Aug 26, 2009

How To Sell Services

Do you know how to sell your service? This skill separates pros from amateurs. The world is full of consultants and experts with tons experience, but people don't buy their services. Why is that? Here are proven techniques on how to sell your service easier and faster than you ever thought it would be possible.

How to package your service to increase sales

Think about "Overnight Delivery" by Fedex for a moment. It is a complicated service with lots of moving parts. It includes steps like wrapping the shipment,
addressing, storage, shipping, storing it again, choosing the right carrier and also delivering to it personally to the receiver. Along with a dozen smaller steps which everyone is vital to make the overnight delivery on time. It is a service with the perfect package. It is easy to buy and you know exactly what you are paying for. How many consultants can say the same?

How to find a name for your service that sells

Use names that have an impact. Instead of "company staff sales training" your coaching service could be "Sales Superstar System" or "Effective Sales Training". Compare "Postal package delivery service" to "Overnight Delivery". You get the idea. Use your imagination. A good name sells itself.

How to sell your service as an investment – not as an expense

Banks are worth studying closely. They are selling only services. Even though banks are very similar to each other, they are doing things well, when it comes to selling. "An investment account with annual 5 % return on your money guaranteed." That's a great sales pitch with a benefit and guarantee. You don't even need to know what happens to your money after you deposit it to your bank, you are only interested in earning your annual 5 %. How cares if they borrow your money to fund oil drilling which pollutes or loan money to companies involved in child labor, to most of the people it doesn't matter, if they get their promised annual gain. You too can sell your service as an investment.

Pretend that you are selling travel services to companies. Here is one way to sell your trip. "A happy worker is more productive after spending a relaxing weekend in the forest camp with his colleagues. The trip costs 5.000 €. With this money you can expect increased productivity. This trip earns you money in gained productivity which means bigger revenue without increasing the number of your employees." (You should have some data and research to proof your claim and to convince your prospect.) I don't know any executive who wouldn't be interested in getting more results without having had to take the trouble of recruiting new people.


How to sell your service as a way to reduce costs

This is another example with the same travel service, now it is a way to reduce costs. Here's the sales pitch: "When you spend 5,000 € to this trip you will actually save 10,000 € during this year, when your staff will be less days off as sick" (Again, you need proofs like research statistics to back up your promise. The key is to find the way to your customers soft spot, like reduced costs.)

Three Steps To Success in Selling Services

The successful sales formula is very simple. Here is what to do, when you are trying to sell your service to your customer.

1 Ask questions.

2 Listen to the answers.

3 After steps one and two: offer a tailored service to solve your customers problem.


In B2B sales, there are only two ways to make the sale

Your product increases revenue.

or

Your product reduces costs.



Good luck with your sales pitch. Stay tuned for more information about sales, marketing and advertising.
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Aug 19, 2009

Free Branding White Papers

Check out these free white papers from Prophet

http://www.prophet.com/insights/whitepapers/

Remember to bookmark if you like them.

Aug 12, 2009

How To Be More Creative - Pt. 2


Creativity is something that I love to discuss with you. It is the driving force behind every great thing in this world like the pyramids, iPod and Ben & Jerry's ice cream.

Are you creative?

How do you know if someone is creative? If you ask me, the answer is simple: if you think you are creative, you are. And if you don't, then you won't. A similar annoying idea has been expressed by Henry Ford as well: "Whether
You Think You Can or Can't, You're Right".

A simple tip to increase your creativity


Visit a playground. Observe what kids are doing there. See if it makes you smile. It should take less than a minute to feel it. This is very important, because when you are happy you are almost there. Tension kills creativity. The children don't even know what the word tension means. So it is a safe zone to be in. Even if you don't feel any more creative than a minute than before you visited the playground, at least you should be feel little bit happier.

I walk every day twice across a small playground next to my office, before and after work. Every time it makes me smile to see those little wonders playing without a worry in the world. No matter what kind of the weather, there is always someone with a face like a million euros. Playgrounds are places where the creative energy is flowing around. You just need to pick some of that spirit to yourself. It's like re-charging your batteries.

If you don't get any rushes of creativity immediately, you definitely feel more happier. That's a guarantee or your money back.



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Aug 11, 2009

The Robot People

Look around you where you live. How many people do you see who look happy?

