Affiliate Marketing: a Tremendous Way to Increase Your Earning Potential September 8, 2009
Posted in : Commerce Performance, Marketing + More, Sellers Market , comments closedAffiliate marketing is similar to a consignment shop. You feature the merchandise on your web pages and for all your work, you will have a cut from each transaction. It isn’t as much effort, very low operating costs, it sells twenty four hours a day, and what’s even better, it’s comparatively simple to pick up.
Click here and surf to this one of a kind website for Beating Adwords review facts
To start with, you must make a decision as to exactly what area best suits your business style. To achieve this, discover what specific solutions to a given problem a specific group of web users are suffering from, and then which solutions will assist them. A simple way of achieving this is searching for unique sets of narrow keywords; more often than not people search for these less, but they will convert far more into sales.
These lucrative keywords can be discovered by using programs such as Micro Niche Finder. Data generated from Micro Niche Finder or analogous programs and services produces a listing of related keywords giving worthwhile targets to gain top position on the web based search engines.
Micro Niche Finder will also calculate detailed figures on the keywords or phrases, the number of other sites using the particular keyword or phrase, even competitor details. Last but not least, Micro Niche Finder data can identify suitable domains, assist you in putting together your internet site, and draw your attention to the best products to market. The next step is to put together a website; however there are still crucial tasks to complete. Search engine optimization is an absolute must. Products like SEO Elite can make this less complicated. This software automatically examines the websites of the competition and helps you by telling you exactly what you should do to achieve a good placing in the search engine results. In SEO Elite the data created by the software advises you where to find links, the most lucrative keywords, and information on how to upload articles. In Brief, the results created are the same kind of suggestions you would receive from a practised SEO professional.
Once you settle on your target market, plan your product advertisements, and your internet site is completed, all you need to do is get your site up in the search results. The profits will roll in on regular basis and wonder why you did not try this method of marketing earlier!
Adwords Miracle Review – a Sober Introduction July 24, 2009
Posted in : Commerce Performance, Marketing + More, Sellers Market , comments closedIn essence affliliate marketing resembles a consignment shop. Different good and services are advertised on your web site in return, you’ll receive a cut from every purchase. There is less effort involved, very few overheads, it sells 24 hours a day, and it is easy to learn.
To start, you must make up your mind which merchandise or area best suits your interests. A good way to go about this is, discover what specific solutions to a problem a specific group of net users are experiencing, and determine how you can help them. An easy method of doing this easily is finding groups of highly targeted longtail keywords and phrases; generally people search for these less, all the same they will convert far more. To find these profitable keywords, it is recommended that you use programs like Micro Niche Finder. Selective Information collected by this computer program or other computer programs and computer software compiles a listing of related terms allowing you to gain an advantage when it comes to placing on an internet based search engine. Micro Niche Finder will in addition recount detailed information on the words or phrases, exactly how many different websites who exploit those keywords, even competitor details. Ultimately, the data returned can identify suitable domains, material for your internet site, and also point out the best sales opportunities.
Next you need to construct a site; but you still have some essential tasks to complete. Search engine optimization is absolutely crucial. Products like SEO Elite should make this less complicated. Competing websites are examined by Seo Elite information which then provides advice on how to better search engine performance. With SEO Elite the info created from the program suggests where to find links, which words to concentrate on, and details on how to submit articles. In short, the results created are the same kind of suggestions that an SEO specialist would give. Once you find your target market segmant, set up some advertising, and your site is finished, then all you need to do is forcefully upgrade your search engine rankings. The money will roll in regularly and you’ll question why you ever struggled to make enough money!
Selling – Trade Shows Vs. Regular Sales Calls March 27, 2009
Posted in : Sellers Market , comments closedRemember those school exercises that started “Compare
and contrast….yada yada yada”. Well, here’s an exercise to
get your sales brains moving.
There are major differences between how you sell in a
Regular Sales Call versus at a Trade Show. In other words,
just because you can sell well, doesn’t mean you can sell
well in the trade show environment.
