Using Your Web Site to Grow Your Business

Using Your Web Site to Grow Your Business

by: Charlie Cook

A snowplow operator in a New Jersey suburb was hailed by a woman asking him to plow her driveway so she could get out. Wading through less than a foot of fluffy snow to her SUV, he asked her why she didn’t put it into four wheel drive and simply back out. Her puzzled answer was, ขFour wheel drive, whatกs that?ข

A web site is just a means to and end, like a car it will get you where you want to go only if you know how to use it. Too often independent professionals and small business owners spend their hard earned cash on a web site and get little return on their investment.

What is the purpose of your marketing?

What is the purpose of your web site?

What do you want your web site to do?

The first step to creating or improving your web site is to clarify the role it should play in your business and its marketing. If you are like most independent professionals and small business owners you can benefit from constructing your web site on the basis of the following four objectives.

1. ATTRACT THE ATTENTION OF YOUR TARGET MARKET

This may seem obvious, yet most small business web sites don’t do this. Instead of leading with content that will attract prospects they focus on information about themselves. Typically they are boring to others than their creators.

Too often web sites focus on the firmกs services, products, processes and credentials. These sites are a turnoff to prospects and can keep you from earning money. If your web site shouldn’t feature your firm, what should be the primary content?

To get prospects’ attention, whether with your web site or with your other marketing materials, feature content that interests them. Your clients and future customers are always looking for solutions.

For example, if you’re a lawyer, your site could focus on legal tips and strategies which your target market can use. If you’re a graphic designer, include ideas on using design to improve communications; if you’re a computer systems expert, give your site visitors tips on keeping their computers from crashing. A writer could include a tutorial on writing, with examples of copy makeovers of web pages, press releases or brochures.

What is the content you could use on your web site that your target market is searching for?

2. BUILD CREDIBILITY

Just because you have a web site, have impressive credentials, a client list of Fortune 500 companies and even know what you are doing, isn’t necessarily going to convince prospects you can help them. To help prospects trust you, you need to find ways to demonstrate your expertise and qualifications.

Chances are you have many satisfied clients. Ask them for comments on how you helped them and feature their testimonials on your site. Comments from others are perceived as having much greater credibility than the descriptions you write about your own products and services.

Write articles and distribute them widely to demonstrate your knowledge. Tell personal stories or describe actual situations to showcase your ability to solve problems.

What can you do differently on your web site to build credibility?

3. GENERATE LEADS

One of the most important roles a web site plays for service professionals and small business owners is to help generate leads. When people come to your web site and are interested in the problems you solve, you want to have as many of them as possible contact you.

You want your web site to help you identify people not ready to buy and people ready to make a purchase.

Is your web site attracting as many new prospects and clients as youกd like?

How many leads per week does your web site generate?

Does your web site motivate people to give you their contact information?

Does your web site prompt people to tell you what they need and want and to contact you?

What do you need to do on your web site to increase the number of leads it provides on a weekly or monthly basis?

4. SELL YOUR PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

The goal of your web site is to help you make money. If you sell services or products, make it easy for prospects to find them and include comprehensive information about each and the benefits or using them. Consider showing a list of products and services in a side navigation bar on every page of your web site.

Youกll want individual sell pages for each product or service. One way to grab prospects’ attention on these pages is to lead with one or two questions clarifying what prospects want. Follow these with testimonial quotes, and visitors will be more likely to read the rest of the copy describing your products and services.

When you provide information on your products and services, do you first create the context, i.e. clarify the problem it solves?

Is your site effective in convincing prospects you have the product or service they want?

Is your site helping you sell more of your products and services each month?

Whether you are trying to get an SUV unstuck or grow your business with your web site, if you know how to use it, you can get where you want to go.

2004 © In Mind Communications, LLC. All rights reserved.

About The Author

The author, Marketing Coach, Charlie Cook, helps independent professionals and small business owners attract more clients and increase their earnings with the 5 Principles of Highly Effective Marketing. Sign up to receive the Free Marketing Guide and the กMore Businessก newsletter, full of practical tips you can use at http://www.charliecook.net

[email protected]

This article was posted on January 09, 2004

by Charlie Cook

How to Grab Attention with your Headlines

How to Grab Attention with your Headlines

by: Charlie Cook

Youกve got just a few seconds to grab your prospectsก attention, spark their interest and motivate them to keep reading whether they’re looking at your web site, your letter or your brochure. Headlines are the first thing your prospects read. Four out of five people determine whether they keep reading to learn about your products and services on the basis of your headline.

Do your headlines capture your prospectsก attention or do they confuse them and send them away?

Are your headlines prompting prospects to learn about your products and services or click to another web site or throw away your letter?

Avoid the three following headline mistakes.

