Broker Blog !!

How to Drive Massive Traffic Immediately?

2009-05-21T13:13:00.002+07:00

picture taken from: http://www.allempires.net/forum_posts.asp?TID=22790

by: Robin Dale

There are many effective techniques through which you can drive massive traffic to a website and Link bait is one of them. It’s a technical buzz phrases which can help you to get tons of immediate traffic. In simple words, link bait is any piece of content that other people want to link to. It’s not just something they find personally useful or entertaining; it has to go beyond that to something that makes people feel a need to share it.

The first task in preparing content that fits the description is to know your target audience. Social bookmarking sites are a great place to generate an initial buzz for your work, so it’s a good idea to join up at Digg, Reddit, Propeller, Mixx, and the other high traffic link-sharing websites. Now, don’t go overboard linking and sharing every web page you’ve ever written! Too much self-promotion right off the bat can get your account - or worse, your entire domain - blacklisted or at least psychologically associated with something people don’t want to see.

Instead, find people and popular stories that are in subjects related to the topics you’re trying to promote. If you can’t find the subject you’re interested in among the already popular stories, there’s a good chance that this won’t be the right bookmarking community for your project. For example, internet marketing is almost certain to get down voted at Reddit - but Mixx has many groups and mini-communities that would be interested. Sphinn is a site dedicated just to SEO and marketing issues, so if you’re having a hard time getting any traction for your links you may be talking to the wrong community.

When you know your communities from one another, you’ll have a bit of an insight into what makes the front page and generates link bait. Digg and Reddit are great places to promote: Science, technology, humor, and politics.

Controversy sells and people want “news.” What might have been top-rate link-bait yesterday is probably considered “old news” today. Timing is essential so if you’re just piggy-backing your post on a story that’s already broke and circulated the net, there’s not a very good chance that your version will make any progress unless there’s something genuinely unique that you can add to the discussion.

While controversy and shock value is great - don’t take it too far. Avoid insults and condescension, surprise people but try not to disgust them. Remember, the key to link-bait is mass appeal. Ideally, you want your link to end up on peoples’ email lists and homepages, so keep it friendly for work and families.

So what happens when you pull this off? Tons and tons of immediate traffic. In fact, the traffic itself can be a problem if your hosting servers aren’t ready for a huge flood of hits.

While bookmarking traffic rarely converts, the benefits extend long after that initial rush of traffic fades. Remember, we’re talking about link-bait here so if everything worked right you will get a highly weighted backlink from the bookmarking domain and you’ll also pick up various backlinks from the websites owned and operated by the people who visit these websites.

For examples, I’ve seen deep URLs on my political website shoot up to PR4 and PR5 when the homepage of that domain wasn’t even that high. Practically overnight, these URLs can rank for extremely competitive keyword phrases because they pick up truly editorial links in a rapid fashion.

Really, I’m just saying that you have to write quality content and promote this content to the correct target audience. This isn’t fundamentally different than any media that has ever existed! The big change is the technology that promotes the content, and the way that online social communities can leverage your reach without the typical barriers to entry that exist in print and broadcast media.

So, next time use link bait technique if your online marketers and social media experts put forward an idea. Know that the use of this buzzword/phrase isn’t a genius idea in its own right. The real talent is coming up with the actual articles, pictures, or video that makes something worthy of being linked to - and putting it where the right eyes can see it.

Robin Dale is the publisher for Teeky.org, we offer useful & quality articles and news about Search Engine Optimization, Internet Marketing, Dedicated Server Hosting, Windows VPS Hosting UK, Linux VPS Hosting UK, e-commerce hosting, cPanel Hosting, hosting tips & UK Web Hosting. For More Articles, Visit Us @ UK Web Hosting

Key Tools for Social Media Marketing

2009-05-12T19:26:00.003+07:00

by: Heather Jewell

picture courtesy of : Sociale Media Marketing

If you are intimidated by the term "social networking" this article will help you see the light behind the hype. Sites like Linked In, Plaxo, Twitter, and Facebook are your friends and can help you reach your target market while building meaningful connections. The following tips will guide you through the maze and help you create a winning strategy.

Social networks are useful tools for connecting to people that you already know and people that may help you obtain your business goals. Social networks allow you to invite others to connect to you and in turn you may request connections from people already in their network. For business owners, this is a must. Having a presence on at least one social networking site will help build your connections and increase your bottom line.

