A Clever Spell

In essence affliliate marketing is a lot like a consignment store. Your site promotes merchandise and for your effort, each lead nets you money. There’s less work, few overheads, it sells 24/7, and even better, it is comparatively simple to learn. First of all, you must decide which merchandise or niche market you would like to specialize in. To do this, find out solutions to problems a certain customer profile is anticipating, and determine the best solution. An effective way of accomplishing this rapidly is to search for specific narrow keywords; there are fewer searchers for these generally, but they convert far more. To find these lucrative keywords, use Micro Niche Finder or or a a similar program. The information compiled from Micro Niche Finder or other applications or services results in associated keywords in an extensive list that you may target in order to obtain an advantage in the rankings on an internet search. Additional information is available from Micro Niche Finder, such as how many searches every word or phrase gets, the number of competing websites, even competitor details. Finally, the data returned can help identify suitable domains, material for your site, and also draw attention to desirable goods to market. Next you need to construct a internet site; but it will require a bit more than that. Search engine optimization is an absolute must. Applications like SEO Elite will make this simpler. This computer program analyzes competing internet sites and helps you by telling you what you need to do in order to receive a good placing in the search engine listings.

With SEO Elite the info provided by the program tells you where to find links, which words and phrases to concentrate on, and information on where and how to submit articles. Succinctly, Seo Elite information is much like to the information you may receive from an experienced SEO specialist. Once you have determined what niche you want to focus on, design your advertising, and your website is completed, then you are ready to get your web site up in the search results. You will pick up steady payments and wonder why you always struggled to make enough money!

In essence affliliate marketing is similar to an auction. Your site pushes assorted good and services and for your work, every lead makes you money. There’s much less work, very low operating costs, it works twenty four hours a day, and even better, it’s relatively easy to learn. The very first step you need to take is to determine which merchandise or market best suits your interests. To do this, discover what a particular market segment is looking for, and then what solutions are on offer to assist them. One of the most effective means to determine this is to find unique extremely targeted longtail keywords or phrases; in general people look for these less frequently, yet more of these convert to a sale. To obtain these lucrative keywords, it’s recommended that you use Micro Niche Finder or software like it. The data collected from Micro Niche Finder or other programs or computer software compiles related keywords and phrases in a list format that you should focus on in order to have top spot on the web based search engines.

Additional information is available by the application, for example the number of searches every one gets, just how many different web sites use those keywords, and inforamtion on the competition as well. Last but not least, Micro Niche Finder information can help determine related domains, help you put together your internet site, and even identify suitable items for you to sell. Construction of a site is the next step; however you still have a couple of important things to do. You’ll need to fine-tune your site for the search engines. Products such as SEO Elite can make this easy. Competing internet sites are analyzed by SEO Elite information which then provides suggestions to better search results. With programs such as SEO Elite, information produced by the software advises you on links, what words and phrases to focus on, and an extensive listing of article submission sites to use. In a nutshell, the results created are much like to the suggestions that a specialist in search engine optimization would give. Once you find your target market segmant, have some advertising, and your web site has been designed, then you are ready to push your search results. You’ll collect regular payments and wonder why you did not try affiliate marketing earlier!

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Affiliate marketing resembles an auction. Merchandise is promoted on your website and for all your time, you receive a percentage from every sale. There’s less work, very low operating costs, it sells 24/7, and it’s simple to learn. To start with, you must decide what items or market you would like to work in. A great way to go about this is, find out what a specific set of net users are experiencing, and what solutions will help them. One of the best ways to determine this rapidly is searching for unique long tail keywords; there are less searchers for these as a rule, but they will convert far more. If you’d like to discover these crucial words and phrases, you should use Micro Niche Finder. The info gathered from Micro Niche Finder or other computer programs or software compiles a listing of associated terminology which you can focus on in order to get an advantage in the rankings on an internet based search engine. Additional data is also accessible by the application, for example how many searches every word or phrase gets, the number of competing sites, and how strong that competitor is. Ultimately, the information generated should help in loacting related domains, assist you in putting together your internet site, and even identify the greatest sales opportunities. Construction of a website is next on the list; yet it will require more than that. Search engine optimization is an absolute must. Programs like SEO Elite can make this simpler. This software analyzes competing internet sites and helps you by stating what you can do to have top position in the search engine results.

With programs like SEO Elite, info provided by the software advises you where to look for links, the best keywords, and an extensive listing of sites for submitting articles for reference. In Brief, Seo Elite information is similar to the suggestions you may receive from an experienced SEO specialist. When you determine your niche, set up some advertising, and your website is finished, then it is time to elevate your search engine rankings. You will collect a steady pay check and you’ll wonder why you did not consider this earlier!