I’ve identified five major areas which cause concern for
professional sales staff who have booth duty. This has
nothing to do with the ability of the sales person, only that
they often have to do a 180 to accommodate their concerns.
Above all this – note that many trade shows are not hard sell
arenas but are marketing venues. If you make a sale, it’s
probably because of hard work before the show. The
purpose of a show is to advance the sales process, so plan
where the show fits into your sales cycle, and pass these
tips along to your sales staff.
Face-to-Face Time
Regular Sales Call -
You set the schedule. You and the prospect determine the
time necessary for you to explain and/or sell. It may be 30
minutes, an hour, a half-day or more, but you have control of
the presentation.
Trade Show -
Unless you’ve made appointments prior to the show, or the
prospect puts you on its short list of exhibits to visit, you’re
lucky to get three minutes on the show floor. Why? Time is
short, and you’re either an unknown or well-known.
Location
Regular Sales Call –
You may be lucky and have the prospect in your office or
factory. Or, you’re on his turf. Or in a favorite restaurant. In
any case, it’s a familiar surrounding and you feel
comfortable.
Trade Show –
Now you’re on neutral turf. You have your company’s image
around you – name badges, signs, brochures, handouts,
give-aways, etc. Should be good news – you’re in control.
Until the visitor leaves your booth and walks over to your
competitor. (Remember, that’s the essence of a trade show
- competitors coming together to build an industry.)
Who Initiates Contact?
Regular Sales Call –
Generally, you make the first contact, so you know the
prospect’s major details – name, address, how you can
solve his problem, time frame for the sale – maybe you’ve
even toted up your commission. And if the prospects calls
you first? Great, the sales cycle is moved along even faster.
Trade Show –
Oops, here comes a stranger. With a name you don’t know,
a company you’ve probably never heard of – or if you have,
probably not that department. Now your people skills come
into play. It’s faster and more professional than a cocktail
party, more demanding than an interview and more tiring
because you repeat it all day.
Prospect Information
Regular Sales Call –
In today’s fast changing sales environment, you have good
intelligence about your prospect. You can use the
buzzwords – enterprise, cybercorp, partnering – and you can
probably adapt your sales competencies to the prospect’s
requirements.
Trade Show –
Remember, unless you’ve set up appointments with
prospects or clients, you’ve probably got a stranger standing
in front of you. Now, not only your sales competencies come
into play but your knowledge and understanding of your
industry and marketplace are challenged.
Time and Money
Regular Sales Call -
The internet has allowed companies to reduce drastically
the initial intelligence gathering costs and time frame. Make
sales proactive, not reactive. It still costs money. It still takes
time. And it’s still face-to-face.
Trade Show –
The key is follow-up. You can’t swipe a card, shake a hand
and wait for the prospect to call. People attend shows
because they’re in the same industry as you, and stopped at
your exhibit because they’re interested in your product.
Trade shows advance the sales cycle. This is a great
opportunity – don’t blow it!
When you understand that you make a 180 from your
regular job and comfort zone. then you will be more effective
at trade shows.
Julia O’Connor – Speaker, Author, Consultant – writes about
practical aspects of trade shows. As president of Trade
Show Training, inc,, now celebrating its 10th year, she
works with companies in a variety of industries to improve
their bottom line and marketing opportunities at trade
shows.
Julia is an expert in the psychology of the trade show
environment, and uses this expertise in sales training and
management seminars.
Selling Your Business – Step by Step Process March 16, 2009
Posted in : Sellers Market , comments closedSo it’s finally come time to sell the business. After investing years of your time and uncounted thousands of dollars, it has become successful, providing for your needs and wants, and it’s time to enjoy the fruits of your labor. Where do you start?
A good time to start thinking about selling a business is right after startup, when it shows signs of beginning to succeed and become self-sustaining. Even if you are planning on bequeathing it to your progeny or a partner, it’s never too early to think about what will happen afterwards.
