Selling the Dr. Seuss Way
August 29, 2010
"I am Sam. Sam I am. Do you like green eggs and ham? Would you like them here or there? Would you like them in a box, would you like them with a fox?"
I think most people have read this Dr. Seuss tale either as kids or to their children. What is interesting is the relevance this story has to selling. First of all, Sam is selling a product and although his prospect is not initially interested, Sam doesn’t let that deter him from asking. Secondly, Sam consistently offers the prospect a choice when trying to close the sale. Thirdly, he refuses to give up. No matter how many times his prospect says ‘no’ Sam keeps offering alternatives. In fact, he offers fourteen options before he finally closes the sale.
Now, I am not suggesting that you pester your customers or prospects but I do believe most people give up too early in the sales process. We hear a few "no’s" and decide to turn our attention elsewhere. It is your responsibility as a sales professional to ask the customer to make a decision - you cannot expect a customer to do the work for you. If you have been effective in learning about their specific needs and current situation and presented the appropriate solution to your prospect then you have earned the right to ask them for their money. Here are a few ideas that will help you reach this point:
Nine Keys to Make your Sales Copy Convincing
August 7, 2010
Would you pay $12,500 to discover the keys to great sales copy? Maybe not, but Brian Keith Voiles did. And he put it to use for Fortune 500 Companies. You may not have that kind of promotion money, so here are the nine keys for FREE. Be sure you cover all of them in the right order.
1. Attention
Write a headline that grabs your reader by the collar. Fear or curiosity are good places to start. For example, “Avoid a beginner’s mistakes in ad copy, and yield 30 times your sales in just 4 months.”
2. Interest
List the five or so top benefits of your product or service. Acknowledge your target market’s problem while you show them the solution. Show them that you’ve been where they are and you can help them.
3. Credibility
Mention your clients or buyers as referrals. Let your prospective buyers know others have benefited from you and your products.
4. Prove
Include testimonials with full names, cities, and today either a web site or email address. These people are your greatest sales force, because new visitors or readers don’t quite trust you, and will listen to the opinion of well-known opinion makers and satisfied customers.
Tapping The Potential Of Your Customers
July 15, 2010
Business owners of long standing know the cardinal rule "take care of your existing customers first". Today especially we see business owners looking constantly for the new customer. Hey, did you forget the customers you have. All of us want our businesses to grow. However, after a number of years, depending on your business, you might reach a point where your business starts to taper off. You find you are not getting any new clients. Before you throw in the towel, realize that you still have your current customers. Why not try to increase volume and steady revenue with your current customer base.
One of the things we have discussed in a number of our articles is to get feedback from your customers. Yes, you might hear about problems. However, this is a good thing, it allows you to fix them or stop selling that product. Ever wonder why some of your customers never buy again, that product with the problem might be the reason. Don’t ask, don’t tell DOESN’T work in the business world.
Why Arent They Buying?
June 24, 2010
You’ve polished your sales page over and over againuntil it’s gleaming with benefits. You’re gettingplenty of traffic. And still - no sales.
What’s wrong?
It could be the recession (although that’s debatable).
With thousands of people losing their jobs each week,consumer confidence (and therefore consumer spending)is down.
But on the other hand, if thousands of people arelosing their jobs, there is without doubt a growingarmy of people out there who are looking to theInternet to make their living.
But let’s leave aside the recession, and look at twoother reasons you may not be getting sales:
(1) People very rarely buy the first time.
You must have heard the statistics - people have tosee your product an average of 7 times before they buyit. When I cast my mind back to the marketing eBooksI’ve purchased, in each case I saw those booksadvertised for months - on websites, in newsletters -before I bought them.
So if you want to make a sale, you must find a way tostay in contact with your visitors - and bring themback.
The easiest way to do this is to offer your visitors afree subscription to your newsletter.
101 Ways to Improve Your Direct Mail Response
June 3, 2010
1. Mail to your customers more often. If you are now mailing 4times a year, increase the frequency of your mailings to 6 or 8times. If you increase your mailings by 25%, you shouldincrease your sales by at least the same percentage.
2. Use a P.S. on every direct mail letter. This is second inimportance only to the headline.
3. Don’t forget to thank your customer for their order. Enclose amessage with orders… and include another merchandise offerwith the “thank you” message.
4. Vary your mailing format. Use self-mailers, lettergrams,computer letters, envelope formats, catalogs. Change yourformat so that prospects don’t get in the habit of recognizingyour mailing piece.
5. Ride on the coattails of current events, e.g. energy crisis,elections, cold winters, etc. When inflation increases, have an”inflation-cutting” special, etc.
6. Look for other products you can successfully sell to yourcustomers. Information on how to make and save money is thebest prospect.
