Most Salesmen Are Whiners, Are You?

Jeffrey Gitomer is one of my favorite trainers of life and sales. Please enjoy this podcast:

Most Salesmen Are Whiners, Are You?

If you like this one, be sure to subscribe to his podcasts. Just look up his name.

Six Tips for Better Customer Service

Too often in the online world, some of us focus too much on making money and not enough on the people who actually control the money that we're seeking. We focus too much on the products and the end result and we fail to focus on customer service.

Well, just as a reminder (or perhaps as something new to you), here are six tips for better customer service.

Tip #1: Be Polite and Respectful to Everyone

No matter what happens, never show anyone disrespect and never lose your cool. Nothing is worth hurting yourself in the future. And whether you realize it or not, something you do today can come back to haunt you tomorrow. So always treat everyone politely and with respect and you won't have anything to worry about.

Tip #2: Never "Fight" with a Customer

This goes along with Tip #1 and could be included there but it deserves to be mentioned twice. Never fight with a customer. You don't have to adopt the policy that "the customer's always right" but you should never fight with customer even when you know they're wrong.

Tip #3: Always Give Quality Service

Commit to always giving quality service. No matter what, you will always give the best service possible. No excuses. No exceptions. This will build customer loyalty like nothing else.

Tip #4: Don't Leave the Customer Hanging

Whether you do it yourself or you have others do it for you, always be available to help your customers. Don't allow an email to go unanswered for more than a few hours, if possible, but definitely not more than a day. Not answering questions or addressing problems in a timely fashion is a sure way to get refund requests and it's also a great way to lose customers.

Tip #5: Make Buying Easy

This is an obvious, yet often overlooked, technique. Don't make your potential buyers jump through any hoops to buy from you. Make buying easy and as quick as possible.

Tip #6: Concentrate on Making Customers, Not Money

Although your business is all online, ultimately it still comes down to a person buying from a person. Don't ever forget that. Make sure your goal is to make customers and not to make money. Do what it takes to attract and keep customers and the money will automatically follow.

So there are six important tips you should always remember.  Practice these six techniques and you'll have great customer service, which will land you many loyal customers, and ultimately make you lots of money.


By:
Steve Mount
Mount Marketing Solutions, Inc.
P.O. Box 7291
Fredericksburg, VA 22404

Great Business Card Top 10 Checklist

This is a great list to help insure you are memorable, quotable and available. See how many of the 10 I used on this card.

Great Business Card Top 10 Checklist
 
By Veronika (Ronnie) Noize, the Marketing Coach
 
I read once a long time ago that all you really need to get started in business is a good idea and a great business card, and I've found that's pretty much still true today. 
 
But not all business cards are created equal. A bad business card is more of a liability than an asset, but a great business card is worth ten times what you pay for it.
 
Wondering if your business card is an asset -- or a liability? Read on for a checklist of the elements of a great business card.
 
A great business card:
 
1. Has your contact information. Sounds basic enough, but some folks actually forget to include their NAMES on their business cards! Your name, your business name, phone number, email address, web URL, and address (either physical or mailing) are all necessary. Anything less diminishes your credibility.
 
2. Has your core marketing message (not your tag line). A tag line is a positioning statement (such as "Have it your way!") that doesn't necessarily tell what you do, but positions you against your competitors. Your marketing message is probably very close to your elevator speech, and describes the outcome of your work as well as your ideal client (what you do and for whom). 
 
3. Is readable. Print that is too small means your card is unreadable. But small print isn't the only issue; I've seen "arty" business cards that make no sense in terms of layout and copy, so unless you ARE Pablo Picasso, make your card easy to read and not a visual challenge.
 
4. Looks professional, not like a craft project. For example, unless there is a legitimate reason to hand-letter your business cards (such as you are ten years old, or your business is all about hand-lettering) or do anything else that is "crafty," don't. Not only is it probably a waste of your time, it looks both juvenile and terminally unprofessional.
 
5. Is visually arresting, although consistent with your overall design concept. Photos are great on business cards, because they are visually arresting, help people recognize you, and because your face (in a photo) is an implied guarantee, especially for big-ticket items (now you know why most real estate agents have their photos on their business cards).
 
6. Is the right size. Anything that doesn't fit into a standard card holder is the wrong size. It can be a little short, or a little thick, but never too wide or too tall. 
 
7. Uses both the front and back. Have you ever noticed that when we get a card or a letter, the first thing we do is look at the back? I guess we all want to see what's behind Door #2. Take advantage of that behavior by including more information on the back of your card, such as a Top 10 list or a special offer.
 
