Answer Upon - Business

It's the Last Quarter - Do You Know Where Your Customers Are?
I spent a great deal of time in Corporate America, frequently near the sales force. Every October the heat was turned up as the salespeople redoubled their efforts to meet their annual goals set way back in January. It meant working right up to New Year's Eve in many cases. When I talk to many of my business clients, I don't sense the same sense of urgency. In fact, in too many cases, my clients don't do forecast planning and don't check their numbers on a quarterly basis. Come October, they have no idea whether they should work harder or head for the beach. How Many Customers/Clients Do You Need? One of the important steps to take while running a business is to develop some type of business or marketing plan. It doesn't have to be elaborate. What you do need to know is how many purchases it will take to cover your monthl

middle of the ladder over a deep chasm without a guide.

Step 3 - Conviction and Purchase: The final step in the process is getting those potential customers who have begun the journey across the chasm to actually make the decision to purchase. Now it is time to sell. And if you have developed a relationship with the potential client throughout their journey, this step should be as simple as reaching out to take their hand as they reach the end of the ladder, reassuring them they have made the right decision by embarking on the journey and asking when they would like to get started. At this point, it is critical that you ask them for their business. If you don’t, they will wonder why you had them take the journey. They’ll feel like the person in the appliance superstore who is ready to make a purchase and can’t find a salesperson.

It may take as many as five to 15 exposures to your product or service for a potential client to move through the process and cross the Purchase Chasm™ from lead to loyal customer. The key is to build those exposures so each one matches the level of the process where the potential customer currently is (i.e. direct mass media activities to potential customers in the awareness phase and use personal selling with prospects in

Get Rid of Your Lead Generation Problems Once and for All
Every business needs a good lead generation plan. No matter how well you retain customers, some of them will leave you. Customers no longer need your products, go out of business or change location. Sometimes, even if you're the best, you'll lose them to competitors.So it's important you keep filling that sales funnel. Don't expect to achieve high enquiry and conversion rates right away. As long as you're creating enough new ways for customers to learn about your value proposition, you'll get plenty of quality leads filtering through.Here are the first five of my top ten methods of lead generation:1. Risk removal - new business can be a scary area for some people because it's outside their normal comfort zone. However, you must keep adding new customers in your business. It's almost certain you'll lose existing custo

Many business owners and professionals are appalled at the thought of having to sell their products or services. If you are going to be successful though, regardless of your profession, you are also going to be in the business of selling. But you don’t have to don a plaid jacket and adopt the sales techniques that have made the used car salesman infamous.

If we are uncomfortable “selling” our services, it is generally because we are trying to “sell” before someone has reached the purchase stage of the buying process. While selling may never be the favorite part of your job, by implementing a systematic process you can move potential clients into the purchase phase and increase your comfort level and success with selling.

Imagine that you were in the market to purchase a big screen TV. You had visited a couple of stores to see what was available, done some research on the internet, talked with friends, and narrowed the choice down to 3 models. Now you have a few questions you need answered to help you make your decision. You go to the appliance superstore, a salesperson approaches you as you enter the department and asks if she can be of help. She asks you a few questions about where you plan to put it, your budget, and what the primary use will be. She answers your questions and helps you decide on the model that is best for you. Not only are you not put off by the salesperson, you would have been upset if there would not have been a salesperson to help you.

Contrast this with a situation where you are visiting an appliance superstore with a friend. You decide to go check out the big screen TVs because you’ve been thinking about getting one. The same salesperson approaches you and asks if she can help you. You say, “No thanks I’m just browsing.” As if she hadn’t heard your reply, she starts asking you the same questions as in the scenario above. However, this time you find the questions annoying and the sales person pushy.

The difference in these two scenarios is simply your position in the buying process. How would it have been different if instead of insisting on asking you a series of questions she had simply given you an article re-print from Consumer Reports and a list of 10 questions to consider before purchasing a big screen TV with the store’s name, her name and telephone number at the bottom?

The process people go through in making a buying decision is:

• Phase 1: Awareness and Knowledge

• Phase 2: Liking and Preference

• Phase 3: Conviction and Purchase

The only people you should try to sell your products or services to are those people in the conviction and purchase phase. The problem is many businesses do not implement the necessary steps to move prospective clients to Phase 3 so they are constantly trying to sell to prospects that are in Phase 1.

Think about it like this, you and your products or services are standing at the edge of a chasm on Mount Everest. I call it the Purchase Chasm™. Your potential customers are on the other side. Your job is to get those prospects to cross the chasm on a flimsy aluminum ladder, one step at a time and ultimately purchase your services. At this stage your objective is simply to get them to take that first step out onto the ladder, followed by another until they reach the ultimate decision to purchase. You don’t push, manipulate or cajole them into purchasing. You simply serve as a guide providing information and assistance through the process.

So how can you begin to move your potential customers across the Purchase Chasm™?

Step 1 - Awareness and Knowledge: Before someone can purchase your product or service they must be aware of it. They must also be able to picture in their minds the problems the service will solve for them. And that picture must be enticing enough to motivate them to take that first step. At this phase your objective is to make your potential customers aware of your services and give them knowledge about the benefits they will gain from working with you. This is generally done through activities where you can reach a large number of people at one time. A major goal at this stage is to collect contact information so you can continue to provide information to help these prospective clients move across the Purchase Chasm™.