These accounts are not to be taken lightly. Just like any type of marketing, social networking requires time and effort. The best way to start is to create time within your schedule every week to explore connections, groups, and articles on how to maximize your success. Some of the most successful social networking sites are:

Linked In
Facebook
Plaxo

Common traits of social networking sites:

Events
RSS feed
Messaging yools
Discussion forms/tools
Profile information
Groups

Other social sites that becoming popular are:

Twitter- This is a social networking site that allows people to have a constant feed about what they are doing. Others can connect to you and see what you are doing all the time.
Digg- A social news site that enables people to share interesting news articles, links, and stories from all over the Internet.
Little Engine- It is a community of small businesses that share information and news about each other to boost business and encourage people to buy local.
Flickr- This site allows for the sharing and management of images.
Ning- This site helps you create your own social network.

There are a many ways to get connected online. The best strategy is to try out a couple different social networking tools, explore them, understand them, and make time to make them work. Don't try to use all the sites out there because no one has time to keep up with all of them. Explore, plan, proceed.

For more information, please visit www.NuRelm.com.

No Free Gifts! And Other Negotiation Advice Designed to Keep Your Value High and Your Customers Happy

2009-05-11T11:21:00.006+07:00

picture courtesy of : http://www.businessaccelerationcenter.com/ufg/

Despite your best attempts to sell value and remain firm on your rate, some clients will press ahead with their request for a discount. After a solid attempt from you to reassure them that your rate is fair, if your prospect is still pushing for a discount, you have a choice. Walk away from the business because you want to maintain your rate or slowly start to give concessions in an attempt to win (or save) the business.

If you want to give concessions, following a simple system will ensure a profitable negotiation.

Your First Step

The first step, always, is to find something else to give up that doesn't reduce your rate. A free day, no-charge reporting, a client profile on your Web site. What you choose will be specific to your agency, your markets and your client base. The key is to have the list of things you're willing to offer prepared in advance, so you can draw on it during the negotiation.

It's hard to think creatively in the heat of a negotiation, so planning ahead can give you a ready-made solution that leaves both you and the client feeling satisfied with the transaction. Your goal is to maintain the rate integrity of your resources while delivering extra value to the customer with a service that does not cost you anything (or very little). For example, if the customer asks you for a discount consider offering them following instead:

An unconditional money back guarantee or perhaps extend the guarantee period by 30 days
Free day
Payment terms
Payment with credit card
Free staff training CD’s or in house training by you on hiring and retention practices
Access to a public seminar or trade show your company is sponsoring
Future discounts based on volume: the company will pay full rate today and receive a discount on a future order. You can also do this as a gift certificate for them to use later.
A loyalty rewards program. “Hire 10 get the 11th one free!”
Participation on your client advisory board or panel

About half the time, your customer will take you up on the offer to provide a “non monetary concession.” The other half will continue pressing for a rate discount because in today’s marketplace it has become all too common for one supplier to attempt to trump all others by lowering their rate and cutting their margin. In many cases, your clients are being trained by the competition and other vendors to demand lower pricing from you. It’s a short term strategy, and it does little to benefit buyers but that doesn’t make it any easier to assure prospects they’ll get equal or better ROI by paying more. Sometimes, a prospect just wants you to lower your rate, and you (with your agency’s support) will need to consider doing it.

Your Second Step

If you feel you have to give up a discount in order to close the sale, do yourself a huge favor and always ask them one of the two following questions first:

"What is important to you about an x% discount?" or
"Why is an x% discount important to you?"

These questions will flush out any last details that could help you find a different way to structure the terms and pricing. This allows you to keep your rate while letting the customer walk away with their needs met as well. If, however, you ultimately do have to reduce your rate, make sure to follow these two rules:

Never reduce your rate without getting something in return. Getting something in exchange for a pricing concession is key to managing customer expectations that future discounts will not be easily dished out. As with the "no money" concessions above, what you get in return for a rate reduction will be unique to your business and markets. It could include references or case studies, a bigger order, introductions to senior level executives or cash up front, etc… Again, whatever you ask for, prepare the list in advance so you can respond quickly and smoothly.
Nothing is worse than coming to an agreement on rate (especially a reduced rate!) only to find out that your prospect is still looking for other concessions. Be sure to get a firm verbal agreement from the customer that this discount is all they will need to get the deal done. Try asking them something like "I'm not sure if I can get you this rate, but if I can, is it fair to say that we can go ahead?" or "I'm not sure I can get this discount for you. If I can, though, are you willing to ….?”

By asking them this last question, you can ensure you get all the issues on the table first, giving you the chance to deal with them fairly once and for all. So what goes after the “willing to”…. in that question? I believe that if you must, absolutely must reduce your rate to win the business NEVER let that rate drop without getting something in return. “No Free Gifts” my friend Steve Kraner taught me. Try some of these best practice ideas submitted from Engage recruiting clients for finishing the question…

"I'm not sure I can get this discount for you. If I can, though, are you willing to ….?

place your order today?
provide full payment for he work term up front?
hire more employees with your agency?
provide me 3 qualified referrals / introductions?
give us a testimonial or case study?
allow us to sponsor the event you are organizing?
invite me to the event you are having for their clients?
provide me space in your newsletter for a monthly column?
provide my company an exclusive hiring arrangement?
introduce me to additional departments or internal decision makers?

This step is easy to do if you have conviction. The first step to finding better clients – ones that focus on value and not rate – is making sure you are 100% confident that you are delivering such a high value to the marketplace. Confident that all buyers will want to own it at full cost. When you do believe this, you will not have any trouble asking for something valuable in return for your rate discount.

Remember that what you ask for does not have too be of equal monetary value. In fact it can be free for the customer to provide as long as it has value for you. The goal is to employ reciprocity – you will gladly scratch the customers back as long as they are willing to scratch yours! Creating equality in your client relationships ensures that you will have a long lasting trust based relationship which reduces the amount of “shopping” the customer does each time they need to order. This increases your profits, decreases your sales cycle and encourages referrals.

**Copyright 2009, Engage Selling. You have permission to use the above article in your newsletter, publication or email as long as you do not edit the content and you leave the links and resource box intact.

Colleen Francis, Sales Expert, is Founder and President of Engage Selling Solutions (www.EngageSelling.com). Armed with proven sales strategies that work in this tough economy, Colleen helps clients realize immediate results, achieve lasting success and permanently raise their bottom line. Start improving your results today with Colleen’s online newsletter Engaging Ideas and her FREE 7 day intensive sales secrets eCourse: www.EngageNewsletter.com.

Expanding Business with Proper Payment Processing

2009-05-10T09:29:00.002+07:00

Author: John L. Carlson

The credit card processing revolution is here; you are now able to purchase just about anything you want online, and the new age of ecommerce is open for business in the retail markets. A merchant now has access to funds immediately from a purchase and will receive their money through a full range of services provided by the bank or payment service chosen. A merchant will chose a network that gives the best rate for all the services provided to be part of the payment processing and easy accessibility for the clients.

First, the merchant will setup a credit card merchant account. Some of these set-up accounts are free for the merchant, and others do charge a fee. When choosing a service provider to have your credit card merchant account, what the services provide the merchant should be the first order of business. Some services give 24/7 customer service and special discounted pricing.

The merchant must chose the best service for what the merchant is selling and which cards will be accepted. There are credit card processing services that only allow for one type of credit card to be processed through them. Most of the services process the credit cards within a network that is reliable and in real-time or batch credit card processing services.

Reliability of any payment processing is essential in finding the merchant account that fits. Now there is even wireless payment processing so you have access to receiving payments through most wireless equipment. The payment processing services selected will even usually accept checks that process just like credit cards.

Once your credit card merchant account is up and running there is a host of ways to process payments into your credit card merchant account. A great many doctors, lawyers, CPAs and online retail stores have a credit card merchant account with a reliable service provider.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/banking-articles/expanding-business-with-proper-payment-processing-889594.html

About the Author:
John L. Carlson is showing companies that the chance to have growth in a business will be accomplished through opening a credit card merchant account . Many consumers are now accustomed to being able to pay for services and goods through convenient payment processing. The reason to choose a product or service may happen because the merchant has credit card processing capabilities, and Mr. Carlson is bringing this truth to business owners across the nation.

Don't you always lower the price

2007-09-02T07:10:00.000+07:00

As competition goes, in selling goods or services, people were trying to gain markets with any marketing plans they had...

and sometimes (if I can't say often), lowered the price was the only strategy to win markets.

what if, your business already lowered the price until it was even with your costs, and somebody, still selling the same goods or services, with a lower price than yours? are you brave enough to lose money just to match the lowered price? is that a business?

business were made to generate profits...not for losing money. (if that is so, then it would be great for just staying at home and do nothing)

why we do not trying to get markets with some other creative way, while maybe we had a higher price, but our customers felt that it worthed. How could? Yes, I'm telling you about how to sell your plain bread for $ 30,000 ... ??? How could that be? Yes it could be, if I added a diamond jewelry as a bonus for buying my plain bread...can we do that? it isn't against the law? it's about VALUE that increased, instead of lowering the price...

then why not increasing values instead of lowering the price, in order to win markets. Why don't we create some creative way, to increase values that customers would get for buying goods or services from us.

then be creative, create some more values than others, customers will go your way even if you do not have the lowest price.