The first step is to take your time–selling a business is a complex process and you will only do it once. Confidentiality is a necessity at this point, as word of an impending sale can cause repercussions among employees and business partners (suppliers, customers, etc.) alike.
Your position in the business is also a point to consider. If you are the sole proprietor, the decision is yours alone. However, if you are a partner or board member, selling your part of the business will involve more considerations.
Finding a good broker is worth any amount of time needed to locate one you are comfortable with. Check the Better Business Bureau for any investigation history, and get referrals from fellow business owners or from industry associations like the International Business Brokers Association (IBBA). This is a non-profit “trade association of business brokers providing education, conferences, professional designations and networking opportunities” (IBBA), as well as professional certifications and boasts over 1300 members.
Next, a professional appraiser should be consulted, as just like selling a home, a professional appraisal will give a fair value to begin negotiations with. Keep in mind though, an appraisal is an estimate of the fair value of a business’ hard assets, and the market value of the business may be higher or lower, as a business is only worth what someone else is willing to pay.
Determining major terms and price are issues that you are going to have to work out with your broker, but a few basic factors come into play: what do you want to get out of the sale? Continuing salary? Lump sum? Stock options? This is a step often overlooked until late in the negotiations, often to the detriment of the seller.
Financing the sale is usually about 90% left to the seller. If you can’t or won’t be willing to cover the costs of the sale, it may not be a good time to sell.
Once you and your broker have located a buyer and agreed on a price, a Letter of Intent is drafted. This letter outlines the terms and tentative price in a non-binding document and allows the buyer time to thoroughly investigate the business. This process is subject to Due Diligence, as the onus of discovery is placed upon the buyer and buyer’s agent.
After the discovery process is completed to both parties’ satisfaction, the Purchase Agreement is drafted. This set of paperwork creates a formal agreement between buyer and seller regarding purchase price, terms, and other legal details. Once the respective lawyers have finalized the details and complied with state law requirements regarding the sale, the Purchase Agreement is signed, closing documents finalized, and the sale is complete. If everything has gone well, it’s time to breathe a sigh of relief and start planning what to do with all that free time!
William King is the director of All Wholesale UK: http://www.uk-wholesaler.co.uk, Wholesale Pages: http://www.wholesalepages.co.uk and Wholesale-Canada: http://www.wholesale-canada.com. He has 18 years of experience in the marketing and trading industries and has been helping retailers, entrepreneurs and startups with their product sourcing, promotion, marketing and supply chain requirements.
The Trusted Advisor Relationship: What Is It, and What Should It Be?
Posted in : Sellers Market , comments closedFor the past months, maybe a year, I’ve been hearing sales groups talk about the need to become Trusted Advisors (I’ll call them TAs). I suspect that the problems cropping up in the sales arena these days – the increased length of the sales cycle, the increased levels of competition – are leading sales management to base their initiatives on being of true service to prospects, as a way to seem different from the competition.
But by everyone attempting to become TAs, and by not changing the basic skill set – or belief set or outcome – of the sales force, sellers are doing more of the same, but with a different name.
Sorry to be so blunt, but let’s look at the facts here.
1. So long as you are trying to sell your product, the entire discussion with prospects will be biased: the questions will be biased, the help you offer will be biased, the prospect’s responses will be biased.
2. Buyers won’t trust a sales person they don’t know. They can’t, which means interactions will have to occur over time, and at the mercy of how the long it takes the prospect to trust you.
3. The criteria that buyers will use to take advice from a sales person is dependent upon many mysterious factors that you can’t know up front. Therefore, you’e flying blind as you were before trying to be a TA.
4. If everyone is attempting to be a TA, what differentiates anyone? And what if the prospect is getting conflicting advice? What if the prospect is getting the exact same advice – through several different sales people?
5. If you are only asking questions around the area that your product supports, how can you truly advise a prospect who lives in a complex system – which all of us, and all of our prospects, do?
6. How can you truly be offering advice if you cannot know the entire internal fact pattern that has created and maintained the buyer’s problem over time?
