Author: Ethan Theo

Abe WalkingBear Sanchez is an International Speaker / Trainer / Consultant on the subject of cash flow / sales enhancement and business knowledge organization and use. Founder and President of www.armg-usa.com, WalkingBear has authored hundreds of business articles, has worked with numerous companies in a wide range of industries since 1982 and has spoken at many venues including the Shakespeare Globe Theater in London.

Categories
Sales & Marketing

Why Your Customer Doesn’t Like Your Price

Article Contributed By Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter”

You’ve had what you think is a great sales call. You feel you’ve done everything correct, and you are certain the customer will soon say “yes” to your offer.

Just as quickly as you think the customer will buy, they say something along the lines of, “I like what you’re offering, but your price is way too much.” Without missing a beat, you begin to shudder at the thought of losing the sale.

Let’s look at why your customer doesn’t like your price.

It comes down to one reason. The one and only reason your customer doesn’t like your price is because they have failed to see enough value in what you are offering to warrant paying the price.

Don’t believe for a moment it’s because a competitor might be offering a lower price.  Certainly don’t allow yourself to believe the customer would be better off waiting for a better deal.  Finally, don’t even entertain the thought that your price might really be too high.

The correct answer is the customer simply has not seen enough value in what you’re offering.

The easiest way to correct this problem is to get the customer’s input.  Don’t wait to do this after they’ve rejected your offer, but rather do it at the beginning.  At the start of the sales call is when the customer’s input is the most valuable.  The reason I say this is because the first half of the sales call is when the customer is going to be the most forthcoming with information.

It’s not unusual during a sales call for the customer to begin sensing the salesperson may try to ask for the order.  If the customer begins to believe this and they are the least bit hesitant, they may very well start throwing out false information.  The customer may start talking about objections that are really irrelevant to their real need. They will do this purely to disarm the salesperson.

This is the reason why it is so important to engage the customer early in the sales call and to get them to begin sharing with you their wants and needs.  The earlier they share with you this type of information, the better job you can do later in the call in following up on this information. You can then drill down deeper to get even more specific information.  Your objective is to get the customer to really see that the issues they’re facing are significant – and the only solution available is the one you are offering.

Some of you might think this is manipulative selling or arm-twisting, but it’s not that at all. If you, the salesperson, are merely asking questions and getting the customer to do the majority of the talking, then how could it be called arm-twisting?

Your objective as the salesperson is to get the customer to share with you at least three reasons they need what you’re offering.  One of the three should be time sensitive.   The customer’s time-sensitive need will allow you to close the sale now.  It’s the other two that will allow the customer to see why they need to buy.

I use three benefits as the minimum, but the more the customer shares with you, the higher the probability you will be able to close the sale.  I use the number three because more often than not, if you try to close before the customer has shared three of their wants or needs, you won’t be as successful.  Of course, this excludes the overwhelming benefit or need they share with you that is so big and time-sensitive that it invites an immediate close.

When the customer shares with you a time-sensitive need, this is a perfect opportunity to first validate the time need.  You validate it by asking them a question to get them to share more about why time is an issue.  By getting the customer to explain this further, you will discover that the customer usually becomes even more conscientious about why they need to buy from you right now.

When you feel as if a customer doesn’t like your price, you simply need to remember they only fail to see the value of what you are offering.  As long as you remember it is your job to help them see the value, you will increase your odds of success dramatically. I’m not going to say you’ll be 100% successful with this approach, but I know the more you use it, the less often you will hear the “price” excuse when a customer doesn’t buy.

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.

Categories
Human Resource

Small Tidbits to your Resume making Big Difference

Article Contributed By Mystique

The Corporate life is getting more competitive day by day with the flow of incoming candidates for jobs. If you want to get shortlisted for a job then you need to make some small changes in your resume so that it doesn’t get lost in the HR’s stack. Sometimes companies lose good candidates or rather Candidates lose a perfect job due to poor presentation of their skills, education and experience on the white paper. Here are some small tidbits which can help you build an excellent resume and stand high on the stack.

