Month: August 2011

6 Do’s and Don’ts of Using an iPad on a Sales Call

Post author By Ethan Theo
Post date August 15, 2011

Article Contributed by Mark Hunter

So you now own an iPad or other type of tablet and you’re wondering if you should use it on a sales call.

Here are 6 quick rules to consider:

1. Don’t use it just because you have one.

Who really cares? Just because you own the newest electronic gadget doesn’t mean the customer you’re seeing doesn’t own one too – or worse yet, despises people who do own them. It only makes sense to use one on a sales call if you have a purpose for using it.

2. Do use it if it simplifies your sales call.

Using an iPad can be a great way to easily access rate information and other critical pieces of information quickly if the need arises. Certainly having an iPad also allows you to walk into a sales call carrying a lot less “stuff.”

3. Don’t use it to “wow” the customer.

Again, who cares? “Wowing” the customer is not why you are there. You’re there to help the customer. Plus, more often than not, the person who is out to “wow” the customer with a new toy is many times the same person who doesn’t have clue as to how the toy works.

4. Do use it if you want to show your customer information without leaving them a hard copy.

Having your rate/pricing information on the iPad is a great way to be able to show the client information without having to leave them a hard copy. In my opinion, this is the best reason to use an iPad. We’ve all had experiences where hard copy information left with a potential client winds up being used as leverage with another sales representative to get a better quote.

5. Don’t use it if the tablet is loaded with a lot of your personal stuff.

There is nothing worse than having your client take control of your iPad and suddenly gaining access to various personal files (including potentially embarrassing information). If you’re going to use an iPad on sales calls, then use it just for that. Don’t try to use it for both clients and personal work. Invest the money and buy two. All it takes is one quick swipe of a finger on an iPad and your client can suddenly be looking at your personal tax statements or your latest fantasy league picks.

6. Do remember to have it charged before visiting a client.

Yes, the battery life on an iPad is very good – so good, in fact, that you can easily forget to check the battery level. We can become so used to not looking at the battery life on the unit that we forget to notice how low it is until we walk into the most important sales meeting of the quarter. By then it’s a little too late to charge it, and you certainly don’t want to be scoping the room for an outlet. Awkward.

With the above 6 tips in mind, you are equipped to make a wise decision regarding the use of an iPad in your next meeting. Just remember that you aren’t going to impress anyone with any gadget – unless you have a valid reason for having it there in the first place.

About the Author:

Mark Hunter, “The Sales Hunter,” is a sales expert who speaks to thousands each year on how to increase their sales profitability. For more information, to receive a free weekly email sales tip, or to read his Sales Motivation Blog, visit www.TheSalesHunter.com. You can also follow him on www.Facebook.com/TheSalesHunter, www.Twitter.com/TheSalesHunter and www.LinkedIn.com/in/MarkHunter.

Newsletter

BIZNESS! Newsletter Issue 116

Post author By Pamela Swift
Post date August 15, 2011

Cover Story

Go Ahead and Fire Your Customer

We all have at least one – a customer with whom we just don’t like working. Before you get too excited thinking I’m going to say it’s okay to fire any customer – regardless of the reason – guess again. What I am talking about are customers we don’t like because after we do everything we do for them….

Continued in BIZNESS! Newsletter Issue 116 >>>

Ask Ms. Social Networking Manners

Post author By
Post date August 13, 2011

Dear Ms. Social Networking Manners,

I’m a professional athlete who sometimes gets bored off the field. There’s only so much television you can watch, so that’s why I like to hop on Twitter. I especially like to do this when I’m really angry about something. But I’ve discovered I get a big backlash when I do this. I’ve blamed the Mad Twitter Hacker, but the problem is no one believes there is a Mad Twitter Hacker and they still get mad at me. I don’t get it — nobody is really reading Twitter anyway, right?

Any professional athlete, any city

Dear Any Athlete,

Ah yes, it may come as a big surprise to you, but people actually do read tweets. And (brace yourself) they also read what you post on Facebook, Linked In, your blog, etc.

I know it can sometimes feel like you’re just typing away and no one is paying any attention, but that just isn’t true. People ARE reading, even if they don’t always comment. And let’s not forget what you put out there in the Internet Universe tends to stay out there.

Ms. Social Networking Manners also suggests that when you’re angry, you may want to count to ten BEFORE you tweet or post on Facebook. That little tidbit works nicely regardless if you’re face-to-face with someone or over social networking. And it’s just good manners.

