Author: Pamela Swift

Article Contributed By Eric Gruber
Getting global exposure for your website and reaching customers all over the world are two perks of Article Marketing, but what if global domination is not your thing?
One of my long-time newsletter subscribers recently emailed me and asked:
What if you own a dry cleaning business in Madison, Wisconsin?
Or you’re a real estate agent in Ontario, Canada?
Or you operate a bakery in Marrakech, Morocco?
If you own a local business and you want to attract customers who are in your neighborhood or city, can article marketing still work for you?
My answer = Yes!
Many of my article marketing clients at http://www.IWantMoreProspects.com own businesses that have local clients and customers. They use article marketing to increase their web presence, bolster their website rankings in the search engines, establish themselves as an expert in their niche, and also to generate more targeted traffic to their website.
So, although you may not be looking for national or international attention, you can still benefit from a targeted article submission campaign. Now, when I say “targeted traffic”, I mean that the people who are visiting your website are the type of prospects who might be truly interested in your business. They are not just random passers-by.
How can you get targeted traffic for your local business using article marketing?
To be sure that the traffic you receive is targeted, write about your area of expertise and in your resource box (that’s the author bio that sits below your article) specify the location of your business. This would tell the reader that you only work with people in that location.
Also, if appropriate you could write some articles that specifically deal with your industry in your location. For example, if you are a Real Estate agent in Ontario, Canada, there may be some unique aspects of buying or selling a house that are specific to Ontario.
Here’s one article idea: “10 Upcoming Neighborhoods in Ontario, Canada That You Should Consider Buying a House In”
Then the article would have to deliver on the promise that the title makes. Please resist the urge to mention your location in the title and then write an article that offers generalized info. If you mention your location in the title, you need to provide specific info about that location.
What You Must Remember When You Are Trying to Get Local Attention Using Article Marketing
The main thing to remember is that while we talk about a “global audience”, every one of us who is doing article marketing wants to attract a certain type of person–the type of person who is most likely to be interested in our business.
I don’t know of any website owner who wants every Tom, Dick and Harriet coming to his or her site.
Whether you have a local business or an Internet business that operates worldwide, you still have a target market, and you need to write your articles with that specific group in mind.
So, don’t let the “global exposure” idea intimidate or mislead you. When done correctly, article marketing generates targeted traffic.
You can get traffic that is targeted to your specific location (if that is what you’re going for).
You can get traffic that is targeted to your industry.
You can get traffic that is targeted to people with very specific needs.
You can get traffic that is targeted to people with specific interests.
About the Author
Article Marketing Expert Eric Gruber uses the power of articles to create online opportunities for small business owners who want more publicity, prospects and profits. Now, you can get his instant article writing templates that will help you write your articles in 30 minutes or less. Get 3 of his favorite article writing templates for free at: http://www.TryMyFreeArticleTemplates.com

Article Contributed by Mark Hunter
It’s been said that to be a successful salesperson, not only do your listening skills have to be great, but your closing skills have to be even better. However, I believe that while these skills are helpful, they are not essential. In my opinion, to be a top-performing sales professional, you must be a great leader. It is a fundamental character trait. Although we have all known salespeople who have had stellar years based on the luck of a few great clients, those with sustained, long-term success always exhibit great leadership skills.
What is a leader? Leaders are people who empower others to do seemingly impossible things, whether individually or as part of a group. They help people see issues and opportunities they would not normally see themselves. Most importantly, they instill a level of confidence in people that make them pro-active in dealing with situations they otherwise would be hesitant to handle.
These leadership traits are essential for top-performing salespeople to exhibit on a daily basis. By demonstrating these qualities to your prospects and clients, you are communicating your value to them. They will see that you have their best interest in mind and are not out to just “make a sale.” You will create the confidence they need to desire to do business with you. Salespeople who see themselves as leaders are far more likely to provide the client with the services necessary to help them achieve their long-term goals. For example, a salesperson who is a leader will wisely show a 25-year-old the significance of buying life insurance both as an investment tool and a “peace of mind” policy.
Top-performing salespeople understand how positioning themselves as leaders can further their success. You will increase your profits by selling more to an existing customer, so it only makes sense to display leadership to them. In addition, because the best new clients often come from referrals, your existing customers will be much more apt to confidently recommend you. In my experience, I have observed that salespeople who behave as leaders are less likely to need multiple closing techniques to make a sale. I firmly believe that the higher the degree of leadership in a sales professional, the less time spent on closing the deal. Similarly, the opposite holds true, and the result is a loss of valuable time.
Over the years, I have come to believe that “sales is leadership and leadership is sales.” The more salespeople with whom I work, the more I confirm the validity of this statement. Although it’s important to work on both your ability to listen and your closing techniques, fostering your leadership skills is far more essential. Begin today to set yourself apart from the competition by positioning yourself as a leader to your employees, your clients and your prospects.
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 http://www.TheSalesHunter.com.

Article Contributed By Eric Gruber
What do you tell your prospects when they ask you “What makes you different from everyone else?”
Here’s what management consultant John Reddish does.
He tells his prospects to search the number of mentions he has on Google! Since John has hundreds of articles and other links, he looks like a rock star compared to his competitors!
I follow this strategy all the time. I actually have people calling me up asking – so does article marketing really work? I ask them if they’re by the computer right now. Then, I tell them to Google my name “Eric Gruber.” You’ll see hundreds of links with my articles.
If you do that right now, you should find on the front page my articles on Microsoft Dynamics, About.com, PublicityHound.com, SiteProNews.com and many others.
I, not only use this strategy when I am trying to sell to new prospects, but also when I am speaking live on stage or on teleseminars. It helps me build credibility with my audience.
Remember, every time you write and submit articles, you increase your credibility and visibility – and that can pay off in many ways! But in order for this to work you must follow a few basic rules.
3 Article Marketing Rules You Must Follow If You Want to Increase Credibility and Visibility
Rule #1: Write and submit articles on a consistent basis.
Article marketing will NOT work if you just write articles and submit articles every once in a while. You should write at least one article per month. If you need help generating article ideas – check out my Instant Article Writing Templates at http://www.StartWritingArticlesFaster.com
Rule #2: Submit your articles to the top websites and ezines that your audience is going to every day for information that you can provide.
Don’t get me wrong, submitting to article directory sites like ezinearticles.com is good. It gives you more links and the more links you get, the higher you will rank in the search engines. But the article directory sites will not give you extra credibility. Anyone can get published there as long as you follow the site’s editorial guidelines. It will not make you an expert in the eyes of your prospects. So find the top websites that your audience is visiting and submit your articles to those sites.
Rule #3: You must provide unique information that proves you are the expert.
If you provide the same, regurgitated information as everyone else – how is that going to make you any different from your competition? It doesn’t! So, provide your top, expert information. Don’t be afraid to give your best material. By giving great information for free, people will automatically think, “Wow! If I’m getting this kind of information for free, the information that I have to pay for must be out-of-this-world. I must get it now.”
If you follow this advice, you’ll increase your credibility and visibility. And, you’ll be able to answer the question,” “What makes you different from everyone else?”
About the Author
Article Marketing Expert Eric Gruber uses the power of articles to create online opportunities for Internet marketers, small business owners and entrepreneurs who want more publicity, prospects and profits. Now, you can get his instant article writing templates that will help you write your articles in 30 minutes or less. For a limited time, you can get 3 of his favorite article writing templates for free at: http://www.TryMyFreeArticleTemplates.com