Net net: this seems to me like just another buzzword.
THE CURRENT BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT
Let’s see what needs to happen before you can actually call yourself an advisor. First, you’ll need to understand the system that your buyers live within.
Your buyers are facing many new challenges these days. Their competition (or in the B2C area, the range of products offered) is so complex that they have to manage a world-wide competition with competitors that they don’t even know. To remain competitive and fresh, the prospects need to initiate frequent innovation that will potentially bring in new business partners, support new initiatives, and manage change as quickly as possible.
As a result, there is a continual flow of new decisions, new decision makers, new initiatives, new rules, roles, norms, and problems that need to be managed that have not been in play before now. And the prospect may or may not be familiar with the full range of issues that will affect him and that need to be managed.
I recently called a client’s prospect on a very large, long-term sales effort that had been going on for years. It seemed the prospect needed the service badly and it was costing them large sums of money as a result of not adopting the seller’s product. My client’s people were very professional, knew all of the problems attached to the perfect solution, and were offering very high quality advice as TAs.
And yet the decision was dragging on, and through different managers as people came and went – without a decision being taken. Everyone even tried to go around the problem and the immediate players, to no avail. When I called, it became apparent that there was an entirely different ’soft’ problem – a human problem – that had nothing to do with the specifics of my client’s solution, and no one had addressed that problem at all. Yet so long as it continued to remain unresolved, the sale wouldn’t happen.
My client was doing a fine job of being a TA; the team of sellers have been entirely knowledgeable, professional, and very supportive of their prospect. They had even become friends over the years. But they weren’t managing the real issue – one that no one had recognized.
For some reason, when you see a problem that your solution can fix, you think the only decision that your prospect needs to make is whether or not to purchase your product. In reality, deciding on your product is the last decision that will get made, after the prospect figures out all she needs to attend to in order to design a solution acceptable to all of the internal elements.
HOW A SELLER CAN ADVISE
Given the type and number of number of decisions the prospect needs to make, you can now make a real difference to your prospect by helping him recognize all of the internal elements he needs to manage before you pitch your product.
Until now, you’ve concentrated your assistance on that area that your product can support. But think about systems for a moment: a system is a conglomeration of all of the elements that determine the status quo. To flush it out a bit, I’ll use the RIPP model – Relationships, Interventions, People, and Policies.
Relationships include: vendors, partners, stakeholders.
Interventions include: boards, media, market forces, mandates, policies.
People includes: roles and job descriptions, management and leadership styles, values and beliefs, and personality issues.
Policies include: rules, history, norms, goals, initiatives, and time frames.
The above comprise the systems elements that live within every system, defined here in human terms, and included in personal relationships, corporations, sole-proprietors, and every group or team in every industry. You have all of the elements of RIPP in your family, your primary love relationship, your work, your team. And until or unless all of the elements are addressed, any change would create chaos.
Systems don’t like chaos, and they try to fix things internally before they are willing to come up against any areas of discomfort within the system. In other words, prospects will try to fix their problem themselves before they make a purchase with a new vendor. Remember that your product is not what they seek – they merely seek to solve a business problem in a way that will cause the least disruption.
So even if your product is the perfect solution, the prospect will be unable to make the decision to purchase it until she has examined and rejected all familiar fixes.
THE LENGTH OF THE DECISION
What’s stopping your prospect from examining these elements sooner? To start with, it’s hard to notice something wrong when everything feels normal – much like a fish being unaware of the water it’s swimming in.
Have you ever looked at pictures of yourself from years back and noticed things like extra weight, a bad haircut, a questionable outfit… when at the time, it all seemed fine? What about at your job, when you’ve followed the same rules or routines for a period of time until they are changed, and you notice that it’s much easier in the new routine – and wondered why you didn’t change sooner? What about relationships – those friendships that are so difficult but continue under force of time, but when they are ended, you wonder how you ever maintained them?
