Sales and the Importance of Following Up

Sales are the life force of any business. HereÂ’s an outline of the key factors in getting them for your business.

Persistence

Business owners and decision makers are typically very busy people. Often, the difference between making a sale and not making a sale is catching the decision maker at the right time. One of the best ways to catch a decision maker at the right time is to catch him or her many times. Of course, you do not want to be contacting a prospect so often that you become an annoyance. Still, using a combination of phone calls, emails, faxes and snail mails you can ensure your prospect remembers your company when the time comes to purchase the product or service you sell.

Organization

One of the most important aspects of following up is being organized. There is a great variety of software to help you get your lead management in order, but all lead management software is not created equal. One feature to look for in lead management software is portability. Web based systems allow users to access their leads from any Internet connected computer. Another feature to look for is built in document management. Ideally, your lead management software will allow you to easily send emails, faxes and snail mails and document the contact automatically. A good scheduling tool is also a great asset to lead management software.

Follow Up and Consistency

Once you have contacted your lead, make sure to let them know when you will follow up again and follow through. Setting a time and day to follow up and then following through will build trust with your prospect. Just doing what you say you'll do is a huge source of confidence to prospective clients. After following up several times at the same time and day of the week, your prospect will come to expect your contact. Use this to build rapport. Become involved in your prospect's life and you are much more likely to make a sale. Use your lead management software to make notes about your conversations. Other wise, it is very difficult to remember the details of every conversation you may have. By following up and staying in front of your prospects, you will make more sales. The more familiar your prospects are with your company and products or services, the more likely they are to choose your company. Using the right lead management software can make the task of following up a breeze.

Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com

Halstatt Pires is with the Internet marketing firm - www.marketingtitan.com - a San Diego Internet marketing and advertising company offering automated web site systems through www.businesscreatorpro.com.

Hurrican Selling Styles

As I prepare this issue of this Newsletter, at 37,000 feet on my way to Greenville South Carolina, the east coast is being battered by a Hurricane.

All hurricanes seem to start out as a blip on a distant radar screen. It grows in size and intensity as it draws closer to the shoreline. They don’t follow a prepared script or take a predictable path.

At the center, is the famous eye of the storm. Surrounding the eye . . . well, you know the rest.

Some salespeople seem to behave like hurricanes, are you one of them? Answer these questions for a hurricane (style) check.

1. Are you completely organized at the start of every day?

2. Do you enjoy talking more than listening?

3. Does your enthusiasm spill over into loudness when you’re talking?

4. If preparation means “in writing” is more than 95% of your typical sales call not prepared?

5. After a sales call, are most of your customers thinking, “WOW” after you leave?

6. Do you have so much experience that you know what your customer’s need without having to ask them really good open-ended questions?

Here’s a sales tip. As hurricanes approach the East coast, few people are rushing to check-in to the ocean front hotels. Likewise, your potential customers won’t be running to open their doors for you if you approach them like a hurricane.

Jim Meisenheimer is the creator of No-Brainer Sales Training. His sales techniques and selling skills focus on practical ideas that get immediate results. You can discover all his secrets by contacting him at (800) 266-1268 or by visiting his website: http://www.meisenheimer.com

Using psychology easily on your website to make more sales!

Psychology is a long word which everyone thinks, “no, that’s not for me, it’ll be too difficult”. Apart from being lazy, anyone who thinks this is wrong. Applying psychology on your website is easy and extremely effective. Also, the fact that most webmasters take the lazy view of applying psychology gives you the edge over your competition. Applying psychology effectively consists of you writing persuasively and in a certain style in every area of your website. Home page â€" This is what the majority of your web visitors will see first. Make sure it stands out and makes an immediate positive impression. Give it a clear, defined layout, with an attractive colour scheme. Most importantly, make sure that the writing on the first page is spread out and not in one big block of text. Short, spaced out paragraphs look a lot more attractive to readers, the psychological effect being that they will be encouraged to read. This goes for the writing everywhere on your website. Also, do not reveal everything about your website on your front page. Curiosity is a very powerful incentive. Use words and phrases such as ‘secrets, uncovered, will be revealed, etc..’ to arouse the readers’ curiosity. Readers will then be encouraged to search further in your site. On your front page, make sure that you write to the individual. Make it sound personal and constantly remind the reader what’s in it for them. This is what web browsers want to know. Headlines â€" The titles and headlines on every page of your site are what will be viewed first. Make them sound impressive so that the reader feels they have to read more. Use words such as ‘breakthrough, profits, revealed, secrets, simple, easy’ because these are words which will appeal to the reader. Words such as ‘secrets’ will arouse readers’ curiosity and will make them feel that they do not want to miss out. Also important about headlines, do not make them too long or they will lose their effect of standing out. On the other hand it is important that the headline does give a brief description of what will be discussed in the text to come because if readers are unsure they will not bother reading. Sales Letter â€" Once you have got your web visitors to this stage you need to make sure that you make a sale. You need to constantly be encouraging your visitor to buy, without sounding unprofessional. The most effective way of doing this is by making your product sound extravagant and by making it seem like you are offering it at a bargain price. Everyone likes a bargain and thinking that they have got the best possible value for money. This will also increase your popularity with your web visitors. Make your product sound extravagant by telling visitors about how long it took to make or develop. Make your product sound like a bargain by telling visitors about how you are offering the product at a lower price than your competitors. Exaggerate within reason for the best results. Persuade your visitors even more by claiming that the product you are offering is exclusive and can only be found on your website. This will sound very impressive to a potential customer and will discourage them from leaving your website to look for the product somewhere else. Another great psychological way to persuade customers to buy is by offering a number of free bonuses. For bonuses, quantity outweighs quality. Offer a huge number of worthless bonuses with the product you are selling and it will sound a whole lot more attractive to buyers because it looks like great value for money. The most effective bonuses to use are ebooks because you lose nothing by giving them away and you can give away ebooks on the subject of what you are selling. Testimonials â€" These are absolutely essential to a successful web business and have a great psychological effect on those who are unsure of whether to buy. One of the main barriers which visitors will face before buying from you is the barrier of whether they will actually benefit from what they purchase. You have to help your visitors over this barrier. By adding in positive comments from people who have previously purchased, your visitors will trust you and what you are saying. Pick up positive testimonials by simply asking those who have purchased your product. In summary, always be trying new techniques of writing and applying psychology until you find one which really works for your website. That’s when you will hit serious profits. ----------------------------------------------------------------- -- ------------------------------------------ For more information on this subject or about making money online go to http://www.info-ebooks.co.uk. 100s of free ebooks and software products are also available at this address. Feel free to use this article on your website or in your ezine so long as it is not altered or modified in any way. Thank you for reading William Johnston

Sales Strategies for Entrepreneurs: Number 1 Way to Skyrocket Your Sales This Year

Completely grasp the power of the Best Buyer Concept and you will double your sales within the next twelve months. The concept is easy to understand, yet powerful: There's always a smaller number of ideal buyers, compared to all the possible buyers, so ideal buyers are cheaper to market to and yet bring greater rewards.

A magazine used this strategy to double sales in 15 months flat. Here's what they did:

They took a database of 2200 advertisers and sent promo-pieces to them each month. After learning this strategy, they did an analysis and found that 167 of those 2200 advertisers bought 95% of the advertising in their competitor's magazine.

This concept is called "The Dream 100 Sell," a concept where you go after your "Dream" prospects with a vengeance. This magazine sent the 167 (best buyers) a letter every two weeks and called them four times per month.

Since these were the biggest buyers, the first four months of intensive marketing and selling brought no actual reward. In the fifth month, only ONE of these Dream clients bought advertising in the magazine.

In the sixth month, 28 of the 167 largest advertisers in the country came into the magazine all at once. And since these are the biggest advertisers, they don't take quarter pages and fractional ads, they take full pages and full color spreads. These 28 advertisers alone, were enough to double the sales over the previous year. The magazine went from number 15 in the industry to number one in just over a year.

Lesson learned: Market to your best buyers

Now you're probably thinking to yourself, who are my best buyers? If you sell to the business-to-consumer market, chances are, your best buyers live in the best neighborhoods.If you are a dentist, accountant, chiropractor, R.E. Broker, financial advisor, restaurant, or even a MLM professional you should consistently go after the folks who live in the best neighborhoods.

They are the wealthiest buyers who have the money and the greatest sphere of influence. If you send them an offer every single month without fail, within a year, you'll have a great reputation among the very wealthy.

If you sell to the business-to-business market, it's usually fairly clear that your best buyers are the biggest companies. So what are you doing, every other week, no matter what, to let these companies know who you are?

There's no one you can't get to as long as you constantly market to them, especially after they say they're not interested. People will not only begin to respect your perseverance, they will actually begin to feel obligated.

This doesn't happen right away, but even the most hard-bitten and cynical executive or prospect begins to respect you when you refuse to give up. The publication I mentioned earlier went on to double sales two more years in a row. They consistently marketed to the best buyers and much more aggressively than they did to the rest of the buyers.

