debbie mrazek

Your autoresponder letter series, if written correctly can make you serious money on the Internet.

Studies have proven that most consumers buy only after repeated exposure to a product. This repeated exposure helps you to gain their trust enough to buy from you.

Having an autoresponder system is the hassle-free, automated way to put your product in front of interested buyers enough times to move them from consideration to purchase.

Have information on every page of your site of how a visitor can optin for futher information, join your ezine or newsletter or any incentive you can think of to get them to sign up to your autoresponder series.

Following are some informative tips on creating autoresponder messages that sell your product for you. You'll learn what to say, how to say it, how to format it, and how to avoid having your messages sent straight to the SPAM folder unread.

Here’s a breakdown of what your messages should contain.

1. Subject line. The subject line is the first thing people will see when they receive your message. It must be compelling enough to keep them from deleting the message unread. Do your research good on this. Learn everything you can on how to write good headlines. But also don't use hype. Since the person receiving this message has requested it, then it is logical to keep the subject on topic to what they requested to receive in the first place. i.e. Here is the information you requested on _____...

2. The opening sentence. Keep this true to your subject. Expand on it without hype or pressure. Don't mention the sale price, or tell them they must buy your product. Keep it promise based. i.e. tell them what they will learn or gain via the information or service you are going to provide.

For example say your subject was: Thank you ~Name~, here is the information you requested on earning a living at home.

Your opening sentence might be something like this: You are about to learn the very same strategies I use to make a full time living from my home.

3. Introductory paragraph. Explain in a concise paragraph exactly what your product will do for the buyer. Tell them how your product or service will help them to also make a full time living from their home. Avoid using ALL CAPS or excessive punctuation!!! This looks amateurish and, in the majority of cases, get your message deleted.

4. Subheadings and further information. Write bullet point type headlines with either bold letters or one step better put lines above and below them to set them apart. Then expand on these headings in a paragraph or two underneath them.

==============================
THIS WILL BE YOUR SUB HEADLINE
==============================

With more information below it...

5. A call to action. After you have finished your sub headlines and the corresponding information. Use a pre- closing paragraph to tell the reader exactly what you want them to do. "Click Here" to download this information instantly! or Click the link below, fill out the form to have this ~~Product~~ delivered to you immediately. Where possible point out the uniqueness of your product. Is it priced lower then competitors? Is it the only one of its kind? Or also if it is a limited time offer. Anything that will give the buyer more incentive to take the above action. Keeping it honest of course. Don't make something up just to get better results.

6. Closing Paragraph. Thank them again and also sum up what will be in the next message. "Watch your email the next few days for a great thank you gift I have set a side for you for taking the time to look at my product.", "I will have a free chapter, from my "make a living at home" ebook, for you in a few days.", etc.

7. DISCLAIMER. This is a short paragraph to remind people they are receiving your message because they asked to be on your list. It will keep them from clicking the “SPAM” button if they decide they aren't interested in your product, and keep your autoresponder and web site off Internet blacklists.

8. Unsubscribe link. This is critical to a successful autoresponder campaign. You must give subscribers the option to discontinue receiving messages from you, or you will be labeled as SPAM. Most autoresponder services will provide you with an automatic unsubscribe list for all your autoresponder series. All you have to do is make sure to include the link in your message.

One of the most powerful ways to get more traffic to your site can be your autoresponder series. Your well-crafted messages will send people in droves to your site to check out what you have to say. Just make sure you give them a good reason to go there, and great reasons to keep coming back, and you will build a rock-solid autoresponder campaign that keeps your profits rolling in.

A quick tip on how to format the messages... with today's advances in email, HTML is a good option if your autoresponder system allows it. One step better is to use one that has both plain text and HTML options so that when a person has HTML turned off for their email software, they will receive the text version only. For the letters to look uniform and to avoid the auto wrapping many autoresponder systems will use when adding your letters, I highly recommend not making the lines of your letters longer than 50 characters in length.

Kick start your campaign by offering a free report or e-book via a lead capture page with your autoresponder sign up form attached to the autoresponder letters you create. It will keep a non-stop flow of people receiving your letters and coming to your site to buy your products.

Sincerely, Debbie Ducker

Tired of joining affiliate programs, then working long hours to set up full blown ad campaigns for them and bringing in new members, just to find out the site is no longer there?

I am sure, just like me, this has happened more than once to you. Nothing is more frustrating when you are working on-line as an affiliate marketer.

Unfortunately it is a fact of Internet Marketing, we have to except. Programs can go down nearly as fast as they are put up.

What can be done about it? While it may be out of our hands to stop the owners from shutting down, there are a few things you can do to soften the blow when it does happen.

1. To begin with... research what you join. Find out how long they have been in business. If new, try to find out how many members it has. Are they filling up quickly? This could mean they have a quality product, worth selling. Decide if what they are selling has staying power. Contact support and make sure that they can be reached easily and do reply to you. Just to name a few ideas. Many factors can decide whether a program, new or established, will make it or not. A tough call to make. But at least consider a few things about the program before putting too much effort or expense in going full force with advertising it.

2. Then most importantly, after you decide on what programs to advertise, use cloaking or tracking links so that you can change your active promotions to a different affiliate program URL.

3. Use advertising copy that is somewhat generic. Especially if you are taking the time to create a lead capture page or a sales letter type web page for a specific affiliate program. Make it as general as possible so that you can easily edit it to fit another similar affiliate program. Minimize using the name of the affiliate program and describe it as generic as you can using highly searched for key words pertaining to Internet marketing. Avoiding, where possible, being too descriptive about the product, incase the program you change to sells something else. At the very least create the lay out so the vital information such as program title, description and any images can be easily changed to fit a different program.

4. Keep a hard copy of your down line information on your own, in a note pad or similar document. So that you can easily reach them with any information you may have about the program shutting down and also let them know you are still there. The program owners may not care about what happens to the members after they shut down, but remember your down line is one of the keys to your success in any affiliate program. Always treat them well and help them no matter what program comes and goes. They will learn to trust you and will most likely follow you for a lifetime into anything of quality you end up promoting.

5. Keep your original receipts of any payments made to your affiliate programs for products, upgrades, etc. So if entitled to a refund you have proof you did pay.

Doing the above will not only help you save time and energy but will ensure you will not lose contact with the members you worked so hard to bring in, and that you will get any money back that is due to you, when you find yourself abandoned by one of your affiliate programs. Using the right layout for your ads will also make it easier to create new ad campaigns on the fly for any program you choose to promote.

Sincerely, Debbie Ducker

Debbie Ducker is the owner of DuckerPromotion.com And author of many articles and How To marketing materials. Get her free report on building and using an opt-in list here: http://www.duckerpromotion.com/freereport1/

If you have a cluttered mess of banners and multiple text ads on your site, unless it is a specified site of resources such as a recommended links section, link exchange or a topic specific portal, etc... then you are confusing your visitor.

Your visitor came there for a specific reason, and if they get there and are presented with a confusing mess, you can bet they will not stick around.

I know! Because I had this very same kind of site when I first started to try to sell products on-line. We all tend to do it at first. It just comes natural to do what you have learned and that is usually how to copy and paste HTML codes that affiliate program owner's give you. Before you know it you have mega banners and text ads everywhere and your site takes 10 minutes to load.

Eventually I finally learned that you have to lead the customer into what you have to offer them and why or how it will benefit them and then how they can get it. They will not take the time to find all this out for themselves. Especially if it means weeding through a bunch of irrelevant links.

Once I finally organized the main area of my web site to sell only my products and a few select top affiliate products then I immediately started making money. Every product or service I offer and my top choices in affiliate products and services, was streamlined with it's own information page and specific information on how the customer could order it.

Once your web site visitor understand exactly what it is you have to offer, why they need it and how they can get it... then you have just raised your chances ten fold of making the sale.

Now this will not happen by magic of course. There are certain steps and basic formulas you should follow during this process. Paying close attention to each step as you do it, perfecting it before you move on to the next one will ensure you get optimal results.

Which way you go about this will depend on what you sell and the design of you site. Some site owner's prefer to have everything on one long page. This option does fine if you only have one product. But for multiple products I strongly recommend separate pages for each one, this will help cut down on the confusion.

Basing this on multiple services/products. I suggest an overview of you, your company and what it offers on your main index page. Then lead visitors off to the specific services one page at a time. On each of those pages it will then give you the freedom and room to go into detail about that particular product or service.

Doing the above will also give you the ability to optimize each page based on that product's targeted key words which will help you with a better ranking in the top search engines.

I challenge you to get started today organizing your site for optimal results and sales. Test and re-test and keep tweaking everything from your ad and site copy to your order process, until you are finally making the sales you deserve for your hard work.

Sincerely, Debbie Ducker

Basic knowledge of Internet marketing and how it works will be needed regardless of what niche you have decided on for earning money on line.

Once the decision has been made to try and earn a living from home on the Internet then everyone has to begin somewhere. Whether you have been running a computer for years or just got your first one and are not even sure how to turn it on yet.

Depending on what you choose to do, you will need to learn skills on various levels such as how to fill out a simple form for advertising what you are selling to possibly learning how to create and upload web files to your hosting server.

Getting the knowledge you will need can be as simple as a search on one of the major search engines. But you will need to know where to start with your search.

Below you will find some of the top resources I have used to learn the skills I needed to earn money from the Internet.

Ezines - This was the number one place I started. You will find a host of quality ezines that can give you much needed training from the basics to the more complex areas of Internet marketing. Begin with the top marketing majors that have been there and are already making a living on line. You will know them when you see them. Most are highly advertised and can easily be researched to have been in Internet Marketing for some time. For example I began with the Internet Marketing Center's "Marketing Tips Newsletter" (The top training resource in 1997 and continues to this day at being one of the best knowledge sources for both beginners and pros alike). This of course was just one of about 5 I read faithfully each time it came out. Don't overload yourself in this area though. Keep it to a few so that it does not dominate your time.

