pass while the client tries to think of a clever answer. "To get the company name out in front of the public so I can get more business." they reply, with some relief.
This poor soul has just described a lack of a well defined goal, which leads almost inevitably to what I call an institutional ad. An institutional ad can best be described as one which identifies the advertiser and lists address, telephone number, hours of operation, and (maybe) the company logo. That's it. What a terrible waste of money!
Unless your company grosses a billion dollars a year, you can't afford to do institutional ads. If your company does gross over a billion dollars a year...you're probably too smart to run institutional ads.
Every ad you run must result in increased sales and profits and an enhanced image for your company. Every ad should make the customer a solid offer and give the customer sound reasons to buy from you now. Remember, the customer is sitting back and asking, "What can you do for me?" If you're careful to answer that question with a powerful offer and reasons to buy now, you're on your way to advertising success...which results in increased sales and profits.
How can you improve your chances of increasing sales?
Let's look at some profit-producing ideas...
SEEK PROFESSIONAL HELP
Very few businesses are prepared or qualified to produce quality advertising. If you spend more than $2,000 per month in advertising, you should seriously consider hiring a qualified advertising professional. There are any number of skilled freelancers who can develop strategy, and create your marketing materials with a keen eye to using proven methods and techniques.
Good advertising talent always pays it's own way through increased sales and profits, improved cost-effectiveness, reduced selling costs, and shortened selling cycles.
If your resources are limited, don't feel lost. There's no reason why you can't learn to write an effective ad. That's what the rest of this article is all about...how you can create advertising that sells.
FOLLOW A PROVEN FORMULA
One of the oldest and most useful formulas for ad design takes its name from the opera Aida by Giuseppe Verde. In this case the letters A-I-D-A stand for ATTENTION, INTEREST, DESIRE, AND ACTION.
In it's simplest form this formula serves as a structural blueprint. It guides us to: (1) Get the prospect's Attention, (2) Foster his or her Interest in your offer, (3) build Desire for your product or service and (4) Generate some type of Action on the part of the buyer.
As we expand on each of these elements individually, you'll discover for yourself how to apply the formula to your specific situation.
ATTENTION (The Headline)
Hit your prospect right between the eyes with a magic wand. How? With a powerful benefit headline. The headline is the most important single element of your ad. You have two to three seconds to stop the reader as he or she passes by. You must stop the reader, and interest them in your benefit, if you expect them to read further.
A powerful headline will (1) stop the reader (2) isolate and qualify your best prospects, and (3) pull your reader into the sub-heads and body copy.
How do you write the attention-getting headline? First, carefully review all the benefits of-use of your product or service. Second, take your most important benefit and weave that benefit into your headline. Use action words to describe the benefit to one individual reader.
Here are some examples...
"Save 50% On Office Supplies...Send For Your Free Catalog Today !"
"How YOU Can Create Advertising That SELLS!"
"New! Amazing Techniques That You Can Use To Land A High-Paying Job...Today!"
"How To Design Profit-Producing Web Sites That SELL!"
APPEALING TO BUSINESS EXECUTIVES
When writing your ad to a business-to-business audience you should keep in mind the six key benefits most likely to get attention:
1.Save Money 2.Save Time 3.Increase Sales 4.Increase Profits 5.Enhance Image 6.Boost cash flow
Most other benefits are subordinate to these key six. I call them the"Business Benefit Six-Pack." Show your customer how your product or service provides these benefits, and you will dramatically improve your results.
INTEREST AND DESIRE> (The Offer, Body Copy, Benefits-Benefits- Benefits)
You build interest in your product or service (and the desire to buy) by making the customer a compelling offer and by describing as many benefits as possible in simple and interesting terms.
Tip # 1: Top ad pros always write the ad first, then buy whatever space necessary to display the ad message with clarity and power.
Tip # 2: Words sell...graphic design displays the words in a visually appealing way. Don't confuse the two. No amount of trendy design will make a poorly written ad sell for you. Good design reinforces good copy...it cannot take the place of it! The implication for internet marketers is that content is king. Avoid glitsy, moving graphics that only distract from your message and increase load times. Good design and good copy should work synergistically.
Tip #3: Long copy sells...as long as it's good copy. I call it "greased slide" copy. You get the reader on the top of the slide when he reads a powerful headline, and he can't get off until he has taken the action asked for (i.e., ordered the product, made the trip to the store, dialed the phone, clicked the order/inquiry button, filled out the on-line order, etc.).
ACTION(Ask For The Order)
Now comes the moment of truth. You must ask for the order. Give reasons for the customer to buy now...and make it easy for him to do so. In direct response marketing, this will involve a coupon for mail orders, a toll-free order line, an e-mail address, an on-line order form, a fax order line..any means to make it easy and simple to order!
Take the fear out of the purchase. Give solid guarantees. Offer secure ordering for on-line customers. Show testimonials from satisfied customers.
Show what the customer is going to lose if he doesn't order now.
If you are a retailer, include a map to your store(s) (newcomers love them). Show the credit cards you accept, list the hours of operation, tell them about your friendly staff, include a special coupon or other incentive. In other words, "Roll out the red carpet."
INVEST IN FUTURE PROFITS
So there you have it. A primer on good advertising. If I've piqued your interest to learn more, then check out the other articles available at this resource.
Remember, bad advertising...no matter what the media...is an unproductive expense.
Good advertising is an investment in future profits!
Good advertising and good management go together. You can't have a successful business on-line or off-line---without both.
Businesses spend too many dollars, however, on ads that simply will not result in increased sales and profits. These ads are poorly conceived, poorly written, poorly designed, poorly targeted, and poorly placed.
Sounds like a poor way to do business, doesn't it?
I often ask clients (as tactfully as possible), why they have run a particular ad. I get a lot of blank stares. A few tense moments will pass while the client tries to think of a clever answer. "To get the company name out in front of the public so I can get more business." they reply, with some relief.
This poor soul has just described a lack of a well defined goal, which leads almost inevitably to what I call an institutional ad. An institutional ad can best be described as one which identifies the advertiser and lists address, telephone number, hours of operation, and (maybe) the company logo. That's it. What a terrible waste of money!
Unless your company grosses a billion dollars a year, you can't afford to do institutional ads. If your company does gross over a billion dollars a year...you're probably too smart to run institutional ads.
Every ad you run must result in increased sales and profits and an enhanced image for your company. Every ad should make the customer a solid offer and give the customer sound reasons to buy from you now. Remember, the customer is sitting back and asking, "What can you do for me?" If you're careful to answer that question with a powerful offer and reasons to buy now, you're on your way to advertising success...which results in increased sales and profits.
How can you improve your chances of increasing sales?
Let's look at some profit-producing ideas...
SEEK PROFESSIONAL HELP
Very few businesses are prepared or qualified to produce quality advertising. If you spend more than $2,000 per month in advertising, you should seriously consider hiring a qualified advertising professional. There are any number of skilled freelancers who can develop strategy, and create your marketing materials with a keen eye to using proven methods and techniques.
Good advertising talent always pays it's own way through increased sales and profits, improved cost-effectiveness, reduced selling costs, and shortened selling cycles.
If your resources are limited, don't feel lost. There's no reason why you can't learn to write an effective ad. That's what the rest of this article is all about...how you can create advertising that sells.
FOLLOW A PROVEN FORMULA
One of the oldest and most useful formulas for ad design takes its name from the opera Aida by Giuseppe Verde. In this case the letters A-I-D-A stand for ATTENTION, INTEREST, DESIRE, AND ACTION.
In it's simplest form this formula serves as a structural blueprint. It guides us to: (1) Get the prospect's Attention, (2) Foster his or her Interest in your offer, (3) build Desire for your product or service and (4) Generate some type of Action on the part of the buyer.
As we expand on each of these elements individually, you'll discover for yourself how to apply the formula to your specific situation.
ATTENTION (The Headline)
Hit your prospect right between the eyes with a magic wand. How? With a powerful benefit headline. The headline is the most important single element of your ad. You have two to three seconds to stop the reader as he or she passes by. You must stop the reader, and interest them in your benefit, if you expect them to read further.
A powerful headline will (1) stop the reader (2) isolate and qualify your best prospects, and (3) pull your reader into the sub-heads and body copy.
How do you write the attention-getting headline? First, carefully review all the benefits of-use of your product or service. Second, take your most important benefit and weave that benefit into your headline. Use action words to describe the benefit to one individual reader.
Here are some examples...
"Save 50% On Office Supplies...Send For Your Free Catalog Today !"
"How YOU Can Create Advertising That SELLS!"
"New! Amazing Techniques That You Can Use To Land A High-Paying Job...Today!"
"How To Design Profit-Producing Web Sites That SELL!"
APPEALING TO BUSINESS EXECUTIVES
When writing your ad to a business-to-business audience you should keep in mind the six key benefits most likely to get attention:
1.Save Money 2.Save Time 3.Increase Sales 4.Increase Profits 5.Enhance Image 6.Boost cash flow
Most other benefits are subordinate to these key six. I call them the"Business Benefit Six-Pack." Show your customer how your product or service provides these benefits, and you will dramatically improve your results.
INTEREST AND DESIRE> (The Offer, Body Copy, Benefits-Benefits- Benefits)
You build interest in your product or service (and the desire to buy) by making the customer a compelling offer and by describing as many benefits as possible in simple and interesting terms.
Tip # 1: Top ad pros always write the ad first, then buy whatever space necessary to display the ad message with clarity and power.
Tip # 2: Words sell...graphic design displays the words in a visually appealing way. Don't confuse the two. No amount of trendy design will make a poorly written ad sell for you. Good design reinforces good copy...it cannot take the place of it! The implication for internet marketers is that content is king. Avoid glitsy, moving graphics that only distract from your message and increase load times. Good design and good copy should work synergistically.