A company selling to manufacturer's used this strategy to target the 100 biggest manufacturers in the country. For the first three months no one responded to any of the calling or phoning.

But after three months executives started saying: "I just have to meet you. I've never had anyone continue to call me so many times after I said no." Within 6 months they had gotten in to see 54% of those they targeted.

The secret is to NEVER give up.

Just keep going after those companies again and again. Or if you sell to consumers, commit to sending a promotional piece every single month to those wealthy neighborhoods. Eventually, all the wealthy people in your area will know exactly who you are.

Now the question is: Who are your DREAM prospects and how committed are you to getting them as clients?

Chet Holmes is in tremendous demand as a speaker, consultant, and strategist. Visit http://www.howtodoublesales.com for more profit boosting tips.

Cold Calling Pressure Reduction

Who likes cold calling?

Most salespeople don't like cold calling, and do as little of it as possible. There are a number of reasons why most of us don't like it. One reason is the way we view cold calling. People who don't like cold calling view each call as do or die. They think of cold calling as a war in which they have to win most of the battles in order to win the war. A sales rep good at cold calling is considered a sales god. A sales rep who is poor at cold calling is a sniveling wimp.

The reality about cold calling is much different. You don't have to win all nor even most of the battles to win the war. Cold calling is the reconnaissance before any battle begins. Cold calling is not where the sale happens. Cold calling is simply advertising done by sales reps.

Yes, I said that you are doing advertising when you are cold calling.

Cold calling is a means of identifying potential prospects for your sales efforts. And the purpose of advertising is to identify or attract potential prospects - in other words to generate leads.

Think of cold calling this way. Every time you make a cold call, it is as if you grabbed your prospect by the shirt, shoved a billboard ad for your product in their face, and said "Do you want to buy this?"

Obviously, real cold calling is more involved than pressing their nose up to your ad. Specifically, cold calling should be mostly about asking questions rather than a sales pitch monologue.

Just like a newspaper ad or a billboard, all you are trying to do when cold calling is to get someone's attention. And if they don't want or need what you are offering right now, that's OK.

With your new view of cold calling as advertising in mind, you should focus your cold calling goals a little differently. One of the surest ways to get frustrated in sales (and an ulcer) is to take responsibility for things that are beyond your control as a sales rep. You really cannot control whether the person you are cold calling needs or wants your product.

What you can control is how many cold calls you make, and the quality of your techniques while cold calling.

Set your cold calling targets and define your success criteria around the number of calls or dials that you will make. Judge the quality of your calls by how well you stick to a cold calling formula that you have defined in advance.

If your cold calling goal is set as "To Make $300,000 in Sales Next Month", you are just setting yourself up. This kind of cold calling goal might be useful if you are a tele*sales* person responsible for actually closing business by phone. But in professional business-to-business selling, cold calling is too far removed from the actual close to directly influence such a goal.

Instead, you can backwards plan how many cold calling "advertisements" you need to run in order to make $300,000 in sales next month. Use your own or other sales reps activity numbers to figure out how many sales will result *on average* if you make 1000 dials when cold calling. Then you can determine the time period needed to make 1000 dials worth of cold calling advertisements in order to make your sales goals.

Look at cold calling as one-to-one advertising and focus on the number of dials you have to make and you'll find cold calling a lot easier to do.

© 1999-2004 Shamus Brown, All Rights Reserved.

Shamus Brown is a Professional Sales Coach and former high-tech sales pro who began his career selling for IBM. Shamus has written more than 50 articles on selling and is the creator of the popular Persuasive Selling Skills CD Audio Program. You can read more of Shamus Brown's sales tips at http://Sales-Tips.industrialEGO.com/ and you can learn more about his persuasive sales skills training at http://www.Persuasive-Sales-Skills.com/

To Sell Successfully, You Have to Be Willing to Be Different

We are complex. We confidently assert that we are independent thinkers but then we can feel uncomfortable -- even embarrassed â€" if we break out of “the norm.” However, in business the biggest rewards often go to people who are willing to be different.

One night, I was in a mall at suppertime. There were a dozen places to eat at the food court and the crowd was thin. Behind one counter, a middle-aged Oriental woman passionately took action to improve her odds of success. In thickly accented English, she crowed at every potential customer within ten feet, "Hi! Want try some?" as she tempted people with morsels of steaming, spicy chicken skewered on neon-colored toothpicks. Half of them pretended not to hear, deliberately looked away, and walked by. Those who looked saw her flash a proud smile. Nearly all of the lookers accepted their reward and about half of them bought something from her.

At the other places, employees cleaned or waited on customers, but mostly they leaned on the counters and watched the mall world drift by. It was a slow night. None of them offered samples or asked customers to buy. In the 20 minutes I watched, her eatery earned as much business -- including mine -- as all of the competition combined. She alone was passionately willing to do what they would not.

I looked at the 15 year old boy behind her counter and thought, "I hope you realize how lucky you are to learn so young what your Mama knows. Some adults take years to figure out the way to get ahead is simply to do what other people can't or won't do."

Doug Smart is the co-author of the book, Sell Smarter. He is a sales consultant, professional speaker, and host of the daily motivational radio show, “Smarter by the Minute.” For more information, email Doug@GrowYourSales.org Copyright 2005 by Doug Smart

Earning the Right to Sell with Stats — 10 Steps to Greatness

We could learn a thing or two from pro sports.

Baseball players use stats to tell the story of their season and their career. Scorekeepers keep track of every at bat, every hit, every strike out, every run scored and every base stolen.

Those stats are cited by commentators during the game, sports reporters after the game and they are featured on the backs of baseball cards to they tell the story of the player's career.

Those of us in business could learn a thing or two from baseball players about using stats to size-up our careers and experience.

Give your prospects a reason to listen to what you have to say.

I was attending a conference last month and the topic of using business stats to "earn the right" among prospects was brought up. "Earning the right" was explained as giving your audience a reason to listen to what you have to say.

Before you can sell anything you must establish credibility.

Before you can sell anyone anything, you must first convince them you or your product or service are worthy. And one way to do that is with stats.

At the conference, we were tasked with compiling a list of our own stats (what we've achieved in our business or career, or what qualifies us to be doing what we're doing) and I was amazed at how few of my own I could recall on a moment's notice.

Can you easily list all your "stats" Ââ€" I couldn't!

It was easy to come up with the obvious - I've been helping clients successfully market for 20 years.

And I could also recall two recent marketing successes: gaining free exposure for my business to 100,000+ of my ideal customers and tripling my web site traffic in a three-month period.

But beyond that I was stumped. My 20 years of marketing experience and seven years of entrepreneurial experience were boiled down to three stats that did not do a very good job of representing my career or my expertise.

I came home from the conference determined to compile my list of stats and to start using them. And, to inspire you, my readers and clients, to do the same.

Use my 10 questions to create your own list of "stats"

To make it easy, I've compiled a list of 10 questions you can ask yourself to come up with your own list of stats. This list is just a jumping off point.

Feel free to brainstorm further to come up with your own list of compelling stats that you believe will help you "earn the right" to be seen as an expert in your field by your prospects.

I call this list your "10 Steps to Greatness"
Why? Because when you are able to list stats in 10 different areas, you will be able to convince your prospects you are great at what you do AND that your product or service can help them.

I've included my own stats as examples, NOT to brag about them, but for several reasons: First, to show you I DID come home from that conference and compile my own stats; Second, to give you examples to follow; and Third, to inspire you (if I can do it, you can, too!).

Not all of my stats are earth-shattering. But by having a full list to choose from, you can be sure to have a handful of compelling stats available at any time.

10 Steps to Greatness

(1) How many years have you been in your current line of business (or a related field)?

For example, I've been in the marketing field for over 20 years.

(2) How many clients or students or customers have your served (in your current business or your total years in this industry)?

For example, I've taught over 600 small business owners how to create and implement their own marketing plans using the 10stepmarketing System.

(3) What results have you generated with your business, products or services?

For example, I increased my subscriber base by 590% in four months and I tripled my web site traffic in three months.

(4) What results have your clients or customers gotten with the help of your products or services?

For example, when I worked with the American Council on Exercise, I helped them generate over 340.8 million media impressions in three years, through public relations and public service ads. I have also secured nearly $1 million in free media exposure for my clients.

(5) How many awards or recognitions have you or your business, products or services received?

For example, I've earned three national and two local marketing awards, plus a small business top achievement award.

(6) Have you spoken, taught or done presentations?

For example, I have spoken on marketing at conferences across the United States and in Canada, and I've taught hundreds of small business owners via teleseminar.

(7) Have your articles been published or have you been quoted or interviewed or written up in the media?

For example, my marketing advice is featured in Entrepreneur Magazine's Start-Up Series publication "How To Start A Personal Training Business." Additionally I am an Expert Author on EzineArticles.com and my marketing how-to articles are featured on numerous web sites.

(8) How can you quantify your business (e.g. how many business deals or transactions have you made, or how many articles have you written)?

For example, I've written and published 40 articles in the past six months.

(9) How many products have you sold?

For example, I made 20 sales my first two weeks in business.