Dear Ms. Social Networking Manners,

I’m a politician who recently got caught sending naughty pictures of myself through the Twitter Direct Message. Apparently the Direct Message wasn’t private, it showed up on the public stream. I blamed the Mad Twitter Hacker, but I still ended up resigning because no one believed me. I don’t get it, Twitter DMs are supposed to be private. Should I sue Twitter for ruining my career?

A.W. New York

Dear Mr. W,

I realize it’s a sad state of affairs when you can’t trust that Twitter DMs remain private but unfortunately you get what you pay for. And what exactly have you paid for Twitter?

I rest my case.

It’s always wise to keep in mind when you’re using social networking platforms, you are playing in someone else’s sandbox. Which means their rules apply. And since your financial investment in these social networking platforms is roughly zero, you really don’t have much of a leg to stand on when things go awry.

And, it bears repeating that nothing on those social networking platforms should be considered private. Even direct messages or direct emails. If it’s not something you would mind your mother, your children, your boss, your clients, etc. seeing, you probably shouldn’t be stating it on any of those platforms.

Dear Ms. Social Networking Manners,

I work for a professional sports team and I was very upset about a trade they made. So I went on my Facebook account and posted that my sports team sucked. The next day I was fired. That wasn’t fair, was it?

Unemployed and unhappy sports fan, Pennsylvania

Dear Unemployed,

Alas, my mailbag is full of stories like yours. From the “Fatty Cisco Paycheck” debacle to the consultant who dissed the headquarters of his client’s hometown, there seems to be no end to people who post seemingly innocuous Tweets and Facebook updates only to be fired or forced to resign.

As stated above, if you’re not comfortable with the world reading whatever you posted, then you probably shouldn’t post it. And if you ARE caught, then all you need to do is blame the Mad Twitter Hacker.

Online Business

Five Online Payment Processing Sites for Your Online Business

Post author By Pamela Swift
Post date August 12, 2011
1 Comment on Five Online Payment Processing Sites for Your Online Business

Article Contributed by Ashyia Hill

After the necessary marketing hype and hoopla you decide you are ready to unleash a barrage of products that your customers have been salivating after. If you don’t have a payment gateway set up however, your customers may lose interest in your product, because they can’t get what they want by paying online.

Sending a check through snail mail these days is just too slow for those who want their product yesterday. Set up an online payment processing for quick cash and secure handling. Use one of these five processing services to keep your business in the black.

PayPal

A subsidiary of Ebay.com, Paypal provides financial services for more than 200 million accounts in 22 different currencies worldwide. As just a 10 year-old company, it has grown leaps and bounds to provide customers with a variety of different services. Online companies can process credit cards through three different payment methods.

• Website Payments Standard –Through the standard payment method, a business can accept all major credit cards; avoid monthly fees and application processes. A payment button, which is easy to install, allows users to process payments through a third-party or customized shopping cart. The cost is per transaction, between 2.2 and 2.9 percent that is deducted from a registered bank account.

• Website Payments Pro –This option is the full blown process, where buyers can enter their shipping and payment options with a chance to review and confirm before actually purchasing a product. The Payments Pro also accepts all major credit and debit cards and rolls the processing and the internet merchant account into one service. There is a monthly fee of $30 for the use of this service.

• Payflow Payment Gateway –Using this option, businesses can still have the benefits of Paypal while holding on to their own third-party merchant account. When buyers go to purchase something on your site, they are taken to Paypal’s secure webpage to enter credit or debit card information. There is a one-time setup fee of $179 along with a monthly service fee of $20 for this service.

Amazon Payments

Originally as an online bookstore, Amazon.com now sells everything from books to groceries. Founded in 1995, Amazon.com has expanded their online presence to include Amazon Payments, a service that processes payments, subscriptions and donations. Check out their payments processing services:

• Simple Pay Standard –A basic processing service that takes buyers to the secure Amazon site to pay with any major credit card which is easy to implement through cut-and-paste html code. Pricing ranges between 1.9 and 2.9 percent for each transaction done.

• Simple Pay Subscriptions and Donations –An authorized button which allows buyers to purchase and confirm a subscription through Amazon’s main site. Pricing ranges between 1.9 and 2.9 percent per transaction.

• Simple Pay Marketplace –Another installable button that allows a business to charge a commission for products sold by various merchants. This also ranges between 1.9 and 2.9 percent per transaction.

Pay Simple

Younger than Paypal, Pay Simple is a processing service that specifically targets online businesses. Founded in 2005, this company offers a variety of online financial solutions including:

• Credit card processing
• Email invoicing
• Payment and fraud security
• ACH direct deposit
• Training and Support Services

They offer two different plans:

Invoice Simply –an online invoicing system that allows businesses to send electronic invoices. This service costs $11 per month.
Pay Simple Pro – A full service that processes credit, debit and check transactions. They provide this service for $35 a month.