How much of the budget to apportion for buying cookware is one of the biggest concerns the owner of a catering business should have. It isn’t simply about the primary investment. It also involves replacing older cookware that gets worn out or broken. That is why it’s wise to be introduced to your cookware options before purchasing. Here’s a short guide to the many styles of cookware out there.

Don’t Buy Non-stick Frypans For A High-Volume Restaurant Kitchen Unless You Have A Special Need

Unless you’re employing non-stick cookware for a limited function, they will not last and you will end up wasting money.

Classic Cookware Wrought From Stainless Steel Is The Best Bet For Most Kitchens

Common food-grade stainless steel pots present the greatest value with regard to performance and are the pots you should invest in.

Don’t Buy Aluminium Cookware Unless You Are Looking For Cheap Pans

Although aluminium cookware is cost-conscious, it may readily buckle and has the propensity to react with acids.

The Best Professional Cookware Is Copper, But It’s Not Cheap

Even though they are notorious for being readily damaged, when you consider the sheer control they offer, copper pans are by and far the superior option in cookware.

A Little Less Expensive Than Copper, Multi-Ply Pans Offer A Similar Performance

It’s most likely not a sound idea to invest in top of the line industrial cookware like All-Clad unless you will be serving the most sophisticated of fares.

Mark Williams and Paul Whitehouse - actors in UK comedy series Fast Show - had it right with crazy tailors Ken and Kenneth:

“Good morning, sir. How are we today, sir?”
“Fine. And you?”
“Radiant, sir. Radiant. Woo that is a lovely suit, isn’t it sir?”

“Yes, it’s nice.”
“Suits you, sir, suit like that, Ooh! Do you want one off the peg or do you want one made up?”
“Well I’m looking for something a bit smart; I’m starting a new job.”

“Ooh, congratulations! Will you be having your own secretary, sir?”

“Yes, yes I think so”
“Will you be giving it to her, sir?”

A persuasive sales technique if a little off-the-wall! But what effusive enthusiasm. It strikes me that this is what is missing from modern business to business sales. We are so caught up on professionalism and image that the emotion has gone.

OK, I am not suggesting we need to ask customers whether they were serviced by their partner the previous night, but we can build so much better emotional ties.

Contrast Ken and Kenneth’s approach that with a recent encounter I had with an Ikea customer service representative over some tables my partner and I wanted to buy.
Me: We wanted to buy two white bedside tables but we came down to the warehouse and the bay is empty
Ikea: Then it is out of stock
Me: I see, when will it be in stock?
Ikea: [silent spends 2 minutes tapping on computer, I expect him to look up and respond “Computer says ‘no’”] 3 weeks
Me: do you have any other white bedside tables?
Ikea: Look in the catalogue [hands me catalogue looking around store but not at me]
I spot 3 others and ask him to check if the are in stock. Lo and behold they are out of stock. At this point I think that I could settled for another colour but life is too short.
We bought the bedside tables in MFI 2 days later.

Don’t get me wrong, not all companies have missed the point. While I passionately hate Vodafone for the appalling service they gave me last year, a recent encounter with one of their call centre staff mellowed by attitude. Julie had been with the company eight years and she passionately felt that my attitude was misplaced and she personally vouched for the company and pleaded that I give them another try (and it worked). What would you do for staff that put that much emotion in retaining and winning customers?

Kevin Roberts has written a book, Love Marks - the Future Beyond Brands. He should know, he is the chief executive office of advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi Worldwide.

Kevin rightly points out that human beings are powered by emotion, not by reason. The neurologist Donald Calne explains ‘The essential difference between
emotion and reason is that emotion leads to action while reason leads to conclusions.’

How many times have we gone into an electrical store - you know, one of those ones with the red logo and white letters and a spotty youth has asked if the can help us? Let’s assume it is one of those rare occasions that we have not taken the opportunity to answer that closed question with a “no” and we let them make their presentation. And we marvel how they read off energy ratings, cubic capacities, freshness coefficients and other riveting statistics. And then they stand there and are surprised when you look at them blankly, thank them and part ways.

Aside from the inability of these staff to ask questions about your requirements - I actually think it is a phobia on their part - it is the lack of emotion in the presentation that kills the sales opportunity. Frankly we get the same service and better prices if we go online.

Time and again I ask friends why they bought the car from the dealership they eventually chose. What is the most common answer? They were offered the biggest discount? Best servicing record in their group? Most local dealership? Or the most awards? Of course not - they liked the salesman. And this emotional decision is made over the second most expensive asset most of us ever buy.

