Top Ten Keys to Marketing & Sales Success

Time and again, studies have shown that focusing on customer
satisfaction is the key to closing sales. It seems elementary, but
you’d be surprised at how many salespeople try to “trick” or bargain
their way to closing sales, using such manipulative tactics as
discounts, coercion, preying on fears, or rote scripts. While these
tactics may provide a boost in the short-run, many of them require
constant maintenance and are poor in generating long-term customer
loyalty and brand advocacy.

When marketing and selling, then, you should make sure you and your
marketing/sales team make these top ten keys intrinsic to their
approaches in order to achieve success:

1. I have the best interests of the customer AND the company in mind: I look for win-win solutions.
2. I try to achieve my goals by truly satisfying each customer’s needs, not by saying whatever it takes to convince them to buy.
3. I ask “why?” questions to identify my customer’s real needs and which benefits they seek.
4. I answer my customer’s questions as accurately as I can, or offer to find the answers for them.
5. I try to give the customer an accurate expectation of what my products or services will do for them.
6. I
   offer each customer the two or three product or service packages that
   best suit their needs, so they have a good range of purchase options.
7. I
   ask for the sale by asking which option they prefer, while stating the
   specific benefits of each offer and how they fulfill the customers’
   stated needs.
8. If my customer has any objections, I address them directly, without reverting to manipulative language or sales pressure.
9. I
   close the sale with genuine thanks and appreciation, and ask for a
   referral or testimonial if they are satisfied with their experience.
10. I
    follow up with my customer to make sure they are happy with their
    purchase, sincerely thank them again, ask them to keep me updated about
    their future needs, and ask again for a referral or testimonial.

Ultimately,
marketing and sales success depends on the relationships you build with
your customers. By making these ten concepts a part of your everyday
approach, you are off to a great start in establishing the kind of
trust and reliability that transforms customers into loyal buyers. Keep
this checklist handy and review it often to make sure you and your
marketing and sales team start and stay on the right track for success!

How to Twitter for Better Business

Just when you were done setting up your blog, branding your MySpace
page, adding your info to LinkedIn, and setting up a Facebook account,
the social net-world moves on to the the next new thing: microblogging.
Microblogging is the fast-food version of online communication, where
you can post your thoughts on the fly with quick and easy SMS or mobile
apps. Leading the way is Twitter, a microblog application that allows
you to post small (less than 140 character) messages from your computer
or mobile phone.

You may wonder, “What’s the point? Why not just use a blog?” For
business communication, there are definite advantages of using both.

With blogs, you can post in-depth articles, press releases, and
other company news. The advantage Twitter presents over a blog,
however, is in its ability to enable you to keep in touch with people
quickly and simply. Twitter is the light and nimble hybrid of blogging
and SMS.

Twitter makes the most of the idea that the Internet isn’t fenced
off by the power button on your PC and an access point. With Twitter,
you can access the Internet anywhere, taking it with you everywhere via
mobile phone, tapping into it whenever you feel like it, and allowing
it to ping you when you want it to. You can even use it to make instant updates to your blog, like we do in our blog sidebar at http://blog.aynbrand.com.

So how can you take advantage of Twitter? Here are the Top Five Twitter Uses for business:

1. Get solutions or recommendations. With Twitter, you can post
   - “tweet” – a question without spamming a number of people via email,
   SMS or IM. It’s a quick, non-intrusive way to get help or answers from
   a wide range of people (who are generally well-versed in all things
   internet, or why else would they be on Twitter?)
2. Network. By searching for industry keywords and paying
   attention to tweets, you can find people you’d like to follow on
   Twitter…whom you may eventually contact directly and/or invite to
   collaborate with.
3. Promote your blog. When you write something particularly newsworthy or interesting, you can post a tinyurl to it on Twitter and share it immediately with others. Alex King also provides a WordPress plugin that integrates your WordPress blog with your Twitter account.
4. Broadcast your business events and milestones. Let people
   know when your events are, what’s happening at them, and when your
   company reaches certain milestones. This is especially useful for
   conferences and trade shows: with Twitter, you can let people know
   what’s happening at the conference in real-time. For those who weren’t
   able to attend the conference, a particular seminar or a special event,
   they’ll appreciate knowing what’s going on – through Twitter, they can
   attend vicariously.
5. Learn what’s hot before it gets cold. Because of Twitter’s immediacy, you can learn about events or developments from other people or media (like CNN) as soon as it hits. For people whose business thrives on information, this is indispensable.