(10) What experts in your industry have you studied or learned from?

For example, I have taken courses from such marketing and business experts as T. Harv Eker, Jay Abraham, Brian Tracy, Robert Allen and Mark Victor Hansen.

I challenge you to spend some time this week, compiling your own list of stats. Start with these 10 questions and see what you can come up with. Draw on your personal or professional experience.

What makes you great at what you do? What experience and knowledge to you have to offer? What are you passionate about and how can you translate that passion into credibility? Why should others pay attention when you talk? Be creative. Brainstorm.

Then select a few of the strongest, most compelling stats and start using them in your marketing.

Remember, you are not using these stats to brag about your accomplishments. You're using them to get your prospects to pay attention to you and to establish credibility.

(C) Copyright 2005 Debbie LaChusa

Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com

20-year marketing veteran Debbie LaChusa created The 10stepmarketing System to help small business owners and solo-preneurs successfully market their business, themselves without spending a fortune on marketing. To learn more about this simple, step-by-step program and to sign up for her FREE audio class and FREE weekly ezine featuring how-to articles, tips and advice, visit www.10stepmarketing.com

"Cold Calling Is Dead" Is A Lie!

There is a website that trumpets this notion (myth) in ads all over the Internet. The primary argument is that cold calling is a time consuming prospecting technique that has seen its day and in our modern age, today’s technology gives sales professionals new and better approaches to finding prospects to sell. Sounds good if you’re selling a book on the subject.

The argument against cold calling states that, “The effectiveness of cold calling went by the wayside as our society moved out of the Industrial Age and into the Information Age,...” It also suggests, that by using today’s technological advances, you can eliminate the dreaded cold calling systems and reduce the time your staff spends on an antiquated prospecting approach. Just a few short years ago I used to teach this drivel as well, telling participants in my workshops that cold calling was unprofessional and a waste of time. I’m aware that cold calling is not for every sales team or every product or service, but for certain industries, cold calling is the best approach to finding prospects willing and able to purchase from your staff and is an extremely effective prospecting tool for the same reason that the website states that “cold calling is dead.” Technology!

Today there are dozens of devices and techniques used by gatekeepers to screen out sales representatives. Even the smallest firms employ answering machines and voice mail. To make appointments with decision-makers today in many businesses or professional organizations, requires a creative approach that will bypass the screening systems and give your sales representatives an edge in setting up meetings. Cold calling can be that creative approach for many business-to-business selling groups, if you know how to employ this proven prospecting tool effectively.

First and foremost, cold calling should be used to find out who the true decision-maker is in a company and to also obtain a gatekeeper’s name. Yes, your sales staff can do this over the telephone, but the chance of being screened out, is at an all time high. By being inside the company, your sales professional can qualify the organization. Qualifying a company on the telephone is impossible today. The minute your staff starts asking qualifying questions, the roadblocks immediately go up. By setting an appointment and then making a wasted trip to a company, that, for a variety of reasons, cannot use what you have to sell, your staff may spend more time than if they had cold called to assess a business in the first place. If your staff members do nothing more on a cold call than find the name of the decision-maker, qualify the prospect, and obtain a gatekeeper’s name, they have succeeded in their cold calling activity.

When cold calling, if the decision-maker is in, your representative should ask for two, no more than three minutes of the decision-maker’s time to set up an appointment for a short presentation. From my experience in setting up telemarketing centers across the country, I’ve found that setting one blind appointment on the telephone, takes a little over an hour for a seasoned telemarketer of representative. Setting one qualified appointment cold calling (depending on the industry) can take, on average, from one to three hours. However, my research also shows that appointments set in person, rather than on the telephone, have a much higher probability of being successful, due to the rapport factor that an initial meeting can generate.

If you’ve been reading from the beginning of this manual, you already know my feelings about selling your products or services while cold calling (Myth 24). If the decision-maker is not available, the second objective for your staff member is to obtain the name of the gatekeeper to use when calling back for an appointment. Dropping a gatekeeper’s name is a vital tool in overcoming electronic screening devices and getting to the decision-maker. When cold calling, your representative may also be able to obtain information about competitive vendors and determine if the opportunity exists to replace them.

One of the major complaints about cold calling is that it is time consuming. This is true if the technique is the only prospecting tool that your sales team uses to attract prospects. However, in combination with a drive by assessment plan, softening letters, emails, faxes and flyers, telesales calls, tip clubs, association activities and trade shows, cold calling can be a key element in attracting new business, by breaking down the barriers that today’s screening technology creates for your sales team members.

The average sales representative makes less than five sales presentations weekly. With a prospecting system like the one outlined above, custom-tailored to your organization, you can include cold calling as a key element in the process and double or even triple the number of presentations each of your sales team members conduct weekly. Custom-tailoring a prospecting system for your organization with cold calling and telesales scripts and a series of unique prospecting activities is easy, if you use The $elling Edge®, Inc.’s advisory services or our telephone coaching programs for sales managers. You can check both services out at: http://www.TheSellingEdge.com/personalCoaching.htm.

VIRDEN THORNTON is the founder and President of The $elling Edge®, Inc. an Ohio consulting firm specializing in sales and sales management training, personal coaching, advisory services and publishing. Clients have included Sears Optical, Eastman Kodak, IBM, Service Linen Supply, Bank One, Jefferson Wells International, and Wal-Mart to name a few. Virden is the author of the “best selling” Building & Closing the Sale, Prospecting: The Key To Sales Success and Close That Sale, a video/audio tape series published by Crisp Publications a division of Thompson Learning. He has also authored a client acclaimed Self-Directed Learning series of sales, coaching, telemarketing, and personal productivity manuals. To obtain a substantial discount on two of Virden's latest books, 101 Sales Myths or Organizing For Sales Success, go to: http://www.TheSellingEdge.com/ Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Virden_Thornton

Becoming The Sales Super Hero

"May I ask who does your window cleaning?” Jimmy mutters to the "gatekeeper". Her look and answer almost knocks him down â€" as if a dragon just opened its mouth and spewed fire at him. Helga Gatekeeper responds, "WHO WANTS TO KNOW!?"

Has this never happened to you? If it hasn’t, then you haven’t prospected before. It's happened to all of us who sell services business-to-business. Unfortunately, oftentimes the answer to Helga kills the deal right then and there. Most professional service providers retort with something like, "I'm Jimmy Meek and I'm the best window washer in town!". A fine answer indeed, right? Jimmy knows he's the best but it's his word against the gatekeeper - and the world, for that matter. She’s heard every Tom, Dick, and Harriett say those same words with a different name. Helga’s thinking in her head, “Oh good, an easy one”.

Jimmy doesn't think about this but the gatekeeper gets dozens of requests to see the decision-maker every day. The gatekeeper's job is to knock down the weak with her mental toughness and “rejection-speak”. She's a seasoned vet at this and the typical salesman is no match for her prowess.

The gatekeeper rolls her eyes at Jimmy and mutters under her breath, "Sure, that's what they all say. Give me your information and I'll pass it on to the appropriate party". This typical scenario ends when Jimmy complies, thanks the gatekeeper and departs with his tail between his legs.

When this happens the deal is dead in the water. Kaput, end of story â€" NO SALE. Sorry! Jimmy isn’t going to get a return call. It’s doubtful that Helga will even give the information to the decision-maker. The next stop for Jimmy’s material â€" the circular file called the garbage can!

It doesn't have to be this way. In fact it NEVER should. The salesman should be in control of the sale at ALL times. Let's go through a successful "gatekeeper experience" now.

Johnny Star, Window Cleaning Super Hero, has already done his homework and knows that James B. Grouch is the decision-maker. He found out this vital information by using his brains instead of wasting his time, energy and resources. Johnny called ahead a few days prior and asked to be put through to the maintenance decision-maker “immediately”. When Helga Gatekeeper said, "who is this?” or “is he/she expecting your call?” Johnny turned it around on her and said, "Look, this is urgent. If I tell you who’s calling will you finally put me through to him or her?"

Let's stop right here and analyze what's going on. Johnny has met the gatekeeper and she's as tough a gatekeeper as Johnny’s ever met. But Johnny anticipated this and responded with a tough answer. Notice Johnny's answer didn't end with a period, it ended with a question. At this point the gatekeeper will either say yes or no. Let’s go through the no scenario because if he gets a yes, he’s done his job well and has outmatched Helga.

Helga Gatekeeper says “No!” Johnny is quick on his thinking skills and immediately responds, “As I said, this is urgent and I really need to speak with that person. My name is Johnny - now can I please speak w/them now?”

Let’s analyze this for a minute. Helga got her way with the first “no”, but she’s not going to get away with it this time. If she says “no” again, it better be for a good reason. At this point Helga either patches him through, or the more likely scenario is, “I’m sorry but he is not available right now, can I take a message?” Johnny says, “Look, I’ve got to run. What is his name? I’ll call him back later.” The gatekeeper’s job is to scatter away the weak, not the ones who truly NEED Johnny and those like him. If she says “I can’t give you his name”, Johnny’s going to ask for the manager. But the likely scenario is Helga gives up the name: “His name is “James B. Grouch”, Helga blurts out. As Johnny gets off the phone he says, “Do me a favor and tell Mr. Grouch that Johnny Star needs to speak with him ASAP”.