After A While (quite long time actually)

2007-08-30T10:03:00.000+07:00

I was on a hibernation mode, before I came back several weeks ago in blogging again.
From now on, I'll try my best to fill out my blogs with useful posts, wish me luck, and enjoy

10 Keys to Guaranteed Success in Negotiations

2006-10-30T20:08:00.000+07:00

By: Paul Wilson

Negotiating is a skill that like warfare tactics must be honed. It is important to be mentally prepared to win. Do the ground work well before your reach the negotiating table and decide on the "path" you are going to take. Positivity will help as also a sense of confidence and self esteem. Set aside any doubts you may have and stride forward prepared to win at all costs.

The five cornerstones of successful negotiation skills are placing emphasis on common points; presenting clear arguments; being innovative and open to several options; focusing on the problem being dealt with; looking for a clear solution. The key is to be clear about your preferred outcome. However in the back of your mind you must be willing to compromise to some extent.

A good negotiator is an excellent communicator and understands how human beings think, feel, and function. You must be able to befriend the people seated on the other side of the negotiating table. You must know when to push hard, when to accept a compromise, and when to walk away. A negotiator is in many ways an artist he needs a great amount of creativity to steer the negotiations to a successful completion. A negotiator must keep in mind the 3Fs: fair, fast, and firm.

According to the gurus there are tactics to be used for negotiating:

1. Be focused on the problem or issue. Logical arguments are the key to smooth negotiations.

2. It is important to be firm yet polite when making a stand or presenting a point.

3. Clearly emphasize the advantages and disadvantages.

4. Be patient and let the process of negotiation take its course.

5. Put ego aside and concentrate on the matter at hand. It is finding an amiable solution that's important not self worth or position.

6. Never threaten or manipulate the opposite party-it is completely unethical and unfair.

7. Aim for solutions that are interest based and not what individual desires or aims are. It is best to consider any situation as a whole rather than from a personal view point.

8. Avoid psychological traps and have the magnanimity to admit when you are wrong. Be open minded.

9. Don't accept weak solutions and try and negotiate a plausible settlement. Temporary measures are not what you need. A permanent solution must be sought.

10. Value time, schedules, and deadlines. A good negotiator will not beat around the bush or adopt delay tactics or waste time talking about mundane matters. It is professional to immediately get down to the business at hand.

Most human beings are born negotiators. From the first breath a baby takes it makes all around him dance to his tunes. Most of us consciously or unconsciously do what we have to do to get our own way in life. And, if we look closely it is just mastering the art of negotiation.

Sorting vs. Selling

2006-10-30T20:02:00.000+07:00

By: Ron LeBlanc

In this article I want to let you in on something that the top home based business people know. It took me a while to learn it and be comfortable with it. That concept is sorting vs. selling.

What do I mean by that? I mean that whatever home based business you are in, you must somehow contact people and communicate with them. If you are thinking that you have to find people and convince them to join your business, good luck!

If you have a business that has a higher entry level, say above $1000, you are not going to get someone who has no goals and a poverty mindset and get them invest over $1000 in a business. If you have one of the businesses with a low startup around $100 and you somehow manage to twist arms and convince someone to join in - then you should take your phone off the hook, because that type of person may think they have just won the lottery. Two weeks later when they have no results, they will be calling you to complain.

Trying to sell someone who is reluctant is like dragging someone along to a movie they don't want to see. Not an enjoyable experience. Who wants people like that around?

The secret is sorting. If you know what to look for, then you look only for those people. As I have mentioned in previous articles, you don't have to be a computer guru to do most home based businesses now. So what are the characteristics you are looking for? Desire and coachability. When you find that person, they deserve to hear about your opportunity.

How do you look for those things? What do they sound like? For desire, you want to hear something like "I am done with jobs I have to work for myself or else", "I want to make $250k and I will have a vacation home." When you hear "Yeah, money would be nice someday", or "I don't know I want my income to be unlimited", or "I'm just looking for a little something extra". Those are indicators that there is not a strong desire.