Avoid writing too much about irrelevant experiences

People who have a loads experience they like to write about all their experiences which kind of makes the resume long and boring. What the HR wants on the resume is that whether you have the particular skills and experience for the job or not. So write about the skills and experience which is needed for the applied job and just mention (don’t describe) your other job experiences. By this the HR who doesn’t want to read other stuffs will not get bored and the HR who is more inquisitive will be getting the answers easily.

Don’t look dull

Some people write formatted lines “My aim will be reaching the top position of the company …” which they usually copy from different sites or formats. Please avoid those formats as they are used when people are using resume for the first time. HRs try to find some new & exciting feature in your resume. Unless they think you resume copied from somewhere and it proves that you’ve got no talent writing your resume yourself. People also write common hobbies and interests. It makes your resume look dull and that’s when the HR starts to think of throwing it to the trash.

Avoid boring Objectives

Most of the people like to write boring objectives in their resume which they think will give it a direction which is actually wrong. It just diverts you out from the line. Rather you can replace the objective with a career summary. Because when you include objectives then it gives your resume a format and the thing is HR doesn’t want format, he wants what innovation you used to present yourself.

Don’t look Hazy on the Career Summary

Some people have got so many experiences that they get confused while writing the career summary and there is when you lost the job. When you come from various fields and applying for a new job, then first decide how to summarize your all other job as per your choice. Don’t go for any format, just write the way you enjoyed your all previous jobs. So there the HR finds that you didn’t quit your previous jobs because you get bored.

Attach a Photo

If you’re applying for a job which needs presentation skills and has a face value then you must attach a photo with your resume. Sometimes employers’ shortlist candidates from their looks as they need those faces to present the industry. As per the corporate rules face value should not get counted when you’re selecting a candidate, but most of the time its not followed. So there is no harm if you can attach a photo.

Be simple with the wordings

Don’t write complicated sentences about your job. You may have job experiences about which the HR may not know, so just make it simple to him by explaining what overall you or your previous company did. Don’t go for complicated job descriptions and use simple known words. By this the HR will read it simply will find some new thing on your resume too.

About the Author:

Mystique is a new Job Blogger and wants to share his job experience with the job bloggers. Mystique likes to write about the factors that help you get a job, surviving on the job, the job environment and how to get kicked out of it too, on his new blog The Job Factor. He is an avid gamer, computer geek, web designer and a jobber too.

Categories
Online Business

How to Work with Your Web Designer to Get A Profitable Online Presence Even When You Are Time Starved

Article Contributed By Cathy Goodwin

Many business owners find themselves putting “website makeover” (or even “website development”) on the back burner because they just don’t have time – even though they know they are leaving money on the table.  Others are too busy working with their current clients to develop their own compelling online presence.

The truth is, you don’t have to wait till you get some time freed up, which might not happen for another decade. And you don’t have to settle for a half-baked website that looks pretty but doesn’t bring you clients, sales and traffic.  You can get a new website up fast, when you apply just 3 strategies for working with your website designer.

Strategy #1: Create your content – all your content – before you even think about developing your logo, color scheme or website layout.

Many business owners call a web designer or even a web development company as their very first step.  After all, most of us are conscious of what a website looks like. We’re often taught to associate “website development” with “web design.”

My clients have been surprised to find how much time and money they can save by starting their website makeover by writing content, either as a DIY or by hiring a copywriter first. Here’s why.

  • You can lose your place in the designer’s queue if you do not have your content ready. Your web designer can’t complete your project without content.  When your designer has to wait for your content, he or she moves on to other projects. When you finally call to say, “Content is here!” your designer may be in the middle of another project. She needs more time to re-learn your requirements and you probably will be charged for the extra time. Besides, she can’t stop work on her current project. You may wait a month or more to get your project going again.
  • Your designer relies on your content strategy to create a header graphic and choose the colors. Otherwise the design you choose will not support your message and may even clash with your USP (Unique selling Proposition). For example, I worked with a client who had paid for a high-end graphic of a relaxed beach scene. When we reviewed her niche, she realized she needed an image that was stark and strong. Mountain cliffs and stormy waves would have been more appropriate. My client was then faced with a choice to keep a graphic that didn’t fit her strategy or acknowledge that she had paid for an online presence that would be confusing rather than compelling?

