Category: Sales & Marketing

Article Contributed by Dave Thomas

As a small business owner, you know the economy is reeling.

So, how can you still get your message out to current and potential customers without breaking the bank when it comes to your advertising budget?

For too many small business owners, a bad economy leads them to reel in the ad budget, therefore leaving them to miss out on a number of sales opportunities.

Given that your goal is a strong return on investment, you need to consider increasing your advertising efforts and not decreasing them when times are tough. Think about it – your competition is probably also considering cutting back on its advertising efforts – so now is the time to strike.

Approach to Success

For the small business owner, the best approach to success is working with your advertising/marketing team to zero in on the best messages to reach your target audience.

If you already have a strong audience in certain sectors of the market, take the opportunity when the economy is bad to go after new segments. Remember, consumers are looking to save money when times are tough, so you have the potential to open new doors where your products and/or services can save some people money. In turn, you have potentially lined up a new customer/s that will bring you a good ROI over time.

Another aspect to where increasing your advertising efforts in a bad economy can help your small business is focusing in on the different demographics that you serve.

Take for instance senior citizens. In many cases, seniors will cut back on buying during tough financial times, yet they still are in need of products and services. While your competition may have cut back on advertising to seniors, here is your chance to reach out to them and demonstrate how you can assist them with deals and coupons, saving them money in the process, along with building up a relationship with them.

Another factor to consider in ramping up your advertising efforts is when you unveil a money-saving product.
While the first inclination is cut back the spending on advertising when times are tough, how then will anyone know about your value laden offerings? By increasing the amount of money spent on advertising, you bring attention to the money-saving product and how it can save customers money. Again, this can prove a winning situation for your small business.

Lastly, while your small business is looking to save money through its advertising efforts, keep in mind that those charging for ads could have some deals available.

Whether you are doing traditional print newspaper or magazine ads, online banner ads, billboard advertising etc. companies specializing in advertising are also likely looking to cut deals in order to keep or get your business. The bottom line – negotiate as much as possible.

Remember, when times are tough, there are various chances to expose your small business to new customers that are not always there when the economy is rolling along.

Make it so your small business can excel and reap the benefits.

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About the Author
Dave Thomas writes extensively for www.business.com an online resource destination for businesses of all sizes to research, find, and compare the products and services they need to run their businesses.

Article Contributed by Adam Shore

Simply mentioning the words “telemarketing”, or “telemarketer” will evoke a negative reaction among most people. Nobody starts their day thinking, “I hope I hear from some telemarketers today”. But the truth is, outbound telemarketing continues to be a great way for companies to generate leads and increase sales. There are a number of myths that accompany the bad taste telemarketing leaves in consumers mouths. Hopefully, we can debunk them, and show how cold calling can help businesses of any size.

Typical goals of an outbound telemarketing campaign can be:

• Close sales
• Generate leads
• Set Appointments
• Establish strategic partnerships

B2B telemarketing is both fundamental and commonplace in the Corporate America. You shouldn’t think of the telemarketing process as simply placing calls to unexpecting prospects, but rather as a critical component of your company’s revenue growth aspirations. After all, the primary goal of most companies is to attract new customers and increase sales. Cold calling can help see this to fruition. Seek out decision makers and help their business.

Telemarketing Fact and Fiction

1. Not My Job

Sure it is. You may have started a business around personal skills totally unrelated to sales. Maybe it’s web design, baking cookies, or accounting. However, as sales are the most critical component of a business, you must now wear the cold calling hat as well. To sell more cookies, build more websites, or build a client base for your financial practice, you are going to have to generate leads, set appointments, and close new business. You must brush aside your preconceived notions and fear of failure, and perfect the ability to hammer out cold calls.

2. Telemarketing is Another Word for Interrupting Dinner

This couldn’t be further from the truth. Whether your customer base is businesses or consumers, cold calling can help your company seek and obtain strategic partnerships, and expand your company’s horizons at a minimal cost. Most entrepreneurs become successful because they perfect the ability to make the most with what they have and frugally use resources.

Implementation

Once you have begrudgingly decided to take the plunge, here are some tips to help you become successful.