Coachability is a trait that will mean that someone will follow the business system that your opportunity has already setup. That's important because you don't want someone who will go outside your company's compliance guidelines. You also don't want someone calling you up twenty times a day because they won't listen to a training call.

You will hear a lack of coachability as you talk to them and they ask you to cut to the chase and tell them what it's about. People who interrupt you a lot are also not coachable.

Remember you are not serving people who have little desire and are not coachable by bringing them into your business. If they flop, nobody benefits. Your best response to them is NEXT!

Two Ways of Handling Objections

2006-10-30T19:57:00.000+07:00

by Paul Archer

Handling objections can give salespeople problems. They feel they should have the answer for every objection the client throws at them. Let me share with you an analogy of two boxers.

The first boxer, Joe Frazier was a big hulk of a man who went in fighting with all arms blazing and, through brute force, overcame his opponents. He wasn’t an elegant fighter and made hard work of his bouts. He could take punches but was usually strong enough to take them. Eventually he took a punch he couldn’t stop.

Our second boxer, Sugar Ray Leonard, was very much the opposite. Sugar won his fights quickly and stylishly and left the ring unmarked and ready for more. He moved quickly during his fights, ducking and anticipating punches, using less energy and boxing more effectively. He often beat opponents who were much stronger than himself.

The second boxer is the way we should handle objections. Don’t ask for them, anticipate them and avoid them by answering them before they actually arise.

So will you be a Joe Frazier and just talk your way to the end and then overcome all objections and beat your customer into submission.

Or will you be a Sugar Ray and dance with your customers, watching for customer reaction and buying signals. Testing the water along the way, trialling and closing when both of you are ready.

If, however, Sugar Ray Leonard was caught unawares by a punch he could deal with it. No matter how skilful you are, you’ll get objections from clients and will have to overcome them when they do arise.

Option

2006-09-27T01:05:00.000+07:00

• WHAT IS AN OPTION?

– Definition: a type of contract between two investors where one grants the other the right to buy or sell a specific asset in the future

– the option buyer is buying the right to buy or sell the underlying asset at some future date

– the option writer is selling the right to buy or sell the underlying asset at some future date

Sell / Selling

2006-09-16T19:59:00.000+07:00

What would you think if you heard about sell/selling?
for some people, maybe the pictures that occur is like these :
- Men
- In neat uniform
- Bringing an office briefcase
- Ready to begin conversation with "Afternoon Sir/Ma'am, I'm from....would like to offer you....
- and you'll be ready with an answer like... "ehmm...sorry sir, not now I guess, thank you"

...a.k.a. Salesmen... right?? pardon me if not so, I was just guessing
but in my opinion...

...and like any other books and definitions that I've read...

Sell/selling is not the same with Salesman...and not every selling is horrible...and the things for sale is not always in physically seen, and not everything sold was connected with money...and not every men/women that sell is bad...

For example :
if you have any child, and is having difficulties in taking medicine/vegetables/or anything that is good for health and they don't like...
here also you can do sell your idea about taking something good for health event though they don't like...
...HOW...
here is one of a million example in using selling skill for this case...
you can play dolls/car toys/anything your child love to play, and play with them,

while playing, tell your child that (for example) their superhero figure, was gaining power by eating vegetables...
and you ask to anyone (pretend that their toys is also a human)... "who would like to gain power like me ...???"

when your child raises hand, ignore them, let them excited and curious first, let the superhero assistant gets first (again pretend that the toys also a human)...
after that you ask again "who else ?? " then when your child is raising hand, you can give them that something that they don't like which is good for health.

....

That's only one example, from tens of thousands example of selling creativity...

so, for those that agrees....raise your hand !!! (maybe 'raise your hand' could be pretended as comment or contacting me)
for those that disagrees....raise your hand !!! (also could be pretended as comment or contacting me)

:)

thank you for reading my blog, here I'd share some of my knowledge and creativity in selling skill, so that everything in life would be easier and fun, without force...

Happy Selling

Regards,

der_kaizer

Don't Waste It

2006-09-13T23:13:00.000+07:00

By Renee Houston Zemanski

"The number one need in today's busy world is time management," says Dave Kahle, president of DaCo Corporation, a sales training and sales development company. "We're all overwhelmed. We've all got too much to do and not enough time to do it. And because it's such a problem, getting serious about it is the best way to improve your performance." Here are some of Kahle's suggestions for managing time.