For businesses that rely heavily on constant communication and
information, Twitter can play an important role in your marketing
strategy. And honestly, who couldn’t use a little buzz and word of
mouth that a few tweets could ignite?

The 5 Basic Guidelines for Writing for the Web

Like all promotional copy, your web copy needs to be strategically structured and written to grab your audience’s attention and connect with them in ways that build interest, trust, and loyalty, so they’ll respond positively to your message.

Whether you are just starting to write for the web, or have been at it for some time and want to see better results, follow these 5 simple guidelines to achieve successful web copy:

1. Focus on the reader: Make your key statement/promise first – in your headline and opening paragraph – telling your reader how they’ll benefit. Show your respect for your readers by not wasting their time.
2. Focus each section or paragraph on one main compelling idea and purpose that supports your key statement. Don’t digress; don’t ramble.
3. Follow every statement with a “reason why” and be very specific in your assertions: Use statistics, testimonials, reports, etc., as much as possible. Vague referrals make readers doubt the truth and credibility of your statement.
4. Make your offer: Boldly and firmly present it in clear and simple terms for acceptance by the reader.
5. Sum everything up: Return to your key statement and demonstrate how you’ve fulfilled its promise.

These are the core elements of good, successful web writing. Use them as your “roadmap,” and you’ll achieve a better response from your copy!

STUDY: Business Beware – Customers Care

More than two-thirds of Americans say they consider a company’s business practices when deciding what to buy, according to the 2007 Cone Cause Evolution Survey. At the same time, there is a substantial increase in the number of American workers who want their employers to support a social cause or issue. The latest study in Cone’s 14 years of Cause BrandingSM and corporate responsibility research indicates an evolution in consumer thinking about the ways businesses interact with society.

"Cause marketing efforts have a proven impact on sales and remain effective ways for a company to express its heart and humanity," says Julia Hobbs Kivistik, executive vice president of Cause Branding, Cone, LLC. "However, there has been a radical change once again in the value equation involving consumers, companies, and society…Now, companies have a strategic imperative to also consider their operating practices and how they impact their social commitments. Today’s informed consumers are now asking, ‘Is this a good company?’ and ‘What does it stand for?’ "

Across a broad range of industries, business practices are now an additional purchasing influence for approximately one-third of American shoppers. Another third of consumers consider both social issues and business practices when deciding what to buy. An overwhelming majority of Americans (85%) say they would switch to another company’s products or services if a problem with business practices was uncovered.

Long-Term Support of Social Issues a Major Brand Differentiator for Consumers

Americans’ expectations of companies are at an all time high—83% say companies have a responsibility to help support causes, and 92% acknowledge they have a more positive image of a company that supports a cause they care about. In many areas, Americans are more likely than ever before to reward companies for their support of social issues. 87% are likely to switch from one brand to another (price and quality being about equal) if the other brand is associated with a good cause, an increase of more than 31% (from 66%) since 1993.

Americans also consider a company’s commitment to social issues when deciding:

• Which companies they want to see doing business in their communities-86% (vs. 58% in 2001)
• Where to work-77% (vs. 48% in 2001)
• Which stocks or mutual funds to invest in-66% (vs. 40% in 2001)

Meaningful Commitment to Causes Highly Important to Employees

American employees’ expectations of companies have also increased, and quite dramatically—72 percent wish their employers would do more to support a cause or social issue. This has climbed 38 percent (vs. 52%)since Cone’s last survey in 2004.

Employees familiar with their companies’ cause programs indicate:

• They are proud of their companies’ values-88%
• They feel a strong sense of loyalty to their companies-89%
• It is important for their companies to provide them with opportunities to become involved in causes-93%

"Employees are a company’s most valuable currency—they are the brand touch points, the ambassadors of a business," states Carol Cone. "Because of the advancements in technology and the Internet, there is no longer a separation between the workplace and community. The workplace has become community for today’s employees so it is important for companies to deeply engage with them through purposeful work around causes and through communications about their business practices which are aligned with these causes. When companies inspire their workforces in this way, employees will be proud and loyal and will carry forward positivemessages about their companies to their families and friends."

Two-Way Communications Key to Breaking Through

Advertising and the Internet are the two main ways Americans prefer companies to communicate their social and environmental issues and practices (45% and 41% respectively). Americans are also using technology proactively to learn about and support social and environmental issues and causes. More than one in five (22%) have used the Internet or other technologies to engage in grassroots activism. Others are searching for information on issues (37%) or are forwardingimportant messages to family and friends (38%).