Don’t Emphasize Obscure Company Names

Most small businesses and many not so small businesses names aren’t household words. Unless your name is among the top ten most recognized brands such as, Craftsman, Waterford, Rolls Royce, the Discovery Channel, WD40 or Crayola there is a very good chance people won’t associate your company name with anything.

Have you ever visited a web site or read a print ad where the companyกs name covered the top part of the page and it was something like, กPharos Partnersก? Unless the name of your company describes what you do, it is not going to grab prospectsก attention. Move it to the side and make room for a creative headline.

Avoid Welcome Statements

On many web sites the first line you read is, กWelcome to our Siteก. There is a reason you don’t see these in print ads. Welcome statements are a waste of time in marketing materials; they do little to help prospects understand what you do.

Delete Vague Descriptions and Statements

Statements like, กOur purpose is to connect you with information and resources to achieve your maximum potentialก, could apply to a number of different professions. It could refer to a cooking school, a management consultant or an eldercare program.

Are you wasting valuable space where your headline goes to feature a company name that doesn’t describe what you do?

Does your headline include กbusiness speakก terms your children or motherinlaw can’t explain?

Is your description of product and services specific or is it so generic that it could apply to other types of businesses?

Does your headline focus on the selling points that distinguish your products and services from the competitions?

Writing Headlines that Get Your Prospectsก Attention

People look at web sites the same way they look at magazine ads. They scan the page quickly to see if the product or service is something they want. On the web or in a marketing brochure, if you capture their interest, theyกll keep reading.

The best way to do this is to give them a clear idea of the problems your products or services can solve and/or the benefits you provide. Use a few carefully selected words such as:

Leverage your expertise to attract a steady stream of clients

Reliable Office Supplies, free next day delivery.

Inhome sports training for exercise enthusiasts

Web and print design that helps your business grow

Costa Rica Travel, Unique offthebeaten track tours to jungles and beaches

Your page headline should communicate clearly what you offer clients, which problems you solve and the benefits you provide. Do your headlines:

Clarify what you do?

Describe the problems you solve?

Define whom you do it for?

Explain the benefits?

Emphasis a key selling point?

Compel your prospects to keep reading?

Imagine that you worked at an exercise facility and wanted to attract clients for your massage business. Here are some possible headlines you might use for your flyer and associated critiques.

George Jenkins Massage

(Itกs your name but so what)

Are You Bothered By Back Pain

(Better, it defines the problem)

7 Ways to Get Instant Back Pain Relief

(Defines the problem and a solution)

How Computer Users Can Banish Back Pain in One Hour

(Defines who your target market is, the problem and the benefit)

Grab your prospects attention in the first few seconds with your headline. Then follow with compelling copy that clarifies the value of your products and services and youกll generate many more sales.

2004 © In Mind Communications, LLC. All rights reserved.

About The Author

The author, Charlie Cook, helps service professionals and small business owners attract more clients and be more successful. Sign up to receive the Free Marketing Guide, ก7 Steps to Grow Your Businessก and the กMore Businessก newsletter, full of practical tips you can use at http://www.charliecook.net

[email protected]

This article was posted on March 22, 2004

by Charlie Cook

Creative Ways To Make Money With eBooks

Creative Ways To Make Money With eBooks

by: Jeremy Gislason

How creative are you when it comes to making money and increasing your subscribers using ebooks or other digital products?

Here are some tips on how to increase your profits with ebooks.

You could show your prospects a sample page out of your ebook. This will make your prospects curious to buy. You could even give away a free version of the ebook and then give people an option of buying the paid version. Also let others give away the free version of your ebook.

You could divide your ebook content into reports then give people the option of just purchasing the info they want. Or you could charge people a low price to read half of your ebook. If they like it, they can pay full price to read the other half.

You could also earn extra profits from selling monthly updates of your ebook. You could also back end sell the extra never released chapters of your ebook.

You could redesign your ebook for specific niches. You can create multiple profits with very little work. Ex: Turn a business ebook into a craft business ebook. You could then divide your ebook into online newsletter issues. You could charge a reoccurring monthly subscription for people to view each issue.

You could give your prospects discount coupons on other products when they purchase your ebook. It could be your products or others that you made deals with. You could also offer freebies that are related to the ebook your selling. It could be free monthly ebook updates, free ezine, free consulting, etc.

You could offer the reprint rights to your ebook. You can sell the rights with the regular purchase price or as a separate higher price.

You could make your ebook available for offline people. Your could turn it into a print book, report, video, audio book, print newsletter, etc.

But many people agree that one of the best way to increase your profits and sales is to bundle many products or services together into one package. You could purchase reprint rights to other peopleกs ebooks an combine them with your in a large package deal or private ebook library web site.

This gives people more reasons to buy your products and services. People also have come to believe package deals are a better value. You want all the products or services to be closely related. For example: if you’re selling a computer you could add in software, hardware, computer furniture, etc.

