Daily Biz Solutions

Thanks to Melanie at www.LifeTips.com for this valuable sales tip!

If you have gone through the friends, the friend’s friends, the neighbors,
and the neighbor’s neighbors, and you are still short on people for your
committees and participation in your event, you may be looking at
doing some cold calling. Try to make this easier (mostly on yourself!) by doing some research and trying to find some natural connections vresus just literally knocking at doors or picking up the phone and calling! Here are some examples:

When I worked for the Heart Association I would go in to the hospital or doctor’s offices because there is a natural connection between heart disease and the medical community. It made sense for the local hospital to want to have a member or several representatives on the committee putting together the project.

Places that appeal and market to the general public are also good places to go to get a representative. Banks, and restaurants would be some good examples.

Thanks to Melanie at www.LifeTips.com for this great tip!

 Do you have promotional material for your company? A brochure? Flyer? These are great resources in that they quickly tell a potential customer everything he needs to know about your company, and helps him instantly make a decision as to whether or not he is interested in your products or services.

That very instant quality of marketing collateral can be your downfall if you’re not careful. If you don’t properly highlight what makes your business great, then it will be a big waste of resources.

What’s So Great About Your Company?
Make a list of wonderful qualities about your company. You can include:

• Product Specs
• Awards Won
• How Much Lower Your Prices are Than Competitors’
• Service Benefits

Choose the ones you really want to focus on for your brochure, flyer or postcard. Word them in an appealing way (or have a professional writer do it).

Tie It All Together
Design (or have a designer create) marketing material that includes professional graphics that reflect what you do. There are great templates available online that let you customize beautiful designs. Tie in your marketing copy and make sure everything flows together.

Don’t forget to spellcheck!

Professional Printing
Don’t get this far and then print the brochures on your inkjet! Send the files to a professional printer or copy shop to make high-quality copies with vibrant colors and a smooth finish on premium paper.

So you’re nervous about attending your first networking event. Here’s what you should expect, and what you should do to maximize your experience:

Like the Boy Scouts, Be Prepared: Before you go to the event, prepare yourself. Bring a stack of business cards, as well as any brochures or samples you have about your business. Create an “elevator speech” to tell the people you meet who you are and what you do. It should be 30-60 seconds long. Practice your speech until you are confident and comfortable giving it.

Dress for the occasion. Networking events are business affairs, so dress accordingly.

Once You’re There: You’ll get your name tag at the reception area. Once in the room, survey the scene. There may be businesses set up at booths around the room, or dining tables if a meal will be served.

Decide where you want to start. Pick a person or table that looks interesting and introduce yourself (your speech will come in handy). Ask lots of questions: what is your line of business? How long have you been operating? You will learn how to ask questions that lead up to pumping your own company. Keep them talking, and you’re likely to pick up needs they have that you can fill.

Don’t Forget: Get the business card of everyone you talk to, whether they seem like a future client or not. Sometimes networking relationships take a while to cultivate, and while someone you meet may not need your services that day, they very well may call you down the road.

Tip Source: Entrepreneur.LifeTips.com

Thanks to Melanie at www.LifeTips.com for this Internet Marketing Tip

Becoming a known expert in your industry may seem like a long-term project, but you can actually do the job pretty quickly by writing articles. By writing about the business you’re in, people can see that you know what you’re talking about – and while you’re not blatantly trying to sell them on your product or service, you are planting subliminal seeds in their minds that will grow into future business!

Here’s a quick how-to for article writing:

1. Choose Your Topic: Decide what you want to write about. If you are a veterinarian, you could write about how heartworms kill animals, or how the right flea product can prolong your pet’s life.
2. Write an Appealing Article: Your article should be informative and to the point. Don’t make it too long (try 400-600 words). You should give the reader knowledge they didn’t already have.
3. Find a Publishing Resource: There are many websites that publish articles. Some even pay for your articles! Also look into trade journals and publications in your field. If you operate in a small industry, the chances of your article getting coverage in a publication is pretty high.

When people start to associate you with knowledge, they’ll visit your store or website more frequently, which of course will turn into sales!

PS – MTI Business Solutions can help with Ghost Writing, Article Marketing, & Publishing!

Very often, the number one fear around marketing for my clients is asking for the business. Oh, sure, they’re happy to go on and on about the successes their own clients have had, and they’ll wax positively eloquent about the special discounts that they’re offering this month, but even the thought of asking a prospect to work with them makes them clam up.

“I don’t want to appear too pushy,” confesses one client.

“If they want to work with me they’ll say so,” says another. “Won’t they?”

“What if they say no?” shudders a third client.

Although intellectually these people understand that asking for business does not make them beggars, nor pushy salespeople, the very idea of asking makes them quake with fear.

To dispel that fear, I have developed a two-part solution model that works like this:

First, conduct a needs-assessment conversation to find out if there is a good fit with your prospect’s problems and the solution that you offer.

During this conversation, imagine that there is no question of money. Imagine that the only question that needs answering is: Do you have a way to help this person solve his or her problem?

If the answer is no, say so, and if you can, refer the prospect to someone who might be able to meet this person’s needs.
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