April 29, 2009
A comparison of various promotional techniques for your small business
You've already jumped through all the hoops and done all the busywork associated with starting a small business - getting licensing and filling out tax paperwork, getting funding, finding a place to run your business, andhiring employees. Now comes the fun part: promoting your business.
Promotion is crucial because without it, no one knows what services or products you provide. There are a wide range of promotional techniques you can use for your small business, and it can be difficult deciding which to use.
The following is a comparison of various promotional techniques for your small business.
April 28, 2009
Tips for building rapport with reporters so you can pitch your story
Now that you know what mistakes to avoid when pitching, it is time to figure out how to get yourself in the best light so that even if you do make some mistakes, you have enough rapport to keep the reporter interested anyway.
If you want to build rapport with reporters so you can pitch your story and have it come off like you are for real, and worth listening to, you have to do things right. If you do not sound like you know what you are talking about, or know how the process works, then they won't have second thoughts about dismissing you and your story idea.
Continue reading "Tips for building rapport with reporters so you can pitch your story"April 27, 2009
The skinny on pitching over the phone
If you are going to pitch to a reporter over the phone, you need to know how. The following are some of the key things to pitching over the phone:
1. Keep it brief and to the point. Reporters do not have time to chat, so saying "Hi, how are you?", while polite will not get you anywhere with the reporter. Instead say, "I am a (fill in the blank) expert, and I wanted to offer (blank) to you."
Continue reading "The skinny on pitching over the phone"April 26, 2009
The skinny on email pitches
You know the key elements to a pitch, but when you present those elements over email, it is very different than presenting them over the phone. Even if you are already a golden source, if you screw up an email pitch, you might screw up your chances for getting used.
When pitching over an email, it is important that you do it right. A reporter is not going to turn you down because you pitch via email, in fact it is a great way to pitch, but only if you do it the way that they want to see it. Here are some tips to make sure your email pitch gets the attention it deserves:
April 25, 2009
Putting together media tip sheets
Whether you have already gotten a reporter's attention, or are looking to get it, putting together a media tip sheet is a great idea. Reporters love these tip sheets because they make their life easier, and readers love them.
A media tip sheet is a great way to get a reporter's attention, and have them think more about your pitch.
April 24, 2009
Key elements of a great pitch
So, you know what to avoid when pitching to a reporter, how to build rapport so they will listen to your pitch, and the basics of pitching over the phone, now it is time to get down to the meat of pitching. What are the things you should absolutely do and have when pitching? What are those key elements every pitch must have if it is going to be taken seriously?
April 23, 2009
How to offer yourself as an expert to get your pitch across
You want your pitch to not just get heard, but to also generate interest. Being an expert is huge. If a reporter considers you an expert in a particular field, they will use you more, listen to your pitches, and come back to you. So, how do you offer yourself as an expert so you can get your pitch across?
April 22, 2009
How to identify a key media person to send your pitch to
You have just spent a lot of time putting together the perfect pitch, figuring out how you are going to get the attention of the editor or reporter, and making sure you avoid the common mistakes. You have the perfect pitch. When you have the perfect pitch, you have to make sure you send it to the right person. If you send or make the pitch to the wrong person, it will do you little good. So, you will want to first identify the ideal publication, then the ideal person that works for the publication to pitch your idea to, then make your pitch.
April 21, 2009
How to get a reporter's attention
You have a lot of knowledge building up, and you are almost ready to make the perfect pitch, you just have to ensure that before and while you make the pitch you have the attention of the reporter. If you want to get a reporter's attention, you have to make sure you have a killer pitch. So, not only do you need to avoid the common mistakes, but you also want to offer something no one else can.
April 20, 2009
How to become a golden source to a reporter
You now know a lot about making a pitch, and getting it right. You know some great ways to grab a reporter's attention (although you could probably learn more), and you know how to make a reporter use you as a source. However, a reporter is not going to want to use every pitch you make, but if they are ever in a bind, or need a story fast, you want them to come to you. So, how can you become the golden source for reporters to come to?
April 19, 2009
Common mistakes when pitching to reporters and how to avoid them
So, you want to pitch your story idea to a reporter, and get some free publicity and coverage for yourself, company, etc. The series of emails you will receive over the next ten days will help you do just that.
One of the things you need to do, is not only pitch right, but also avoid the common mistakes when pitching to reporters. Reporters do not want to deal with you if you are not going to do things right. So, know what mistakes to avoid so that you can greatly increase your chances of having a reporter accept your pitch.
April 18, 2009
Why you should use a sales motivational speaker.
Why should you use a sales motivational speaker? You do this because you want to train a team that has great enthusiasm. A motivational speaker has the ability to make people motivated. They use the well-honed skills, personality and professional platform skills to get the attention of the audience and teach them about the subject at hand.