In the words of Maurice Levy, Chairman of the French division of advertising group Publicis: ‘Consumers who make decisions based purely on facts represent a very small minority of the world’s population. They are people without feelings, or perhaps people who put their heart and emotions in the fridge when they are leaving home in the morning, and only take them out again when they go back home in the evening. Although even for these people, there is always some product or service they buy based on impulse or emotion.’

I mentioned before I thought that the modern sales process was devoid of emotion because most business are more focused on improving the process. This ignores the vast swathe of businesses that do not recognise even the flaws in the process. I am biased because my company focuses on sales training, but why is it that the majority of businesses that we prospect have never even considered structured sales training for their staff?

Most business find it easier to spend large amounts on image make-overs, expensive advertising, revamped marketing or more prominent premises. Often the most expensive and most adaptable asset is ignored - the customer-facing staff. So look at yourself and the people the sell your product and service. Could they be telling prospects more, “suits you” with passion and emotion?

Andy Szebeni is director of sales training and telemarketing company A&P. For more information and free tips and hints go to http://www.a-and-p.com.

Be prepared when you leave a message or speak to another over the telephone. Before making any call - even a personal one - know what the purpose of that phone call is. Most people do not appreciate rambling any more than they would if you were presenting to them as a member of an audience. I suggest jotting down the main points you want to cover, have any phone numbers and/or details handy, and have a pen and paper ready for taking notes.

If you are leaving a message on someone else’s recording device, be clear and succinct, say your name clearly along with slowly and clearly saying your phone number, a short reason you are calling, and then repeat your name and number. This may seem obvious, but you and I know the frustration of trying to decipher a mumbled message.

Politeness goes a long way when it comes to telephones. Personally, I hate being put “on hold” but realize that it will happen. If there is any way you can avoid putting others on hold, do it. If we are put on hold, we must just accept graciously with a, “no problem.”

I also feel that it is imperative to identify yourself, When we do reach a live person, I suggest always checking to make sure the time is opportune for them. It usually is if they answered, but they may say, “Yes, but I only have a few minutes before I need to leave for a meeting.” Be sure to honor this request, and if you have more to say than can be said in a few minutes, it is better to ask what would be a better time to call back and set a phone date on your calendar.

Even if someone extremely important walks in and tries to get your attention while you are on the phone, don’t let their rudeness affect your complete attention to the person with whom you are speaking. It is important for them to know that they are more important to you at the moment than anyone or anything else that is attempting to interrupt. While we are on the subject of politeness, let me follow with my reactions to cell phones.

Even though cell phones are the “rage” and may be necessary I implore you to consider others who are in your vicinity when you take and/or make a call. Not only have I heard unpleasant and loud personal calls during my fitness classes, in line at the grocery store and post office, at the next table in a restaurant, on public transportation and walking down the street, my enjoyment of a program or presentation also has been compromised by the ringing of and even answering of cell phones.

It has become so unusual to be greeted, when making a call, with a pleasant voice by someone who sounds delighted that you called and is there for you, that when this occurs I always compliment them on their voice and their civility. I am sure that you are one of those people too. And, if you haven’t been, I hope you’ll start right now.

Remember, anytime we surprise others by our special uniqueness and style by going beyond their expectations, we will seldom be forgotten. It is likely they will remember us for the next job they need done or will recommend us to others.

Most sales training programs that teach salespeople how to sell specific products or services do not mention business problems. This is an unfortunate oversight, as qualifying and quantifying business problems is the secret to closing more sales!

What is a Business Problem?

A business problem is any activity or outcome that negatively impacts a business. Examples of negative impacts include reductions in revenue, profits, customer satisfaction, employee productivity, job satisfaction, etc.

Here is an example of a business problem description:

“Many mission-critical software applications (e-business, manufacturing, point-of-sale, etc.) need to access relational databases in order to function. If a database has problems (goes down or suffers data loss or corruption), application downtime can cost companies tens of thousands of dollars per minute in lost sales, lost customers, and lost opportunities.”

In the above example, the business problem is a database that is not functioning properly.

What is the relationship between Business Problems and the Features and Benefits of a product or service?

Features are what actually solve business problems. Benefits are what customers enjoy when the business problem has been solved.

The only features prospects actually care about are the ones that will solve their own specific business problems. If we randomly spew long lists of features and benefits at prospects, in effect we are hoping they are already aware of their business problems, and they will somehow figure out which of our (product or service) features will solve their business problems. This is a very inefficient way to sell. Plus, we run the risk that our prospects will NOT figure out which features will solve their business problems. Or, they may become bored and “switch off” before we mention features that may actually be of interest to them!