It’s difficult to see all of our own internal, personal idiosyncrasies, as our current state seems rather fine as it is or we would have changed it already. Remember that systems include all that is – the good, bad, and ugly. But it probably does not look good, bad, or ugly because it just ‘is’ and feels normal that way.
We don’t question our natural state unless some new information or idea or activity gets us to step away from our comfort zone and see a wholly different view. It’s only then we realize that a change needs to happen. But note that we keep people and systems around us that will continually reinforce our world view, as it’s too difficult to consider the possibility that we’re wrong.
And so it is with our prospects. They live in a system that just ‘is’. They can’t see what might be problematic since it feels normal. As an outsider, you might be able to see a problem, but in reality you have no idea how the problem became created, how it is maintained, what connections are important for the working of the entire system, and you’re basically on the outside looking in.
THE JOB OF AN ADVISOR
If you want to become a true TA for your prospect, use your connection to navigate your prospect through all of the internal decisions she needs to make before she can even think about designing a solution [see: People Do Not Decide Emotionally].
Become a guide through the buyer’s system. Forget your product, and lead the prospect through the rules, the roles, the initiatives, and the relationships that need to be examined before anything new will happen. They need to do that anyway – with you or without you – if they are going to decide to do something new and make a purchase. They certainly won’t make a decision to purchase anything until or unless they’ve discovered their own answers and design their own solution.
The time it takes prospects to make a purchasing decision is the length of the sales cycle. They don’t care how long it takes – they’d much prefer it was quicker rather than slower. They could use some help: it might as well come from you. Then you would be a true Trusted Advisor: to do that, you’ll have to forego selling.
Sharon Drew Morgen is the author of NYTimes Best Seller Selling with Integrity. She speaks, teaches and consults globally around her visionary sales method, Buying Facilitation.
http://www.newsalesparadigm.com
http://www.sharondrewmorgen.com
512-457-0246
Morgen Facilitations, Inc.
Austin, TX
Finding Those Hot Selling Products To Sell March 8, 2009
Posted in : Sellers Market , comments closed“What should I sell? What products are hot selling?” These are the questions most people are trying to find an answer in order for them to make the definite decision. And if we really want to know the answer to this question, our only choice is to do some research. There are all kinds of twists along the road that may lead you to think you have a high-demand idea. We must be able to understand and satisfy the need, wants and expectations of our customers on a certain product that they’re trying to buy. This three are called the basic needs or minimum requirements in a purchase. Needs are the basic reasons or the minimum requirements consumers are looking for in a product or service. They are called the qualifying or “gatekeeper” dimensions in a purchase. Wants are the determining dimensions among many choices. Expectations, on the other hand, are values or intangibles associated with a product or service. Expectations are actually part of “wants” but they become extremely important when products or services are not differentiated.
For example, in reading a logic book, university students look for the following: Relevant logic concepts use of simple language, easy to understand and affordable prices. These similar ideas can be applied to Internet Sales as well. After all, the Internet is just another place to sell products. The basic concept of demand is the same there as it is anywhere else, and has been all the time.
Now, the second thing that must be considered in finding “hot” products to sell are the level of competition or the market shares do your product will have. Market share or level of competition means the ratio of your brand sales versus the total market sales. While companies would naturally define its target competitors, it is actually the consumers who ultimately decide the competitive frame, or the list related products or services that consumers consider when exercising their purchasing power. We must therefore choose the market segment where we can have a potential leadership or at least a strong challenger role. Because the overriding objective of getting into this business is not just to satisfy the needs and wants of our customers but to do so profitably better than his competition. Otherwise, our competition will end up satisfying the customers better than our own interest.
Third factor to be considered in finding hot selling products is finding out the general interest level about the product. General interest in a product helps us to gauge where our demand and competition numbers fall into the big picture. Simply saying, if there isn’t much demand for the product, and there isn’t much competition, it would seem that it might not be good a good put up for sale. But the research doesn’t stop here; there is one last thing to be considered to exactly find the hot selling products that you’ve been looking for. We must also learn how others are advertising those products. If there are a good number of them doing so, it may mean that it’s a good product to get into. Coming to the last phase of the process is analyzing and evaluating all the information that has been collected. We have to look at all of the data we have collected on demand, competition, and advertising, and make decision as how they all balance out.