Leave the details to someone else. There's a natural tendency to get caught up with busy work and details when there's no need. For example, walking a major order through your internal system to make sure all the Is are dotted and Ts are crossed isn't necessary. There's someone else to do those things. Don't fill up your day with tasks that really should be done by someone else.
Get out of your comfort zone. "Salespeople can get comfortable with a certain group of customers and, as a result, may let that comfort affect their decision making about the most effective use of their time," says Kahle. "If you haven't changed or challenged some habit or routine in the past few years, chances are you are not as effective as you could be."
Get rid of the gunk. Gunk accumulates until it clogs up the flow. What is gunk? It's the silent behaviors and habits we add to our routines that decrease our flow of positive energy. An example is having morning coffee and reading the paper before you start your day. Is this something you must do? What would happen if you picked up the phone and answered your calls while having coffee?
Prioritize your customers based on greatest potential. Assess your clients' potential on a regular basis and regularly work on the accounts with the greatest potential. That means you might have to say no to accounts with low potential. Everyone has enough or too much to do so try to find the best use of your time.

"The issue is working smarter to allow yourself to be proactive rather than reactive," says Kahle. "It's common sense, but it's so easy to get into routines of rushing and being reactive that we allow the whims of our customers to dictate our day." Responding and reacting makes you feel important, but at the end of the day you really haven't accomplished anything.

Think about it before you do it. "It's the nature of salespeople to be active," says Kahle. "It can be a problem because sometimes we act and react without asking ourselves: Is this the best way to do it?"

60 Seconds: So you deliver quality with every call, plan your monthly, weekly and daily sales calls.

Tom Hopkins' Seven Positive Affirmations of a Champion

2006-09-13T23:08:00.000+07:00

Tom Hopkins learned very early in his sales career that positive self-talk can have a powerful impact on sales performance. To help the readers of Personal Selling Power, Tom collected a series of affirmations that he and other sales champions have used to build winning attitudes that lead to success. To make these affirmations work for you, tape this page to your mirror. Every morning select two or three of these affirmations -- just as you would choose food from a menu -- and repeat them several times during the day. Here is how your subconscious mind can help you create positive attitudes:

As you hear these affirmations, your mind will create new thought patterns and positive mental associations. These thoughts will generate new emotions which, in turn, will trigger new actions that will lead to more successful results.

To get the most out of this attitude building program, customize these affirmations so they closely match your ambitions, goals and values. Write your favorite affirmations on the back of your business card and repeat them before sales calls.

1 To Build Confidence

Today, I will win. Why? I'll tell you why -- because I have faith, courage and enthusiasm.

I have clearly defined goals and I will pursue them today with enthusiasm, determination and discipline.

Today, I will not take advice from anyone who is more messed up than I am.

Today, I will meet the right people in the right place at the right time for the betterment of all.

2 To Eliminate Fears, Failures And Problems

Today, I will do what I fear most and thus I'll control my fear.

I will see failure as only a signpost on my road to success.

I see every problem as an opportunity to overcome a challenge.

I never take rejection personally. I am first and foremost in the people business. I realize that they can only reject my proposal, not me. I keep on keepin' on.

3 Affirmations To Reduce Stress And Create Success

Today, when I feel stress, I will consciously relax and let go of my stress before making the next call.

The excellence of my service will determine the level of my income. Today, I'll give more than ever before.

For the professional salesperson, school will never be out. That's why I am learning every day.

I am determined to work harder on myself than on my job. This way I can become the person I want to be and end up doing a better job than ever before.

4 To Strengthen Myself And My Family

Today, I will nurture and love the people in my life who are the most important to me.

Today, I will be a good example for my children because they learn more from the role I play than the things I say.

I always live in the delight and reality of being alive. My past is forever gone, my future is an uncertainty, so I will be happy and thankful for each moment.

I always write down my priorities, thinking of my loved ones and my responsibilities. I may not get everything done, but I do the most productive thing possible at every given moment.

5 Attitudes Towards My

Profession And My Job

I am proud to be a salesperson. Selling is the country's most important profession for creating new wealth. It is the foundation of the free enterprise system.

I am a professional problem solver and I care more about my prospects than making the sale.

It does not matter what I want to sell, what matters is what my prospect wants to own.

Today, I will get myself out of the way and think more of my prospects' needs than of my success.

6 Attitudes Towards My Company And Co-Workers

Today, I will respect my co-workers and if I can't say something good, uplifting and positive about them, I will say nothing at all.