There are many ways to go about choosing the right products or services to bundle into one package. You could survey your customers and see what products or services they would like you to offer in the future. Spy on your competition and see what products and services they’re offering or not offering. If you would like to, bundle unrelated products or services together, ask your customers which ones would be of interest to them.

Bundling can also increase your target markets which in return would give you a larger audience to sell your products and services. For example: if you’re selling a baseball magazine you could add a free baseball when someone buys a subscription. You’re now targeting people who want the baseball magazine and those that want to play baseball out in the yard. Some people buy a package deal just to get one of the products.

There are many sources where you can find products and services to create a package deal. You can buy them from wholesalers or drop shippers. You can buy the reproduction/resell rights to other peopleกs products. Teamup with your competition to create a package deal. You could joint venture or cross promotion deal with other businesses. You could also create your own products and services. Be creative!

About The Author

Jeremy Gislason is the webmaster of SureFireWealth.com and several other sites. He has over 15 years of business and marketing experience. You can find lots of great free ebooks and software at: http://www.SureFireWealth.com

This article was posted on February 18

by Jeremy Gislason

Overcoming the Five Obstacles to Affiliate Success

Overcoming the Five Obstacles to Affiliate Success

by: Bill Platt

Nearly every mass marketable product or service available online sports an Affiliate Program or MLM matrix to encourage small business people to sell those products or services to others.

For beginners in the online marketplace and even some proกs, these programs offer the best opportunity for earning substantial incomes to their participants.

Yet, despite the promise of Affiliate Programs and MLMกs for making money online, fewer than 5% of all participants will ever be successful with them! Only one out of a hundred will ever earn more than $1000 per month from the programs!

There are several factors contributing to these dismal numbers:

Failure to try

Failure to learn

Building sales without any concern about building a network

Building a network without any concern for sales

Failure to duplicate

FAILURE TO TRY

Many people will argue this point. They argue that they tried and the program failed them. Yet, if you were to persist in your queries, most peopleกs idea of trying is throwing a banner on their website or running one or two untested ads. Folks, that just does not cut it!

Being successful in an Affiliate Program, MLM program or anything else be it online or offline requires much more than a halfhearted, shortlived attempt at promoting a program.

FAILURE TO LEARN

Whatever endeavor is undertaken, success comes with knowledge. College is good at teaching folks the basics of hundreds of professions. Folks understand that in order to be a CPA, an attorney, a chemist, an engineer or any of a number of professions, they must learn a great deal of knowledge before they will be successful in the field.

Yet, the same people will come online and believe they can turn on the computer and already know everything there is to know about running a successful online business.

To be successful as an online marketer, it helps to at least become acquainted with web design, graphics design, copy writing, marketing research, promotion, advertising, customer service and many other areas. It also helps to know about areas specific to the Internet such as search engine optimization, web traffic patterns, direct email marketing, and networking with others.

As an online marketer, you should either have knowledge of these various disciplines or be prepared to hire on people who already possess these skills. Unless you have very deep pockets, you should be prepared to learn a few of these skills for yourself.

BUILDING SALES WITHOUT ANY CONCERN ABOUT BUILDING A NETWORK

The largest advantage of the Affiliate Program or MLM program is the ability to grow a network of affiliates underneath of you.

While you are able to sell a certain amount of products or services to the consumer, a team of people who can sell just as many products or services as you can, will add to your full income potential. Due to the nature of the Affiliate Program and the MLM program, you will earn a small percentage from the sales of all of the people in your network of sellers.

As an affiliate without a network, your potential earnings are limited by the number of products and services you can sell by yourself.

With the average Affiliate Program or MLM, the first tier of your network will generally net you a 10% to 20% cut of all of the products and services your first tier people sell. With only five sellers underneath of you on your first tier, you are at the minimum capable of doubling your monthly income.

BUILDING A NETWORK WITHOUT ANY CONCERN FOR SALES

The most devastating cause for failure is building a network of people whose sole focus is building a network of affiliates!

Folks, no matter the size of your network, be advised. No income can be earned until someone sells a product or service!

What good is a network of thousand marketers whose only concern is building a network and not selling the products and services which are required to earn commissions?

A thousand affiliates with no sales adds up to a whopping zero dollar check for you!

FAILURE TO DUPLICATE

The most important person in your network is YOU!

You begin by making an honest effort. You followup by building your knowledge base, continuing to learn always. You then focus on actually selling products and services. Always in the back of your mind, you are looking ahead to the day when you will begin building your network of affiliates.

The important thing to remember is that your network is always a mirror image of YOU and YOUR EFFORTS.

Duplication is the process of actually teaching someone else to do exactly as you do. Nothing more, nothing less.

If you are doing everything right, then those who look to you for guidance and leadership will be making a sincere effort, learning, selling products and services, then building their network, and leading their people to success, just as you are.