A good motivational speaker has the ability to help people feel like their goals are within reach. If you watch a football game in a movie, at half time a coach will go in and give one of two motivational speeches. You are getting your butt kicked, and you can do better. Or, you are doing great, now hold them where they stand. Whichever speech they give, the motivation that comes from a good coach can make or break any game.
Continue reading "Why you should use a sales motivational speaker."April 17, 2009
Why the right sales trainer makes all the difference.
Why the right sales trainer makes all the difference. The right sales trainer is imperative if you want people to pay attention to what you want to teach them. If you have ever been in a class that was very boring, you know how hard it is to pay attention. We have all been there.
If you will think about the teacher from Ferris Bueller's Day Off from 1986, you might remember the way that Economics teacher (Ben Stein) sounded. When he said Bueller, Bueller, at the time of the role call. It was the most boring sound.
April 16, 2009
Why higher quality training means higher volume sales.
Why higher quality training means higher volume sales. Sales as a profession, is one that people are born into. However, even if you are a natural sales person, it still takes training to start you on the road of success.
As with professional sports, great athletes are not great until they have received the training needed from a great coach and trainers. In order to create the highest volume of sales possible, sales people need to receive a higher level of quality training.
Continue reading "Why higher quality training means higher volume sales."April 15, 2009
When you know it is time to hire a motivational speaker for your sales team training.
When you know it is time to hire a motivational speaker for your sales team training. A motivational speaker can take a meeting that is mediocre and turn it into an eye popping, ear hearing, and informational soaking event.
That is what is usually the goal for sales team training. However, if you look out at the people you are training, and they are falling asleep, not getting the point, and not enjoying the training you are trying to conduct, it may be time to get a motivational trainer.
April 13, 2009
What you should never do in sales training
What you should never do during sales training. In order for sales training to be successful there are certain things that should never happen. Consider the fact that the sell of a product or service usually happens because the customer needs the product, wants the product or just likes the sales person.
With this in mind, you can guess that at least 1/3 of the sells that happen, are because the salesperson did a great job. Therefore a salesperson needs to be enthusiastic, happy, knowledgeable, and motivated to do their job.
Continue reading "What you should never do in sales training"April 12, 2009
Using incentive and training to motivate your sales team.
Using incentive and training to motivate your sales team. The reason why the use of incentive and training works to motivate a sales team, is because these things makes a sales person feel valuable, motivated and successful.
Using incentive to help motivate a sales team works in a couple different ways. First of all, the sales person wants to work to gain the incentive. This is both for a financial reason and or personal gain. Next incentive makes a sales person feel more motivated because they feel that they are appreciated in a physical manner.
It is within the processes of human nature that people are motivated by incentive. This idea states that if a specific action is wanted, then using incentive will motivate a person toward that action.
Continue reading "Using incentive and training to motivate your sales team."April 11, 2009
Tips for getting into the success mindset.
Successful tips for getting into the successful mindset. There are some tips that can make it easier to feel more successful, act more successful and be more successful. It does not matter what field a person is in, the choice to be successful is in their mind.
These people tend to follow tips that make them more professional. These tips are not a secret. They are just a little hard to know with out a little guidance. These tips help people see things that help them rise above the average achiever. Here are those tips.
April 10, 2009
Taking your sells up a notch, what you need to know.
Taking your sells up a notch, what you need to know. There are ways to bring your sells to a more profitable level. In order to make sales more effective you will need to find the right process for getting the customer to buy.
At one point or another all companies get to a transition in their business, that they need to increase the total company sales. The key to increasing these company sales is by taking a comprehensive view of the sells itself. This also will include a focus on the effort of the people making those sales. In addition to the process that is being used on successful sales, in addition to the technology and best practices.
Continue reading "Taking your sells up a notch, what you need to know."April8, 2009
Sales training products, everything you need to know.
Sales training products, everything you need to know. Sales training is essential to a successful sale team. Therefore the products you use to emphasize the training and its affect of the people being trained is as essential to that success. However how do you know what is the best sales training products for the training you need to accomplish.
With the individual teams having specific needs for their training, there is one of two ways to handle this. You can hire a professional service to plan out your training and the products you will use. Or, you can research the training yourself, and find the products that will compliment the training. This really is easier than it sounds.
Continue reading "Sales training products, everything you need to know."Sales management training, how to do it right.
What is good sales management training, and how to do it right? Sales management training will give a sales management team the tools, knowledge and confidence to be able to manage a sales team with success.
When you obtain good sales management training, you will be empowering your sales team manager to be able to proactively motivate and manage a sales team to obtain a higher volume of sales.
This is what will be the result of using good sales management training.
Continue reading "Sales management training, how to do it right."April7, 2009
Putting together and training a kick butt sales team.