Step 2 - Liking and Preference: Awareness alone is not enough. Potential customers must also have a positive disposition regarding your services. During this phase it is important to maintain consistent contact. Consistency builds credibility. You also want to let prospective clients “sample” your service in order to minimize the perceived risk of purchase. You can do this by sending out a regular newsletter (e-mail or hardcopy); sending out a monthly tip related to the service you provide; offering free or low cost introductory trainings; participating in selected networking events on a regular basis; and offering teleclasses. The important thing is that you are consistently in contact with these potential clients. After all, you don’t want to leave them out on the middle of the ladder over a deep chasm without a guide.

How to Choose Project Management Training Courses for IT Professionals
The first step in the selection of a good training course for Project Managers is to clearly understand the role of the Project Manager as it is understood today. Project Management is essentially concerned with a one time operation as opposed to an ongoing operation. The distinction is seen by many as being insignificant and this misconception leads to not only poor selection of Project Managers, but also for poor selection of training courses. The IT training field is experienced a period of rapid growth and change. The growing importance of Certification as a major benchmark of IT training and skill has led to the introduction of a myriad of training opportunities and choices. The time when a computer career was a simple thing is long past. The IT field has become complex and training can no longer be general in nature, but most be specific to the nee

he answers your questions and helps you decide on the model that is best for you. Not only are you not put off by the salesperson, you would have been upset if there would not have been a salesperson to help you.

The process people go through in making a buying decision is:

• Phase 1: Awareness and Knowledge

• Phase 2: Liking and Preference

• Phase 3: Conviction and Purchase

So how can you begin to move your potential customers across the Purchase Chasm™?

Sources of Extra Cash or Additional Income for Students
There are many ways to get an extra income if you cannot afford to work ‘normal’ full-time hours. This article will show you what is available and what you should avoid. I will use student time as an example, as a student’s timetable is usually the most ‘inconvenient’ for full-time work and also changes every semester. However, the opportunities outlined in this article can also apply to other demographics, e.g. single mothers.Whilst at university, students often think that it will be challenging for them to financially support themselves. This is true only if you decide to avoid work and leave dealing with mounting debts until after you leave university. The truth is, it is not that difficult to get a job. However, getting work does require determination and a bit of leg-work. You also have to decide how much work you want to do. There is a myth

he only people you should try to sell your products or services to are those people in the conviction and purchase phase. The problem is many businesses do not implement the necessary steps to move prospective clients to Phase 3 so they are constantly trying to sell to prospects that are in Phase 1.

So how can you begin to move your potential customers across the Purchase Chasm™?

Practical Marketing - Get More Results from Sensible, Effective Marketing
1) Know your budget. You don't want a surprise when you get to a vendor and find out all your work is going to cost much more than you have. Set a budget and then work with vendors so you develop the best possible product within that limit.2) Know your audience. Knowing how your audience thinks will help keep your message on track. The more you can learn about your ideal prospect, the more focused you can be in targeting their needs with your message, and thereby, improve the response.3) Know your delivery system. Now that you know your budget and your audience, you can determine how best to deliver your message. What will your prospects respond to that can be created on your budget? Will a postcard work best? Or letters? Or email promotion? Don't guess at this one. Worse yet, don't select a medium just because someone is trying to sell you

enticing enough to motivate them to take that first step. At this phase your objective is to make your potential customers aware of your services and give them knowledge about the benefits they will gain from working with you. This is generally done through activities where you can reach a large number of people at one time. A major goal at this stage is to collect contact information so you can continue to provide information to help these prospective clients move across the Purchase Chasm™.

Working In Iraq: Is It For You?
The US Army Corp of Engineers and numerous private companies are still looking for people to help rebuild Iraq's infrastructure. In fact, one Web site currently has four pages of jobs in Iraq. And the pay can be very good. Some civilian contractor jobs start at $80,000. Others pay even more. A truck driver earning $30,000 in the US may be able to get a job in Iraq paying $70,000, $80,000 or even $90,000 a year.Iraqi jobs come with tax benefitsJust as important, housing and meals are usually provided, and if you work overseas for a year, $80,000 of your income is excluded from US income taxes. (Note: For complete details on this tax exclusion, see Section 13.3 of the IRS Tax Code, “Aliens and U.S. Citizens Living Abroad: Foreign Income & Foreign Income Exclusion”).Iraq job postings are usually available online and, in many case

middle of the ladder over a deep chasm without a guide.

Writing, speaking and networking are activities that many coaches and consultants enjoy. By systematically using these activities as marketing tools you reduce the time you actually have to spend selling, you focus your selling activities to people who are actually ready to buy, and it becomes a natural ending to the relationship building process.

HTTP = HTML link (for blogs, profiles,phorums):
<a href="http://www.hubyou.info/article/40156/hubyou-Sell-Without-Feeling-Like-A-Used-Car-Salesman.html">Sell Without Feeling Like A Used Car Salesman</a>

BB link (for phorums):
[url=http://www.hubyou.info/article/40156/hubyou-Sell-Without-Feeling-Like-A-Used-Car-Salesman.html]Sell Without Feeling Like A Used Car Salesman[/url]

There are many reasons why you may not have gotten the job you interviewed for. Take a look at some of the reasons.

If a movie attendant behind the refreshment stand can deliver customer service by simply giving the customer what he asks for, why can't everyone?

Is it possible for small business owners to get great marketing results if you're not creative? What does it take to be a small business marketer? Do you need a creative mind or a scientific approach?

Tags

Links

Answer Upon - Sell Without Feeling Like A Used Car Salesman

Related Articles: