Friday Success Tips

Many people recoil at the word “sales”, and may even say that they do not like sales. Yet, for the majority of people in business you are selling something unconsciously everyday because there is ‘Sales’ in a direct way and there is indirect sales.

If you are a coach, consultant or speaker, you are selling your services and yourself as well, because regardless how well you’re knowledgeable on a topic, people have to feel they resonate with you-with your personality-to want to take time to learn from you.  On the other hand, there are millions of people who overtly sell products and services online and offline.

In any type of sales situation you recognize the importance of communicating effectively so that you capture the attention of your audience of one or many at the outset, and be able to close the sale at the end of your presentation.

When you create a script or scripts to use as a template, this will be one of the finest business communication tools you can use (more…)

Featured “Monday Writer” – Heather Amy Price

I read an article about a man who wanted to buy a particular television model so he researched which store carried the model he wanted.  He found out that the local store carrying the model on which he decided was a store he'd previously had bad dealings with.  So he went but he made his transaction with caution.  He didn't believe the store when they said they'd be able to deliver tomorrow morning.  True to their word, they delivered on time.  His preconceived notions of that particular store have changed.

The same gentleman stayed at a Ritz Carlton with whom he'd had a good relationship in the past (his preconceived notions were all good) but didn't care for being nickled and dimed or having to walk to the elevator to pick up a newspaper.  Now the Ritz has left a bad taste in his mouth.

We in the direct sales industry are constantly battling preconceived notions.  I have potential customers who won't try my product because they tried a similar product once eight years ago and broke out from it, so they assume they are allergic.  I have potential team members who won't listen to the facts about my opportunity because they heard that direct sales is the same as MLM, and MLM is a “pyramid scheme”.

I've learned that to be a good marketer in the direct sales industry, you need to be specific about who your (more…)

Recently someone communicated to me that he felt Article Marketing was not an effective marketing strategy for online marketers.  How about for those of us who are in Direct Sales?  Do you feel that Article Marketing can be an effective part of your marketing strategy?

It's important to keep in mind that regardless of what type of business you're in, as long as you are marketing on the Internet there are four basic things that all businesses need:

1.  Content Creation: This is the only way people will get to know what you do and what you have to offer.  Your blog should be your main home for your content.

2.  Traffic:  Traffic or readers are essential to our business.  We want to invite and encourage visitors to our website to read and comment on our posts.  At the same time we want to return the compliment by commenting on the blogs of fellow bloggers.

3.  List Building:  This takes traffic a step further because it's a way to capture this traffic so that we can build a relationship with them and market to them.

4.  Product Creation: The goal for which everyone who markets online should strive is to create your own product.  If you are in Direct Sales, you realize that this means your own product, and not one that the company you market for produces.

All of the four basic needs mentioned above can be met through Article Marketing.  Let's look at the first need:  Content Creation.

As noted previously your blog should be your main home or hub on the Internet.  Every time you write a blog post (more…)