Authorize.Net

Slightly younger than Amazon.com, Authorize.Net founded in 1996 provides online businesses with a scalable service that can be customized to a company’s needs. This gateway processes all major credit and debit cards, provides fraud protection and also provides additional services based on transaction and monthly fees. The basic setup cost is $99, with a monthly service fee of $20.

AlertPay

A Canadian based company created in 2004, Alert Pay works to create a simple solution for online payment. Their business service accepts Visa, Mastercard and American Express credit and debit cards in 22 different currencies. As with Paysimple, they also provide invoicing services as well as fraud protection and customer support. Signing up for an account is free, however, transactions can cost up to 4.5 percent per transaction.

Do Comparisons

Do your research to find out which service will work the best for your business. Contact each site’s customer support and don’t be afraid to ask questions. Jot down the answers and compare them with each site to compare the benefits.

About the Author
Ashyia Hill blogs at CreditDonkey, a site that provides small business owners with credit card research for entrepreneurs.

Branding

Creating a Culture and Brand That Makes and Actually Keeps Brand Promises

Post author By Ethan Theo
Post date August 12, 2011

Article Contributed by Sara Laforest and Tony Kubica

It’s one thing to make a promise. It’s quite another to keep it. Yet, businesses make promises every day. Some keep them. Some companies like AT&T, Bank of America and US Airways have good intentions, but can’t keep them because their strong culture and strong brand are misaligned. And, worst of all, some businesses have no sincere intention of keeping them at all, regardless of what they say.

How are you and your business at keeping your promises?

Well, how you answered this questioned just defined your brand and your culture. Yes the two are connected, and this connection can be either:

Strong and reinforcing – they are in alignment
Strong but negatively reinforcing – they are competing or demonstrating dissonance
Weak because they have not been defined and developed

Creating the Promise – Your Brand

To grow your business, you must identify your target market. This is the market niche you want to focus on and the position you want to hold within that market. You need to know and understand exactly:

What products or services you want to provide to your market
What you can do and what you do not want to do
Your competition and why you are different

This provides the essential elements for branding your company.

Branding presents you to the marketplace. It defines you in the mind of your customers and prospects. It creates the promise: what your clients can expect from you when they do business with you. Think of Apple, Google, Zappos, Amazon.com, Nordstrom… We know what to expect from them, and we are rarely disappointed.

Branding expresses this promise in the:

· Logo

· Website concept and content

· Tag line

· Advertisements

· Marketing materials

· All forms of internal and external expression/communication about the company.

There is a consistency that should carry over to all methods of interacting with the customer and the prospect. Regardless of how your prospect and customers enter your sales cycle, they should see, feel, and interpret who you are, what you stand for and what they can expect based on your branding.

So, you’ve got their attention with relevant and compelling branding.

You’re done, right? No, not so quickly.

Creating the Culture to Deliver the Promise

Now it’s time to deliver: to keep the promise made in and through your branding.

Culture is the way work is done in your company. It’s how people work together, how you build your teams and processes to deliver on your promise. It represents how strongly you believe in your promise and builds your repute.

Culture is grounded in the understanding and practices around the Purpose/Mission, Vision and Guiding Values of the company. It drives how decisions are made, how responsibility is assumed and your behavior in front of customers and within your group. It should be reflected in the standards and consistency with which you deliver your product or service.

One quick point: Are organizations with a strong positive culture and good brand expression perfect? Far from it. They are just much better than their competition, as they know how to course correct when required, and they know why they exist as a business.

Brand + Culture = Market Growth

Without a strong base (your culture and brand) it is nearly impossible to deliver consistent and high quality products and services to your market. (In this case, what you end up delivering are excuses.)

Companies with a strong brand and a strong culture are leaders in their market, whether it’s a small local market or a large international market. It doesn’t matter. A positive brand and cultural alignment is a powerful competitive strategy!

The greatest opportunity for performance improvement and growth is to concentrate on building a strong brand expression (the promise) and focusing your culture in delivering on that promise.

Identifying your market and building a strong base (culture and brand) to deliver to that market is a competitive differentiator. Why? Because many of your competitors (and could be competitors) will not take the time to do this. And your clients and customers will notice and will reward your efforts.

About the Author:

Management Consultants and Business Performance Improvement Specialists Sara Laforest and Tony Kubica have 50+ years of combined experience in helping small and large businesses accelerate their business growth in record times. Failure to make and actually keep your promises is just one way to sabotage your business growth. Get the full report on Self-Sabotage in Business now at: http://www.kubicalaforestconsulting.com/resources.php