Tip #3: Long copy sells...as long as it's good copy. I call it "greased slide" copy. You get the reader on the top of the slide when he reads a powerful headline, and he can't get off until he has taken the action asked for (i.e., ordered the product, made the trip to the store, dialed the phone, clicked the order/inquiry button, filled out the on-line order, etc.).
ACTION(Ask For The Order)
Now comes the moment of truth. You must ask for the order. Give reasons for the customer to buy now...and make it easy for him to do so. In direct response marketing, this will involve a coupon for mail orders, a toll-free order line, an e-mail address, an on-line order form, a fax order line..any means to make it easy and simple to order!
Take the fear out of the purchase. Give solid guarantees. Offer secure ordering for on-line customers. Show testimonials from satisfied customers.
Show what the customer is going to lose if he doesn't order now.
If you are a retailer, include a map to your store(s) (newcomers love them). Show the credit cards you accept, list the hours of operation, tell them about your friendly staff, include a special coupon or other incentive. In other words, "Roll out the red carpet."
INVEST IN FUTURE PROFITS
So there you have it. A primer on good advertising. If I've piqued your interest to learn more, then check out the other articles available at this resource.
Remember, bad advertising...no matter what the media...is an unproductive expense.
Good advertising is an investment in future profits!
Good advertising and good management go together. You can't have a successful business on-line or off-line---without both.
2011/10/30
The History of Hyundai
If you live in North America, you likely are now very familiar with the Hyundai line of vehicles. Back in 1986, the first Hyundai was introduced to the market – an Excel – and the company's line up has changed dramatically since that time. Hyundai produces much more than cars; in fact, by the end of the last century Hyundai became one of the largest companies in the world. Let's take a look at this Korean based multinational corporation and the company behind Hyundai vehicles.
It was back in 1946, just one year removed from Imperial Japan's occupation of the Korean peninsula, that a new company was birthed in what is now known as South Korea. Hyundai Motor Industrial Company was founded by Chung Ju-yung, a child of northern Korean peasant farmers, and in 1947 Ju-yung launched a second company, Hyundai Civil Industries. Self educated, Ju-yung transformed the entire Korean economy with the tight control he exerted over his Hyundai companies.
The first Hyundai business was tasked with building automobiles while the second Hyundai company concentrated on construction. Indeed, much of modern South Korea's infrastructure was built by Hyundai in the period after the cessation of the Korean War in 1953 and on through the 1970s. Dams, an expressway, a shipbuilding yard, and a nuclear power plant were all built by Hyundai Civil Industries, while Hyundai Motors produced cars made primarily from Japanese components. Hyundai's influence stretched far beyond the Korean peninsula as the company won contracts to build an expressway in Thailand and a major port in Saudi Arabia. Clearly, Hyundai dominated the Korean market and quickly became a major player on the international scene.
By the 1970s Hyundai began to build vessels as well as shipyards and by 1986 Hyundai produced its first vehicle made entirely from Korean components. From the 1980s forward Hyundai added additional specialties including the building of semiconductors and magnetic levitation trains.
All hasn't been glossy for the company, however. Decades of labor problems culminating in new employee safety standards put in place from the 1990s on, tempered the Hyundai mystique. Indeed, up to that time the company was cited for having the worst safety standards of any corporation in the industrialized world.
Cars were another source of problems for what became known as the Hyundai Group. Although now manufacturing their own vehicles, the quality of Hyundai vehicles for the first decade was considered by automobile experts to be sub-par. Today, Hyundai vehicles and Hyundai parts are, for the most part, slightly above average in quality compared to the industry as a whole.
With Chung Ju-yung's death in 2001, Hyundai was divided up into three separate companies: Hyundai Heavy Industries, the Hyundai Motor Group, and Hyundai Engineering and Construction. Today, all three Hyundai companies continue to compete successfully in the global marketplace thanks to the vision of a peasant farmer.
It was back in 1946, just one year removed from Imperial Japan's occupation of the Korean peninsula, that a new company was birthed in what is now known as South Korea. Hyundai Motor Industrial Company was founded by Chung Ju-yung, a child of northern Korean peasant farmers, and in 1947 Ju-yung launched a second company, Hyundai Civil Industries. Self educated, Ju-yung transformed the entire Korean economy with the tight control he exerted over his Hyundai companies.
The first Hyundai business was tasked with building automobiles while the second Hyundai company concentrated on construction. Indeed, much of modern South Korea's infrastructure was built by Hyundai in the period after the cessation of the Korean War in 1953 and on through the 1970s. Dams, an expressway, a shipbuilding yard, and a nuclear power plant were all built by Hyundai Civil Industries, while Hyundai Motors produced cars made primarily from Japanese components. Hyundai's influence stretched far beyond the Korean peninsula as the company won contracts to build an expressway in Thailand and a major port in Saudi Arabia. Clearly, Hyundai dominated the Korean market and quickly became a major player on the international scene.
By the 1970s Hyundai began to build vessels as well as shipyards and by 1986 Hyundai produced its first vehicle made entirely from Korean components. From the 1980s forward Hyundai added additional specialties including the building of semiconductors and magnetic levitation trains.
All hasn't been glossy for the company, however. Decades of labor problems culminating in new employee safety standards put in place from the 1990s on, tempered the Hyundai mystique. Indeed, up to that time the company was cited for having the worst safety standards of any corporation in the industrialized world.
Cars were another source of problems for what became known as the Hyundai Group. Although now manufacturing their own vehicles, the quality of Hyundai vehicles for the first decade was considered by automobile experts to be sub-par. Today, Hyundai vehicles and Hyundai parts are, for the most part, slightly above average in quality compared to the industry as a whole.
With Chung Ju-yung's death in 2001, Hyundai was divided up into three separate companies: Hyundai Heavy Industries, the Hyundai Motor Group, and Hyundai Engineering and Construction. Today, all three Hyundai companies continue to compete successfully in the global marketplace thanks to the vision of a peasant farmer.
2011/10/25
Empowering Your Manager
"So much of what we call management consists in making it difficult for people to work."
- Peter Drucker
Managing is often equated with controls rather than leading and developing a business. The manager feels more comfortable and secure when they are able to put in strict controls on everything that happens in a business organization. This is so especially of Senior Managements where the controls and directing becomes so severe that it erodes any creative freedom for the middle managers to work towards achieving the goals set out for them.
Here are a few simple prescriptions to get the best out of your managers.
Avoid Centralizing Decision Making
This is perhaps one of the best ways to achieve totals control. You feel by centralizing decision making you will be able to avoid wrong decisions. While this may be so to some extent who is to prevent your own wrong decisions. Unless your managers are able to make mistakes and learn from them you will never be able to develop expertise through experience. Centralizing decision making is also the surest method to kill your business growth.
Provide Working Space
The top management often entrust tasks and responsibilities to their subordinate managers. More often than not any specific time frames which are comfortable to achieve the given responsibilities or tasks are discussed. However in their anxiety or aggressiveness and sometimes over enthusiasm you start chasing your subordinate for action and results. If you do it too soon and too often you are severely limited the working space of your managers. They may be spending more time in complying with your commands rather than focusing on operational priorities and important tasks.
If you are not providing sufficient working space for your managers you are surely heading towards disaster as important tasks may be getting neglected to escape from your frequent and aggressive follow ups.
Listen to Your Managers
While experience is an asset it also makes one arrogant and conceited. Sometimes one tends to believe because he is the superior, he always right. The Boss Is Always Right principle looks good only on posters. It doesn't work if you want to build a Professional organization.
Cultivate the ability to listen to the voice of your managers. Most times they know better as they are more familiar with the ground realities. If you decide on their behalf and just issue orders, you will have clerks in the guise of managers as you have killed their initiative.
Don't Get Into the Nitty Gritties
Once broad goals and objectives are set with specific time frames and key results are outlined leave your managers to perform. If you get into too many details and meddle with the execution at every stage, you may be sure to mess up the entire process and ultimately the results.
The key to managing effectively is to empower people across the management structure so that they feel part of the responsibility and ownership.
- Peter Drucker
Managing is often equated with controls rather than leading and developing a business. The manager feels more comfortable and secure when they are able to put in strict controls on everything that happens in a business organization. This is so especially of Senior Managements where the controls and directing becomes so severe that it erodes any creative freedom for the middle managers to work towards achieving the goals set out for them.
Here are a few simple prescriptions to get the best out of your managers.
Avoid Centralizing Decision Making
This is perhaps one of the best ways to achieve totals control. You feel by centralizing decision making you will be able to avoid wrong decisions. While this may be so to some extent who is to prevent your own wrong decisions. Unless your managers are able to make mistakes and learn from them you will never be able to develop expertise through experience. Centralizing decision making is also the surest method to kill your business growth.
Provide Working Space
The top management often entrust tasks and responsibilities to their subordinate managers. More often than not any specific time frames which are comfortable to achieve the given responsibilities or tasks are discussed. However in their anxiety or aggressiveness and sometimes over enthusiasm you start chasing your subordinate for action and results. If you do it too soon and too often you are severely limited the working space of your managers. They may be spending more time in complying with your commands rather than focusing on operational priorities and important tasks.
If you are not providing sufficient working space for your managers you are surely heading towards disaster as important tasks may be getting neglected to escape from your frequent and aggressive follow ups.
Listen to Your Managers
While experience is an asset it also makes one arrogant and conceited. Sometimes one tends to believe because he is the superior, he always right. The Boss Is Always Right principle looks good only on posters. It doesn't work if you want to build a Professional organization.
Cultivate the ability to listen to the voice of your managers. Most times they know better as they are more familiar with the ground realities. If you decide on their behalf and just issue orders, you will have clerks in the guise of managers as you have killed their initiative.