Now that Johnny is armed with one of the most critical steps â€" getting the decision-maker’s info, he can use his star sales ability to get the decision-maker on the phone.

…two days later…

Johnny: “I need to speak with James Grouch please. It’s urgent”
Helga: “Is he expecting your call?”
Johnny: “Yes I said I’d call back”
Helga: “Hang on please”
Grouch: “Grouch here”
Johnny: “James - I may call you James, can’t I?”
Grouch: “Sure. Who is this?”
Johnny: “I’m Johnny Star and I need to speak with you about your windows ASAP.”

Time to analyze again. Johnny did a great job of getting Grouch on the phone. He said he was going to call back and did. He didn’t drive out and get met by Helga Gatekeeper; in fact he spent only a minute or 2 of his time getting the info about the decision-maker. Johnny then used his brains to get through the door â€" right over the phone.

This is a great way to get through the gatekeeper without having to drive out and do a song and dance. Even then, getting to the decision-maker is likely not going to happen without an appointment. The truth is, gatekeepers are notorious time-wasters and want nothing more than to be left alone. It’s YOUR job, Mr. Business Owner/Decision-Maker to speak with other Business Owners/Decision-Makers. Not to demean the Helga Gatekeepers of the world, but are you going to be the meek Business Owner/Decision-Maker and let $15/hour Helga prevent you from doing business or are you going to be like our Super Hero, Johnny Star, and do business today? In future episodes of Johnny Star we’ll pick the scenario back up and show how Johnny smartly closes the job.

Gatekeepers beware: they have met their match and it is…Johnny Star.

Scott Rendall is CEO of BRC Systems Solutions - a small/medium service business resource and consulting group, author and freelance magazine contributor. He has been in the service industry since 1994 and runs his own successful cleaning and restoration company in Michigan. BRC Website

The Basic Secrets of A Million Dollar Sales Letter

“Accepting the consequences, good or bad, will free you; take a risk, but be aware that things sometimes turn out differently than you expected." -Marcia Wieder

No matter what you try to sell, you really won’t sell anything without getting a prospective buyer to purchase your product or service. In attempting to sell your merchandise or services, the sales letter you send out is when and how you talk to your prospect.

All winning sales letters speak to your prospect by creating an image in the mind of the reader. They set the scene by appealing to a desire or need, then flows smoothly into the visionary part of the sales presentation. This visionary process describes in detail how wonderful life will be and how good the prospect is going to feel after the product is purchased or the service has been performed. This is the heart, soul, and secret of a million dollar sales letter. In your sales letter and your marketing campaigns, give your prospect a clear vision of the benefits they will receive or take away from what you are offering.

For this to happen, your winning sales letter must follow a time-tested and proven formula known by the acronym AIDA:

A - You must get your prospect’s Attention.

I - Give your prospect an Interest in what you can do for her.

D - Create a Desire for the benefits you’re offering.

A - Request some Action from your prospect.

The Attention for your offer first comes from your headline. If it’s not compelling or a heart-stopping attention getter, work a little harder to make it so. Look at other advertisements that have made you stop and take a second look at what was offered. Then come up with a better one of your own that fits your offer. A powerful headline is 80% of the success or failure of your sales letters and promotions.

When your headline expresses your unique positioning statement -- the million dollar phrase that captures in just a few words the "essence" of what you have to offer and how it will benefit a customer. A compelling headline can go the extra distance as an opening line for your sales letter and goes a long way towards establishing your "brand."

Is the offer of Interest to your potential customer? What makes your product or service distinctive from your competition? Why would a prospect buy your product or use your service over another’s? Make the image of your product important. Whatever you offer should have the power to stay in the marketplace a long time. Just because life changes so rapidly, your product and/or service doesn’t have to conform. Potential customers need to know you’ll be there when they are ready to purchase your product or service.

How can you make your product or service Desirable? This is where the benefits are highlighted. Will it make the prospect feel more healthy? Save money? Lose more pounds ? Will it make them look more beautiful? Find ways to communicate the benefits to your potential customers. Use words that are powerful and irresistible like: magic, caring, power, richer happier, abundance, appealing, and enticing.

After announcing or promoting your offer, what is the result or, what type of Action do you wish your prospect to take? Be clear on your directions. Do you want them to request additional information, by telephone? By email? Must she mail a check? Call for further details? Or, just give an opinion?

Working the above AIDA formula into each of your sales letters and business marketing campaigns will determine the success of your business. And putting passion, purpose, and truthfulness into each sales message will work wonders - and bring you success.

Copyright, 2004

Gerri D Smith is publisher and host of multiple Gateways to inspiration, motivation, and support for individuals, women business owners, and entrepreneurs. Gerri's internet resource offers ways to unlock the doors to your personal and business empowerment. Now is a perfect time to own your own business and discover some of the best ways to market a product. One is by letting your customers see it before they buy it. This concept is a sharing of information and is made available by the Internet. Best of all it’s delivered right to your email doorstep. Why not invest in your future, now. To help you reach more of your personal and business goals, subscribe to Gerri's Free bi-monthly inspirational newsletter.

Visit: http://www.distinctivebusinesswomen.com Or, send a blank email and your correct email address and mailto: gerri@distinctivebusinesswomen.com?Subject=EZ-Scribe

Follow up Increases Sales 80% with Only 20% Effort

Did you know that 80% of all sales are made after the 5th contact? Instead of chasing new business all the time, remember the faithful--your product buyers, your clients, your teleclass attendees, your ezine subscribers. Your best customers are the ones you have already sold to. When you spend only a little time with "thank you's" and offers, you'll reap the 80% results.That translates to increased sales, more clients and more subscribers. How do you do this? 1. Keep a separate list of all of your different groups in your address book. To each one, send a targeted offer just for them. Recently, I sent to my customers a "thank you" message. My freebie offered them a chance to ask me any question about book or Web writing, publishing and promotion. Every month or so, I send a special report or other freebie to the teleclass groups, the ezine subscribers, the potential clients, and to clients. Each group receives a targeted how-to free report or other offer. 2. At the end of the freebie, I added a list of 3-5 ways my customers could continue receiving my help, including a free subscription to my monthly ezine, a low-cost teleclass like "Book Coaching" or "Speakers Marathon," plus a product called "Create your Web Pages with Marketing Pizzazz Kit"of 9 eBooks. Thank you's and free gifts keep your name in front of your buyers. Your added message reminds them of a new service or product that may benefit them. 3. Send a follow-up message every few months, if not more often. Busy people may not want to order multiple things until you have proven yourself. They are just too focused on another project at the time. When those people who have already experienced and approved of you don't hear from you, they will forget you fast. They will move on to somebody who cared enough to send the very best follow up email. It's so rewarding when you get a message back saying, "Thanks for the reminder. Here's what I want now." Remember, people appreciate your news. You are not bothering them! 4. Think of the numbers! Sending a follow-up offer to my ezine subscribers of over 2300 brought 23 responses. People appreciate the free articles or tips you give. Here's a chance to highlight one or so in each follow up. 5. Make your free offer enticing. Display the benefit prominently in your email subject line. To clients or teleclass participants, you could offer a free eReport or two. To a list of people interested in expanding their Online marketing, I sent a free report on "Promote your Business with Free Articles." The advantage? It's free for you, and it takes little time because you offer it by autoresponder. To clients you could also offer a special introductory price on one of your coaching/consultant packages. People love a bargain, even it is isn't free. 6. Make it easy for your readers to order or follow up. When you offer something for sale, be sure you include optional ways to purchase. While people do buy Online, they want security. If you don't have a site or your site is insecure, either start a Pay Pal at www.paypal.com, Practice Pay Solutions at www.Practice Pay Solutions.com, or a Click Bank account at www.ClickBank.com. 7. If you don't have a Web site, offer an order form your subscribers can either fax or mail to you with their name, title of products, prices and preferred way to order. Of course an 800 number works well too. They carry no service charge usually. You are charged just for the calls. 8. Practice following up once every week or two to a different group. Most will take you up on the freebie, even if they don't buy. Your name will become famiiar to them. They may even pass your freebie on to their associates and friends. Include: "You may forward this message to anyone, as long as you include my signature box at the bottom. Former buyers are your virtual sales force. Take advantage of this free way to market yourself and keep your name in front of your target audience. 9. Include your signature box at the bottom of each email you send. Highlight one offer each time with a link to your Web site or an autoresponder for your book, ezine or other products. Put his free, powerful, subtle, sales mesage to work for you! Be sure to include a regular phone number for overseas buyers, an 800 number for orders, and both your email and Web address in a link. You may also want to provide a link to a "special offer" on your Web site. Change your signature to meet each eGroup's needs. Keep you lines in your signature box from 4-6 lines if possible. 10. Run your follow up offer by a friend or associate. Ask them what compels them to take out their credit card and buy? What do they like? Not like? Did any information offend them? You have endless opportunities to expand your client base and product sales. Your fans are there to assist you. Give to them, and many will give back. Give often and give freely. People appreciate freebies, and will pass your name on to their friends and associates.