It is up to you and you alone to avoid the common pitfalls in Affiliate Programs and MLMกs. It is up to you to do what it takes to succeed in making money online. It is up to you to develop the skills necessary for success and to lead your team by example.

Keep things simple and manageable. Focus your attention to doing what it takes to be successful in whatever program you take on. Then find five good people to lead in the development of their online business and truly DUPLICATE YOURSELF with each of these five people.

You have what it takes to join the 5% who are successful with Affiliate Programs and MLM programs. It is now time to get to work and make your dreams of online marketing success a reality.

About The Author

Bill Platt is coowner of Double Eagle Business Center (DEBC).

By providing an honest and well thought out MLM Opportunity, DEBC meets all the legal requirements for an online MLM plus offers products and services which can support any online business, along with an innovative and a generous commission structure for Affiliates. http://PathTrax.com/x.pl/BP121,52

[email protected]

This article was posted on May 27, 2002

by Bill Platt

Two Methods of Marketing Using Joint Ventures

Two Methods of Marketing Using Joint Ventures

by: Abe Cherian

Whether you’re a contractor a local merchant with 150 employees, whichever, however or whatever, youกve got to know how to keep your business alive during rough economic times. Anytime the cash flow in a business, large or small, starts to tighten up, the money management of that business has to be run as a ‘tight ship.ก

This is where an Honest Joint Venture will help increase, not only business sales, but strong business relationships. When things go together, they’re said to be complimentary. An example of two items that might go together are flowers and baskets. If you’re in the market for one of these two items, you might be in the market for the other.

You may be able to increase your business marketing efforts by combining the marketing of one of your products or services with the marketing of someone elseกs products or services.

There are two Methods of marketing using Joint Ventures:

External joint venture marketing You combine your marketing with that of another business that uses a product or service that compliments your own. You both benefit from the exposure and your customers will be looking to this other business for its complimentary offering. Likewise, the other business, and their customers will look to you for their complimentary products or services. You both access each otherกs customer database. An example would be a cabinet maker and a hardware store that could work together.

Internal joint venture marketing You probably offer complimentary products within your own business. If this is the case, you need to market this so potential customers will be aware that your business offers certain products or services that compliments each other. This encourages one stop shopping and also allows your business to sell one product or service on the back of the other. An example is กcomputer repair storeก that also sells virus protection software.

Iกve actually seen one business that sells a course on how to write successful marketing campaigns. The majority of their customers never find out that in addition to selling that course, they do consulting and write marketing campaigns themselves. They don’t do an effective job of letting their customer base know that Those things naturally go handinhand.

Another kind of internal joint venture marketing would be a combined location or common business. You can have businesses that shares a common location such as a mall or a strip mall shopping center. They can market their businesses as complimentary to each other. This can take a number of forms, but the most popular is sharing the media cost. An example would be a strip mall with a number of home improvement products or services.

You want to take advantage of this either by phone or by sending the other business a letter. You might say, กDear Mr. or Mrs. Business Owner. Our company specializes in (or sells). We have discovered a logical tie into your business or customer base in that it . We have created a system for dramatically increasing your profits without risk, investment or even effort on your partก.

Where you say, กMr. or Mrs., let me ask if you could generate sufficient profits to would that interest you?ก The process is relatively simple. First, we create a joint marketing plan together to consist of either (choose 1 or 2 of the following) a letter of endorsement from you, a telemarketing campaign, a seminar, workshop, sales presentation, display or design a customer/client newsletter, or a display ad. We will share the profits on a 50/50 basis etc.ก

About The Author

Abe Cherian is the founder of Multiple Stream Media, a company that helps online businesses find new prospects and clients, who are anxious to grow their business fast, and without spending a fortune in marketing and automation.

http://www.multiplestreammktg.com.

Webกs #1 site to find กfree resources to Plan, Build, Market, and Maintain your websiteก:

http://www.multiplestreammktg.com/resources.html

[email protected]

This article was posted on April 20

by Abe Cherian

10 Proven Ways To Accelerate Your Profits

10 Proven Ways To Accelerate Your Profits

by: Steve Li

1. Make copies of your web site in many different languages. Thisกll allow foreign speaking people to read your web site and advertisements.

2. Give your customers a surprise bonus for buying. When you give customers more than they expect, there is a good chance they will buy from you again.

3. Send greeting cards offline or online to customers on holidays. Youกll get the chance to increase your orders by including your ad inside the card.

4. Market your products or services to your target audience. For example, don’t try to sell a football in a cooking magazine.

5. Give people the option of buying other products or add on products when they decide to buy your main product or service at the point of sale.

6. Think of new ways to attract people to buy your products or services. You could add on extra free bonuses, delivery options, payments options, etc.

7. Give other businesses the option of selling your product. It could be a simple joint venture deal or an affiliate/associate program.