Don't Get Into the Nitty Gritties
Once broad goals and objectives are set with specific time frames and key results are outlined leave your managers to perform. If you get into too many details and meddle with the execution at every stage, you may be sure to mess up the entire process and ultimately the results.
The key to managing effectively is to empower people across the management structure so that they feel part of the responsibility and ownership.
2011/10/15
Who's the First Person to Greet Your Customer?
I approached her sliding glass window and stood in back of a gentleman whom I assumed she was helping. After about three minutes, I realized he was waiting for the office manager and she could have acknowledged my presence. I stepped up to the window; she did not say good morning; she did not smile; she just glared at me. I started to speak; she pointed a finger at a clip board with a paper to fill out. I placed the completed sheet in front of her, perhaps expecting a thank you or a smile or at least 'have a seat; the doctor will see you soon'.
I was so intrigued by her manner that I watched her interaction with the other patients. The man sitting next to me started to tell me that even though he had an appointment he had been waiting a long time. He told me he was extremely dissatisfied with the way the place was run and was starting to regret his association with this office. With a bit of humor, I told him I was watching the receptionist and asked if she had uttered a word to him. He started to laugh, and said, "Come to think of it, not a word!"
The next patient to come in was an older woman with a walker. The receptionist was not at her desk so the woman took a seat and waited for her return. She again pointed at the clip board, took the form, threw her sliding glass door closed and said nothing. The next one was the mailman, who I'm sure she sees daily. Again, not a smile or a hello; she stuck out her hand for the mail and handed him the outgoing mail
Now my new disgruntled friend and I were sort of enjoying this and decided that maybe she was a mute….and then it happened. A good-looking UPS delivery man came in. Lo and behold, there was a big smile and a voice that was able to say good morning! That was short lived. She treated the rest of the patients in her same rude uncaring manner, a total lack of personality.
To me, the ability to positively interact with the customer, no matter what the business, is most essential. Hire your receptionist with as much thought as you would hire a sales person. Some smart person once said "If today you give a stranger one of your smiles, it might be the only sunshine he sees all day.
I was so intrigued by her manner that I watched her interaction with the other patients. The man sitting next to me started to tell me that even though he had an appointment he had been waiting a long time. He told me he was extremely dissatisfied with the way the place was run and was starting to regret his association with this office. With a bit of humor, I told him I was watching the receptionist and asked if she had uttered a word to him. He started to laugh, and said, "Come to think of it, not a word!"
The next patient to come in was an older woman with a walker. The receptionist was not at her desk so the woman took a seat and waited for her return. She again pointed at the clip board, took the form, threw her sliding glass door closed and said nothing. The next one was the mailman, who I'm sure she sees daily. Again, not a smile or a hello; she stuck out her hand for the mail and handed him the outgoing mail
Now my new disgruntled friend and I were sort of enjoying this and decided that maybe she was a mute….and then it happened. A good-looking UPS delivery man came in. Lo and behold, there was a big smile and a voice that was able to say good morning! That was short lived. She treated the rest of the patients in her same rude uncaring manner, a total lack of personality.
To me, the ability to positively interact with the customer, no matter what the business, is most essential. Hire your receptionist with as much thought as you would hire a sales person. Some smart person once said "If today you give a stranger one of your smiles, it might be the only sunshine he sees all day.
2011/10/03
Catch the Spirit of the Entrepreneur
Grabbing opportunities with open arms is often easier to talk about than to actually do. Most people find themselves dreaming about being rich but never actually doing anything about it. A combination of procrastination and 'what if' syndrome can cripple your creative spirit and might mean your idea will never become a reality.
Socrates said "Action equals knowledge'. He was one of the greatest philosophers of our time. What he meant was that it is through action that we achieve results.
For example, you could think about learning Spanish for months, imagining the holidays you will take and the people you will communicate with. You can dream forever but accomplish nothing unless you actually make the effort to start taking lessons.
Much like the martial arts approach - the idea is to take action immediately and avoid over analyzing the situation.
Do you want to start your own business but are afraid of what kinds of things can go wrong? What if your initial investment doesn't pay off? There are millions of things that could go wrong but likewise there are many things that can go right! Fear can be paralyzing. When thinking about starting a business particularly if you keep waiting for the right time. There will never be a perfect time. It's now or never when it comes to starting your own business. <
Overcoming your fear is a step by step process.
- Do you have a clear idea of what kind of business you want to start? A clear plan will help keep your worries at bay.
- Do you have access to the resources you will need? This includes the necessary start up cash as well as anything else you will need.
- Do you have access to clients or do you know enough about marketing basics to ensure you will have enough interest in what you are offering?
Just like anything - taking action is the most important part. Make an itemized list of what you feel needs to be done in order for you to start that business you always dreamed of.
Prioritizing your list will help too. Don't wait for all your ducks to be in a proverbial row before you begin but make sure you have all the basics covered. Don't wait for that 'perfect someday'. Make an imperfect start.
Don't over think everything. Sometimes the best approach is to just jump into the deep end.
Don't wait to start discovering your own entrepreneurial spirit. Take action today!
Socrates said "Action equals knowledge'. He was one of the greatest philosophers of our time. What he meant was that it is through action that we achieve results.
For example, you could think about learning Spanish for months, imagining the holidays you will take and the people you will communicate with. You can dream forever but accomplish nothing unless you actually make the effort to start taking lessons.
Much like the martial arts approach - the idea is to take action immediately and avoid over analyzing the situation.
Do you want to start your own business but are afraid of what kinds of things can go wrong? What if your initial investment doesn't pay off? There are millions of things that could go wrong but likewise there are many things that can go right! Fear can be paralyzing. When thinking about starting a business particularly if you keep waiting for the right time. There will never be a perfect time. It's now or never when it comes to starting your own business. <
Overcoming your fear is a step by step process.
- Do you have a clear idea of what kind of business you want to start? A clear plan will help keep your worries at bay.
- Do you have access to the resources you will need? This includes the necessary start up cash as well as anything else you will need.
- Do you have access to clients or do you know enough about marketing basics to ensure you will have enough interest in what you are offering?
Just like anything - taking action is the most important part. Make an itemized list of what you feel needs to be done in order for you to start that business you always dreamed of.
Prioritizing your list will help too. Don't wait for all your ducks to be in a proverbial row before you begin but make sure you have all the basics covered. Don't wait for that 'perfect someday'. Make an imperfect start.
Don't over think everything. Sometimes the best approach is to just jump into the deep end.
Don't wait to start discovering your own entrepreneurial spirit. Take action today!
2011/10/01
Team Building Training
Where "training" is concerned as a part of team building, this often refers to a more skills-centered approach, rather than the more generalized methods of team development. However, your team building training will depend both on the needs of your organization, and the style and capabilities of the team building consultant you bring in to facilitate the process. Virtually any team building activities can be made more or less training-oriented to suit your goals and expectations.
Team building is a process of bringing together individuals who need to work cooperatively and providing activities or exercises that help develop the basic skills required for effective teamwork, including:
- good communication skills, including conflict management
- the ability to clarify goals and work cooperatively towards achieving these
- staying focused on the task at hand
- problem solving
- the importance of each individual's contribution towards the greater goal
These general concepts will carry over in the form of improved interpersonal relationships at the office, improved morale and more effective communication and cooperative efforts during the course of daily work. The ultimate result of a happier, more motivated team is increased productivity for the company as a whole.
As mentioned, these benefits can be augmented by focusing on specific problem areas your team may be encountering, or areas for improvement. It may be helpful to sit down together before choosing an approach to training, to allow each team member to voice any concerns, issues they would like help addressing, suggestions, and so on. The intention behind team building and training is to empower each team member to be as effective as possible, not to point out deficiencies or place blame. The more involved each individual can be at each step of the process, the more helpful the experience is likely to be.
Finding ways to help a group of individuals function effectively as a cohesive team is a process that requires structure and commitment over time, as well as regular review. Like any other relationship, communication, change and growth are all necessary components of the way team members work together, and the working relationship will evolve naturally over time given the attention it needs. Periodic team building training will ensure everyone is on the same page, and going in the right direction.
Take some time to explore the vast range of team development resources available and start to think about methods that may be the most useful for your team. Try to keep an emphasis on the fun side of learning and make the experience an enjoyable one. Remind your team of their many strengths as you explore ways to become more effective together. With a clear, shared focus on goals you maximize your combined ability to reach the desired outcome, and can look forward to celebrating future successes.
Team building is a process of bringing together individuals who need to work cooperatively and providing activities or exercises that help develop the basic skills required for effective teamwork, including:
- good communication skills, including conflict management
- the ability to clarify goals and work cooperatively towards achieving these
- staying focused on the task at hand
- problem solving
- the importance of each individual's contribution towards the greater goal
These general concepts will carry over in the form of improved interpersonal relationships at the office, improved morale and more effective communication and cooperative efforts during the course of daily work. The ultimate result of a happier, more motivated team is increased productivity for the company as a whole.
As mentioned, these benefits can be augmented by focusing on specific problem areas your team may be encountering, or areas for improvement. It may be helpful to sit down together before choosing an approach to training, to allow each team member to voice any concerns, issues they would like help addressing, suggestions, and so on. The intention behind team building and training is to empower each team member to be as effective as possible, not to point out deficiencies or place blame. The more involved each individual can be at each step of the process, the more helpful the experience is likely to be.
Finding ways to help a group of individuals function effectively as a cohesive team is a process that requires structure and commitment over time, as well as regular review. Like any other relationship, communication, change and growth are all necessary components of the way team members work together, and the working relationship will evolve naturally over time given the attention it needs. Periodic team building training will ensure everyone is on the same page, and going in the right direction.
