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  • Answer Upon - Nine Hidden Dangers Of Wasting Your Time, Effort and Sanity On Nickel-and-Dime Cheapstake Buyers

    Information Products-The Way To Extra Cash
    Promoting products or services on the web isn't the only way to make money online. Your knowledge can make you a nice income. People are always seeking knowledge that can help them solve a problem, to educate them, or just for entertainment. There can be a lot of cash to be made by selling information products online. The potential for huge earnings are great because there is low start up costs and, in many cases, no inventory to maintain.One of the most common information products available is an e-Book which is simply information in an electronic rather than paper format.Some other information products can include things such as streaming video, audio files, pod casts, and printed books, Cd's, and DVDs sent to the buyer.A large profit in information products can happen because the process is simple to create. Choose an interesting topic, start writing and in a little while you've created a new information product. If the topic is really hot, you could start earning money just hours later. The great thing about the Internet is that it provides 24/7 sales and delivery of your products. You should automate your website so you can sell the product and process the payment. You should set up a system that will then deliver the item automatically. You can accomplish this by using email or by redirecting the buyer to a download page after their payment has been processed. Obviously, you will have to mail the product if it an audio CD, paper book, or other hard copy material. You should also contact the buyer later to check on customer happiness.What determines if your information product is a good one?Just about any subject can make a lot of cash in information products. How to start a work at home business, self-improvement information, and career advice are all good subjects. If you can imagine a topic, there are most likely people willing to purchase the information product you created. Use your own knowledge for subject ideas. You can browse online forums or newsgroups to locate others who may be interested in your product. You can many times generate sales and referrals by offering to send these people a free copy of your product.No writing experience needed!You don't have to be Pulitzer Prize material to create your information products. There is a great deal of information online that you can use for reference. It's simply a matter of putting together all this information and incorporating it into your product. If someone wants information on a certain
    services using three call centres (Los Angeles, India and China) to cold call harass people to find new business. It seems the worst underperformers claim to know the most about everything.

    Remember, low-level prospects usually drop to an even lower level as clients. Send them on their way with an imaginary recreational kick in their butts, and move on with a lesson learnt.

    2. Nickel-And-Dimers Like Bragging About The Special Deals They've Received

    A few years ago a friend of mine worked with a large manufacturing company

    Tips on starting up a wholesale business
    1. Before starting it is very useful if you try and find out as much as possible about the products you will be supplying. I suggest researching competition, machinery and deciding on how you will stand out from the crowd.2. Stay in your current employment as long as possible, until you have to leave to focus completely on your new business. This will help keep your start-up costs to a minimum.3. Talk to somebody who has been in you position before – somebody such as myself – they may be able to provide you with advice that will save you time and money, and stop you from making the same mistakes that they will have done.4. Work out your personal weaknesses and ensure that they are either not significant to the success of your business or that they are covered in the form of employees or business partners. For example, if you are a poor salesman, then it would be an advantage to bring in a partner who is a very good salesman.5. When predicting timescales, multiply them by three. Starting up is usually a lot slower than you originally predict.6. When calculating the start-up capital requirements, also multiply them by three. Believe me.7. Be aware that any website sales are likely to be very limited at first, due primarily to poor website traffic. This will take time for you to build up, so ensure that any website sales predictions you make are extremely cautious. Instead, focus your website on the wholesale customers who will make you the real money.8. If at all possible, use suppliers that are relatively local to you. This solves many problems, including timescales, shipping costs and complete supplier failure.9. You should be aware that if you want to produce a completely new product that this is a very high risk business. If you require a patent then visit the Patent Office online for all the information you require. A patent can easily take as long18 months to be obtained, but you should know within 4 months whether you are likely to obtain it or not.10. Photocopy all important documents when corresponding with Customs & Excise, the Inland Revenue and Companies House. Letters often get lost in the post, and it is useful for your own records.11. Communicating with suppliers, especially foreign ones, is where many problems begin and end. Clarity is absolutely key, verbal assurances are not half as good as written ones. Ask them specifically to repeat your requirements back to you. Contracts must be obtained before any
    There are some buyers out there who understand value but there are many of them who understand only price. A few years ago when I was doing a course for my Certified Management Consultant accreditation, I had some debates with one of the instructors. He kept saying that my idea about value was a delusion, and the reality of consulting was the number of hours I spent working with the client. His idea was that clients must be able to derive huge value from my services, but I could only get paid for the number of hours I actually worked because of the obscure nature of "value".

    I may be wrong, and unlike him, I don't have an MBA, but I believe if the client derives huge value from my help, a deserve more than a competitive(ly low) hourly rate. I got into business to overcome the typical wage slave syndrome as an employee, and it would be plain silly to become a self-employed wage slave. I also believe that I shouldn't be penalised just because I don't take much time and effort to create that new value for the client.