Strategy #2:  Work with a copywriter to help you communicate exactly how your audience will benefit

When it comes to websites, many business owners focus on eye-popping graphics and they agonize for hours over website colors and typefaces.

Yes, when you stand out from the crowd, you earn more revenue with a whole lot less effort. You can command higher fees because prospects realize you are unique. However, they won’t respond if you just LOOK unique. Your prospects and clients want to be sure you haven’t just taken an old brown cow and slapped on some purple paint.

That’s where expert copywriters make the difference as they can paint word pictures and introduce you as a 3-dimensional, standout professional. The truth is, your copywriter can set up the content so your designer can’t help developing a website that’s your own version of a purple cow.

Strategy #3:  Put your players in the best position to win the profit game. 

Often, business owners expect the web designer to win the whole online marketing game single-handedly with color, design, traffic and navigation. The truth is, if your website were a football game, the content would be the quarterback and the design would be your offensive line.

On the football field the quarterback calls plays and makes sure the ball gets down the field to score points. The job of the offensive line is to make sure the quarterback gets through, unharmed, without interference.

On your website, your designer’s job is to make it easy for visitors to read your copy. Just as good linemen protect their quarterback, your web designer makes sure your graphics support your message and your site is easy to read.

Your copywriter calls the plays: How do you identify your niche so you know how to reach them easily (and motivate then to take action on your offer)? Which pages get featured on the main menu bar? What metaphors and stories will frame your content?

Once these critical decisions have been made, your web designer can implement the technical and visual components of your site. Some copywriters will even guide your designer and manage the entire project, just as a football quarterback is the coach on the field.

Now, Are You Ready to Work More Effectively with Your Web Designer So You Can Start Getting More Prospects and Clients?

The simple strategies I described in this article will multiply your marketing efforts, whether you are a beginner who’s trying to develop a website while creating a new company or a seasoned veteran who is busy seeing clients but desperately needs an upgraded website to keep prospects in the funnel.  Now you can skip the hassle and time-consuming detours that many business associate with online marketing.

About the Author:

Master Copywriter Cathy Goodwin helps time-starved entrepreneurs and owners of professional service firms create a profitable website presence fast, even when they are short on time. Now, she invites you to grab her FREE 5 Point Website Profits Checklist – that should be used as a guide as you complete the website development process. Get your checklist now at: http://www.CopywritingWithCathy.com

 

 

Categories
Online Business

7 Tips to Help You Get Your Google Places & Other Local Search Directories’ Listing Found – Plus Get More Clicks

Article Contributed by Scott Harvey

1. Get consistent in how you list your address and phone number:

When Google crawls the web, and your website, it can read “123 Main Street” as something different than “123 Main St.”  It will even see “123 Main St.” as something different than “123 Main St”.

Same thing with phone numbers.  “(714) 555-5555” will be seen as being different than “714-555-5555”, which is different than “(714) 555 5555.”

2. Use a local phone number.

If you have an 800 number, or other toll-free number, show your local number as your primary phone, and show the toll-free number as an additional one.

3. Get consistent in how you list your company name.

If your company name is “Honest Website Marketing” (which we hope it isn’t since that’s our name) don’t show “Honest Website Marketing” in one place, then in another place put “Honest Website Marketing, LLC.”  Just like with addresses and phone numbers, the search engines may think those are two different companies.

So, look at your website, and be sure you’re consistent throughout your site. Then, do it the same way on your “Places” page, and your “YELP” page, and your Chamber of Commerce listing, and on Yellowpages.com and the other hundred local directories you can get yourself listed in.

4. Fill in your website’s URL. 

This may seem obvious, but people miss it all the time. And if your site shows as www.yoursite.com/, don’t list it in your Places page as www.yoursite.com .  That tiny difference can be a problem.

5. Post reviews.

Posting reviews from happy customers is one of the most powerful things you can do to get your “Places” page ranked well.  Encourage your customers to find your Places page and then write a review.  Reviews on your Places page are particularly important in pushing it to the top of the search results, which gets you more clicks. Plus, it helps you build credibility so you get more clicks to your website.