Take some time to explore the vast range of team development resources available and start to think about methods that may be the most useful for your team. Try to keep an emphasis on the fun side of learning and make the experience an enjoyable one. Remind your team of their many strengths as you explore ways to become more effective together. With a clear, shared focus on goals you maximize your combined ability to reach the desired outcome, and can look forward to celebrating future successes.
2011/09/24
Why Entrepreneurs Fail
In my 25 + years working with professionals in Business Development, universally I've discovered that they have learned to think like entrepreneurs. This is what has allowed them to rise to the top of their profession. Each would tell you that along the way they have learned how to think differently.
True entrepreneurs struggle with their business opportunities for a variety of reasons. Among the most obvious are a lack of capital, lack of understanding about marketing, and personnel issues. However, from my own entrepreneurial experience and knowledge of others, there are three major reasons individuals fail in entrepreneurial ventures.
They tie the success of their business with their own self worth.
They neglect to set realistic goals and plans for themselves and their business.
They are not prepared to pay the price of success.
True entrepreneurs with the right thinking prevail over a period of time. They have learned to understand the axiom Roles, Goals, and Tolls.
Roles
Successful entrepreneurs, in contrast to those who struggle, have learned to separate their roles in life from their self worth or self-identity. They understand that role performance or failure with their own venture is not a judgment of them as an individual. People who tend to equate their self-worth to their composite role identity are inherently risk-adverse and look to maintain the status quo. Being able to differentiate these two identities allows them to be risk prone vs. risk adverse, a key ingredient to success as an entrepreneur. Individuals who have risked failure, experienced it, and learned from it, have not only learned how to differentiate their role identity from their self-identity, they have learned the lessons of risking and failing. They understand that early failure in ventures is a natural part of successful startups. They are able to embrace those experiences, learn from them quickly and move on. This is critical to success as an entrepreneur. They must be willing to face and deal with early failures in order to prevail over time.
Goals
Even though much is said and written about goals and plans being necessary for success as an entrepreneur, few people learn the mechanics of successful goal setting and planning. It's not the plan but the planning that is important, and the goal setting process allows them to develop the confidence to take risks and fail. Successful entrepreneurs are not only goal driven and goal oriented; they have learned to execute the process of strategic and tactical goal setting and planning. Visualizing goals, writing them down and putting together a detailed plan for achievement provides the confidence and motivation to prevail. More than just business or operational plans, they have goals and plans for all the important roles in their life. They have learned early that if they aren't working their own plan they are probably part of someone else's goals or plans. They chart their own destiny, embrace risk-taking leadership positions, make adjustments as required and prevail over a course of time.
Tolls
Finally, entrepreneurs understand that there is a toll to pay. To be successful in any role in life you must be prepared to pay full price one time. There are really no overnight successes as an entrepreneur. In fact, I've heard it said that overnight success generally takes 15-20 years. One of the early tolls that entrepreneurs are quite often forced to face is the "re-making" of themselves that can include growing beyond their current circle of contacts. Since most people tend to stay within their own psychological comfort zone, they begin to lose identity with the risk taker. They are comfortable with the type of person who is more like them. Quite often the entrepreneur moves on to a different circle of associates who understand the journey. Stepping out, being your own person and venturing into the risk prone unknown is lonely by itself. Consequently, there can be a newfound stress in old relationships. It's been said before that pioneers get shot in the front and the back, and only through a process of differentiating role performance from self-worth, being risk prone, prevailing through adversity, sticking to your goals, and adjusting your plans will you be prepared to pay the daily toll.
An entrepreneur has much to learn in order to be successful, including the day-to-day mechanics of running a business, producing products, delivering services, making money and dealing with people. The biggest challenge of all is developing an understanding of themselves. They come to grips with what they want and what motivates them; this sustains their willingness to prevail over the long term against adversity. Successful entrepreneurs have learned to transform their thinking, allowing them to prevail where others fail along the way.
Bill Scheessele is the President, Founder and CEO of Mastering Business Development, Inc., a 25-year Business Development consulting and training company. MBDi consults with firms in the energy, nuclear, engineering, pharmaceutical, IT, and other highly technical service industries helping them build proactive Business Development teams. He can be reached at 704.553.0000 or info@mbdi.com.
True entrepreneurs struggle with their business opportunities for a variety of reasons. Among the most obvious are a lack of capital, lack of understanding about marketing, and personnel issues. However, from my own entrepreneurial experience and knowledge of others, there are three major reasons individuals fail in entrepreneurial ventures.
They tie the success of their business with their own self worth.
They neglect to set realistic goals and plans for themselves and their business.
They are not prepared to pay the price of success.
True entrepreneurs with the right thinking prevail over a period of time. They have learned to understand the axiom Roles, Goals, and Tolls.
Roles
Successful entrepreneurs, in contrast to those who struggle, have learned to separate their roles in life from their self worth or self-identity. They understand that role performance or failure with their own venture is not a judgment of them as an individual. People who tend to equate their self-worth to their composite role identity are inherently risk-adverse and look to maintain the status quo. Being able to differentiate these two identities allows them to be risk prone vs. risk adverse, a key ingredient to success as an entrepreneur. Individuals who have risked failure, experienced it, and learned from it, have not only learned how to differentiate their role identity from their self-identity, they have learned the lessons of risking and failing. They understand that early failure in ventures is a natural part of successful startups. They are able to embrace those experiences, learn from them quickly and move on. This is critical to success as an entrepreneur. They must be willing to face and deal with early failures in order to prevail over time.
Goals
Even though much is said and written about goals and plans being necessary for success as an entrepreneur, few people learn the mechanics of successful goal setting and planning. It's not the plan but the planning that is important, and the goal setting process allows them to develop the confidence to take risks and fail. Successful entrepreneurs are not only goal driven and goal oriented; they have learned to execute the process of strategic and tactical goal setting and planning. Visualizing goals, writing them down and putting together a detailed plan for achievement provides the confidence and motivation to prevail. More than just business or operational plans, they have goals and plans for all the important roles in their life. They have learned early that if they aren't working their own plan they are probably part of someone else's goals or plans. They chart their own destiny, embrace risk-taking leadership positions, make adjustments as required and prevail over a course of time.
Tolls
Finally, entrepreneurs understand that there is a toll to pay. To be successful in any role in life you must be prepared to pay full price one time. There are really no overnight successes as an entrepreneur. In fact, I've heard it said that overnight success generally takes 15-20 years. One of the early tolls that entrepreneurs are quite often forced to face is the "re-making" of themselves that can include growing beyond their current circle of contacts. Since most people tend to stay within their own psychological comfort zone, they begin to lose identity with the risk taker. They are comfortable with the type of person who is more like them. Quite often the entrepreneur moves on to a different circle of associates who understand the journey. Stepping out, being your own person and venturing into the risk prone unknown is lonely by itself. Consequently, there can be a newfound stress in old relationships. It's been said before that pioneers get shot in the front and the back, and only through a process of differentiating role performance from self-worth, being risk prone, prevailing through adversity, sticking to your goals, and adjusting your plans will you be prepared to pay the daily toll.
An entrepreneur has much to learn in order to be successful, including the day-to-day mechanics of running a business, producing products, delivering services, making money and dealing with people. The biggest challenge of all is developing an understanding of themselves. They come to grips with what they want and what motivates them; this sustains their willingness to prevail over the long term against adversity. Successful entrepreneurs have learned to transform their thinking, allowing them to prevail where others fail along the way.
Bill Scheessele is the President, Founder and CEO of Mastering Business Development, Inc., a 25-year Business Development consulting and training company. MBDi consults with firms in the energy, nuclear, engineering, pharmaceutical, IT, and other highly technical service industries helping them build proactive Business Development teams. He can be reached at 704.553.0000 or info@mbdi.com.
2011/09/11
5 Ways to Incorporate Network Marketing with Your Home-Based Business Opportunity
Many people are looking for a new business opportunity to make money at home. The Internet has made it possible to market products and services all over the world. This has created a huge potential for individuals to be involved in their own home business.
Some people work at home for themselves, providing services to others, or selling their own exclusive products. There are business opportunities in MLM, and network marketing that allow a person to earn money while selling for someone else. Either way, it depends on the ambition and dedication of the person involved. Any business can become a success with hard work and a product that is easy to sell.
Finding a Business Opportunity
Network marketing is about selling and dispersal. You want to get your product known to prospective customers and have it distributed so that it creates more sales for you. By investing a small sum of money, you can begin to make money and work from home selling your own products or products for another company.
Promote Your Business
The first and best form of advertising and marketing is word of mouth. Whenever a person finds a new product, or a new store, new doctor, or a new restaurant, they tell everyone they know about it. This stirs up interest and encourages people to try something new. If you have a product or service to sell, the ones who use it will become your best form of advertisement. Many businesses depend on this positive form of network marketing.
Secondly, to make your product known to more people, try printing business cards to hand out everywhere you go. When you go to the grocery store, church, school meetings or other everyday places, hand your cards out with a friendly smile. This will spread your name and increase your business opportunity.
Thirdly, you can promote your products through your own website or by emailing people from related websites. The Internet is also useful for marketing by submitting articles related to your products to other websites.
Fourthly, another effective network marketing tool is a send-out card. These keep you in touch with your clients and customers by using a more personal approach. Sending an email is easy and cheap but it does not seem as personal as a card addressed to them
Fifthly, network marketing is not just about making a one-time sale. You need to generate new sales and keep your customers coming back for repeat business. A business opportunity that enables you to add products or sell multiple products to your previous customers will give you a solid foundation for building a steady yearly income.
Following up on your customers will build a relationship that will develop confidence in your home business. By thanking your customers for their business and staying in touch, you show them how valuable their business is to you.