    1. Nickel-And-Dimers Waste A Hell Of A Lot Of Your Time

    Have you ever noticed how easy it is to come to agreement with prospective buyers who actually have an intention to change and now is just looking for a fit with a consultant with whose help and guidance to go through the changing process?

    Now contrast this to Nickel-And-Dimers, who want to make sure all Ts are crossed and all Is are dotted even before making a shred of commitment.

    When Carl Rogers, a pioneer in social psychology was asked about the most important aspect of human interaction when there is a strong difference of opinions, he said this: "Unconditional positive regard for the other person. It's about holding the other person in a positive light and assuming that his/her interest is for the best interest of the discussion and the relationship, regardless of what the person actually believes at that moment."

    A few months ago the business development manager of a web design firm told me "I've forgotten more about marketing than you will ever learn. I just don't have time to do it." Yet, instead of implementing proper marketing (which he’s apparently a master of), his firm peddles its services using three call centres (Los Angeles, India and China) to cold call harass people to find new business. It seems the worst underperformers claim to know the most about everything.

    Remember, low-level prospects usually drop to an even lower level as clients. Send them on their way with an imaginary recreational kick in their butts, and move on with a lesson learnt.

    2. Nickel-And-Dimers Like Bragging About The Special Deals They've Received

    A few years ago a friend of mine worked with a large manufacturing company

    How To Get A Government Contract (Part 03)
    If you have not read parts 1 and 2 of this mini series on How To Get A Government Contract, I suggest you do so to help understand what has been said and how it applies to what is being said in this third and final part of the mini-series.Whether you are planing to seek government contracts at the local, state or federal level, or private contracts, it makes sense to see the acquisition process through the eyes of the purchasing agent/authority who will be making the decision to award the contract. There are three basic points to consider that a purchasing agent definitely considers: Planning, Participation, and Protection:PLANNING: Contracting procurement officers (CPO’s) and purchasing agents (PA’s) often rely upon the department, agency or institution for input regarding an acquisition planning and will consider a variety of issues that help identify the minimum needs of the agency or the end user. This information is used in the planning phase and the development of the request for proposal (RFP).PARTICIPATION: After the planning and needs analysis, the development of the RFP is many times a collaborative effort with specifications provided by a person or team of experts who have carefully thought through the technical aspects of the acquisition. This technical information is used to develop the RFP for release to the bidding market. CPO’s or PA’s will identify exacting specifications based on internal needs and, depending on the size and scope of the acquisition project, an exhaustive market research. The point is that purchasing agents do their homework before they release the RFP and they know a lot about the industry/commercial sector and have intelligent expectations of market costs and services revolving around their potential purchase.PROTECTION: CPO’s and PA’s want protection before they award a contract to any bidding party. The first thing they consider is the past performance of the bidding companies and the winning company’s ability to satisfy all requirements of the contract at the absolute best possible price, with the best possible terms, service and warranty combination. They want protection and they know how to get it through the competitive bidding process.I have been involved in government bidding a few times and there are pros and cons associated with the process. The “pros” of the process is to win a contract and enjoy the revenue stream that results therefrom. The “cons” are that a hell of a lot of hard work can go into the bidding
    nature of "value".

    I may be wrong, and unlike him, I don't have an MBA, but I believe if the client derives huge value from my help, a deserve more than a competitive(ly low) hourly rate. I got into business to overcome the typical wage slave syndrome as an employee, and it would be plain silly to become a self-employed wage slave. I also believe that I shouldn't be penalised just because I don't take much time and effort to create that new value for the client.

    1. Nickel-And-Dimers Waste A Hell Of A Lot Of Your Time

    Have you ever noticed how easy it is to come to agreement with prospective buyers who actually have an intention to change and now is just looking for a fit with a consultant with whose help and guidance to go through the changing process?

    Now contrast this to Nickel-And-Dimers, who want to make sure all Ts are crossed and all Is are dotted even before making a shred of commitment.

    When Carl Rogers, a pioneer in social psychology was asked about the most important aspect of human interaction when there is a strong difference of opinions, he said this: "Unconditional positive regard for the other person. It's about holding the other person in a positive light and assuming that his/her interest is for the best interest of the discussion and the relationship, regardless of what the person actually believes at that moment."

    A few months ago the business development manager of a web design firm told me "I've forgotten more about marketing than you will ever learn. I just don't have time to do it." Yet, instead of implementing proper marketing (which he’s apparently a master of), his firm peddles its services using three call centres (Los Angeles, India and China) to cold call harass people to find new business. It seems the worst underperformers claim to know the most about everything.

    Remember, low-level prospects usually drop to an even lower level as clients. Send them on their way with an imaginary recreational kick in their butts, and move on with a lesson learnt.