If you are going to talk about features and benefits, discuss only those features that will solve your prospect’s specific business problems! Of course, you need to identify your prospect’s business problems if you want to have this kind of highly targeted discussion.

If your employer’s product or service training programs do not specifically address business problems, you will need to do some digging to uncover them. Ask the question, “What problems does this product or service solve?” Another way to ask this question is, “What would motivate a prospect to make the investment required to buy this product/service?” Then, once you have made a list of the most important business problems, ask, “What questions can I ask that will help me figure out whether a prospect has any of these business problems?”

When you become an expert in business problems and related qualifying questions, your education will not be complete. You also need to learn the questions you can ask to quantify the impact of each business problem.

What is a Quantified Impact?

Quantified impacts are dollar values or percentages with associated time frames that can be assigned to specific business problems. In the earlier business problem description, the quantified impact was “tens of thousands of dollars per minute”.

Quantified impacts are an invaluable aid to closing sales. How? If the quantified impact of a business problem exceeds the investment required to fix the problem, a buying decision is easy to justify. The larger the difference between the quantified impact and the required investment, the easier it becomes to close the sale. If the quantified impact is a multiple of the required investment (for example, a quantified impact of millions of dollars versus a required investment of thousands of dollars), the buying decision becomes “a no-brainer”.

IMPORTANT NOTE: In order for a quantified impact to add value to the sales process, your prospect must be the source of the numbers. Why? In general, prospects don’t trust salespeople. Many have dealt with salespeople who were more interested in making sales than they were in providing value. Plus, prospects recognize that salespeople have a vested interest in creating a compelling business case that can be used to support a buying decision. This causes prospects to discount any quantified impact information that salespeople provide. However, if the prospect is the source of the quantified impact information, they perceive it as unquestioned truth. This makes learning how to ask quantifying questions a valuable skill indeed!

If you want to close more sales, invest some time and effort in identifying the business problems that can be solved by your products and services. If you become an expert in business problems and the questions you can ask to 1) determine whether a prospect has specific business problems, and 2) quantify the impact of those business problems, you will close more sales faster and with less effort.

Copyright 2005 — Alan Rigg

Sales performance expert Alan Rigg is the author of How to Beat the 80/20 Rule in Selling: Why Most Salespeople Don’t Perform and What to Do About It. His company, 80/20 Sales Performance, helps business owners, executives, and managers DOUBLE sales by implementing The Right Formula for building top-performing sales teams. For more information and more FREE sales and sales management tips, visit http://www.8020salesperformance.com.

From a customer’s perception, it’s easy for a salesperson to come across as a predator. If the customer views you as the predator, he probably sees himself as the prey. Your initial impression will greatly influence if there is going to be a lasting relationship.

In a recent survey conducted by Target Marketing Systems, Inc. they listed fourteen criteria that indicate how effective a first meeting is likely to be. Here are four of the factors, not in order of priority, with some of my observations.

Listens before giving solutions - If you’re not listening carefully, you’re probably not asking good questions. Some salespeople have all the answers before they ask the questions. Avoid the trap of talking too much, especially during first call. Try to get the customer talking for at least 75% of the time you spend together during the first call. Don’t talk about your products before your customer talks about his business.

Has knowledge of industry - Do your homework before you make the sales call. It’s never been easier and quicker to do homework. Using the internet makes this not only a practical step but an easy one. If you don’t want to come across as a master of nothing, don’t skip the homework.

Communicates value - Consider this. If you’re not communicating value, you be communicating something else. Daaaaaa! Probably the wrong stuff. Be wary of aggressive gruffiness. Don’t come on too strong. If your selling
style happens to be direct, be careful it’s not interpreted as “in your face.” Avoid being too loud, inarticulate, rambling, and closing too early and too often. Sometimes, the best way to communicate value is to take a genuine interest in the customer and his business.

Structures agenda for meeting - Every sales call warrants specific objectives. Having a purpose for the call sends a powerful message to the potential customer. Organization is a small thing if you have it. It’s a big thing if you don’t and you’re disorganized. Make sure your briefcase can pass muster. Your notebook can signal professional or shout amateur depending how it looks and how you use it. Rehearsing your opening approach can really be a confidence booster.

If your potential customer sees you as a predator it’s because you’re missing the qualities that professionals rely on. Haste not only makes waste, it creates the wrong image for you. If you’re prepared, personable, punctual, and professional, you’ll never be mistaken for a predator.

Your potential customers don’t want to be preyed upon, they want to be helped and will be if you offer the professional touch on every sales call.

Jim Meisenheimer is the creator of No-Brainer Sales Training. His sales techniques and selling skills focus on practical ideas that get immediate results. You can discover all his secrets by visiting his website: http://www.meisenheimer.com