Build Your Home Business
The success of your home business will depend on your dedication and hard work. You don't have to start out with a lot of overhead expenses and huge facilities. By investing a few hours a week, you can slowly build your business and not be overwhelmed by debt. Start working today to build up your home business and enjoy fulfillment and financial security.
Some people work at home for themselves, providing services to others, or selling their own exclusive products. There are business opportunities in MLM, and network marketing that allow a person to earn money while selling for someone else. Either way, it depends on the ambition and dedication of the person involved. Any business can become a success with hard work and a product that is easy to sell.
Finding a Business Opportunity
Network marketing is about selling and dispersal. You want to get your product known to prospective customers and have it distributed so that it creates more sales for you. By investing a small sum of money, you can begin to make money and work from home selling your own products or products for another company.
Promote Your Business
The first and best form of advertising and marketing is word of mouth. Whenever a person finds a new product, or a new store, new doctor, or a new restaurant, they tell everyone they know about it. This stirs up interest and encourages people to try something new. If you have a product or service to sell, the ones who use it will become your best form of advertisement. Many businesses depend on this positive form of network marketing.
Secondly, to make your product known to more people, try printing business cards to hand out everywhere you go. When you go to the grocery store, church, school meetings or other everyday places, hand your cards out with a friendly smile. This will spread your name and increase your business opportunity.
Thirdly, you can promote your products through your own website or by emailing people from related websites. The Internet is also useful for marketing by submitting articles related to your products to other websites.
Fourthly, another effective network marketing tool is a send-out card. These keep you in touch with your clients and customers by using a more personal approach. Sending an email is easy and cheap but it does not seem as personal as a card addressed to them
Fifthly, network marketing is not just about making a one-time sale. You need to generate new sales and keep your customers coming back for repeat business. A business opportunity that enables you to add products or sell multiple products to your previous customers will give you a solid foundation for building a steady yearly income.
Following up on your customers will build a relationship that will develop confidence in your home business. By thanking your customers for their business and staying in touch, you show them how valuable their business is to you.
Build Your Home Business
The success of your home business will depend on your dedication and hard work. You don't have to start out with a lot of overhead expenses and huge facilities. By investing a few hours a week, you can slowly build your business and not be overwhelmed by debt. Start working today to build up your home business and enjoy fulfillment and financial security.
2011/09/02
What Is a Viral Blog System and Why You Need One
Can you imagine how powerful a viral blog system is and why you need one now? Have you ever been first at anything? Have you ever wondered how peoples content ranks first in the search engines? Search Engine Optimization is a key strategy that internet marketers use when writing content online for their personal blog to get it to rank on the first page of Google, Yahoo and Bing. A viral blog system will also give you leverage that you need to rank through long-tail keywords if you tag your post correctly without having to do many of the extra required steps needed to rank in the search engines.
Why You Need to Have a Viral Blog System: Now
The authority of using a viral blog system is so beneficial that not only will you begin to see your content ranking under your viral blog URL, but as you post the same content on your personal blog and link it to your blog system you will begin to rank in two or more spots on the first page of the search engines under your keyword. It's that powerful. I think its a must have if you want to dominate the search engines with your content as king or queen to bring exposure to who you are and what you represent on the web.
It doesn't matter what kind of service you offer or field you're in, blog about it on your new system you will rule the search engines and position yourself as an expert in your field and an expert in the field of internet marketing or affiliate marketing. People will want to hear what you have to say because of your rank in the search engines as you establish credibility. It is better to teach someone how to fish as oppose to giving them the fish any day. There are people who need what you have to offer. They have been waiting to hear your stories and ideas. Your test is a testimony to someone else so share it with the world. The key is staying consistent in posting. If you write about something you love about it shouldn't be difficult. Most people get hung up on how to optimize your content for the search engines to pick it up. That's why we blog anyway right?
You can learn how to leverage the internet with a viral blog system and be a leader to people who have waiting for what you have to offer.
Best Regards,
Leah R. Evans
How to Blog Tips
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Leah_Evans
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6758154
2011/08/30
What Is A Niche And 3 Examples To Help You See Niches Everywhere
The term niche marketing is often heard these days on the internet and many people talk about niche marketing and the benefits of creating niche markets. This article explores what a niche is as you must understand this before you can understand niche marketing which will be covered in another article.
A niche is various things, a recess in a wall, a hollow in a rock or in the sense that we will be using the word niche, it is a distinct segment or section of a market, product or service.
There are niches everywhere - you just have to start looking at things from a "niche perspective". Instead of seeing the large markets, start seeing the ones that are a part of it, and if those are large, see the ones that are in them.
Here is a 3 examples to help you start to see the niche markets that are around you and you can see nearly everyday.
1. Food
We all need food, we all buy food, we all know food and of course food is a very large market. In order to get an idea of how to find a niche market, think of a supermarket where you do your grocery shopping.
Notice how there are sections and aisles and each section or aisle is sorted with different products. For example, there may have a dairy section, a biscuits or cookies aisle, a fresh produce section and a meat section. Think of each of these sections or aisles as niches of the food market.
Now within each of these food niches are yet more niches! Think of the meat section and in there you have beef, sheep, poultry and pork. These are niches within the meat niche which is part of the food market.
Even smaller, within each of those niches would be chicken wings, steak, chops and leg roasts.
Another example of this would be the cleaning products that may be in one aisle. There are bathroom cleaners, kitchen cleaners, floor cleaners and a whole other host of cleaners that would fit into a niche.
2. Cars
We see cars everyday and we may also own one and use one. You can use your car as another way for you to learn what is a niche.
Let us start with just cars. To start off with there are so many different types of cars that would be part of a niche belonging to cars. There are small cars, big cars, cheap cars, expensive cars, custom cars, brand bars, sedans, station wagons, four wheel drives and the SUV.
There are also all of the other niches that relate to cars - just think what you have to buy for your car. For example, petrol, oil, mechanical repairs, tyres and cleaning products are just some of the things that people who own cars spend their money on.
3. Relationships
The first two examples of niches are physical items, but niches are also in non physical forms. Relationships is a large market and within it are niches like dating, how to get your ex back, how to attract people, how to save your marriage and a whole lot of other things. All you need to do is start looking for them!
Further Reading:
Explosive Niches is a free ebook that will give you more ideas as well as lists of highly profitable niche markets.
It is available for immediate download at the Highly Profitable Niche Markets website.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Johnny_Buckley
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6756793
2011/08/18
Internet Marketing Services or the Simple Way to Establish a Powerful Online Identity
Potential customers spend most of their time nowadays on the internet, so this makes internet marketing services for modern businesses indispensable. Internet marketing is a fast-growing area and it is also a cheap and reliable method of targeting audiences without making big investments. The survival of a business is in direct connection with the marketing strategies and tools one uses to promote his products and services, to establish a popular online presence and to send out his message in a timely manner.
With quality internet marketing services, you have literally endless possibilities of promoting your services, not to mention that you can customize these options to work for your personal business. To this purpose, you need to resort to quality internet marketing services and hire professionals to implement all the below aspects into your marketing strategy:
• Social media marketing - one of the most powerful tools of targeting audiences in a cheap and effective way. Platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and MySpace allow business owners to advertise their products in a very efficient manner.
• Email marketing - Sending advertisements and promotional messages to clients in order to maintain constant communication.
• Web analytics
• Link Building - Driving more traffic to your pages by having quality links generated from popular and trustworthy sources.
• E-commerce
• Article marketing and directory submission
These are only a few services that can increase your chances of success by creating efficient advertising approaches. A lot of people are trustful that an online identity can be established in a simple and cheap manner, but only professional internet marketing services can produce good results for your target audience. Especially in this fierce competition between service providers, a lot of importance is given to the professional image you establish on the internet.
Professionals that provide internet marketing services are able to analyze your professional goals, your financial resources and understand what type of products and services you provide and who are they addressed to, so that the marketing campaign they design fits your needs and goals perfectly. A good plan, wise strategies and a lot of tools and resources are needed to design an efficient campaign and to get your money's worth, so only professionals are able to see every angle of this project and provide reliable solutions.
What should you expect from resorting to quality internet marketing services? Not only will you be able to see results in a short while, but your business will benefit from these services in numerous ways:
• Establishing a powerful web presence
• Sending out promotional messages to potential clients and establish direct interaction with them by means of email marketing and social bookmarking
• Increased brand awareness and profits
• Increased traffic on your website pages
• Analyze customer responses and enjoy immediate results
• Building business-to-business or business-to-client relationships.
Investing in quality internet marketing services is a means of helping yourself survive on the market and stay updated with the trends and directions of today's society. Online marketers can help you achieve these goals without spending all your savings or waiting for a long time to see actual results.
If you need some quality online marketing services, visit Internet Marketing Services.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Thomas_M_Johanson
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6761905
2011/08/05
Is It Possible to Make Money Online By Selling Your Own Non Physical Products?
Do you want to find a way that makes money from the internet? In this article you will learn a way that sells non physical products for customers who really need them. Non physical products are the same as digital products. They can be ebooks, video files or mp3 files. The type of products depends on which type you will choose. You can choose any type you like. So in order to sell those products, you will need to create your own online business. It will be a real online business which will make you money from the internet. To make successful business online, you will need to work hard. It won't be as difficult as an offline business because you won't need a lot of money or effort to start an online business. Basically you will have to create non physical products by yourself. Therefore, you will sell them for a very high price and your monthly income will be wealthy. Now let's get down to business.
In order to sell digital products and make money online, you will need four things. They are a business idea, a website, digital products and customers. These things are the most important parts of the online business. If you miss just one part, you won't be able to make money at all. Certainly, there are other less significant parts of the online business, but first you must focus only on the most important parts. Now I will explain about each of the most important parts.