Putting together and training a kick butt sales team. How your sales team functions will dictate the success of your business and profits. This means that in order to have a great business you need a kick butt sales team. How do you get that sales team though? This is what many businesses are trying to find the answer to.
The answer really lies in the way your sales team is trained and treated. A great sales team will be able to make tons of sales, even with a mediocre product. On the other hand, a bad sales team will create poor results with even a great product. Therefore the importance lies with creating a great sales team.
In order to put together and train a kick butt sales team, you have to start with a great trainer. The trainer you use for training needs to convey an enthusiastic attitude about the product that is being sold. This needs to go along with a positive attitude about their job, and finally a want to help other people succeed.
April6, 2009
Making cold calls, as easy as 1 2 3
Making cold calls, it is as easy as 1 2 3. Cold calls at first can seem intimidating. The reason is that, with no warning you are calling on a person that knows nothing about you. There are some basic things to keep in mind in order to make cold calls as easy as 1 2 3.
The first thing you need to understand is that the worse that can happen is that the person you are calling on will end the conversation. That is something that you will have to get used to. Do not become overly concerned with rejection. It is normal for people to avoid cold callers. However, there are ways to get around this. That is what it is all about. Finding a way to get the person you are calling on to talk to you.
You need to set a positive mindset that will make it easier to make these calls. This needs to be that cold calls are good. They may not appear fun, however they can be. You get to meet people, and get to know what their interests are.
April5, 2009
Making an objection into a sell.
Making an objection into a sell. An objection is not only a lost sale, but it is also another success for your competition. Therefore, how are you going to turn that loss into a gain? There is a way that you can handle an objection professionally, and turn it into a sale.
Start out with opening your sale with building a little rapport. This does not mean to do a bunch of small talking. Though, if you do take a moment to introduce yourself, and get to know whom you are talking to, it will help with the overall success of the sale.
After you have introduced yourself, it is a good time to give a little information about the product or service you are selling. When you present this information it is a good idea not to sound rehearsed or like a robot. This will kill the deal right from the beginning.
Continue reading "Making an objection into a sell."April4, 2009
Making a sell by properly handling objections
Making a sell by properly handing objections, everything you need to know. The first thing that and the most important thing to remember, is that knowing how to handle objections, will get you the sell.
You may ask how that is the case. People walk away from good salespeople all the time. This is true. The question is then, will they return? People shop for items for one of three reasons.
- They need it - this is an item that they will buy that day or very soon and they will buy it someplace. If you present the product well, they will buy it because they need it.
- They want it - this is something they want. If they want it enough, they will buy it that day or soon, and it is up to you to show them why it is justified for them to buy it.
- Someone else has it - this is just a purchase to keep up with the Jones's. They will likely make the purchase that day, or soon. The main thing is that you need to make them feel that it will make them feel better if they have it.
April3, 2009
Making a plan that motivates your team.
Making a plan that motivates your team. A good motivational plan is going to be important for the success of any type of team. There are some tips to making a good plan that is very motivating and successful in getting a team to work together to obtain goals.
So you have heard about what the other guy is doing. Will that work for your team. It might. However it is a good idea to create a plan to motivate your team that is specific to your teams needs and characteristics. Let me explain.
A team of young technical agents may become more motivated with rewards like movie tickets and paint gun passes for reaching specific goals. On the other hand a more sales based professional group may be more motivated with lunches at close by restaurants. This is where it takes some research and getting to know the team you want to motivate.
April2, 2009
Make your sales training a huge success.
How to make your sales training a huge success? Sales training is imperative to the success of a good sales team. The sales team is what will get the deals that are required for the profit of a company. That profit is what makes a company successful. So, with this in mind we can see how important it is to make the sales training you have a huge success.
How do you do that though? That is a great question. The right trainer is going to be your first step. Even with awesome information, representation, and tools, the wrong trainer can put your trainees to sleep.
Hiring a good trainer will take a little work, but the right trainer will be able to make your sales training a huge success. The higher amount of enthusiasm you are able to instill in the team being trained, the more enthusiasm the salespeople will take to your customers.
April1, 2009
How to train your team to be expert cold callers.
Here is how to train your sales team to become expert cold callers, in five easy steps.
Cold calls can be one of the most intimidating parts of the sales profession. However it does not have to be. The main issues that salespeople get into their mind is that a cold call is an intrusion on a person. This mindset usually causes these salespeople to sound like they do not have confidence in themselves and the product they are selling.
Cold calls are simply a gesture to bring a future customer something they may need. Therefore it is not a big deal if they state they do not need the product. There will be times that customers do not want to be bothered by these visits at all. However, taking these types of calls with stride will also be important.
Continue reading "How to train your team to be expert cold callers."