How many kids do you know who wanted to work as a supermarket cash register with grumpy face on? How many waiters have you seen with the same attitude? Don't get me wrong, I don't mean that working in a supermarket or restaurant is bad. Not at all, but doing something you hate to do is bad. It's bad for you, and bad for everyone around you.

It always strikes me to see someone who is truly passionate about his or her work. That person has figured out how to be happy while living.
They are people who are glowing and full of energy. For them anything is possible. For the most people it is not a same. They are too busy working rather than to chase any dreams or dedicate themselves to something important.

Why is finding something that you love too much asked?

Because it is easier to blame others than trying to change things, I also will start to point fingers now. Whose fault is it that we don't know how to find something we would love to do?
We are too busy doing everything else. Too busy doing what, may I ask? And for what for? So we wouldn't have to work? That takes on average 40 years to happen if you are betting your retirement plan. Then you are free to do whatever you want. With whatever health you might have left.

What does it do to you to work 40 years on something that you despise or don't like? Again, we all have met these people. They are a sad sight. It's like all life has been sucked out from the person. The only thing left is that empty shell which occasionally tries to imitate sounds and actions of a human. What sets them free is a weekend. Then they can escape from their caves just a little bit. Until Monday comes and robot mode has to be switched on again.

Does it really have to be like that?

For the most people answer seems to be yes. Dreaming is not allowed. Dreaming used to be fun but then you grow up. Now, you have responsibilities. You have kids. You have a mortgage and marriage. I say don't buy into those excuses. You can still have all that and love what you do. Or if you can't then what is the point of living? Weekends?

Hanoi Rocks said it best in their song "Hypermobile":

I can’t stand to stand in lines

Red tape just blows my mind
These robot people just ain’t my kind

To listen the song from YouTube click here.

Aug 8, 2009

21 Rules of Effective Internet Advertising

Here are 21 simple rules to follow to get maximum impact from your online advertising.

1. Make a real connection. Appeal to multiple human senses for maximum impact.

2. Use video.

3. Use audio.

4. Use interactive features.

5. Be engaging, don't just yell and assume that someone will listen because you are making noise.

6. Always call to action.

7. Measure your performance.

8. Don't just measure - understand your data.

9. Always look ways to improve your advertising.

10. Be specific with your content.

11. It's not CLARITY VS. CREATIVITY - It's CLARITY & CREATIVITY.

12. Study what others do.

13. Make it easy to share.

14. Make it worth sharing.

15. It's not about you, it's about me. Go ask Seth Godin.

16. Be open about your motivations.

17. NEVER SPAM.

18. Try first to improve your headline.

19. Build relationships. Internet is a two way thing.

20. Have clear written goals for your advertising.

21. Measure your success against your goals.


Can you name more guidelines for the effective internet advertising?


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Aug 4, 2009

Why the Internet is a Heaven for Advertisers

So far the internet is the only place for advertisers which is close to a heaven. Where else can you include of these techniques and methods into your advertising?
  • Direct-response.
  • Social.
  • Research.
  • Measurement.
  • Honesty.
  • Transparency.
  • Video.
  • Sound.
  • Text.
  • Testimonials.
  • Location.
  • Instant.
  • Live.
  • Personal.
  • Apologize.
  • Be thankful.
  • Tracking.
  • Feedback.
  • Re-act.
  • Pro-act.
  • Word-of-mouth.
  • Pay-for-performance.
All of this, and much more is possible in the internet. At last sales, research and facts will earn their place in the advertising industry. I only wish that David Ogilvy would still be alive to experience this revolution. What remains to be seen is how will agencies explain their lack of knowledge about these basics, after producing decades of "creative" advertising only. Don't take my word for it. Read Fortune's article about research, results, internet and agency compensation. Coke and P&G are already taking this new model worldwide. Their agencies get paid for performing, not just for being creative. 

Aug 3, 2009

Playtime is over

Finally playtime is over. New blog design is ready. The author is charged and ready to rock. You are guaranteed to get more opinions and less pleasing others. This blog is about advertising, branding and marketing. However, the main purpose of this blog is to share ideas with you. And ideas are everywhere, often disguised as something else, sometimes even as bad luck or failure. But they do exist, the important thing is to recognize and act on upon them.

There are millions of blogs out there - Thank you for reading this one. It means the world me. Seriously, Thank You.

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