8. Followup regularly with all your prospects and current customers. When people see your ad more than once they are more likely to buy.

9. Learn sales ideas from reading and studying other businessก advertising and marketing material. It could be ads, brochures, tv ads, sales letters, etc.

10. Educate yourself with new strategies to increase your sales. You could take classes, subscribe to ezines and magazines, read books or ebooks, etc.

About The Author

Steve Li is the webmaster of http://pushbuttonincomes.com.

You can read more articles like this by subscribing to his twiceweekly Newsletter. Send a blank email to: mailto:[email protected]?subject=subscribe get a free course กOnline Advertising for the Completely Clueless!ก

[email protected]

This article was posted on January 07

by Steve Li

Why Resources Added to a Web site Increase Revenue

Why Resources Added to a Web site Increase Revenue!

by: Vishal P. Rao

There are literally billions of Web sites online now offering all types of products and services. Some succeed brilliantly, while others fail miserably.

There can be many reasons for the failure of some Web sites: poor marketing, poor planning, a weak knowledge of the target market, or just an overall lack of knowledge of business principles by the Web site owner.

One shared trait of successful Web sites, however, is the ability and drive to provide good resources to its visitors. This is a tactic that increases traffic, keeps visitors engaged and coming back, and lends authenticity and reliability to a site. Yet many new (and sometimes กnot so newก) Web masters neglect this very important facet of Web site development and Internet marketing.

Why? There are many reasons, however, here are the กmostก common:

1. A Web master may be unaware that resources when added to a Web site can add value and increase sales. Adding resources, especially those that are Affiliate links to other products or services, is a great way to กbackendก sales, by offering visitors more than the main product or service to buy.

2. A Web master may feel (wrongly) that offering other products or services, or including great informational resources may กcompeteก with their own product or service. They may be reluctant to expose others to resources or products and services that are the กsameก as theirs, feeling that the competitor will end up with the sale. This may be true to some extent.

However, the benefits of providing other resources and products or services besides the main product or service greatly outweigh the negatives. Studies have shown that Web sites containing great resources have more return visitors, and greater sales numbers overall.

3. A Web master may not feel comfortable assuming the liability for other products and services, or other resources that are added to a site. Of course, the more that a site contains, the greater the maintenance and cost associated with a site. However, again, the benefits of a resourceladen site far outweigh the liabilities.

4. A Web master may have no idea how to find good resources or make a judgment about what to add and what to omit.

All of the above seems to account for the reluctance of some to add additional products and services or resources to their sites. Since adding additional products and services are beneficial to almost all Web sites, here are a few guidelines when choosing which resources to add, which to omit, and the approximate amount of resources to add.

1. Resources should always reflect the main theme of a Web site and be complimentary to the main Web site, as well as the other products, services, and resources that already exist. E. G. An Internet Marketing site should, in all probability, only contain links to products, services, and resources that reflect Internet Marketing.

2. Resources should always be กcontent richก and interesting to the visitor. A smattering of lackluster, กsame old, same oldก type resources does the Web master little good, and may even hurt the Web site, by reducing its sales effectiveness.

3. Resources should be updated at least monthly, to keep the site กfresh and livelyก for return visitors. Visitors quickly lose interest if a site seems stagnant.

4. Resources should be plentiful enough to fill out a site, however, they should never overshadow the main theme of a site nor should they take away from the main purpose. They should be placed in an orderly fashion, and laid out for easy accessibility and readability. Clutter should be avoided at all costs, and a clean look maintained. There is a fine line here between กjust enoughก and กway too muchก.

5. Avoid gimmicky, poorly written, ethically substandard resources. A Web master must use judgment when choosing resources that are truly an asset to the site. กIf in doubt, don’tก is a good rule of thumb here.

Resources not only add quality and backend sales on a Web site, they enhance Search Engine placement by providing content and incoming links. They give visitors a good feeling about the site, and they set the Web master up as an กexpertก in any given field.

However, quality must always rule over quantity, when placing resources and additional products and services on a site. If prudence is used, resources will enhance sales and traffic, and keep the site กalive and wellก long after other competitive sites have disappeared!

About The Author

Vishal P. Rao is the editor of http://www.homebasedbusinessopportunities.com A website dedicated to opportunities, ideas and resources for starting a home based business. He is also the owner of the http://www.workathomeforum.com an online community of folks who work at home.

This article was posted on August 26, 2004

by Vishal P. Rao

Why All Your Marketing Efforts Have Come To Nothin

Why All Your Marketing Efforts Have Come To Nothing

by: Mal Keenan

How often have you responded to email from those in your downlines asking for advice on how best to run their online businesses and finding it increasingly frustrating that things JUST aren’t working out as planned?