6. Get Citations.

I do not mean the ones you get from the Highway Patrol. But, I do mean the ones you get by getting listed in other places and directories, such as Superpages.com, Yelp, Citysearch, your Chamber of Commerce listing, and the other fifty or a hundred directory-type places you ought to get yourself listed in.  Every time you get listed someplace and get a citation, you beef up your importance in Google’s eyes, which helps you gain higher search engine rankings

7. Post photographs, or better yet, videos, or even better, both.

Pictures and videos are appealing to your visitors and Google loves them. So take full advantage of the ability to post them on your Places page.  It’s just as important there as it is on your website itself.

These are only a few of the things you can to enhance the effectiveness of your Places page.

These 7 can be done by anyone, even people without a lot of technical knowledge.  Of course, you can outsource the task to a website marketing pro who specializes in local search marketing as the expert will save you time..

Feel free to contact us with any questions, or if you would like to discuss having us help you.

About the Author:

Local Search Marketing Expert Scott Harvey works with small-to-medium size local brick-and-mortar business owners who want to improve their search engine results so they can get more local website traffic and sales. Now, as he wants you to capture more clicks, he is offering a 69-page, step-by-step guide to better website performance and he’s giving it to you for free. Grab his “Make The Phone Ring” ebook now at: http://www.honestwebsitemarketing.com

Categories
Networking

How to Get More Leads With LinkedIn By Using My Simple Learn, Lurk and Link Strategy

Article Contributed by Kristina Jaramillo

When you take control of your social media interactions on LinkedIn you will build, develop and have command over your own community.

For example, when Article Marketing Expert Eric Gruber and I created and launched our Instant LinkedIn Marketing Templates we:

1. Reached out to our LinkedIn Group members.  Eric has over 800 people in his group alone, which is a target rich environment for us to get more sales.

2. We created articles that demonstrated ways LinkedIn should be used to generate more profits for you.  We created articles that showed top mistakes people are making on their LinkedIn profiles.  At the end of all these articles we added a call to action to grab our Instant LinkedIn Marketing Templates.
3. We used a simple learn, lurk and link strategy to capture other prospects that belong to other groups.  Some of these groups have more than 25,000 members.  I cannot tell you how many times we saw an order that had “LinkedIn Group” as the answer to: “Where did you hear about us?”

Here’s My Simple Learn, Lurk & Link Strategy Explained in Detail

1. Learn – Before you can create content that your LinkedIn prospects can connect to you must uncover what challenges they are facing, the latest thinking, mistakes that are being made and what questions are being left unanswered.  The best way to achieve this is to be where your prospects are. That means you should join the LinkedIn groups your prospects belong to.  Then move onto the next step.

2. Lurk – Go to the group and view the discussions. Look what kinds of questions are being asked within the group.  See what kind of content is being created and distributed.  Check out the different debates that occurring, this way you can see other points of views.  This is one of the best ways to see the latest thinking and philosophies.  Then find out how you can add value to the conversations by revealing information that has not been said before.  Offer a new twist or insight on a popular topic.  This will make people want to listen to what you have to say and learn more about what you have to offer.

3. Link – The final step is linking to these prospects.  Invite people to connect that have commented on your articles, posts or previous comments.  Reach out to prospects by asking them questions and inviting them to join the conversation.  The point of this is to get people to like what you have to say so they will view your website, buy your products, use your services, ask for your advice and so on. When you can show that you are an expert in your field others will listen.

Now try my learn, lurk and link strategies with your LinkedIn marketing and see if you can get results like Help My Website Founder Adam Hommey who received 150 new

subscribers, four new coaching clients, $6,259 in immediate profits and two media interviews!  After receiving these results here is what Adam had to say:

“Leveraging the full power of LinkedIn® has been the secret ingredient that has taken me further during the last couple of months toward achieving “authority” status as a website conversions expert than I moved in three years PRIOR.”

Now are you ready to learn, lurk and link?

About the Author:

LinkedIn marketing Expert Kristina Jaramillo, the creator of the first LinkedIn marketing templates at http://www.InstantLinkedInMarketingTemplates.com helps business professionals network more effectively on LinkedIn so they can get more website traffic, prospects and profits. Now, with her free special report, you can uncover how you can become “the trusted source for your industry on LinkedIn” by avoiding her top 14 mistakes. Get this information for free at: http://www.GetLinkedInHelp.com