Category: Sales & Marketing

Many modern small business owners have given up on the “old-school” practice of cold calling in favor of “new-school” methods of marketing such as social media outreach. While this can be effective, your company can still benefit from some good old-fashioned smiling and dialing.

There is nothing more important to an entrepreneur than generating new business, establishing contacts, and setting appointments. To effectively generate new business, you must be open to all possibilities, regardless of how uncomfortable they may be. There’s an old saying that goes, “anything worth doing is worth doing right”. You must be serious and dedicated enough to do it right.

When launching a telemarketing or appointment setting campaign, there are a few guidelines to live by:

1. Properly prepare before launching your campaign.

Start by establishing an objective for each individual phone call. Write a script detailing an umbrella view of everything you need to say. If you’re really uncomfortable with the idea of reading off of a script, you should take into consideration an outline as an alternative so the call will sound more natural. Write down what you expect the prospect to say in response to your questions. This will help frame the conversation in your mind and keep you from getting caught off guard.

2. Know that you are a nuisance…and embrace it.

This can be critical when framing your mindset when approaching a campaign. You probably know from experience that business decision makers typically try to avoid telemarketing calls. Instead of deterring you from participating, you should use this knowledge to customize your pitch. Be friendly. Let the prospect know that you are a human, face similar challenges, and are only there to help. The trick is to make your cold call feel like an important consultative experience.

3. Be studious and diligent.

There’s nothing that will turn a prospect off more quickly than an unprepared telemarketer. Take the time to learn your prospect’s business and industry as well as your own. It can be immensely deflating to finally get an interested prospect on the phone, only to be unable to answer his legitimate questions. If you fall into this trap, your prospect will quickly lose respect for you and decide that you aren’t worth speaking to. After all, you are representing your business.

4. Use knowledge to your advantage.

If you’ve taken the time to learn industry terminology and company details, don’t be afraid to share it. Casually incorporate industry lingo into your pitch, and show off the fact that you’ve studied their business! Furthermore, understanding the target company can extend the length of your call and help you establish a deeper relationship.

5. Target the right people.

Part of your research should be to determine who makes the necessary decisions for their business. If you can’t get the decision maker on the phone, let the gatekeeper know that it is a cold call, and have them forward you to the right person’s voicemail. Getting shutdown by a person who doesn’t make decisions can derail your efforts.

About the Author

Adam Shore is a former sales and marketing executive, and currently focuses on small business outsourcing services such as cold calling, telemarketing, and lead generation.

Article Contributed by Danielle

Pinterest is the hottest new social networking platform, and is quickly becoming a great way to connect with friends as well as customers. If you are not familiar with the Pinterest concept, it’s easy. Users can “pin” websites as they browse, which creates a virtual bulletin board of interesting ideas they can share with friends on Pinterest, Facebook or Twitter.

Pinterest is mainly used to gather inspiration such as recipes, craft projects, fashion ideas and even decorating tips. Recipes and projects are a natural choice because when people try something like this, they want to share their successes with friends and family. Fashion ideas are pinned when users find a “must have” garment or just want to build a look book and browse all the pretty clothes. Grandiose home interiors and decorating ideas are popular. People pin thousands of DIY décor tips or photos of impressive homes with high ceilings, unique paintings, pool tables and pools.

So, the question that may come to your mind is, “How can Pinterest be used to promote my business?” Unlike Facebook or Twitter where businesses actively advertise to followers, Pinterest is a bit sneakier. The first way to use Pinterest to your benefit is add a “Pin it” button on your page. This is very similar to adding a “like” or “tweet” button. It encourages your traffic to add your content to their boards. But remember that Pinterest is highly visual, so if you want content to be shared it must have an intriguing picture.

Make your website pin-worthy. This may mean adding additional content. Generally Pinterest users are looking for things they can DO, which is what makes it such an interesting networking tool. By adding dynamic content such as recipes or projects, you are more likely to get pinned, and bring in new people to your website who will check out your preexisting content.

No matter what topic is the focus of your website, from poolside fun to pool tables and beyond, you can likely find a way to make it relevant to the Pinterest community. Don’t be afraid to experiment. If you enjoy the Pinterest network you may wish to become friends with many of your customers and website readers. This way they’ll see when you pin — a great way to encourage repeat visitors. Take time to check out what’s available and learn more about this popular new phenomenon which has web users talking and pinning up a storm.

About the Author

Danielle, who blogs on behalf of Sears and other prestigious brands, found her new favorite recipe (Starbucks Frappuccino Cupcakes) on Pinterest. She was also found by her newest client on Pinterest by pinning photos of her product offerings. Read her work at suitsandladders.co.uk.