1. Mindset

Think of telemarketing as a powerful way to attract clients. Enthusiasm, or lack thereof, immediately translates over the phone. Think of this as an opportunity to create a great first impression of your business.

2. Be prepared
Understand your target market, the pains they face, and exactly how your product or service can help them. Remember that elevator pitch you practiced in business school? This is the time to use it.

3. Questioning
Your preparation should help you craft questions that can draw prospects out of their shells. By coming across as an authority in your given field, customers will want to hear more from you. Avoid simple yes/no questions that will allow them to escape the call without divulging too much info. Instead, ask open-ended questions that force them to think.

4. Be Honest
Remember that your prospects are people too. Don’t try to put on a disingenuous phone voice, or try to come across as something other than what you are – a small business owner with a solution to your customers’ problems.

5. Have Thick Skin
Not every person you call will be happy to hear from you. Nor will they all see value in the product or service you provide. Understand that everyone is different, and that cold calling truly is a numbers game.

About the Author
Adam Shore works with companies around the world to implement successful outbound telemarketing services. His specialties are lead generation, appointment setting, and inbound order taking.

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.

Article Contributed by Lisa Cherney

A solid marketing foundation is key to a solid business. Even the big boys like Pepsi and Coke realize this! If they get comfortable and let their marketing efforts relax, then sales will suffer, and they’ll have to work twice as hard to get back their share of the market. You, as an entrepreneur and master of your own domain, have to be cognizant of where you spend your time and dollars. Just like a house, you need a strong foundation that you can build on that will stand the test of time. From this foundation, you’ll be able to add on and up as your business grows. So here are the first 2 key elements to a solid marketing foundation, the Juicy way.

Your ideal client is the foundation of your house.

I, like most entrepreneurs, didn’t know when I started my business that just having a “niche” was not accurate or precise enough to create the success that I was after. Let’s face it: your business is you, so you have to love all your clients. You are no longer employed by someone else, in a job where you have to do what your boss tells you and work with people that you don’t necessarily like. You’re the boss now, so you’ve got to love what you do and the people you work with. Picture your clients as the frame that your house is built around. The large bottom part is your target market – the concrete foundation that holds the house together. The walls are your niche that you most want to appeal to, but the roof is where it’s at. They are your ideal clients. So you have to figure out what those folks at the top want to hear from you. It’s not always about money for them, it’s about growth. Do you have what they want? Here’s a question to ask yourself: “Which clients are my favorites and why?” You’ll be making a huge mistake if you only focus on what you do. Focus on the values of your ideal clients, because it will tell you about your own values – and you’ll be speaking the words that they want to hear. It’s the foundation of your house, so make sure it’s solid!

Always highlight your irresistible Juicy benefits.

These are the shutters, the crown molding, the landscaping of your house. It’s curb appeal! It is your unique way of describing how you can change someone’s life. In the end, your credentials don’t matter as much as how their life is going to change once they give your their money. This is where you tell them the benefits of working with you. NOT how many years of experience you have, or the huge mega-companies you’ve worked with, or all the workshops, workbooks and CD’s that they’ll get with your program. These are features, not benefits. Spend the time, dig deep, and have a juicy benefit statement ready to go for every form of service that you provide. This is your opportunity for getting clarity so that your marketing can stand out. These statements help you to know your value so you can charge more. Find the words to say why you’re different than everyone else out there.

The best part about owning your own business is that you get to design your own “house”! Later, I’ll give you two more juicy secrets to build your business on solid marketing ground.

About the Author
Lisa Cherney, a.k.a. the Juicy Marketing Expert, founded Conscious Marketing 12 years ago to help small business owners find their authentic marketing voice, attract their ideal clients and increase their sales. Following her own Stand Out & Be Juicy program, which centers on owning your unique self and laser-focus marketing, Lisa has tripled her income while working part-time. Prior to Conscious Marketing, Lisa worked with many Fortune 500 companies, including AT&T, Lipton, Nissan, Blue Cross and Equal. She is a highly sought after speaker and often shares the stage with experts such as Jack Assaraf (The Secret), Jack Canfield and Jill Lublin. Learn more about Lisa at www.consciousmarketing.com or call 887-771-0156.