And here are several factors or aspects that must be measured: (a) not enough demand means not enough people are going to buy (b) too much competition means not enough of a profit to go around (c) too much advertising drives up the price of pay per click ads, and competition as well (d) not enough general interest, combined with low demand, means there may not be a good market even if there is competition trying to make the sales.
Matthew O’Connor is author and owner of http://www.the-complete-guide.com – the ultimate internet marketing guide.
How to Genuinely Enjoy Cold Calling March 5, 2009
Posted in : Sellers Market , comments closedMost of us dread our days of making cold calls. We take a deep breath, pump ourselves up, and prepare to talk with a perfect stranger. Is there any wonder a gray cloud sometimes hangs over our desk? It really doesn’t have to be this way. Cold calling can be an interesting, intriguing, fulfilling adventure.
Five perspectives that will (honestly!) create enjoyment in your cold calling
that will give you an entirely new outlook on cold calling. When you apply these new perspectives, cold calling can actually be enjoyable. It can become personally fulfilling as well as financially rewarding.
1. Focus on Helping the Other Person
It’s against our nature as human beings to create an uncomfortable situation with another person. That’s the core reason many of us get that knot in our stomach when we start dialing a cold call.
When we’re only focused on making the sale, this is not a natural meeting place for both people. We want the sale, but the other person usually wants us to go away. Being intrusive is not the finest of character traits, and on some level we know it.
So how can we feel good about cold calling? We change our mindset from getting the sale into being helpful. We look at cold calling as an opportunity to assist.
How can we possibly feel uncomfortable doing that? Helping people is one of the best character traits we possess.
When cold calling is aligned with our very best way of being, it becomes an adventure. We truly want to help people. We feel very good about this, and it shows in our voice. People hear it. And their response will surprise you.
2. Be Honest and Truthful
You’re in a very good place when you choose to be truthful in your cold calling. If you’re not trying to fool anyone, you naturally feel better about making the call. You know that you’re trustworthy. And people respond to you in a positive way.
When you approach a potential client with integrity and common sense, you’re more personable and less tense. Being fully honest is one of your better attributes. And it gives you an opportunity to enjoy the interaction rather than being artificial or manipulative.
People do seem to have a sixth sense about integrity. When they feel you can be trusted, you can truly shine as a person as well as a potential supplier.
3. Be Yourself
Engage people in natural conversation. The more natural you are, the more comfortable you will feel. This makes the other person feel more comfortable as well.
Avoid playing a role, especially reading from a script. Most people can tell when you’re using a script. There’s nothing personal about it, and they pick up on that.
Being artificial puts you in the “typical salesperson” category, which is exactly the role most of us detest. It doesn’t feel authentic. And unless you’re a born actor, it makes you feel skittish about cold calling.
Give yourself permission to follow the rhythm of natural interaction. Allow the conversation to “breathe.” Let it be the kind of conversation you would have with a friend.
Practice this and it can turn your cold calls into pleasant conversations. And you may actually look forward to meeting that new person the next time you pick up the phone.
4. Get into the Other Person’s World
Shift your mindset away from what you have to offer and focus instead on what their problem is.
So many of us have been trained think about our services and products, that we don’t think about the client’s point of view. We aren’t really interested in their issues and how we can help solve them.
Be interested in their world and their challenges. You’ll find this intriguing. Most of us have a natural flair for problem solving. We enjoy “fixing things.” So find out what’s going on with the person you’re talking to.
Make sure the solution you have really does “fix it.” Get rid of any hidden agendas and truly listen. Let them know you’re interested in them and their world.
Move outside your own sales agenda to focus on the needs of others. This makes you a better human being and helps you leap past the fear of cold calling.