Small business is flocking to online video as a powerful marketing tool. Online video viewing is skyrocketing with uber-video juggernaut YouTube leading the way. Video marketing is here to stay, so entrepreneurs must lead, follow or get out of the way!

Online video is very effective because it creates a personal connection, helping to increase the “know, like and trust” factor among your prospects and clients. Video marketing can also help you enhance your online visibility and stand out in a crowded and competitive environment. Here are a few tips to keep in mind as you dip your toes into the video marketing waters…

Tip # 1: Keep it simple: While there are some common misconceptions about online video, the truth is it’s not expensive to get started. Using video in your online marketing efforts is also less technical than most people think. While production quality is important, you don’t need a big Hollywood production to create compelling videos. Start with what you’ve got, even if it’s just a webcam – or even the video camera on your mobile phone!

Tip # 2: Content trumps quality. The common elements of most video marketing “success stories” include consistency, strong content, a connection to the audience, and the ability to effectively communicate your marketing message.

Tip # 3: Choose your format wisely. There are numerous ways of using online video, ranging from live versus pre-recorded, on camera or off camera, educational or promotional. What platform do you prefer? How you choose to use the medium should be driven by your specific marketing goals. Video marketing is all about playing to your strengths.

Tip # 4: One video at a time. There are sales videos, list-building videos, website welcome videos, expert tips videos, instructional videos, and live videos. Decide which type of marketing video is best for your business and begin with that one!

Tip # 5: Begin with the end in mind. Before you create your video, consider your marketing goals. Video objectives can include increasing online exposure, driving website traffic, building trust and credibility, or developing your personal brand. And let’s not forget the elusive “viral video!” Viral video is like the Holy Grail of marketing…

Start with these 5 simple marketing guidelines and your online video will break through the clutter and maximize your internet marketing.

A while ago, I was attending an event and I met someone who offered a service I needed. We exchanged cards and promised to be in touch when we returned home.

When I got home I turned over all those business cards to my team member as usual to enter into our database for follow up. It was about a month later when I realized this potential vendor had not contacted me or followed up with me. I no longer had the cards so I couldn’t look through them and I couldn’t remember her name or her business name and I didn’t have the time to comb through my database looking for her.

Needless to say, she didn’t get the project. And the sad part was I was ready to give it to her, that was why I thought of her a month later. But she hadn’t followed up so she never got a chance to get the business. I ended up finding someone else.

The morale of the story — you need to follow up with your prospects. Period.

Look, I know you’re spending a lot of time and money attracting leads into your business. You’re networking at live events, networking virtually using social networking, blogging, speaking, and probably a million other things.

So when those leads DO flow into your business, are you following up with them? Are you treating them like the gold they are?

I see this mistake happen over and over again. Entrepreneurs spend so much time and effort to bring leads home and then they never follow up. All those business cards get piled up on their desk never to get into a database. They have every intention of sending out a regular ezine for those online leads but somehow it never gets done. They rarely pick up the phone to connect with a warm (or even hot) prospect.

And then they wonder why their business isn’t growing and they struggle getting clients in the door.

There’s just no substitute for following up. (Have you heard the saying “the fortune is in the follow up?”) Giving someone your business card is NOT the same thing as following up with them. You’re relying on them to not lose your business card AND to remember the solution you offer when they’re ready for it. That just isn’t realistic.

You need to be the one to initiate, build and maintain the relationship. You need to be the one to remind the prospect about the solution you offer and how it will transform their life. Not the other way around.

Now I realize you’ve probably heard this before and you probably already know it. So if you’re not consistently following up, why not? What’s stopping you?

Most likely it’s 2 reasons — time and fear.

You’re busy and you don’t have the time to properly follow up. And you’re afraid you’re bugging your prospects if you do follow up.

I get it. I really do. I was there myself once. But here’s the thing — if you don’t get over those 2 issues, you’re never going to grow your business or enjoy consistent cash flow.

So here are 2 quick fixes to help you get started:

1. Who said YOU have to be the one to follow up? Get some help! Notice in my story I said I handed the business cards I collected to someone on my team to enter into my database. I did not say I was the one doing the entering. Have someone help you. (And the best part is you can probably justify the cost of this help because it directly impacts your bottom line).

2. Follow up doesn’t have to be calling people up and asking for work. Do things people will look forward to getting — send them articles, tips, or maybe something funny that entertains them. Think about ways you can stay in contact with your prospects that’s not about just making sales calls.

Remember, it typically takes 7 “touches” before a prospect turns into a client (and in the “new” economy it’s probably going to take a lot more). So don’t be discouraged if you’re first few attempts don’t turn into anything. Be persistent and consistent and eventually you’ll see your hard work paying off.