Today, I accept that the easiest company to run is the one I don't own. I will respect the authority given to management and follow the guidelines and philosophies of the company I have chosen to work for.

Today, I will see opportunity in every challenge offered to me by my company.

I am a winner, I work for a winning company, and because of my contribution and cooperation we will keep on winning.

7 Attitudes Towards My Life

Today, I am thankful to God for my health, my loved ones, my business and my country. I am also thankful for any pain and crisis that helps me grow.

I always take care of my body, realizing the importance of the words "moderation" and "balance."

I always strive to humble myself before others, controlling my ego and making other people feel important.

I continually invest time in study, learning how to better serve my fellow man. I know my growth in all areas is in direct proportion to the service I give to others.

5 Cheap Ways to Market Your Business

2006-09-13T17:09:00.000+07:00

Think you can't afford to implement any effective marketing tactics? Think again. Here are five ways to make a splash on a shoestring budget.

By Susan LaPlante-Dube
May 17, 2005

Eager to expand your client base and spread the word about your products and services? Wondering if you should even bother with marketing programs if you don't have thousands of dollars to spend?

The answer, of course, is yes. It's financially riskier for a business not to market. And there are literally hundreds of cost-effective ideas you can use to increase your revenue. Here are five high-impact marketing approaches that don't cost a bundle and that can work for virtually every business.

1. Talk to your clients. It's amazing how much money businesses spend to gather market information and attract new clients when they have a wealth of opportunity and information in their existing client base. One of the best ways to increase revenue is to talk to existing customers. Ideally, this should be done by someone outside your company so clients are willing to be honest and open.

When you assess perceptions, you don't need to talk to hundreds of individuals; simply choose 5 to ten clients and contact them to ask if they'd participate in a phone interview. Here's how it works:

1. Send a letter asking permission to have someone contact them about your company.

2. Have the interviewer call and ask value-based questions such as:

* What problems were you trying to solve or what challenges were you facing when you considered the services of Company ABC?
* How important were Company ABC's services in solving your problems or addressing your challenges?
* What did you value most about this company's work?
* What other products or services do you wish they offered that could help you with other business challenges?

3. After all the interviews have been conducted, compile the information to discover trends and themes.

4. Send a thank-you letter to every client who participated. Include key lessons from the interviews and explain the specific changes you plan to make to your business based on this information.

The important part here is to use what you learn. If you don't make changes to your business, then you've wasted everyone's time. One company that recently did this tripled its business in one year-the owners learned what people wanted, how their solution made a difference, how to present it, and how to price it, and then proceeded to make changes that improved those areas.

Keys to success: The conversation with your customers is just that, a conversation. Don't fire questions at them; instead, have the interviewer engage in a conversation and gather as much valuable data as you can. Remember, it's not about how satisfied they are-it's about how much they valued your product or service.

2. Creatively package your marketing campaigns. A postcard is one way to market your business. But how about putting a small box together with a fork, knife, spoon and a custom printed napkin that invites your prospect to "have lunch on us?" Think outside the box, and your marketing campaigns will have more impact.

And don't be afraid to see what other people in other industries are doing and adapt that to your business. Think about the little details that will get attention. I once did a marketing program to the food industry that had a brochure vacuum-sealed in the same plastic used to wrap bacon. The same piece sent to technology companies used static shield envelopes. This campaign earned 96% recognition when follow-up calls were placed.

Keys to success: Set a clear objective for your marketing campaign, and identify how you'll measure its success. Then follow up to measure the results and adjust the program if necessary.

3. Get the word out with publicity. Think you can't do PR or publicity without employing the services of a high-priced firm? You can! Although a good firm brings tremendous contacts and experience, most small companies can do enough PR on their own to spark the public's interest. One great resource for the media unsavvy comes from Shock PR, a Holliston, Massachusetts-based public relations firm. Their product, PR in a Box, delivers templates, tips and step-by-step instructions on how to prepare releases and pitch stories that will intrigue the media.

Keys to success: In one word, leverage. Though it does happen, don't expect one story placement to generate thousands in revenue. Your success depends on leveraging each press release, each article and each published mention. Put it all on your Web site: Create a news page and add a What's New area on your home page. Add it to your marketing kit and send the piece to clients, colleagues and professional organizations. Include a note in your newsletter that says 'Recently Seen In...' And remember: PR is more cost-effective and more credible than advertising.

4. Leverage existing relationships. Most people know at least 200 people. Do the math: If you know 200 people and they each know 200 people, that's 40,000 potential contacts! Spend time developing relationships with the people you already know-clients, colleagues, people you meet through professional networking organizations, friends and even family.

Start by making a list of all the people you know. Next, prioritize your list into As, Bs and Cs. As are your advocates. These are the people who feel strongly about you. They're the "cheerleaders" who would refer business to you right now. Bs could become advocates if they knew more about you, so you need to spend time with these people to educate them. Cs are those people you don't communicate with often enough. You may keep them in the loop, but they need more time and nurturing before they'd refer any business your way. If there are any names that remain, delete them.

Keys to success: Educate, don't sell. The key here is to build relationships. These develop over time as you create credibility and trust. To be truly effective, you must always be on the lookout for ways you can help your network. Start from the perspective of giving more than you ask, and your network will become your most valuable marketing tool.

5. Commit to e-mail marketing. Marketing through e-mail is flexible, cost-effective, easy to measure (assuming you put the right tracking in place), and high impact. It allows you to easily drive traffic to your Web site, reach a broad geographic audience and stay in frequent contact with your customers and prospects. E-mail marketing allows you to market your services and establish your expertise with your audience.

Use it for newsletters, new product announcements or to share your publicity success-the ideas are endless. But know that this flexibility and ease-of-use can cause problems. Remember, this is a marketing campaign. So be sure to think it through, develop an appropriate message, create a piece that reflects your brand, know your objectives, and make sure the information is valuable for your market, or people will quickly unsubscribe.

Keys to success: Don't be seen as a "spammer"! Send e-mail only to those people who have given permission. When someone asks to be removed, respond immediately.

Financing a Not-Yet-a-Business Idea

2006-09-13T17:07:00.000+07:00

It's next to impossible to raise funds for your "brilliant idea." But our expert offers some smart financing tips.

By Asheesh Advani
July 10, 2006

The truth of the matter is, ideas don't get funded; businesses get funded. That became the mantra of the professional investor community after the dotcom bust of the late 90s. However, for most entrepreneurs, getting from the idea stage to the business stage requires capital, and it has to come from somewhere. The following tips will help you use your funds wisely as you move from bright idea to booming business.

1. Create a budget. Budgets are like oil spills: They expand to fit the space they're allotted. That's why I recommend creating a budget before you raise any money. You may find that the total amount of funding you need is more than you initially thought. And when you raise money, your budget will help you make intelligent trade-offs. When I started my business, I decided to hire a web designer as a part-time consultant rather than a full-time employee because I needed to spend money on market research first.

2. Focus on the critical elements, not the fun stuff. Entrepreneurs are typically passionate and creative people, but the task of building an early-stage business involves some fairly mundane tasks. For instance, when deciding whether to spend money on designing a logo or doing market research, avoid the temptation to hire a logo designer rather than investing in surveying potential customers. Don't get me wrong: You'll need a logo and a business name to get funding for your enterprise, but market research is more important at the idea stage. And when you speak to members of your target market, you may also discover that the name, logo and business concept you initially considered is off base.

3. Brainstorm a list of supporters. People love to support new business ventures started by people they know. And even if your friends and relatives don't have the financial means to loan you money, they'll want to help you succeed and transform your idea into a business--but you have to ask them first. I know many entrepreneurs who are reticent to ask for help from relatives and friends. Get over it! If you're going to succeed, you'll need to become an expert at asking for help.

4. Refine your kitchen table pitch. In previous columns, I've described how the "kitchen table pitch" is a modified version of the famous "elevator pitch" for entrepreneurs raising money from relatives and friends rather than from professional investors. Read my earlier column to get specific suggestions about how to get financing for your idea by refining your kitchen table pitch.

5. If you can, get resources from a former employer. If you haven't burned bridges with your former employers, consider approaching them about your idea and asking for their support. You might get free or discounted office space--and possibly financial resources for your new enterprise.

6. Don't issue founder's stock until you're ready. There's a lot of misinformation out there about the timing involved with issuing stock to the founders of a business. Some "legal experts" will tell you to do it as early as possible--even before you're certain that your idea will actually become a business. This thinking was developed during the late 1990s when businesses were getting funded very early in the idea life cycle. And even though some investors continue to fund idea-stage businesses, this isn't a sufficient reason for you to rush to spend money on legal fees and issue stock before you know that you'll be devoting your full efforts to the enterprise.