Copy Righted Articles

Recently, a client of mine complained, “I’m really good at what I do. I shouldn’t have to market myself.” In fact, he is quite good at his profession, but the problem is that not enough prospective clients know about him. Like many professionals, he is reluctant to talk about his accomplishments. “It feels like bragging,” he says. “Doesn’t it make me seem unprofessional?”

If thoughts like these often cross your mind, ask yourself this — who are the biggest names in your profession? In your line of work, who might be considered unquestioned experts, those with maximum credibility? Now, how did you get to know about those people’s work? Did you read an article or book they had written, hear them interviewed, learn about them on the web? Or perhaps you were told about them by others who had heard them speak or read their words.

The point is that these well-known people became well-known because they showcased themselves, usually in multiple ways. They shared stories, examples, and ideas about the work they had been doing with a wider audience than just their friends and family. You know about their work because they showed it off. And I’ll bet it never occurred to you to call them unprofessional for doing it. Read the rest of this entry »

We’ve all received them. We occasionally read them. However, most end up in the recycle bin . . . But why? They’re only a page or two long, and yet many direct mail sales letters are just as dead as the felled log they were fashioned from . . .

Okay, so you’ve targeted suitable companies, found the name and title of the decision maker for your product or service, and the Trojan-like envelope has made it past the always-suspecting secretary/assistant, and the decision maker has opened up the letter! What will your letter read like? The following checklist will hopefully ensure an image to set yourself apart from the pack.

• Ensure the message matches the needs of the target audience.
  Does your offer of products and/or services match the needs of the recipient? Don’t make your pitch to a company president if your message only applies to the marketing staff.
• Get to the point.
  If you begin your letter with general, hazy information - you risk losing the reader. It’s critical you make your point in those first few lines. Read the rest of this entry »
  

• If your goal is to get the phone call returned, don’t leave information that would allow the person to make up their mind. Add a call-to-action to your message by providing a key date or something of interest that will encourage the person to return the call. You have to create a reason for them to call you back.

• Repeat your phone number twice. If the person can’t quickly write your number down, you’ve given them a perfect reason to not call back.

• Avoid asking ask the person to call you back at a certain time. This provides them with an excuse not to call you.

• Never state in the message that you will plan to call them back. Again, this only gives the person an excuse to ignore your message.

• Messages left on a Friday afternoon are the least likely to be returned. For most people, Monday mornings are very busy and, as a result, only high–priority activities will get their immediate attention. Read the rest of this entry »
  

Shut-up and Sell!

Contrary to popular belief, to be a successful salesperson, it doesn’t matter how much you know about your product or service. It also doesn’t matter how much of an industry expert you are. It doesn’t even matter how great your mother thinks you are. The only thing that really matters to be successful in selling is your ability to shut-up and listen. On numerous occasions, everyone in sales has heard how important it is to get the customer talking, so it’s imperative that they have an arsenal of great questions to ask. Despite trying to follow this guideline, every salesperson seems to overstate the amount of time they believe they allow the customer to talk. The many interviews I’ve conducted over the years with customers and salespeople alike confirm this reality. Therefore, salespeople need to take a step back and consider their sales presentation. Read the rest of this entry »

Tone of Voice: A Hinderance or a Help to Your Success

It’s time to visit a topic that may be uncomfortable for some, but something that must be discussed. Are you losing people with your voice? In a time where face-to-face meetings seem to be rare and more business is conducted via the telephone your voice could be hindering your success. On the telephone we do not have visual cues or body language to strengthen our position and message, all we have is our voice.

Not too long ago I had a young lady come in for an interview for an Account Coordinator position. Our office is in a loft format like many ad agencies today, so it’s an open floor design without individual offices. I heard the young lady arrive and speak with someone as she entered the office. I didn’t even have to look at her to know that she was not the right person for the job. Why? Unfortunately it wasn’t her skill level or education, it was her voice. Read the rest of this entry »