8. Has a secondary use. You card can invite, inform, inspire, or amuse if it includes a special offer, an invitation, an appointment confirmation, tips, calendar, inspirational quote, or Top 10 list.
 
9. Is given away -- over and over again! Please don't be stingy with your business cards. While you should not force your cards on people who don't want them, you do not need to "qualify" each recipient of your business card. Remember: Just because someone isn't a prospect now doesn't mean that they might not pass on your card to someone who is a good prospect for you.
 
10. Doubles as a nametag at networking events. Just slip it into one of those plastic holders and clip it on to your lapel for an instant nametag. Not only will it be a great conversation starter, but you'll find people will remember you better.
 
About the author
Veronika (Ronnie) Noize, the Marketing Coach, is a successful Vancouver, WA-based entrepreneur, author, speaker, and coach who helps small businesses attract more clients and double their business in just 30 minutes a day. Ronnie's web site is a comprehensive resource with free articles and valuable marketing tools for small office/home office business professionals. Visit her web site at www.VeronikaNoize.com, or call her at 360-882-1298.
 
Great Business Card Top 10 Checklist © 2005 Veronika Noize.  All rights reserved.

Giving Away $100,000 in Referral Awards

As part of our mission of "Getting 100 to $150,000" we are offering to ANYONE who sends us a referral -- $1,000!

Why are we willing and able to give out this kind of money during these tough economic times?  Because we need to expand our business across the US this year.  We need good salespeople -- YESTERDAY!  Companies all across the country are buying products and supplies to keep themselves in business.  We have over 300 manufacturing companies that are ready to fulfill those needs, quickly and at prices that will save them a TON of money.

Our problem?  We don't have enough people to work with us to find those companies.  That's where you come in.

Here's how it works. 

Send us the referral of someone you know that is currently a manufacturing rep or in sales.  This person likes what we can offer them and starts working with us.  They find one of the above mentioned companies and make a sale.  Products are delivered and paid for.  You receive $1,000 or 10% of our profit, whichever is less.  But, don't worry about the 10% part.  We'll take part of each sale made until you get your $1,000.

There is NO LIMIT on the number of referral awards you could receive.  However, we need just 100 new sales people.  Each major city in the USA can only have so many representatives. 

So get started early and make the bulk of the referral rewards.  Tell your friends, neighbors, people at work, etc. 

HOLD ON!  Here is the BEST part:  Whoever sends us the most referrals that they get a $1,000 award for by December 31, 2010 will get a $10,000 bonus.  That person must have received at least 3 (three) awards.  If case of a tie the bonus will be split between the finalists.

Send your referral information with all contact info for you and them to: jwkirton56@yahoo.com   The subject line must say:  Referral For Reward Program.

Let's get started!!

The China Replicator Machine

If you are a fan of the Star Trek universe you’ve undoubtedly seen episodes where a replicator was used. It made the Captains favorite tea, meals for the crew or other needed items. The theory was a replicator works by rearranging subatomic particles, which are abundant everywhere in the universe, to form molecules and arrange those molecules to form the desired object.

What if I told you we have the same technology available right now? Well, almost...

Take any object you want more of. A cell phone, a plastic container, electronic parts or a pair of designer jeans -- then send that object to the right manufacturing plant in China. And presto! They’ve created as many as you want, faster and less expensive than anywhere on the planet.

What types of products are made in China? Agriculture, apparel, crafts, auto parts & accessories, bags, cases & boxes, chemicals, consumer electronics, furniture, medicine, industrial equipment, lighting, office supplies, sporting goods, tools & hardware and toys. And these are just some of the categories.

Is this a good thing or bad thing? I'd guess it all depends on your perspective of course. If you are a manufacturing plant in the U.S.? This is quite likely your worst nightmare. If you are a consumer and your household budget is tight, this may be a dream come true.

Regardless of what you feel about it, Chinese manufacturing is not going to go away. Instead of fighting against it, use this resource to increase your bottom line. If you are a manufacturer needing parts or components to make your own unique product, get those parts from a source in China.

So what's the bad part of the cost savings, and thus more profits? You typically need to buy at least half of a shipping container of what you need for the manufacturer to consider your order. Normally 40% is required up front and the balance on delivery. The good news? My last client saved $3.00 per unit on 70,000 pieces ordered, saving $210,000. That's money they get to keep.

Then there is the finding the right contacts, import regulations and the many other pieces to the puzzle. But once you'll got it figured out you will be able to sell the same product at the same price, but at a lower cost.

So get going and start saving big money on a years worth of paper towels, toilet paper, electronic components, disposable gloves or what ever you need to save and make more money.