1. A business idea is a very critical part of the online business. Your success depends on this part. Therefore, you will need a clear idea of what you want to sell online. If you shy away from this part or you are not ready for real business, you won't have any success.
2. A website is a digital store which will inform customers about you and your products. Its main role is to sell your product for interested customers. A complete website has three pages such as a squeeze page, a landing page and a sales page.
3. Digital products can be an ebook, mp3 file or video file. The most popular product is an ebook. It is easy to create and sell. It must be structured to suit your customers. Its role is to help resolve some of their needs. For example, if your customers want to know how to lose weight with diet, you will need to sell them an ebook that solves this need. Remember you can't sell them an ebook that helps to gain weight. If you do that, you will lose the trust forever.
4. The customers are a very tricky part of the online business because there are many ways how to get them to buy your product. In this type of the online business you will use the best of all methods. This method is article marketing. In fact, it won't be a whole process of the article marketing but only the easier part. So you will need to write articles to get visitors to visit your website. In this way you will get only the best buyers. If you have a great writing skill, it will be very easy, but if you don't have a great writing skill, it won't be a problem. You can find many good writers online which will write an article for you.
By the way, do you want to learn more information about how to make money online by selling digital products for the interested customers?
If so, I suggest you to download my new ebook that explains all about this business type here: Selling Digital Products Online
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Armando_Johnhill
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6726639
2011/07/30
9 Steps for Coaching Call Center Agents
The call record method is, in my opinion, one of the best approaches to coaching agent phone calls and ensuring quality. Here's a 9-step plan for effectively coaching call center agent phone calls:
1. Randomly record 2 –3 telephone calls. Random recording is important. Do not record 3 calls back to back or on the same day, as your employee may be having a bad day and this may be reflected in all of one afternoon's calls, but is not necessarily reflective of their typical performance.
2. Review the calls and note strengths and opportunities. Before meeting with your employee, listen to the calls and note what they did well and identify 1 –2 opportunities for performance improvement.
3. Play one tape and let your employee listen. During the playing of the tape, you do not need to respond.
4. Have your employee respond to the tape. After the tape is played, ask your employee to respond. Most employees will be overly self-critical. Your employee will likely note many opportunities for improvement and struggle to articulate what they've done well.
5. Coach the call. Use the "sandwich" approach. Tell your employee what s/he did well, followed by constructive feedback, and then end with positive feedback. When offering constructive feedback, share only one opportunity for improvement. The employee has likely observed and stated several improvement opportunities so there is no need to bring these up again Try to mention one thin g the employee did not bring up and offer this as your constructive feedback.
6. Gain commitment for performance improvement. Ask the employee, "What specific steps will you take over the next 5 days to improve in this area?" Write down what the employee states and repeat it to her. Summarize the session by reiterating strengths and offering a vote of confidence that she can improve in the identified area.
7. Repeat steps 2 – 6 with a second and perhaps third tape if necessary. The point of numerous recording is that an employee may respond defensively stating that was just a "bad" call. If that is the response, you may choose to review a second or third tape.
8. Follow-up before the next agent coaching session. Check with your employee in between coaching sessions to keep the commitment top of mind. You can touch base with your employee via email or a personal conversation.
9. Discuss improvement in next coaching session. Before listening to calls in the next coaching session, ask your employee how she's progressing toward the goal of the last session. Look for improvement on calls reviewed in this session.
This 9-step call center agent coaching model is simple, clear and it both praises employees and offers support for improvement opportunities.
When you follow this 9-step process, you will set clear performance expectations, coach effectively and consistently and at the same time you will be motivating your employees.
1. Randomly record 2 –3 telephone calls. Random recording is important. Do not record 3 calls back to back or on the same day, as your employee may be having a bad day and this may be reflected in all of one afternoon's calls, but is not necessarily reflective of their typical performance.
2. Review the calls and note strengths and opportunities. Before meeting with your employee, listen to the calls and note what they did well and identify 1 –2 opportunities for performance improvement.
3. Play one tape and let your employee listen. During the playing of the tape, you do not need to respond.
4. Have your employee respond to the tape. After the tape is played, ask your employee to respond. Most employees will be overly self-critical. Your employee will likely note many opportunities for improvement and struggle to articulate what they've done well.
5. Coach the call. Use the "sandwich" approach. Tell your employee what s/he did well, followed by constructive feedback, and then end with positive feedback. When offering constructive feedback, share only one opportunity for improvement. The employee has likely observed and stated several improvement opportunities so there is no need to bring these up again Try to mention one thin g the employee did not bring up and offer this as your constructive feedback.
6. Gain commitment for performance improvement. Ask the employee, "What specific steps will you take over the next 5 days to improve in this area?" Write down what the employee states and repeat it to her. Summarize the session by reiterating strengths and offering a vote of confidence that she can improve in the identified area.
7. Repeat steps 2 – 6 with a second and perhaps third tape if necessary. The point of numerous recording is that an employee may respond defensively stating that was just a "bad" call. If that is the response, you may choose to review a second or third tape.
8. Follow-up before the next agent coaching session. Check with your employee in between coaching sessions to keep the commitment top of mind. You can touch base with your employee via email or a personal conversation.
9. Discuss improvement in next coaching session. Before listening to calls in the next coaching session, ask your employee how she's progressing toward the goal of the last session. Look for improvement on calls reviewed in this session.
This 9-step call center agent coaching model is simple, clear and it both praises employees and offers support for improvement opportunities.
When you follow this 9-step process, you will set clear performance expectations, coach effectively and consistently and at the same time you will be motivating your employees.
2011/07/19
Build Your Mailing List Or Die
Is having a mailing list really all that important?
You bet it is. Without a mailing list you are at the mercy of the search engines and their ever changing regulations. Don't get me wrong, doing your SEO is vital to your business but it's not the end of the story.
If you don't have a mailing list, your online business, once it gets off the ground, will eventually die. You can not sustain business without a customer base. Online or offline, repeat customers are the backbone of any business. It's even more important online because the competition is greater and they probably have a list.
Your list is your best form of advertisement. The people who are on your list have been to your site and have an interest in your topic. You will have to remind them on a regular basis that your site is a place they like to visit.
Don't bookmarks and favorites lists work the same way?
Not even close.
What happens when you get information about the most exciting piece of software ever created? You join the affiliate program to promote the software and add a link to your website Now you have to hope someone will find it and click on it. Of course, there is a lot of other information on your website so the likely hood of every one who comes to your site seeing that fantastic offer is pretty slim.
Let's go even one step further. Lets say the super software is very cheap right now but the price is going up in a week. Now you add this information to your website and have to remember to go back and change it in a week to reflect the new price. If you forget to do this, you are going to get a lot of angry emails when your visitors buy the software and pay a lot more than you were advertising.
OK, do you can see where you are going to have problems actually getting any sales from the super software?
Now, let's go back to the first moment you heard about the super software and the fantastic price. You join the affiliate program and immediately send a notice about this great offer out to your list.
The people on your list get an email. They open the email and see one offer. A super special offer with an unbeatable price. They don't see any other interesting information that may distract them. They see your offer and nothing else. They are totally focused on what you have presented to them. You tell them that this offer has a special price and they will have to act fast or pay more later.
Out of all the people who open your email, how many do you think are going to see this offer? 100% right? Of course. There isn't anything else to see. You have just raised your profit potential by a huge margin.
Can you see how you are losing money by only having your website and not having a list? It's pretty obvious isn't it? So, we're all in agreement, you do need a list.
How do you get this list?
First I want to tell you what you don't do. You don't go out and buy a safe list from some email address collector. These people don't want your email and you will be reported for spamming. You will have to build your list from people who are interested in your business.
Ask yourself this... who is interested in what you have to offer? The people who come to your website right? Yes! These people found your website by either doing a search in the search engines or were told about you from another site or a friend. In any case, they came to your site because you have the type of information that they are interested in.
While they are there, offer them the opportunity to join your mailing list. Have a sign up form on every page in a very prominent place. Tell your visitors that you will send them valuable information when it is available in exchange for their name and email address.
Some people think you should offer a free incentive to get people to join your list. There is a lot of controversy on this subject. You will have to decide what is right for you.
The only thing I offer people for joining my lists is future information and offers. The people who join most of my lists know I am going to try to sell them something so when they see an email from me, they aren't surprised when I ask them to get their credit card.
Be honest right from the start. Don't make your list joiners think they are on a list of freebies if you are planning on selling them products. They will quit the list as soon as you send your first offer. Trying to trick people to join your list will leave you with a bunch of angry subscribers and no sales.
If your website looks professional and you have valid information on your site, people will want to hear from you again. They will gladly join your list so they won't miss the great information you have to offer.
Treat your business like a business, not a scam, and you will prosper.
Now go build your list before you lose any more money.
You bet it is. Without a mailing list you are at the mercy of the search engines and their ever changing regulations. Don't get me wrong, doing your SEO is vital to your business but it's not the end of the story.
If you don't have a mailing list, your online business, once it gets off the ground, will eventually die. You can not sustain business without a customer base. Online or offline, repeat customers are the backbone of any business. It's even more important online because the competition is greater and they probably have a list.
Your list is your best form of advertisement. The people who are on your list have been to your site and have an interest in your topic. You will have to remind them on a regular basis that your site is a place they like to visit.
Don't bookmarks and favorites lists work the same way?
Not even close.
What happens when you get information about the most exciting piece of software ever created? You join the affiliate program to promote the software and add a link to your website Now you have to hope someone will find it and click on it. Of course, there is a lot of other information on your website so the likely hood of every one who comes to your site seeing that fantastic offer is pretty slim.
Let's go even one step further. Lets say the super software is very cheap right now but the price is going up in a week. Now you add this information to your website and have to remember to go back and change it in a week to reflect the new price. If you forget to do this, you are going to get a lot of angry emails when your visitors buy the software and pay a lot more than you were advertising.
OK, do you can see where you are going to have problems actually getting any sales from the super software?
Now, let's go back to the first moment you heard about the super software and the fantastic price. You join the affiliate program and immediately send a notice about this great offer out to your list.
The people on your list get an email. They open the email and see one offer. A super special offer with an unbeatable price. They don't see any other interesting information that may distract them. They see your offer and nothing else. They are totally focused on what you have presented to them. You tell them that this offer has a special price and they will have to act fast or pay more later.
Out of all the people who open your email, how many do you think are going to see this offer? 100% right? Of course. There isn't anything else to see. You have just raised your profit potential by a huge margin.
Can you see how you are losing money by only having your website and not having a list? It's pretty obvious isn't it? So, we're all in agreement, you do need a list.
How do you get this list?
First I want to tell you what you don't do. You don't go out and buy a safe list from some email address collector. These people don't want your email and you will be reported for spamming. You will have to build your list from people who are interested in your business.
Ask yourself this... who is interested in what you have to offer? The people who come to your website right? Yes! These people found your website by either doing a search in the search engines or were told about you from another site or a friend. In any case, they came to your site because you have the type of information that they are interested in.
While they are there, offer them the opportunity to join your mailing list. Have a sign up form on every page in a very prominent place. Tell your visitors that you will send them valuable information when it is available in exchange for their name and email address.
Some people think you should offer a free incentive to get people to join your list. There is a lot of controversy on this subject. You will have to decide what is right for you.
The only thing I offer people for joining my lists is future information and offers. The people who join most of my lists know I am going to try to sell them something so when they see an email from me, they aren't surprised when I ask them to get their credit card.
Be honest right from the start. Don't make your list joiners think they are on a list of freebies if you are planning on selling them products. They will quit the list as soon as you send your first offer. Trying to trick people to join your list will leave you with a bunch of angry subscribers and no sales.
If your website looks professional and you have valid information on your site, people will want to hear from you again. They will gladly join your list so they won't miss the great information you have to offer.
Treat your business like a business, not a scam, and you will prosper.
Now go build your list before you lose any more money.
2011/07/04
Remain a Professional Even When You are Being Laid Off
So you're hearing rumors around work about downsizing and lay-offs within the company. While your first reaction may be to start helping yourself to office supplies- DON'T. At this point, you're not even sure if it's you going to be laid off, and this could give your boss a reason to include you on the Pink Slip List.
Now, more than ever, it's important for you to stay focused and continue to act like the professional you are. Even though you may fantasize about it, now is not the time to march into the office and tell your boss what you really think of him or her. Chances are you'll need the reference, so now is the time to really suck up. Just kidding, but keep your opinions to yourself and continue to do your best work. You'll need the reference when you're gone, and you want it to be a good one. Depending on the circumstances, you may be asked to work for your former employer as an outside consultant, but if you've burned this bridge it's a sure thing you won't.
Avoid the impulse to make it obvious during your working time that you're updating your resume or calling a headhunter. It's very important for you to begin networking and spread the word you're looking for another job, but be careful about it. Again, you may not be one of those being downsized, but if your boss gets word you're looking elsewhere he will stop considering you to be a loyal employee.
Now is the time to discreetly begin to clean up your desk. It's a matter of security now that as soon as an employee is let go they are followed back to their office and watched as they clean out their desk. So, if you have any personal files in your desk or on your computer, start copying and erasing them. You don't want to be doing this while Big Brother is hovering by to make sure you don't steal any pencils before you go.
While I've been making light of the situation in this article, being laid off IS a very stressful time for you, your fellow employees and your boss. Unless he has a personality like Tony Soprano, most bosses hate to have to look you in the eye and tell you that you're fired. It's the worst part of being the boss.
In the future you will probably look back on this and be glad it happened even though it doesn't seem so right now. Maybe this is the perfect time to start that business you've been thinking about, learn that new skill, or go after that dream job you always wanted.
Now, more than ever, it's important for you to stay focused and continue to act like the professional you are. Even though you may fantasize about it, now is not the time to march into the office and tell your boss what you really think of him or her. Chances are you'll need the reference, so now is the time to really suck up. Just kidding, but keep your opinions to yourself and continue to do your best work. You'll need the reference when you're gone, and you want it to be a good one. Depending on the circumstances, you may be asked to work for your former employer as an outside consultant, but if you've burned this bridge it's a sure thing you won't.
Avoid the impulse to make it obvious during your working time that you're updating your resume or calling a headhunter. It's very important for you to begin networking and spread the word you're looking for another job, but be careful about it. Again, you may not be one of those being downsized, but if your boss gets word you're looking elsewhere he will stop considering you to be a loyal employee.
Now is the time to discreetly begin to clean up your desk. It's a matter of security now that as soon as an employee is let go they are followed back to their office and watched as they clean out their desk. So, if you have any personal files in your desk or on your computer, start copying and erasing them. You don't want to be doing this while Big Brother is hovering by to make sure you don't steal any pencils before you go.
While I've been making light of the situation in this article, being laid off IS a very stressful time for you, your fellow employees and your boss. Unless he has a personality like Tony Soprano, most bosses hate to have to look you in the eye and tell you that you're fired. It's the worst part of being the boss.
In the future you will probably look back on this and be glad it happened even though it doesn't seem so right now. Maybe this is the perfect time to start that business you've been thinking about, learn that new skill, or go after that dream job you always wanted.
2011/06/30
Why Communicate When Nothing Happens?
Not long ago, after consultations with others in an association I represent, I made a partnership pitch to another organization with similar interests. If the idea had been accepted, it would have radically changed our organizations.
So, you can imagine my impatience when I didn't hear back from the person to whom I'd made the proposal. She had welcomed the idea, but a decision would be made by a council within her organization.
Given the importance of the decision to their organization, I didn't expect a quick response. But, I would have liked at least a phone call saying the council had accepted, rejected, or was still considering the idea.
Then, I had a "Eureka" or maybe I should call it a "Whoops" moment. I realized I hadn't reported back to the people in my organization either. That made me guilty of the same lapse of communication as the lady in the other organization. With that recognition, I made amends by sending out an email and followed up with a report at a meeting.
In taking an analytical view of this incident, I realized that nothing can be something when it comes to communication.
The idea that nothing can be something seems counter- intuitive. But, you may remember the famous Sherlock Holmes' observation about the dog that didn't bark (the fictitious detective solved a baffling case by noting what did not happen, rather than what did happen).
You can probably come up with several ideas about the importance of communicating, too, even though nothing has changed. That's especially true if you're the one who didn't hear from someone else.
First, you may have made plans that assume either a change or a continuation of the status quo. Perhaps you're holding off on holiday plans until the issue is resolved one way or the other.
Second, at least you know an anticipated decision or event hasn't yet occurred, and that you didn't miss something (for example, as I write this I'm waiting for a client to confirm some information and it would be nice to know that I haven't missed a callback or an emailed reply).
Third, if you've received an update telling you nothing has happened, you don't need to contact that person and ask if there have been any developments. Similarly, you can advise the people who look to you for information.
One other note: This might be a variation on what I call the Everybody Knows syndrome. That's a decision not to communicate, based on the assumption that others know what I know. For example, I might not tell anyone the office will be closed between Christmas Day and New Year's Day because I think everyone should know that, which is likely a bad assumption on my part.
In summary, if the issue is important, communicate frequently, even if nothing has happened. Something is nothing when you or others wait impatiently for news.
So, you can imagine my impatience when I didn't hear back from the person to whom I'd made the proposal. She had welcomed the idea, but a decision would be made by a council within her organization.
Given the importance of the decision to their organization, I didn't expect a quick response. But, I would have liked at least a phone call saying the council had accepted, rejected, or was still considering the idea.
Then, I had a "Eureka" or maybe I should call it a "Whoops" moment. I realized I hadn't reported back to the people in my organization either. That made me guilty of the same lapse of communication as the lady in the other organization. With that recognition, I made amends by sending out an email and followed up with a report at a meeting.
In taking an analytical view of this incident, I realized that nothing can be something when it comes to communication.
The idea that nothing can be something seems counter- intuitive. But, you may remember the famous Sherlock Holmes' observation about the dog that didn't bark (the fictitious detective solved a baffling case by noting what did not happen, rather than what did happen).
You can probably come up with several ideas about the importance of communicating, too, even though nothing has changed. That's especially true if you're the one who didn't hear from someone else.
First, you may have made plans that assume either a change or a continuation of the status quo. Perhaps you're holding off on holiday plans until the issue is resolved one way or the other.
Second, at least you know an anticipated decision or event hasn't yet occurred, and that you didn't miss something (for example, as I write this I'm waiting for a client to confirm some information and it would be nice to know that I haven't missed a callback or an emailed reply).
Third, if you've received an update telling you nothing has happened, you don't need to contact that person and ask if there have been any developments. Similarly, you can advise the people who look to you for information.
One other note: This might be a variation on what I call the Everybody Knows syndrome. That's a decision not to communicate, based on the assumption that others know what I know. For example, I might not tell anyone the office will be closed between Christmas Day and New Year's Day because I think everyone should know that, which is likely a bad assumption on my part.
In summary, if the issue is important, communicate frequently, even if nothing has happened. Something is nothing when you or others wait impatiently for news.
2011/06/25
Relationship Management: Knowing and Communicating with Your Key Publics
Many organizations actively engage in 'Issues Management.' For most, this involves scanning the news, developing communications strategies around relevant issues and trends, and then communicating their messages back through the media.
However, effective communications is more than just managing issues through the media. Companies and organizations must also be aware of their external publics – the people and groups outside of an organization's sphere that affect, or are affected by, what that organization does.