Salespeople Follow Up A Day Early And You’ll Never Be Too Late!

I was in the car leasing business, a fresh college grad, but someone with four solid years of phone experience behind me, and I reached out to sell my first deal.

Within a few hours, I got my first hot prospect on the line. He said he’d like TWO new cars, both in Green, and both with very powerful engines.

“No problem!” I replied.

He said, “Well, I have to sell the car I’m in, first.”

“We’ll buy it!” I countered.

“You have yourself a deal.”

I sent out the leases, by mail, and sure enough, to the surprise but delight of my manager, he signed them, we bought his trade, and we were done.

That was my ready-fire-aim approach to breaking into the business, but compare this to an error I made, that I vowed I’ll never make again.

Another small business owner said he was shopping for TWO Cadillacs and I told him I’d jump on the case, and asked when he wanted me to follow-up.

“A week from now,” he said, and I wrote in into my calendar.

Sure enough, on the appointed date I called and he said:

“Gee, I just bought them yesterday at the dealership. Guess you’re a little late!”

So, from that moment forward, I have always shaved a day or two off the call back date, resolving that it’s always better to be a day early, than a day late!

Dr. Gary S. Goodman, President of Customersatisfaction.com, is a popular keynote speaker, management consultant, and seminar leader and the best-selling author of 12 books, including Reach Out & Sell Someone® and Monitoring, Measuring & Managing Customer Service, and the audio program, “The Law of Large Numbers: How To Make Success Inevitable,” published by Nightingale-Conant. He is a frequent guest on radio and television, worldwide. A Ph.D. from USC's Annenberg School, a Loyola lawyer, and an MBA from the Peter F. Drucker School at Claremont Graduate University, Gary offers programs through UCLA Extension and numerous universities, trade associations, and other organizations in the United States and abroad. He holds the rank of Shodan, 1st Degree Black Belt in Kenpo Karate. He is headquartered in Glendale, California, and he can be reached at (818) 243-7338 or at: gary@customersatisfaction.com.

Freelancers, SubContractors, & Creative Folks - How to Charge What You Are Worth

If you are having difficulty knowing what to charge, then check out your competition and find out what they’re doing. Find out if they post prices or fees on their website or if they have "packages" or deals. Do they have payment options? While you are researching, keep in mind just because your competition is charging one way it is not necessarily how you should be charging.

One of my clients is a business and life coach. Most coaches charge for a set number of scheduled phone meetings, which seems to be a standard for "the coaching industry," but that doesn’t mean it’s the best way.

I encourage my clients to charge fees that match who their clients are and what they are trying to accomplish. It’s very refreshing to do what works for you and not necessarily follow the "industry standard." If you don’t feel comfortable with the way your industry charges, by all means change it. Just because the industry’s doing it doesn’t mean that it’s right. Another client of mine, Shelly, is a wedding planner. When we first began working together she had three "wedding packages" because that’s what "everyone else does." She ran into problems with pricing because most of her potential clients didn’t fit into the standard package and therefore Shelly had a long list of "upgrades" and additional items. She also had to charge more for weddings above a certain number of guests and weddings with over a specific number of attendants in the wedding party.

Potential clients became fixated on the package fees and felt ripped off when Shelly began adding additional charges all over the place. The packages were supposed to make things easier for Shelly’s, but they actually created more problems than they solved.

Shelly was so relieved when she realized she didn’t have to use the standard pricing packages most wedding planners used. She never felt good about them, but didn’t trust her own instincts on how to charge. We worked on making a pricing structure that wasn’t based on hours or packages but on the value to the client. She was able to quickly raise her fees and increase her client base simply based on her fee changes.

Are you charging your clients based on the value you are providing them or based on the "industry standard"? Is the industry standard an effective way to charge or is just what everyone else is doing?

Take a good look at the way you set your fees and handle client charges. Is it right for you?

Kirstin Carey is the author of "Starving Artist No More: Hearty Business Strategies for Creative Folks." Kirstin knows how much most creative people hate sales, contracts, and discussing money and she consults creative people on the business side of creativity so they make more money, get better clients, and still love what they do. She put together a resource full of proven strategies and insider secrets guaranteed to help creative types get the business help they need so they don't have to starve anymore! Go to http://www.MyCreativeBiz.com

Is It Time To Hit The Reset Button On Your Sales Department?

If you're like most CEOs in business today, you will probably be faced with this decision at some point in the life of your organization. That time might even be now.

Perhaps your sales team consistently misses quota or your market share is in decline. Perhaps lethargy and complacency have taken hold in your sales department. If so, then a "sales reset" may well be in order.

But before deciding on any course of action, here are 13 questions you should ask yourself:

How is your sales department's time currently divided among performing company tasks, working with existing customers, and meeting new prospects? How consistently and how often do you personally meet with the top 10% of your installed customer base?

How much time are your sales people spending on project management or customer service?

Who do your sales people serve most - your company or your customers?
Do you have sales department processes and rules in place that drive:

a. Enhanced margin?

b. Sales pipeline reporting and predictability?

c. Reduction of errors?

d. Effective communication of other company capabilities, products and services?

Is there a communications choke point between you and your sales teams? Can you prove that your company feedback system is really open, honest, and without repercussion?

How long does it take your company to respond to an RFQ or RFP? Relative to your industry is this good or bad?

Do you regularly test and evaluate the product/service knowledge of your sales group and also their knowledge of customer environments and needs? Is the training adequate to the task? How fast do new sales people become productive?

When was the last time someone outside your company assessed your standard sales pitch?

Which of the following is the main contributor to missing revenue goals:

a. Total available market (TAM) size is too small?

b. Lack of visibility or new opportunities?

c. Poor win-rate for New Name accounts?

Are you struggling to find enough warm qualified leads?

Is your sales cycle longer than the industry average?

Your answers to these questions will determine whether a "strategy" change, a "process" change, or a "people" change (or all three) is required for your company to achieve optimum sales performance. In cases where the problem is people related, sales coaching combined with some strategic sales development could effectively cure what ails your organization. But, if your sales people resist reform, you may indeed be forced to push the sales reset button on a case by case basis.

Cube Management provides sales acceleration services to emerging growth and mid-market companies in the technology, manufacturing, healthcare and business service sectors. The experts at Cube Management work across the entire spectrum of marketing, sales and business development to provide customized solutions that drive revenue and profit growth. Cube Management combines Strategy, Process & People to produce winning results.

How to Find the Compelling Sales Pitch for your Product or Service

“Hi! I am Jack Higgins, I sell chocolate cookies, likes of which you have never tasted before. I have been in this business for the past six years, buy from me.”

Some would consider this to be a good sales pitch to attract people to buy cookies. However, if you want to attract intelligent and shrewd consumers to buy your cookies then you may have to work harder at your sales gimmick.

Most of the business and service providers don’t have a clue about how to sell their product to the masses. Selling a product or a service is all about how you package and present it to the people. A good sales pitch should have substance, be attractive and believable and most importantly it should “compel” the user to buy the product or the service. This is not such a difficult task, all it requires is a bit of ingenuity and research. All this sleuthing would enable you to pinpoint on the compelling sales pitch to attract the people.

This sales pitch could emerge from anywhere. You may find it in someone’s reaction to the product or in the processes involved in making the product. You could also find it in the very reason because of which you started this business.

Looking at the example of the chocolate cookies, perhaps after much investigation and research, you would come to know that these chocolate cookies had a special recipe. This was the recipe of a chocolate connoisseur, who used a very special kind of chocolate with healing powers in it. As a result, besides giving flavour these biscuits also heal the soul. The chocolate uses ancient healing herbs and original cocoa as ingredients,

Armed with this knowledge, you can make your sales pitch sound like, “Delicious, yummy chocolate cookies made with the original, pure cocoa. Cookies so yummy, that they are sure to make your mouth water. Cookies made with special healing herbs. Cookies that come with unique money back guarantee. If you don’t like them we will give your money back.”

As you can see and observe for yourself, there is a vast difference in how the same product has appeared here and in the opening paragraph of this article. Customers also start looking at the product differently. This has been possible because of the effort that has gone into finding the right sales pitch that will be attractive to the customer. This theory will work for most sales promotion campaigns.

For selling any product or service, you need to do a research into its background to find the right pitch. Let us, take another example of selling a new kind of aerobic exercise video. As you know, the market is flooded with these kind of exercise videos and you will have to make an extra effort to make your video more appealing than the rest.

For finding the right sales idea, you can start looking into that various factors that go into making the video, the exercises and their effect. Next, look at the number of people that it has affected giving positive results. Also, investigate into its side effects if any. With all this knowledge, you are bound to come up with the right sales pitch.

Maybe after much research you would come up with the information that these aerobic exercises have a far-reaching and fast effect on the abs. Moreover, maybe these aerobic exercises have been inspired from a particular dancing style like the jazz.