    2. Nickel-And-Dimers Like Bragging About The Special Deals They've Received

    A few years ago a friend of mine worked with a large manufacturing company

    How to Monetise Your Free Blog on My Speed Business Network
    Today I want to focus on how you can get blogs to really work for you, drawing not only interest from other members, but also inspiring them to get in touch and comment, increasing the level of engagement and increasing the possibility of forming relationships that are rewarding in all sorts of ways!I know a lot of people think blogs are rubbish and I don't blame them one bit. A blog is nothing more than a silly waste of space unless the content has value to the reader.This article, adapted from a blog post on My Speed Business Network, is an example. It seeks to add value to you, the reader, by giving information that will lead to your direct benefit. It seeks to tell you how to help develop your business through using the free resources on this site. As our membership grows, you'll start to see people commenting on these little tips, adding their own thoughts and tips, and increasing the value of the whole thing. You can do this with your own business.Most business people have excellent articles or reports that are of immense interest to their target market. For instance an insurance broker would have articles on risk management, a financial planner would have articles on wealth building strategies, an accountant would have articles on cash flow management, a florist might have articles on types of flowers or flower arrangements, a veterinarian would have material on pet care, and so on.If you don't have articles, you can of course have a professional write them up for you, or use articles generated by other people in your industry (with permission of course!). These articles become your blog posts, and people will read them and engage with them because you've created themed content that people actually want.This is very different to the well-meaning friend who mass mails their inbox to say "buddies, I've started a blog so that I can keep you up to date with my life, and now all you have to do is take the trouble to log into my blog every day and read my boring ramblings, and you'll all know what I'm up to." Blech.We'd never do that kind of blog, would we :-)So now it’s time to think about what kind of content your client base would be totally captivated by. What would compel them to engage in discussion with you? What would compel them to pass it on to their friends and colleagues so that they would join your blog also?If you already know the answer to that, fantastic, what are you waiting for, hop onto My Speed Business Network and g
    you ever noticed how easy it is to come to agreement with prospective buyers who actually have an intention to change and now is just looking for a fit with a consultant with whose help and guidance to go through the changing process?

    Now contrast this to Nickel-And-Dimers, who want to make sure all Ts are crossed and all Is are dotted even before making a shred of commitment.

    When Carl Rogers, a pioneer in social psychology was asked about the most important aspect of human interaction when there is a strong difference of opinions, he said this: "Unconditional positive regard for the other person. It's about holding the other person in a positive light and assuming that his/her interest is for the best interest of the discussion and the relationship, regardless of what the person actually believes at that moment."

    A few months ago the business development manager of a web design firm told me "I've forgotten more about marketing than you will ever learn. I just don't have time to do it." Yet, instead of implementing proper marketing (which he’s apparently a master of), his firm peddles its services using three call centres (Los Angeles, India and China) to cold call harass people to find new business. It seems the worst underperformers claim to know the most about everything.

    Remember, low-level prospects usually drop to an even lower level as clients. Send them on their way with an imaginary recreational kick in their butts, and move on with a lesson learnt.

    2. Nickel-And-Dimers Like Bragging About The Special Deals They've Received

    A few years ago a friend of mine worked with a large manufacturing company

    How To Exponentially Increase Your Brand Awareness Part III
    Previously in Part I of How To Exponentially Increase Your Brand Awareness, we have witnessed that by identifying the building blocks of your business brand, knowing what your customers want by asking them directly, you will have a firm grasp of the basics of increasing your brand awareness.In Part II of the series we learnt that to be successful in creating brand awareness you should firstly Get Inside The Heads of Your Customers and have an understanding about their lifestyle and preferences, then Empathize with the Feelings of your Customer. Then you Create Focus Groups to get deeper into specific topics and issues that is pertinent to your customers, your products and your brand.So let’s move along to part III!Step 7: Analyze Industry TrendsA further extension into the survey format is by buying readily compiled statistics and figures on the industry. This gives a trend and often times provide clarity on the next action or the right direction that has to be taken by the company for sustained competitiveness.By knowing what the industry price for your product, the number of sales per customer segment and many other related statistics, you would be able to work out which markets are still untapped and lack competition.This may lead to new opportunities and new grounds for investment, and could further propel your brand awareness.Step 8: Put up a Challenge on All Critical Areas!Sometimes, by just focusing on one single aspect of your brand or product will bring success. Although initially you can focus on that aspect and excel in it, eventually your product must be able to compete on all fronts that are the cornerstone of your brand.What happens is that the areas that are lacking would automatically be a stumbling block to the exponential brand awareness that you are craving for, and hence it would be labeled as the rate limiting step.To avoid this, it would be vital to put up a challenge on all of the vital fronts of your brand, and that differs for every product and brand.An example would be a restaurant: What are its Critical Areas? 1.Customer Service2.Food Quality3.Car Park facilities4.The Atmosphere of the Restaurant5.Perceived Value for Money: Pricing This would represent the critical factors for the restaurant, and if it is lacking in any of these critical areas, then the brand of the restaurant would no doubt be diminished or would not grow to its full potential.I
    s: "Unconditional positive regard for the other person. It's about holding the other person in a positive light and assuming that his/her interest is for the best interest of the discussion and the relationship, regardless of what the person actually believes at that moment."