7. Include more offers in your mailing package than you alreadyare. Study the mailings of firms whopacks a volume of material into their envelopes. See if you canadapt the idea to your own mailings.
60 Ways to Increase Your Mail Order Catalog Sales
May 13, 2010
This article is meant to inform. Please don’t construe this as legal advice.
Perfection in a mail order catalog is like infinity…you can continually approach it but never quite reach it. In the case of many catalogs it is not necessary to achieve perfectionor even approach it very closely in order to make the catalog vastly more profitable than it is at present. Relatively small improvements can result in a more-than-proportionate enlargement of that all-important figure on the bottom line of the financial statement.
Making as many improvements as possible as quickly as possible isprobably the most profitable procedure. But even making each new catalog a little better than the one that preceded it can produce substantial increases in sales per catalog and in total sales over a period of time.
Following are 60 suggestions that should help your catalog do a better selling job for you if you are not already using these ideas. Whether you use all of them in connection with your next catalog or adopt a few at a time in the course of producing several future catalogs, the ultimate result should be very noticeable and very profitable.
BEFORE YOU CREATE YOUR CATALOG….
Sell More Products and Services with Testimonials
April 23, 2010
Testimonials are all-important to sell anything. You may already have testimonials for your new book and service, but do you have testimonials for other promotional pieces?
Next time you check out a Web site, notice the testimonials. Testimonials imply approval and recommendation. It’s great to have them for your product, even your service; yet, most professionals don’t use testimonials for the most important marketing tools–the ezine, the article, and the teleclass.
The Ezine
Does “Subscribe to my ezine” motivate you? To draw your target market’s attention, you need to title your ezine and add a short benefit-driven description. Just like a guru recommending a book, you’ll reap far more subscriptions when you add a testimonial.
Ezine subscriptions doubled in just one month for “The Book Coach Says” when the Web site added a ezine testimonial from Dan Poynter, self-publishing guru, “Book writing and marketing nuts and bolts–definitely worth your time.” This short line ran just above the place to collect ezine addresses for the ezine.
The Article
Those of you who send articles to opt-in ezines and other Web sites are probably increasing your ezine subscriptions as well as selling more products and service.
Why Write a Sales Letter for Each Product?
April 2, 2010
Authors/publishers are great at getting their books written. Entrepreneurs know their products. But after the initial one-year honeymoon, sales slow down. To counter this make sure your ebook, product, or service you offer will keep on selling from the first day, the first year, even for life. Write a short sales letter for each product or ebook.
Whether you have a Web site or not, you can write a first class, must-buy-now sales letter. Write one for each teleclass, eBook, product, or service. I even write one for my bookcoaching services.
If you are like me and have a Web site, it is content driven. Why? Because that’s why people come to any site-to get free information. You must also give them a reason to buy. Most home pages say too much about the author or the book instead of intriguing their potential buyers with a benefit-driven headline, which in turns leads them to the benefits of their books–the sales letter.
Ten Tips for Choosing the Right Direct Sales Company
March 11, 2010
Direct sales can be your ticket to a profitable home-based business. There’s low risk and low overhead - and you’ll find lots of conversation, creativity, and cooperation among the company’s representatives. But how do you know which company is right for you? Here are ten things to look for as you research your options.
1. Products. Successful direct sales consultants exude a genuine enthusiasm for their products. Before joining a company, you’ll need to have the inner conviction that your company brings products and an opportunity that no other company can. It’s important for you to get your hands on the products before you sign. Place an order or, at the very least, request a catalog and product samples before joining.
2. Passion. Does this company involve a business you are truly passionate about? One of the nice things about a direct sales business is that you can often find one that suits your personal passion…whether it’s cooking, home décor, beauty, or scrapbooking & cardmaking. And when you’re genuinely enthusiastic about the industry and the product, you’ll feel as though you are sharing, teaching, and helping - not selling.
Letting Them Use Plastic
February 18, 2010
Obtaining merchant status will help to increase your sales.
Consumers are becoming creatures of convenience; when dealing with businesses-large or small-they desire ease of transaction. That most frequently translates into the ability to pay for services rendered or product purchases via credit card.
Small businesses are often denied merchant status because they can’t prove to the bank that they are good risks. You must establish and demonstrate a track record before a bank or independent sales organization (ISO) will agree to back your business. Even today, some banks also hesitate to provide merchant status to companies without storefronts, to mail order firms or to individuals with a past history of personal or business bankruptcy. Although thankfully, it is getting easier today than it was even 15 to 20 years ago.
In this article we will help you to understand the reasons you may not be able to obtain merchant status, so that we can help you find ways to more favorably present yourself and your business as candidates for merchant status.
1. Start with your own bank. When shopping for a merchant account, the first place to stop is your own bank.