I myself see the same problems day and daily and it always point back to the same core issues. Let me explain one of them…

The very ethos of network marketing is based on sharing the products and services that you have found helpful in your journey towards success. The fact that you get paid for this is definitely a BIG bonus but networking can be found in everyday examples where people aren’t being paid. For instance when people see a great movie, they tell others who in turn pass it on to create a blockbuster hit.

Word of mouth definitely is the best form of advertising and networking. The main point in the above example is that folks are being honest about their observations and this is picked up on by their fellows and so and and so forth down the line.

The problem with many network marketers is that they ARE NOT being honest in their dealings with online prospects. Their emails or telephone conversations are promoting something that they don’t really believe in and this belief is being transferred to the people they are trying to recruit.

You cannot sell something that you don’t absolutely believe in yourself, or at least you will find it extremely difficult to do so and all your efforts will result in ultimate failure.

The words coming from our mouths are actually a very small percentage of what is actually being communicated and even the tone of our email ads can scream กScamก at prospects without us even knowing it.

This has been a fact in all my online dealings and yet it is something that is not easy to explain to newcomers who come online and believe that it is only a matter of กclick sendก and a ready acceptance of multiple checks in the mail.

Obviously the way around this problem is to promote those products and services that you actually DO believe in. From I have come online I have to say that the companies out there that inspire confidence have been by far in the minority.

Many companies will take your money and run and when you are the type that hands out money hand over fist with no money management skills, it is a welcome surprise to find a company that will actually teach you such skills and allow you to earn as you do.

I myself am a member of such a team and it is a perfect example of something that I truely CAN believe in, and this belief like mentioned above, is exuded to those I come in contact with through email promotions and online ads.

In conclusion, if you are choosing to promote products or services online ensure that they are something that you can honestly pass on to prospective affiliates and feel good in doing so. Your success ulimately depends upon it.

Copyright 2004 Mal Keenan

About The Author

Mal Keenan is editor and publisher of Home Business Tips Newsletter: http://www.homebusinesstipsnewsletter.com/ For a company that you can believe in join my team below:

http://www.eliteteamireland.com/

This article was posted on August 31, 2004

by Mal Keenan

10 Phone Marketing Mistakes to Avoid

10 Phone Marketing Mistakes to Avoid

by: Charlie Cook

กI hate making marketing calls. I don’t know what to say and how to say it. I’ve been assigned to find new clients and in the past 4 weeks I brought in zero new clients.ก

Do you ever feel this way?

Are you tired of being turned down?

Are you frustrated by your limited success selling on the phone?

Making any of the mistakes below takes the fun out of your job and can kill your sales.

1. Using Push Versus Pull Marketing

Most of us don’t like pushy people who talk about themselves all the time. Think about your marketing. Are you constantly pushing information out about yourself, your products and services? This may be pushing prospects away when what you want to do is pull them in.

Focus your marketing on prospectsก concerns and offer them something they want. Youกll help them, convert them to clients and increase your revenue.

2. Not Generating Enough Qualified Leads

Marketing is about starting conversations with prospects so you can learn what they need and help them understand the solution you provide. To bring in more business, help more people understand what you do and prompt prospects to contact you.

Does your marketing help you generate enough leads and start a conversation with prospects?

With the right marketing message, advertising copy and online and offline strategy you can generate a steady stream of qualified leads.

3. Responding To Inquiries With an Email or a Letter

Nine times out of ten, when you send a prospect a written response to a query, it won’t result in a sale. Pick up the phone and you can use their questions to start a conversation. With just a couple of additional questions you can learn what their objectives are and then you can sell them the solution.

4. Quoting Price Too Soon

When prospects call, one of the first questions they ask is about pricing. Tell them right away and you risk ending the conversation and losing the sale. Dollar figures by themselves are meaningless.

When a prospect asks what you charge, don’t tell them until youกve had a chance to learn what they want. Then put the price in the context of the value and quality solutions you provide.

5. Wasting Time With People Who Aren’t Buyers

No matter how good your system is for qualifying leads, you’ll end up on the phone with people who can’t afford your services or won’t benefit from your products. Conversations like these can take up way too much of your time.

Use your qualifying questions and their responses to determine within the first 3 minutes of a conversation whether or not the person you’re talking with is a promising prospect. If not, thank them for their inquiry and move on to your next call.

6. Doing Too Much Talking

You know your services and products inside out; you could talk for hours, if not days, about your processes, product features or benefits. Don’t. Youกll lose your prospects attention, especially if you’re marketing over the phone.

Whenever you call a prospect or they call you, use the call to learn what they want and need. Ask questions. Let them do the talking so that you get the information you need.

7. Not Clarifying Value From the Client’s Perspective

You have a crystal clear idea of the benefits of your products and services; you want prospects to understand these benefits from their point of view.

To help prospects understand the value you provide, get them to define what they are looking for and what itกs worth to them.