This is known as 'Relationship Management.' It is the discipline of identifying key publics and establishing strategies for building and maintaining mutually beneficial relationships with those publics.
Identifying External Publics
Like most organizations, there is a good chance you are already using media monitoring to track the issues that affect your organization. This is Communications 101.
You may even be taking it one step further and conducting some kind of media analysis, including assigning tones like positive, negative or neutral to news stories. And if you're not, you should be. Without proper analysis and evaluation, your communications team is not doing its job properly.
But where it really gets interesting is when you take your existing monitoring and analysis and add another dimension to it. One of the best examples of this is tracking and analyzing quotes.
Tracking quotes helps you identify your key publics. You can see exactly what they are thinking, what they are saying, what they are doing.
And by taking further small steps, such as cross-referencing tone with quotes, you can easily identify the type of relationship that exists between your organization and its different key publics. You can get a picture of what you are doing right and what you are doing wrong, and, where necessary, develop a plan to change the relationship.
Obviously, the more positive the quote or article, the greater the chance that the person being quoted is an ally to issues favorable to your organization. Conversely, the more negative the quote or article, the greater the chance that the person being quoted is opposed to issues favorable to your organization.
Furthermore, the more times a person is quoted, the greater the chance he or she is an Opinion Leader – a person that knowingly or unknowingly influences opinion. It's important that your organization try to have an open and professional dialogue with Opinion Leaders no matter what their position is.
Dealing with Key Publics
A lot of people feel the media ultimately control public opinion. There's no denying they do have an enormous influence, but they are only one piece of the PR puzzle.
It's important that PR professionals not limit themselves to just the media. Sometimes it's best to communicate right to the source, if possible. Remember, as a professional communicator, your primary job is to disseminate information, not necessarily to deal with the media or write news releases. How you get the information to your publics is not what matters; what matters is that they get the information. Using the media and writing news releases are simply a means to an end. <
According to Statistics Canada, 61 per cent of Canadians belong to a group or organization, including organizations unions, religious groups, professional associations, etc. Opinion Leaders are a very important component of these groups.
Once you have identified the groups and their Opinion Leaders, it's important to develop consistent messages that will clearly state your organization's position on key issues. Without that consistency, you run the risk of looking hypocritical or insincere. The last thing you want is to be communicating different messages regarding the same issue.
If you want people to trust you and your organization, consistency is a must. Trust is the first step in developing a relationship with the Opinion Leaders and your key publics.
Honesty is Always the Best Policy
Remember, when it comes to any type of communications, honesty is always the best policy. Trying to manipulate the media or the public is a dangerous game. If you're honest, people might not always like what you have to say, but at least they'll believe you and have a greater respect for you in the long run.
Monitoring the Media Helps Ensure Honesty Prevails
Monitoring the media allows organizations to ensure everyone is on message, helping to prevent misunderstandings through inadvertent contradictions or an overly aggressive spokesperson. Also, proactive media analysis can gauge how well key publics and other influencers, such as the media, are accepting your organization's position on an issue.
Media Analysis is a Powerful Tool, but...
Media analysis can help identify miscommunication, and can also help identify the underlying reason for that miscommunication. It's also an effective way of identifying key publics and opinion leaders, gauging where they stand on an issue and finding out what they are saying.
However, it's important to remember 'Relationship Management' is about dealing with people directly. Media analysis is just a tool to help ensure your organization is communicating honestly and effectively – the same way the media are just a vehicle for delivering your message.
But even if you have a top notch media analysis program in place, you should never stop communicating directly with your key publics to figure out where they stand on key issues and how they view your organization. After all, public relations and communications are all about communicating effectively, and nothing is more effective than getting your information straight from the source.
However, effective communications is more than just managing issues through the media. Companies and organizations must also be aware of their external publics – the people and groups outside of an organization's sphere that affect, or are affected by, what that organization does.
This is known as 'Relationship Management.' It is the discipline of identifying key publics and establishing strategies for building and maintaining mutually beneficial relationships with those publics.
Identifying External Publics
Like most organizations, there is a good chance you are already using media monitoring to track the issues that affect your organization. This is Communications 101.
You may even be taking it one step further and conducting some kind of media analysis, including assigning tones like positive, negative or neutral to news stories. And if you're not, you should be. Without proper analysis and evaluation, your communications team is not doing its job properly.
But where it really gets interesting is when you take your existing monitoring and analysis and add another dimension to it. One of the best examples of this is tracking and analyzing quotes.
Tracking quotes helps you identify your key publics. You can see exactly what they are thinking, what they are saying, what they are doing.
And by taking further small steps, such as cross-referencing tone with quotes, you can easily identify the type of relationship that exists between your organization and its different key publics. You can get a picture of what you are doing right and what you are doing wrong, and, where necessary, develop a plan to change the relationship.
Obviously, the more positive the quote or article, the greater the chance that the person being quoted is an ally to issues favorable to your organization. Conversely, the more negative the quote or article, the greater the chance that the person being quoted is opposed to issues favorable to your organization.
Furthermore, the more times a person is quoted, the greater the chance he or she is an Opinion Leader – a person that knowingly or unknowingly influences opinion. It's important that your organization try to have an open and professional dialogue with Opinion Leaders no matter what their position is.
Dealing with Key Publics
A lot of people feel the media ultimately control public opinion. There's no denying they do have an enormous influence, but they are only one piece of the PR puzzle.
It's important that PR professionals not limit themselves to just the media. Sometimes it's best to communicate right to the source, if possible. Remember, as a professional communicator, your primary job is to disseminate information, not necessarily to deal with the media or write news releases. How you get the information to your publics is not what matters; what matters is that they get the information. Using the media and writing news releases are simply a means to an end. <
According to Statistics Canada, 61 per cent of Canadians belong to a group or organization, including organizations unions, religious groups, professional associations, etc. Opinion Leaders are a very important component of these groups.
Once you have identified the groups and their Opinion Leaders, it's important to develop consistent messages that will clearly state your organization's position on key issues. Without that consistency, you run the risk of looking hypocritical or insincere. The last thing you want is to be communicating different messages regarding the same issue.
If you want people to trust you and your organization, consistency is a must. Trust is the first step in developing a relationship with the Opinion Leaders and your key publics.
Honesty is Always the Best Policy
Remember, when it comes to any type of communications, honesty is always the best policy. Trying to manipulate the media or the public is a dangerous game. If you're honest, people might not always like what you have to say, but at least they'll believe you and have a greater respect for you in the long run.
Monitoring the Media Helps Ensure Honesty Prevails
Monitoring the media allows organizations to ensure everyone is on message, helping to prevent misunderstandings through inadvertent contradictions or an overly aggressive spokesperson. Also, proactive media analysis can gauge how well key publics and other influencers, such as the media, are accepting your organization's position on an issue.
Media Analysis is a Powerful Tool, but...
Media analysis can help identify miscommunication, and can also help identify the underlying reason for that miscommunication. It's also an effective way of identifying key publics and opinion leaders, gauging where they stand on an issue and finding out what they are saying.
However, it's important to remember 'Relationship Management' is about dealing with people directly. Media analysis is just a tool to help ensure your organization is communicating honestly and effectively – the same way the media are just a vehicle for delivering your message.
But even if you have a top notch media analysis program in place, you should never stop communicating directly with your key publics to figure out where they stand on key issues and how they view your organization. After all, public relations and communications are all about communicating effectively, and nothing is more effective than getting your information straight from the source.
2011/06/18
5 Easy Ways How to Make Money Online
hese days, you'll find many ways that will attract you to make money online, but getting the most reliable one that can truly provide you with your expected income may be difficult to attain. A lot of people have come to realize that working 8 hours a day won't really make it to cover their daily expenses, and be able to afford a good life.
While most of them may require too much effort, investment and skill, there are easy ways to engage them just like the opportunities mentioned below.
1. Getting income through eBay
This is one of the easy ways of doing it by selling your stuff that are no longer used. This way, you're not only clearing out your mess in the basement or garage, but at the same time, you're making money out of them. You can get started by registering as a seller, and everything is done easily.
2. Earn through paid surveys
Getting paid for simple surveys is great fun and a profitable way to make money online. One cool thing in joining this moneymaking opportunity is that you are able to earn something in your free time. The moment you have decided to sign up with a reputable survey company, all you have to do is monitor your e-mails regularly, choose the best types of surveys, and you'll be pleased to earn money whenever you get the survey forms completed.
Aside from the income, you'll have a chance to access new products that are still being researched, long before they become available in the market.
What kinds of companies should I look for?
The simplest way to check it out is joining an organization that specializes in assisting consumers, to hook you up with the kinds of surveys that really pay most.
3. There is money in blogging
This online business simply requires a minimal start-up cost. All you have to do is create an impressive blogging website and once you grasp the techniques on how to make money online, your bank account will start to grow bigger. Some of the ways to get started as a blogger include having a WordPress account, and setting up your own blog with your own domain name.
4. Affiliate marketing can provide you with huge income
With the power of your own website, you can generate your audience, and implement new marketing strategies to attract new potential clients to visit your site and buy the product that you're selling. Keep in mind that every customer is interested on what kind of information you can provide them in your site.
5. Rake in money by branching out as a content writer
If you can supply your website regularly with original content, then there will be more chances for you to reap enormous cash. In this case, if you can write well, this can be a new opportunity for you to become a web writer.
Kavin Kumar is an internet marketing expert in the field of e-mail marketing. If you want to grow your online niche in terms of traffic, achieve higher sales conversion rates or are simply starting out in the world of online business then take the first step now and visit his site at http://unlimitedcashinternet.com. Stop hesitating!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Raj_Kavin_Kumar
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6761365
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