"Consumers have always relied on word of mouth recommendations to influence their decision making, and the increase in prominence of viral communications has made this form of idea exchange even easier," explains Kivistik. "When a company communicates its cause activities in relevant, emotionally compelling ways and highlights the related social impacts,consumers will pass along the message to those around them."

Consumers Savvy About Seeking Causes Most Relevant to Business

Health remains the leading issue Americans want companies to address (80%). Education, environment, and economic development (job creation, income generation, and wealth accumulation) tie for second place at 77 percent.

About the survey:

The 2007 Cone Cause Evolution Survey presents the findings of an online survey conducted March 29, 2007 by Opinion Research Corporation among a sample of 1,066 adults comprising 499 men and 567 women 18 years of age and older. Results concerning the causes Americans find important were gathered in a separate online survey on May 7, 2007 by Opinion Research Corporation among a sample of 1,097 adults comprising 525 men and 572 women 18 years of age and older. The margin of error associated with a sample size of 1,000 is ± 3%.

The Best P.R.: Self-Publishing

Nothing establishes credibility and provides you with a better launchpad for self-promotion (and extra revenue!) than publishing your own book.

You don’t have to be the greatest writer in the world – you can always hire a ghost-writer, co-author, or editor – as long as you possess specific expertise and/or knowledge that others may find valuable enough to want to read about.

With the advent of Print on Demand (POD) technology, it’s also relatively simple and easy to create books that look as professional as any you’d find on the shelves of Barnes & Noble.

How It Works
You send your text (or “copy”) to an online POD
company; they design the book and print as many copies as you want, as
often as you want. The cost for design and getting your copy printer-ready can be as low as $199,
with each copy costing another $5 to $12. For more, you can publish a full-color picture
book or comic book, photo album or art portfolio. (Xlibris.com offers complete packages that start at $999.)

Buyer Beware
Less-reputable firms may skimp on paper quality and production values, so request a sample before you sign the contract. And be wary of add-ons: Most companies try to sell you extra services, such
as proofreading and marketing, that may not be very effective…they’re printers, not editorial or marketing firms, after all.

Seller Beware
To sell your books online, select a POD company with e-commerce capabilities that will list you on Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble’s
website; and invest in a book or course on Internet marketing. A few
writers have sold as many as 5,000 copies this way, but
they tend to be the exception. To become a best-selling or prize-winning author,
you’ll probably need a traditional agent and publisher.

Reputable POD Companies

	xlibris.com
	iuniverse.com
	booklocker.com
	enovel.com
	ebookstand.com

CONSUMERS CARE – SELLER BEWARE!

Consumers Seek Authenticity In Cause-Related Marketing

Buying from companies who are good corporate citizens matters more than ever to American consumers, according to a new survey, with 83% of Americans saying companies have a responsibility to help support causes. The 2007 Cone Cause Evolution Survey provided plenty of evidence that consumer expectations about corporate citizenship are at an all-time high. “It isn’t enough to provide a good product or service at a fair price,” she says.

For example, 92% acknowledge they have a more positive image of a company that supports a cause they care about, and 85% say they’d switch to another company if they learned it wasn’t a good guy, after all. Another big change, Cone says, is that consumers are increasingly turning that expectation on their employers. About 72% think their employers should do more to support a cause or social issue compared to52% in 2004.

Among marketers, she says, “there’s a growing level of awareness that cause-related marketing isn’t something that’s nice to do, it’s something they have to do,” Cone says. “It’s a social contract. Andgood is the new black.”

The study also found that consumer thinking about causes continues to evolve beyond where they do their shopping and which brands to buy. About 86% say they think about a company’s commitment to social issues when deciding which companies they want to see doing business in their communities, up from 58% in 2001; 77% consider it when thinking about where to work, up from 48% in 2001, and 66% weigh causes when investing in stocks and mutual funds, up from 40% in 2001.

But all causes aren’t equal, and simply forking some money over to the Salvation Army or the local Little League is passé: Nine in 10 Americans say companies should support causes that are consistent with their business practices. And 87% want companies to support issueswhere it can have the most impact.

The survey found that health is still the No. 1 issue Americans want companies to address, at 80%, while education, environment, andeconomic development tie for second place at 77%.

Click here to read full MediaPost article.