8. Not Getting To กYesก

Your primary objective is to get the prospect to say, กyesก when you ask them whether they want to place their order or sign up for your services. Set up a pattern of กyesก answers and youกll increase the chances they will say กyesก when you ask them to buy.

Review their objectives and ask them if that is what they are looking for. Review the solution you provide and ask them if that is what they are looking for.

9. Neglecting To Ask For The Sale

If you want people to buy your products and services, you need to ask for the sale. This sounds obvious, but the tendency is to wait for the prospect to say they are ready to buy.

Why do we do this?

Until you gain confidence in your phone selling technique, you’re afraid of getting turned down when you ask for the sale. Itกs common to compensate by talking endlessly about the features and benefits of your products and services.

If you’re working with qualified leads, many of the people you are talking with want to buy your products and services. Help them clarify the value and then help them make the purchase.

10. Forgetting To Follow Up On Sales

When you make a sale it may seem like the end of your marketing effort. Think of your first sale not as closing a sale but opening the door to a longterm relationship and you’ll increase future sales.

When a prospect becomes a client or customer, theyกve provided tangible evidence of their trust in you and your products and services. Follow up with a phone call to find out how the product or service is working and there is a good chance youกll uncover a need for more of your products and services.

You don’t have to hate marketing on the phone. Learn what to say and how to structure the conversation and youกll have more fun and make more sales.

About The Author

2004 © In Mind Communications, LLC. All rights reserved.

The author, Charlie Cook, helps service professionals and small business owners attract more clients and be more successful. Sign up for the Free Marketing Plan eBook, ก7 Steps to get more clients and grow your businessก at http://www.marketingforsuccess.com

[email protected]

This article was posted on October 02, 2004

by Charlie Cook

How to Avoid the Marketing Blues with Your Offers

How to Avoid the Marketing Blues with Your Offers

by: Charlie Cook

กHereกs a little tip I would like to relate Big fish bites if ya got good bait.ก

To attract more prospects and clients, you need what Taj Mahal calls กgood baitก in his song the Fishin Blues. One of the biggest mistakes you can make, as a small business owner, is forgetting to use good bait in the form of your offers. Whether you use direct mail, a web site or media advertising to market your business, the success of your marketing depends on whether you provide prospects with compelling offers.

Your offers motivate prospects and clients to visit your web site, read your marketing materials, contact you and buy your services and products. Without the right offer you won’t attract big fish or as many fish as youกd like.

What bait are you using to motivate your target market to:

Visit your web site?

Sign up for your free newsletter?

Buy your products and services?

How many new prospects per week are your offers attracting?

Which Offers Work Best?

Your offer needs to be something that your target market wants. You wouldn’t use a worm to catch a whale or a safety pin to catch a tuna. Offer your target market something they can’t refuse. Everybody likes to get something for free, whether itกs an article, guide, ebook, report, consultation, a demonstration, offer of membership or added services. If your offer helps your target market solve a common problem, it will attract more prospects and clients.

Whether or not it is free your offer needs to provide value. Prospects will judge the quality of your products and services based on your offer. If you give away a subscription to a newsletter, follow up with useful content and substantive ideas your prospects can use. Give them something that is so good they will want more.

Attracting Prospects

My target market is service professionals and business owners. I offer a 15 page free marketing guide to prompt people to give me their contact information so I can market to them in the future. My target market, want to attract more clients, want ideas to help them. A 15 page marketing guide is something that tens of thousands of people have found to be irresistible. Each week this simple offer pulls in hundreds of new prospects.

You too can come up with an offer to prompt more prospects to contact you. If you’re a lawyer you could offer a report on the ‘the 10 Biggest Legal Mistakes Homeowners Makeก. If you’re a massage therapist you could offer a guide to ก5 Ways to Avoid Damaging Back Pain.ก If you provide an online service, you could offer a free or almost free onemonth trial.

Clarify Value

People buy your products and services based on their perception of value. Whether you are charging five dollars or five thousand, your prospects need to be convinced that the benefits you provide will outweigh the cost. Too often service professionals and business owners rush to quote a price, trying to make the sale before clarifying the value to buyers.

To stimulate sales place your offer in the context of your target marketกs concerns. Once youกve clarified how your product or service meets their concerns the value of your offer will be apparent.

Use Problem Solving Offers

People don’t buy your products or services because youกve been in the business for decades, or because your ebooks are well written or designed to please the eye. People buy your products and services because they solve a problem.

Use Additional Incentives Carefully

In their rush to sell their products and services some small business owners offer huge discounts or bundle free services. Discounting and bundling can work but make sure you’re not undermining prospects’ perception of the value of your products and services or your profits.

Key Elements of Your Offer

Creating a compelling offer is an art and involves blending the following items together to create a sentence or two which will move people to take action, whether it is contacting you or making an immediate purchase.