You can now use all this information to plan your sales gimmick and make it very attractive to the customers and prospects. Otherwise, you would have given a simple idea, which would not have had such a great effect. Fewer people would have been attracted to your video and still lesser number would have gone on to buy it.

Now, your sales promo may look something like this, “Enjoy the benefits of aerobic workout along with exciting jazz dancing for great looking abs in quick-time!” The impact of the right sales pitch makes it worthy of a fortune. To find the right pitch depends on you and the product or the service that you want to launch. All you need to do is to introduce the right sales pitch in your ads and promotion messages that people come running to you, armed with cash.

This article was written by Craig Dawber of smarket-associates.com Need advice and guidance with your online business check out the resources found in this website.

Sales for Boat Washing at the Marina

If you are in the boat cleaning and washing business then you need to learn how to do sales so that you can deal with the customers. There are several types of customers and they have different needs. You will learn this overtime, but you will learn a lot quicker if you will listen more and do less selling or telling or talking.

If you are dealing with a Yacht Broker, then they need to know they can call you prior to sales appointments with the potential client. One way to ensure that you'll get their business over your competitors is if you promise to give them prompt service and even give them your home telephone number and your direct cell number.

They need to know they can call you out of the blue at any time and you will run out and do a touch up on a boat they might be trying to sell. You are selling service and if they trust you and know you can deliver that type of service you will have their business.

When selling to a private boat owner they need to make sure that if they have you come out to clean their boats that it will indeed be cleaned when they arrive with friends or family. And they want to make sure that there will be no damage to their boat and the job will be perfect every time. If you can do that it is not a matter so much of price, but rather of service. I sincerely hope you will consider this in 2006.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/ Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lance_Winslow

Sales Expert Advises: Go Where Nobody Else Is Asking For The Deal

When I was in graduate school I wasn’t contented accepting the paltry salary I earned as a part-time college instructor.

So, I trekked to USC’s career planning office and scanned the part-time job postings.

One caught my eye.

It was a commission-only job selling office supplies by phone.

Having had many years of experience in telephone sales and management, I thought, why not? Anything I earned would be an improvement on my fixed income.

So, later that day I stopped over for an interview and I was asked if I wanted to try the gig, to make a call or two.

“Sure!” I replied, knowing they wanted to hear if I was as good as advertised.

I noticed that the fellow I had been listening to was selling ballpoint pens to bakers, a gross at a time, so I borrowed his list, which was a Yellow Pages directory, and I called the next name.

To everyone’s astonishment, I closed the deal on the spot, earning about $18 for two minutes of work.

Of course, I was, and still am, great on the phone, but that’s not the point of this article!

There was another key to success that is less obvious: whom I chose to call. In this case, I imitated what the veteran did, and I called a baker.

When I was officially hired, I found my own category: restaurants. Between using them and losing them, they burned through thousands of pens per year, by my calculations, and I was right.

I made a very nice supplemental income for a considerable time after that, calling cafes around the country.

At one point, the boss asked me how I settled on restaurants, somewhat surprised, yet still pleased that I had discovered their appetite for writing devices.

I didn’t reply this way in so many words, but I can tell you, it was in large measure because nobody else was selling them ballpoint pens.

I occupied the high ground on the competitive battlefield because my army was the only one that showed up, day in and day out.

I bought pens at 17 cents from the company and resold them at 33 cents, and I pitched them, two gross (288 pens) at a time. The pens were marked 49 cents on the barrel, so my customers perceived they were getting a bargain.

But here’s what’s essential. There was no Gary-competitor coming in at 30 cents or 25 cents or at any price at all.

If you can choose your prospects, go where nobody else is asking for the deal.

They’ll have less sales resistance. You’ll encounter no competition, and everybody will be happy!

Dr. Gary S. Goodman is the best-selling author of 12 books, over 600 articles, and the creator of numerous audio and video training programs, including "The Law of Large Numbers: How To Make Success Inevitable," published by Nightingale-Conant-a favorite among salespeople and entrepreneurs. For information about booking Gary to speak at your next sales, customer service or management meeting, conference or convention, please address your inquiry to: gary@customersatisfaction.com. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dr._Gary_S._Goodman

Letter of Credit Alternatives

The use of letters of credit has become almost commonplace as more companies do business nationally and internationally. A letter of credit provides suppliers with the assurance of a guaranteed payment for their products, provided they meet their clients’ quality and delivery terms. It also frees clients from the risk of having to make upfront payments to their suppliers and ensures that the suppliers only get paid if they deliver what they promised.

However, letters of credit have a catch. They are usually offered by banks and are secured against either a loan or a line of credit. In other words, to be able to obtain a letter of credit, you and your company must qualify for traditional bank underwriting criteria.

But what happens if you can’t qualify because your company is small or new? Or, what happens if you get a purchase order that exceeds your ability to finance a letter of credit? Do you turn it away to the competition?

Fortunately, there is an alternative. It is called purchase order financing. Purchase order funding provides you with the necessary financing to fulfill large purchase orders, provided they are made by credit worthy customers.

As opposed to a letter of credit, the collateral for this type of financing is the actual purchase order. Because of this, purchase order financing is easy to qualify for, since it does not go through traditional bank underwriting requirements. However, you can only use this type of financing once you have an actual purchase order from a customer.

The purchase order financing transaction itself is actually fairly simple and works as follows:

· The financing company or their bank issues a letter of credit in favor of your supplier

· The supplier manufactures the product and ships drop ships it to the buyer

· The buyer receives the product and accepts it. Your supplier gets paid by cashing the letter of credit

· Your customer (the buyer) pays for the order, usually 30 days or so after receipt. The financing company is paid back for its services and all remaining funds are yours.

One of the interesting features of purchase order financing is that in most cases, you have few out of pocket expenses. It’s truly a transaction where you can use other people’s money to grow your business.

Lastly, purchase order financing is frequently integrated with invoice factoring. This is a widely used trick that can help reduce the cost of financing the transaction, thereby increasing your profits.

About Invoice Factoring Group We are business financing specialists and can provide you with a letter of credit, purchase order financing or invoice factoring. Marco Terry, the president, can be reached at 866 730 1922

Copyright (C) 2006 Commercial Capital. Article may be reprinted if it is not modified and links are kept live.

Fill In the Gaps with International Trade

Owning your own business is difficult at times. Competition is greater because you have less “man power”, less products, and often times less money going into the business than what is coming out. At times, your product may not be selling well in your area, or may eventually become obsolete all together. If the success of your product depends on things such as say, the weather, then you may be slow for several months out of the year and this could cause financial difficulty.

Think about expanding your business through international trade. The idea of going International may sound only possible for the “big dogs”. It may seem difficult, stressful, or even pricey. Not true. There are people all over the world in need of what you have to sell and reaching out to them is sometimes as easy as a phone call or the push of a few buttons on your lap top. Following are several hints to successfully expanding your business worldwide.

First, you may want to look at importing and exporting. Though importing, you could provide a greater variety to the product you’re selling with similar products from other countries. The buying or manufacturing of products from other countries may also be cheaper than production where you are. Also, the products that you import would be unique therefore your customers would be coming to only you for them. The are many advantages of exporting. The use or need for your product could become obsolete in your country after a few years especially if you are selling computer or data products; but it could be a new, hot commodity in another country.

Say your country is experiences a consumer drought, but in other countries their economy is booming! You want your product to be where the money is. As I stated before, if your product is weather or season dependant, exporting could benefit you during those several months out of the year when your product is not needed.

Consider adding mail order services to your present business. You can increase your selling power by using this method of selling which is favorable to international trade. The internet is a prosperous way that businesses are getting the news of their products worldwide. Use websites, online stores, and affiliate marketing strategies to obtain foreign business. The internet is not going anywhere anytime soon. And more and more people are jumping on to the whole idea of being able to shop at home. Get your product online so that it can be seen by people everywhere there is an outlet and electricity!!!

Becoming a licensing agent has its international trading benefits as well. You can earn royalties if you arrange for foreign corporations to manufacture and sell products from domestic companies. Most business owners have no idea the amount of money that they can make simply finding foreign buyers for domestic companies. On the flip side, you can earn fees from foreign companies for finding domestic corporations who are willing to buy their products.

As a single source supplier, Electro Tape Specialties ability to furnish a wide range of pressure sensitive tape products has enhanced the company’s value to distributors. In addition to everything Electro Tape Specialties has to offer, the company now introduces a new website that promises a more attractive look and easier navigations. When corporations search for cable ties, duct tapes, packaging tapes, or stucco tapes, viewers will now find descriptions, features, and physical properties; everything a consumer needs to find what is best for their company.

http://www.electrotape.com

Mr. Green is a Article Distributor for Industrial Tape Distributor. Electrotape Specialities Inc. globaly supplies Grade A tape products.

John Lewis Tops Poll of Britain's Favourite Stores

"John Lewis" came out tops in an industry poll of British shoppers favourite stores. The department store was voted the best in what turned out to be a strong showing for John Lewis, with the groups' supermarket store "Waitrose" take second spot.