5. Let Go of Expectations
Never assume anything beforehand. Allow the conversation to be one of exploration and discovery. Stay focused on the dialogue instead of any private agenda.
Determine whether it makes sense to continue the conversation by truly listening. Never presume your prospect should buy what you have to offer, even when it seems they’re a perfect fit.
You are not calling to create a situation that is focused on your personal gain, but on helping the other person. Simply have a conversation to explore whether you can help them in some way. This takes pressure off both of you. You’ll be more relaxed and they’ll be more honest about where they stand.
Believe me, once you start applying these perspectives it will transform your day-to-day worklife. Instead of dreading cold calling, you’ll anticipate the adventure of creating a situation where everybody wins.
Four Ways To Increase Your Sales Fast… In 2-4 Weeks? February 26, 2009
Posted in : Sellers Market , comments closedYou built a very good web site…
You have a great product…
You know that people are in NEED of Your service…
AND ALSO You want to Increase your sales FAST…
There is no wrong with that.
As a webmaster you should promote your web site. There are many methods of web site promotion. Some takes a little time before you start getting profits from it. Some give fast results.
Promotion methods like search engine optimization and Opt-in list building take a while.
Here are FOUR tips to increase your sales in short range of 2 – 4 weeks:
**1. Pay Per Click Engines:**
People beleive that pay per click engines are expensive. They are NOT if you know the six simple strategies of PPCs:
- Know your keywords
- Write a compelling ad
- Don’t enter in to Bidding war
- Monitor your bidding amount
- Landing page
- Track your results
For more explanation: http://www.webmasters-central.com/wp/se/ppctips.shtml
PPCs send you reliable amount of traffic even with 10 to 25 cents. Try Overture and Google Ad words.
**2. Recruit affiliates:**
Actually you need a cgi script that signs up your affiliates and tracks the clicks and commission. YOu have to install the script on your server.
You can see cgi scripts like that at: http://www.hotscripts.com/Perl/Scripts_and_Programs/Affiliate_Programs/
You can use affiliate networks like:
These are very good affiliate networks. You can keep your product before hundreds of affiliates that are willing to work for your product.
**3. Give free excerpts and ecourses:**
People love to receive free gifts and tools. Give away them with your logo and prominent web site links. DON’T forget to tell them that to join in your affiliate program and use the free software to give their web site visitors with their links. Right… Viral marketing.
Soon your free gifts will spread among the internet and getting you traffic.
**4. Joint Ventures:**
Say you exchange a link with another ezine publisher. Or an exchange of link with other web sites. Subscribers and visitors of those web sites are more potential customers for your product or service.
Before asking for a link or free ezine ad try to provide a link back to their sites. Before you ask a link:
- Focus on web sites and ezine that targets your product
- Subscribe to that ezine and see quality of ezine
- Writing articles and submitting to the ezines is a good method of promotion
Not only ezine ads, web site links, you can participate in joint ventures in many ways like special discounts to particular ezine subscribers, offering your product to ezine publisher in exchange of ezine ads etc.,
About The Author
Radhika Venkata – Subscribe to ‘EbookBiz Magazine’ which is completely focused on ebook business and Internet Marketing. Receive FREE Ebooks with Resale rights every month!
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Why Salespeople Need To Do More Than Practice Selling February 4, 2009
Posted in : Sellers Market , comments closedThe saying goes, “pride come before a fall” and indeed, when it comes to sales and marketing skills for smaller businesses.
The people that most need to improve their sales skills are those who think they don’t. Sounds contrary but it is rare to come across someone in a small business that acknowledges their weaknesses in sales and marketing skills and goes out to address it.
We recently conducted some telemarketing for a client that really hit home on this point. The client was offering £1000 funding to smaller business towards investment in the principals or directors. I need to repeat that sum in case you missed it: ONE THOUSAND POUNDS. Now sure, some contribution was required from the prospect company but we need to get clear, this was free money on offer. I thought we would have a tremendous response. As you might have guessed, most companies were either very sceptical or just did not see the value of investing in their major decision makers. I am humble enough to accept that it could have been the quality of my company’s telemarketing, but, take my word for it, we tried many different approaches and our telemarketers know a good few persuasive techniques!