Include the following items to create an offer that helps sell:

Name What you are selling

Benefit The problem it solves

Credibility Why they should buy from you

Value How useful it will be to them

Guarantee Your promise to them

Motivation to act A reason to take advantage of your offer today.

If you want to catch big fish, you need good bait. To increase your catch, improve your offers and youกll be reeling in many more new prospects and clients.

2004 © In Mind Communications, LLC. All rights reserved.

About The Author

The author, Charlie Cook, helps service professionals and small business owners attract more clients and be more successful. Sign up to receive the Free Marketing Guide, ก7 Steps to Grow Your Businessก and the กMore Businessก newsletter, full of practical tips you can use at http://www.charliecook.net

[email protected]

This article was posted on March 03, 2004

by Charlie Cook

Five Cheap Tricks for Promoting Your Business

Five Cheap Tricks for Promoting Your Business

by: Nancy Jackson

If you’re like me, you’re always looking for ways to promote your business — without spending a ton of money. Well, you’re in luck. This article lists five of my top 10 favorite ideas for promoting your business or organization for next to nothing (and in some cases, completely fr*e). While these ideas are a start, there are plenty of other ways to get the word out about your product or service and build relationships with potential clients. Use this list as a jumping off point to brainstorm more cheap ideas that may work wonders for your business. And stay tuned for the other five tricks, which will appear in my Nov. 2004 newsletter, กMarketing Tips from The WriteShop.ก

1. Volunteer your services or donate your products to a local nonprofit. This tactic doesn’t just help spread the word about your products and services, but it also allows you to help a worthy cause. Many nonprofits are happy to promote their donors in their own marketing materials, and nonprofit leaders are also good people to know because many of them are wellconnected in their communities (and happy to give referrals).

2. Educate friends and family about your business. Simply utilizing the relationships you already have is one of the easiest but most often overlooked forms of marketing. Nobody wants to hear about your business or products all the time, but it’s a good idea to make sure your family and friends understand what you do — you never know when they might have an opportunity to send business your way.

3. Become active in online forums related to your industry. Many business owners and marketers turn to online discussion groups for advice or to vent frustration, and you might be surprised how frequently discussion pals become clients or referral sources. By maintaining your professionalism and sharing your own advice freely (remember to give, not just receive), you’ll earn respect from other forum members, who may turn to you when they need your products or services.

4. Make yourself available to local media. Reporters for newspapers, business publications, television and radio are constantly looking for expert sources to interview about various topics. If they know about you and your areas of expertise in advance, chances are they’ll contact you when they need a quote or expert insight about your particular field. If you don’t have relationships with media already, start by locating the reporters who usually report on your areas of interest. Introduce yourself in a personalized letter or email, and include a list of issues for which you would be willing to comment. Follow up occasionally with press releases or other information the reporters may find interesting or newsworthy.

5. Sponsor local events in your market area. Consider hosting an afterhours event for a local business organization at your office or home. Sponsor a Little League team or a nonprofit fundraising event. These types of activities will not only keep your name in the spotlight, but they’ll also help establish your company’s reputation as a generous, communityminded business.

Copyright 2004 Nancy Jackson

About The Author

Nancy Jackson of The WriteShop helps companies better market their products and services with powerful written communications including newsletters, articles, Web content, brochures and custom publications. Learn more, contact her, or sign up for her free monthly newsletter at www.writeshoponline.com.

This article was posted on October 08, 2004

by Nancy Jackson

Offer Package Deals To Increase Profits And Sales

Offer Package Deals To Increase Profits And Sales

by: Nathan Holland

An effective way to increase your profits and sales is to bundle many products or services together into one package. This gives people more reasons to buy your products and services. People also have come to believe package deals are a better value. You want all the products or services to be closely related. For example: if you’re selling a computer you could add in software, hardware, computer furniture, etc.
There are many ways to go about choosing the right products or services to bundle into one package. You could survey your customers and see what products or services they would like you to offer in the future. Spy on your competition and see what products and services they’re offering or not offering. If you would like to, bundle unrelated products or services together, ask your customers which ones would be of interest to them.
Bundling can also increase your target markets which in return would give you a larger audience to sell your products and services. For example: if you’re selling a baseball magazine you could add a free baseball when someone buys a subscription. You’re now targeting people who want the baseball magazine and those that want to play baseball out in the yard. Some people buy a package deal just to get one of the products.
There are many sources where you can find products and services to create a package deal. You can buy them from wholesalers or drop shippers. You can buy the reproduction/resell rights to other peopleกs products. Teamup with your competition to create a package deal. You could joint venture or cross promotion deal with other businesses. You could also create your own products and services. Be creative!

About The Author

Nathan Holland is the owner of BSP Advertising. BSP offers affordable and effective ezine advertising as well as targeted traffic for your website. For more information, please visit: http://bizsourceplus.com

[email protected]

This article was posted on June 27, 2004

by Nathan Holland