The poll of 6,000 shoppers by the analyst Verdict covers all kinds of retail outlets, from DIY stores to shoe shops, and measures satisfaction in a range of categories. The annual survey takes into account a number of criteria, including customer service, satisfaction, product range and quality. Price, ambience and store layout are also considered on a different level. John Lewis knocked Ikea from the top spot, with discount fashion retailers "TK Maxx" and "Matalan" coming in 3rd and 4th respectively.

Big movers included branded shoe store "Schuh" and toiletries outlet "Savers". Britain's largest supermarket chain "Tesco" didn't make the top ten, but fared relatively well at 33rd position.

The biggest losers of the survey were "Ikea", who fell to 5th position following three consecutive years at the top of the poll.

The survey, which is in its sixth year, measured categories for the 67 most popular shops used by the consumers surveyed. It also indicates a shift in shopping habits as the majority of top performers are traditional high street retailers, with out of town retail outlets faring less well than in previous years. The survey also shows a strong representation for online retail with "Amazon" moving from 16th to 6th place in the poll.

Here you can see the top ten retailers that the poll has come up with (and last year's position in brackets):

Top 10 Retail Stores
1. John Lewis (last year - 2)
2. Waitrose (20)
3. TK Maxx (4)
4. Matalan (10)
5. Ikea (1)
6. Amazon (14)
7. Savers (39)
8. Schuh (31)
9. Wilkinson (23)
10. B&Q (7)


Source: Verdict Survey

Your Customer is Not a Statistic

When a customer walks into your office, you want to make sure they feel welcome, you want to treat your customer as though they are a piece of gold, and not as a statistic. Have you ever been standing in a line, and when it comes to your turn to be waited on, the sales associate yells out “next?” Just thinking about that scenario makes me cringe. It is hardly a way to build a relationship with your customer. I have been working in sales for more than fifteen years, and I have literally had customers tell me that the most important thing to them is to be appreciated and not treated as a statistic. Keep this in mind the next time you wait on a customer, instead of yelling “next,” you can politely say, “may I help you Ms. Jones.” We all have our daily, weekly, and monthly goals that we must meet. And with this pressure applied to our daily work day, it is easy to lose sight of the fact that it is the customer who is the most important thing when it comes to our company’s existence. They are the backbone. Without customers, we cease to exist. Here are a few tips to ensure that your customer is appreciated by you and your company, and not viewed as just another number in line. 1. Address Your Customer by Name When addressing your customer, make sure you call them by name. This will put your relationship with your customer on a personal level, and customers like to know that they are remembered. It gives them a felling of importance with you, and your company. 2. Don’t Hurry Them Out the Door The last thing the customer wants is to be hurried out the door. Remember. You are running a business, where people are your greatest asset. You are not on an assembly line manufacturing cars, so don’t treat your customer as though you are. When you are finished with your customer’s transaction, ask if there is anything else you can do for them, or if they have any questions for you. You could even use this opportunity to ask if you could go over some of your companies products with them, which you feel could benefit them. The last thing you want to do is get them in and get them out. 3. Discuss Non-Business Topics There is more beneath the surface of your customers than just the business that they do with you. People love to talk about themselves, such as their family, their job’s, their pets, their hobbies, etc. So ask your customer about one of the topics mentioned above, I guarantee they will be delighted to tell you all about it. This is also a great way to get to know your customer, and build a strong relationship with them. A strong business relationship is a great opportunity to obtain all of your customer’s business as well as the business of all of their friends and relatives through referrals. So remember, don’t treat your customer like a statistic, treat them as you would treat one of your friends. This article may be reproduced by anyone at any time, as long as the authors name and reference links are kept in tact and active.

The Easiest Way to Build Credibility and Increase Long-Term Sales

If you're looking for low-cost ways to promote your business (and aren't we all?), I do hope you've considered publishing an e-mail newsletter, or "e-zine." I began my "AKB MarCom Tips" e-zine three years ago, when I'd just started my copywriting and marcom consulting business. I wanted an easy way to stay in touch with past associates, current clients, prospects ... just about everyone! And I wanted them to realize I really knew my stuff about writing compelling copy for Web sites, ads, brochures, etc. I wanted to be seen as an "expert" in their eyes, to encourage them to hire me and/or refer me to possible clients. Well, it's worked far better than I'd imagined. Each year I gain tens of thousands of dollars in new business based on leads from my e-zine alone. And if you need to promote YOUR business (and/or yourself) to others, I highly recommend publishing your own e-zine. Here are 5 darn good reasons why you shouldn't wait any longer: 1. An e-zine is a very CREDIBLE and SUBTLE way to promote your services or products. Instead of simply *saying* how great you are (as in traditional advertising), an e-zine lets you *show* how great you are by sharing your expertise with your readers. (As my old journalism professor used to say, "Show me, don't just tell me!") You're avoiding simple bragging, and are instead offering useful information that demonstrates your knowledge. Bravo! 2. Publishing an e-zine positions you as an EXPERT in your field. By showcasing your knowledge and skills, you're likely to attract more clients. And by sharing what you know well, you're saying, "Hey, I know my stuff! I'm an expert! You should listen to me." And don't be scared of the word "expert" -- you don't have to know EVERYTHING in the world about your topic to call yourself an expert -- you just need to know a lot more than most people. If you make a living doing what you do, you're likely an expert in your own right. If you're still uncomfortable with that term, try on the word "resource." Okay, feel better? ; ) 3. An e-zine is the perfect way to STAY IN TOUCH with your clients and prospects on a regular basis. Imagine calling or writing each and every one of your clients and prospects every week! Nearly impossible to pull off, right? Well, an e-zine achieves the same goal -- keeping you on their "radar screens" ... in an unobtrusive way. This makes them more likely to think of YOU -- not your competition -- when they need to hire someone who offers your services or products. 4. An e-zine allows you to effortlessly SPREAD THE WORD about you and your business. If you write a good e-zine, your readers will be very likely to pass it on to friends and colleagues. Remember that '70s shampoo commercial that went, "And I told two friends, and she told two friends, and so on, and so on..."? That principle -- clients passing on the word about your product or service -- is called "viral marketing" these days. Most publishers begin with only a few dozen subscribers (their clients and associates). But after several months they can end up with thousands of readers on their list - thanks to viral marketing mixed with some promotional legwork. 5. An e-zine is CHEAP and EASY to publish -- especially compared with a print newsletter. If you were to produce and mail a snazzy-looking printed newsletter, you could easily spend thousands of dollars each year. But with an e-zine, there's no design involved (unless you want there to be), no printing, and no postage costs. That means it's essentially FREE to put together and publish -- it just takes a bit of your time. And you can make it as long or short as you'd like. (Some of the best e-zines I get feature only one tip per issue.) READY TO GET STARTED? Don't jump into publishing just yet! Take the time to plan a *quality* publication from the start, and you'll reap amazing results. There are dozens of Web sites that offer articles, reports, tutorials, and manuals on the subject of e-zines. Here are a few to get you started: http://www.e-zinez.com http://www.ezine-queen.com http://www.ezine-universe.com

Closing: An Essential part of the closing process

Closing: An Essential Part of the Selling Process The ultimate outcome of the selling process is to close the sale. Closing the sale is extremely problematic for most sales people often causing them to lose sight of this vital objective. Studies show that a vast majority of sales people never even try to close the sale by simply asking for the order. Some marketing executives estimate that as many as 50 % of all sales representatives quit after their first sales meeting and fewer that 12% persist until a buyer finally says “yes”. It is imperative that you learn the art of asking for business, or your chances of consistently selling your products or services will be reduced significantly. When a sales presentation is made properly, the natural conclusion to the transaction is to close the deal. Most buyers expect to be asked to take action when your sales presentation is followed to its natural conclusion. At this point in a sale, you do not need to use special closing techniques you simply to ask for the business. Closing is actually the easiest part of the selling process. However, most sales representatives and professionals do not believe that closing is easy, because most of today’s sales training teaches the closing process backward. Using a marriage proposal as an analogy, marketing professional Steven Brown in American Salesman suggests that the emphasis on presentation and closing skills puts the sales or service industry professional in the position of a suitor in Victorian England. “He has barely met the girl, but convention demands that he propose marriage before he can get to know her. He uses a well-rehearsed speech to try to persuade her of his worthiness. He has no idea of whether his attention is welcome or utterly inappropriate. He’s terrified because everything hinges on her ‘Yes’ or ‘No’. An effective closing process turns the sales pyramid upside down, with the small point at the bottom. Closing should follow a patter similar to today’s marriage proposal. “Will you marry me?” is most often no more than a rhetorical question, of which both suitors should know the outcome, provided they have a well established relationship. As Brown suggests, “When he asks for her hand (or when she pops the question), he’s pretty sure of getting a ‘yes’. Closing a sales transaction the right way is a natural outcome of a relationship that is built on a foundation of mutual respect and trust. Closing a sale is an integral part of an orchestrated selling process. By first building rapport with our prospect, you create the trust that is vital to closing a sale. No matter how wonderful your product or service is , people will not buy from you unless they trust you. By learning to ask closed-ended, attention-getting questions, you can open your prospect’s mind to ultimately accepting your presentation. Open-ended, probing questions can then be asked to learn about needs, hidden feelings, and problems tha can be solved by the specific products or services that you represent. By tailoring your demonstration to only those products or services that meet the needs or problems you uncover in your questioning, and by asking trial closing questions, you can determine how your prospect feels about your presentation and the suggested solution to your prospect’s problems. Then, by answering any questions or objections your prospect might have, you can set the stage for tying off the transaction. All that is left in the closing process is to simply ask for the business. About The Author: ------------------------------- Jelani Khalfani Will Personally Build A Money Making Website Just For You That's 100% Ready To Take Orders And Pull In Massive Residual Profits. Get Details And Signup Today At: www.PlugInProfitSite.com/main-7249

Cold Calling Reluctance

Most salespeople I know consider cold calling a dreadful, but essential activity in our profession. Even those who are good at it rarely like it. Nevertheless, those who are successful in sales do it regularly because without prospects, one does not sell anything.