Contrast this with my life partner who is a business development director in multinational market research firm. They send her on training courses for soft skills every 6 months or so. Moreover, they were virtually throwing a premium quality business coach at her, even thought she ADMITTED to that coach that she was considering leaving the company so it was probably not a sensible investment! They don’t need a £1000 inducement to improve her skills because they know that a few tip and hints that help her win one new piece of business pays for 5 years of training.
Spot the difference between our telemarketing prospects and the market research firm. Now I am not moaning just because one division of my company undertakes sales training and most of our prospects are smaller companies. I say this because improved sales and marketing skills for smaller businesses can really help them leverage their advantages over smaller firms. Having a small motivated workforce makes companies hungry and lean so clients get better value and a can-do attitude backed up with accountability.
I can already hear the legions of directors of small companies reading this who are moaning that they do not have the time, funds to invest or ability to implement the great ideas they may learn. Each of those excuses can be cured by investment in improved time management, delegation and borrowing to help grow the business.
In fact the problem is as much with luddite entrepreneurs as their archane decision-making abilities. So many business groups seem to accept the excuses their members make about not wanting to change successful formulae, IITWWHADI (it is the way we have always done it) or our customers would not stand for us using such new-fangled methods.
This government to its credit has created many schemes to help business and Business Link has some superb people and services to offer start-ups as much as to established ambitious concerns. Sure, there are many valid criticisms of red tape but smaller firms DO have many places they can turn to. But again, I have lost count of Business Link representatives and their equivalent that complain that they have the funds but can’t easily find the serious clients. I have associations with the Prince’s Trust and they have an excess of volunteers over young people coming forward to claim up to £5000 funding for a business along with the support of an experienced business mentor.
And let us not forget the rash of business networking groups that now exist. In fact, we visit various groups and there is a marked contrast in the types of membership. Some groups actively solicit free training and develop the sales and marketing skills of their members. But the other 90% of groups perfectly illustrate the stick-in-the-mud attitude to improving the way they bring in new business. The irony that so many members have joined dynamic networking groups, only to refuse to change they way they approach prospects or change their thinking, is startling.
So let this be a rallying call to all small businesses, entrepreneurs and sole proprietors: get off your bums and seek out new sales and marketing skills. No-one else is going to do it for you and there is a wealth of resource out there to generate you double digit growth next year.
Andy Szebeni is director of sales training and telemarketing company A&P. For more information and free tips and hints go to http://www.a-and-p.com.
10 Recession-Busting Sales Letter Tips! January 26, 2009
Posted in : Sellers Market , comments closed1. Highlight all the important keywords and phrases in your ad copy. You could use bolding, underlining and color to highlight the important words.
2. Highlight buying incentives like free bonuses and money back guarantees. You could place them in boxes or in front of a different colored background.
3. Use short sentences or sentence fragments in the body of your ad copy. A short burst of words can catch a skimmers eye with one quick glance.
4. Place colorful graphs, pie charts and other charts in your ad copy. Use charts that will grab a person’s eyes and also support your product claims.
5. Place attention grabbing pictures above and within your ad copy. A powerful technique is to use before and after pictures of people using your product.
6. Use a headline that catches the attention of your target audience. One of the most effective ways is to use a free offer as your headline.
7. Make your ad’s keywords and phrases standout by enlarging the text. This technique works wonders with headlines and sub headlines.
8. Make your product’s list of benefits and features stand out by using a symbol in front of each of them. The symbol could be a dash, solid circle, star, etc.
9. Use sub headlines to break up your ad copy and to capture a skimmers eye. You could make them even more powerful by highlighting them with color.
10. Use attention grabbing adjectives to describe your product. For example sizzling, incredible, high power, ultramodern, killer, eye popping, etc.