    A few months ago the business development manager of a web design firm told me "I've forgotten more about marketing than you will ever learn. I just don't have time to do it." Yet, instead of implementing proper marketing (which he’s apparently a master of), his firm peddles its services using three call centres (Los Angeles, India and China) to cold call harass people to find new business. It seems the worst underperformers claim to know the most about everything.

    Remember, low-level prospects usually drop to an even lower level as clients. Send them on their way with an imaginary recreational kick in their butts, and move on with a lesson learnt.

    2. Nickel-And-Dimers Like Bragging About The Special Deals They've Received

    A few years ago a friend of mine worked with a large manufacturing company

    There's Always A Big Market For The Average!
    A few years ago, one of my consulting clients, a large, independent appliance store gave me an education in the marketing of refrigerators.Walking me past a lineup of mostly white machines, the president said, “Look at the pricing, and tell me the one that most customers will want.”I can’t recall if I guessed right, but soon enough he gave me the answer.“The middle one,” he said. “They don’t want the cheapest, and they don’t feel they can afford the most expensive, so they take the one that’s priced, in between.”That makes sense, I thought. But the fun was just beginning.“Now,” he continued, “Guess which machine is the most profitable to us; the one with the fattest margin.””The most expensive?” I guessed.“Wrong; it’s the middle one!”He went on to tell me that his margin was the thinnest on the “best” machine, and he really hoped buyers wouldn’t select it.Interesting, isn’t it? The average grade is the winner.He noted that the costliest is the best value, having a longer warranty, disproportionately more features, better energy efficiency, and so on. In fact, it is the cheapest to own, in the long run.My boss in the leasing business shared this notion:“Gary, do you know the only way to beat the car business? Buy the very best car you can get, and then keep it running, forever!”But that’s not what we do, generally. We buy a middle grade vehicle, become dissatisfied quickly, trade it frequently, and our overall cost of driving might exceed that of someone who owns the Bentley or Rolls for a few decades.The lesson, for all of us is pretty clear: whether you sell goods or services, offer a middle grade, then step back, and let people convince themselves that it is the reasonable choice for them!
    services using three call centres (Los Angeles, India and China) to cold call harass people to find new business. It seems the worst underperformers claim to know the most about everything.

    Remember, low-level prospects usually drop to an even lower level as clients. Send them on their way with an imaginary recreational kick in their butts, and move on with a lesson learnt.

    2. Nickel-And-Dimers Like Bragging About The Special Deals They've Received

    A few years ago a friend of mine worked with a large manufacturing company, and some six years later that manufacturing company referred one of their vendors to my friend. Yes, the manufacturing company was a Nickel-And-Dimer and they were bragging to their vendors that with the right pressure they could arm-twist my friend to give them very very good per diem rates. The vendor expected my friend to give the per diem rate he was charging the manufacturing company six years before. It was a retarded situation. He was given a fait accompli: "Either you give us the same rate you gave them or you're out." And sadly my friend did, simply because the immediate smell of money was more attractive than the gut-wrenching stench of a slowly decomposing project that was waiting for him down the road.

    And it was waiting all right. The client demanded detailed reports on everything. My friend had to write reports on report, memos and meetings. He had to document every second of his time. Really. The client demanded a time sheet from him in 15-minute segments. He would hand in the time sheet and the client would decide which segments got paid and which got deleted. On average, 35% of his time sheet got unpaid. When he asked the client why, the client just shrugged, "I don't think it was necessary for the project." Imagine, here is this egotistical, stupid idiot who hasn't been able to solve his problem for himself, and then when the hired help does the work, he decides what's needed and what's not.

    The problem is that when Nickel-And-Dimers brag, they don't brag about the great service they've just received. No! They brag about how cheap the service was. And just as birds of the feather flock together, so do Nickel-And-Dimers. So, if you accept work with one of these business cretins, rest assured that you will be favourably inducted into the world if Nickel-And-Dimers, and many of them want your help. And from here on it's a downwards spiral. Bad projects attract each other. The world will soon know that you're the Nickel-And-Dimers specialist and more of them will come.

    I believe money is the walk of the talk. When you ask people to invest in their own futures, you quickly learn how serious they actually are by whether or not they cough up the dough.

    3. Nickel-And-Di

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