If you hate cold calling to the point where you won't do it, you've got a serious problem. Let this go on long enough, and you'll watch your commissions drop from low to zero as you lose your job.

If you truly hate cold calling to the point where it is really hurting your sales, I may know one of the reasons why.

Where's The Pressure?

Too many salespeople take the bulk of the pressure on themselves in the sale. We've been conditioned into it by a society that teaches us that buyers shop, and sellers are there to "serve". You've heard this before... "serve the customer".

In "serving the customer", we feel that we have to do whatever they ask to get the sale. Some prospects act like bratty children that just have to have their way. This can be quite annoying to deal with.

In letting this belief "serving the customer" dominate our attitude towards buying and selling, we give up a lot of power. It's kind of crazy if you really think about it. The prospect is the one who does or does not have a problem to solve. Its not your problem - you are just offering a potential solution.

If your prospect does have a problem to solve, then it is his responsibility to solve it - not yours. What you can do is help him figure out how to solve it, and offer your products or services if they solve the problem.

When cold calling, you are looking for problems that you can actually solve. How effective you are at cold calling is really a matter of how effective you are at uncovering problems that you can solve. It is *not* a game of how good of a "pitch" you can deliver over the phone.

If you plan your cold calling by trying to craft the most interesting, exciting, and sparkling pitch to wow your prospects into meeting with you, then you are putting way too much pressure on yourself. This may just be stressful for you, or it can even be disabling to the point where you can't or won't do any cold calling.

I have a simple formula to take the pressure off of yourself and put it where it belongs - on your prospect.

Cold Calling Formula

1. Introduce Yourself, Your Company, and Your Results.
2. Get Permission To Ask Questions.
3. Ask Questions To Uncover and Amplify Problems and Opportunities.

Simple, huh? So simple, it may seem too easy.

The secret to the cold calling formula is how you do each step. Here's an example:

"Hello, this is Shamus Brown calling."

"I am with Jupiter Financial Partners, and using private equity, I help people get high investment returns without the risk and volatility associated with the stock market.

"Do you have a few minutes to let me ask you a few questions about your investments?

"What percentage did your investment's increase this past year?

"Oh, they didn't increase... they declined by how much?... hmm, sounds bad to me, but I am not you - is that kind of performance OK with you?"

This follows the simple format outlined above. Introduce yourself and your company, and wrap that introduction with a statement of the results that you provide for your customers. This is one of the keys to making cold calling easier.

The only thing your prospect will likely hear at the beginning of the call is your results. When you are cold calling someone, you are interrupting them in some way. Their attention is elsewhere. When they hear the results that you offer, you will get their attention IF they are interested in those types of results.

Next, if they are interested in those results, they will more than likely answer yes to your request to ask a few questions and talk further.

Finally, you immediately get into probing for problems, and amplifying the consequences. Once you are there, you will stir up their motivation and desire to talk further about your product or service.

Stop using lengthy introductions in your cold calling. If you get that slightly uncomfortable or nauseating feeling in your stomach while delivering your phone "pitch", it is because your pitch is too long. The longer your pitch is, the more you are "at risk" because you do not know how the message is being received.

Shorten your cold calling opener to just the essential results that you provide, and then get right into probing for problems. You'll sell more this way.

© 1999-2004 Shamus Brown, All Rights Reserved.

Shamus Brown is a Professional Sales Coach and former high-tech sales pro who began his career selling for IBM. Shamus has written more than 50 articles on selling and is the creator of the popular Persuasive Selling Skills CD Audio Program. You can read more of Shamus Brown's sales tips at http://Sales-Tips.industrialEGO.com/ and you can learn more about his persuasive sales skills training at http://www.Persuasive-Sales-Skills.com/

How To Super Charge Your Sales and Increase Profits

1. Design your web site to be a targeted resource center. Choose one subject and build on it. You'll gain repeat visitors that are interested in that topic. 2. Offer something that is really free. If people go to your site and what you said was free really isn't, you'll lose their trust and they won't buy anything. 3. Add a chat room or message board to your web site. People want to interact with other people that have they same interests as them. 4. Entice people to link to your web site by giving them something free in return. This'll increase your ranking in some search engines. 5. Trigger your reader's emotions in your ad copy. Example, if you sell a book on gambling tips, tell them the feelings they'll get when they win money. 6. Make sure your site looks good in all browsers. You could be losing sales because it looks distorted in some web browsers. 7. Increase your sales by e-mailing full page ads to your e-zine subscribers. Remember to tell people before they subscribe or they may consider it spam. 8. Ask people questions in your ad copy that make them think about their problems. For example: Do you want to be free of your debts? 9. Magnify the size of your prospects problem in your ad; show how your product can solve it. The bigger the problem, the more sales you'll have. 10. Invest a percentage of your profits right back into your business. Spend it on marketing, product improvement, customer service, advertising, etc.

How Riding a Motorcycle on the White Line is like Reaching for our Sales Goals

WOW! What a rush it is to ride the white line on a California highway. It is like living on the edge of danger. You might not know that California has an interesting vehicle law that allows motorcycles to ride between traffic. Yes, between traffic lanes, on the painted white line that separates traffic.

Last week it was a typical California day. I was on my motorcycle in heavy traffic wearing protective gear such as a leather jacket, full face helmet with boots. The speedometer is wavering at 10 miles per hour and in 90 degree's it was HOT! Realizing that my destination was another 30 miles away, baking on asphalt really lacked appeal. The motivation of getting out of this situation led me to follow a passing biker who seemed to part the narrow traffic gap like Moses parted the seas.

As I carefully maneuvered through the traffic riding the white line, my confidence grew. My eyes bounced around like radar as the large SUV's and 18 wheelers seemed to appear larger than actual size. I felt like a ballet dancer on a tight rope gliding through a narrow tunnel. My eyes were fixed on the opening between cars, not on the obstacles. This is an important aspect of performing this motorcycle challenge. I knew that if I looked at the vehicles, the bike would steer towards them because that is how anyone steers a motorcycle. We are taught from the beginning to look where we are going and the bike will follow. Sure, there is leaning involved but overall it is where the eyes look that move the bike in the direction it will travel. It is the same with outside sales too.

When we stay focused on our destination we will reach it. Don't look at or focus on the obstacle, look toward the openings around it. We can be bold enough to suggest that if we look for price objections, they will show up. The opening we are referring to here is the opportunity we have for solving a customer's problem. Sales opportunities should always be our focus - solving customer problems.

As I moved and danced through the tunnel of vehicles It was like making small goals of gliding past one set of vehicles and then to the next. When an obstacle appeared to shift into my travel path adjustments were quickly made. However, the vision of an opening never escaped my view. From time to time I would have to apply the brakes but that was only temporary. Eventually the road opened up and I was able to reach my goal.

I use this example because it is very relevant to what we go through in outside sales each day. If we set a goal of making 20 contacts in a day and 120 per week, we must remain focused on the goal. There will always be things that try to get in our way. We might have to apply our brakes temporarily but we must move forward toward our goal. We can use this example for mailings, telephone calls, writing thank you notes and just about anything. The important thing is to stay focused on the destination and look for the openings. The obstacles will always try to get in our path. We must learn to make adjustments and maneuver away from.

Setting Priority Goals
We can improve our chances of reaching the goals we set if we set visual reminders. Let's say that we set a goal of making 20 contacts each day. If we created a large visible reminder or small reminder cards and posted them in areas we can see from our work area, in our car, near the telephone, desk drawer and on the wall we will remember our goals. More importantly, we will either reach or exceed it. These reminders will help us look for the openings in the day instead of the obstacles. Now, go out and have a great day. Oh, and just so you know, I don't make it a habit of riding on Los Angeles Freeways, particularly riding on the white line. My preference is the slower paced mountain pass or back roads it is safer and more scenic

Steve Martinez is the Founder of Selling Magic a strategic business development consulting company. The company specializes in Automated Sales Process Management (ASPM) which increases sales through technology and automation of the best practices of sales. You can reach Steve at http://www.sellingmagic.com