Forums - Another very good place to start. Plus a top benefit of this resource is you can join your choice of topic related discussions and ask specifically what it is you are trying to gain knowledge in. Benefiting from targeted training in that area. Stick with popular, high membership forums, which will increase your chance of getting the help you need quickly.

Training Courses - This resource can be in the form of an extensive training courses to something as simple as a free report. I have learned tremendous profit generating knowledge from both. Some of the simplest reports will surprise you with little golden nuggets of knowledge that you might not find any where else.

Mentor Training - By definition this is "A wise and trusted counselor or teacher". Again you will know one when you run on to one. Once you do latch on and never let go. They can be one of your most valuable resources for learning what you need to know to succeed in your area of marketing. While there are many ways of getting mentor training and usually is in a one on one environment. There can be different levels of this and doesn't necessarily have to be face to face. Take some of your best affiliate programs for example. View their back offices and you will find a host of information personally from the owner of that program. As well as the top ezines you belong to. This type of training is more on a personal level then you may have thought it was. They are teaching you based on what they have learned and how they took that training and used it to succeed with reaching their own goals.

Sites you have purchased needed services from - For example your web host will or should have extensive tutorials on how to transfer files from your computer to your hosted server via FTP, what program is best to do this with, and in some cases specific step by step instructions on how to do it with each of those programs. They will also cover everything from setting up your email accounts for various email software to how to unzip files and so on.

In conclusion I think it is important to state that no one can do everything. So stick with your strengths and don't overload yourself. Do what you are comfortable with and leave what you aren't, comfortable with, to the experts. If you can design a good site and get it up, but are overwhelmed with how to advertise it, hire someone to do this for you. That is their niche, free yourself to pursue your niche and let them handle what you don't have time to learn. Get good at what your strengths are and you could easily find yourself being hired for your expertise in a given area.

That is the beauty of each of us having individual talents.

Sincerely, Debbie Ducker

Social networking web sites, come in different themes, personal and/or specifically for finding friends or sharing interesting things such as pictures, music, videos, etc.

i.e. Yahoo! 360, MySpace, Orkut, FriendWise, FriendFinder, Gofish, YouTube and so on.

Not to mention you can pretty much find one for any niche you are into... From books, cats, dogs to even turning yourself into a 3D image at Zwinky. :)

Then there are also many social networks popping up specifically geared toward Business and Online Marketing.

i.e. AdlandPro's Adlander, Ryze, AP Sense, to name a few. And even some of the sites listed above are providing a way for many to promote their business in a way that really gets noticed. Videos for example turned into full blown commercial type presentations. Many that are made interesting enough they capture your attention until the end.

With their recent rise in popularity there is a good chance that you already belong to one or more online social networking communities.

However, it is one thing to be a community member and another to actually participate in that community.

The first step of learning how to use the full potential of social networking, is to familiarize yourself with the features offered by each community or communities that you belong to. Then use those features to get the word out about you and your business.

This can only be done by closely examining the web site. You must take the time to figure out how each type of community and its particular features can benefit you and those you invite to join you in that community.

When learning about each social networking community that you belong to, it is also very important that you clearly read and understand the terms of use agreement. This agreement will outline the rules and restrictions for what you can and cannot do within that community. These rules and restrictions may limit the content that you can have on your community site, as well as your pictures, videos, and other media.

Many social networking web sites, will terminate your membership if you are found violating these agreements. By reading and abiding by all of the rules and restrictions of the social networking web site you belong to, you should be able to ensure that you can continue to use and enjoy the site.

By fully examining the social network you belong to you will also then know each social network's benefits, features, and services.

In addition to giving you your own profile page and allowing you to invite other Internet users into your network, there are a number of other things that you can do with social networking web sites geared towards business.

Many have created features that include areas to list special offers your business has going, or a special services you may provide, the ability to create business related discussion groups, and one of the newest ones even has a handy piece of software that you download on to your computer and are able to read and post bulletins directly to the desktop of other members using the software. Plus it lets you also add your favorite RSS feeds.

By researching each social networking web site, you should easily be able to familiarize yourself with the advantages and disadvantages of each feature or service provided. And, since most social networking web sites are free to use, there are no risks associated with giving the network a try.

So with the many benefits listed, I am sure you see by now , there are a number of different ways to use the full potential of social networking and even more reasons why to take the time to try to learn how to.

The decision is up to you as to whether or not you want to spend the time researching your social networks and everything they offer. But keep in mind, that not doing so can mean that you are missing out not only on all the fun these sites can offer but the huge potential they possibly hold for helping you with your business online.

Sincerely, Debbie Ducker

------------ About the Author ------------
Debbie Ducker is the owner of DuckerPromotion.com And author of many articles and How To marketing materials. Get her new free report on building and using an opt-in list here:
http://www.duckerpromotion.com/freereport1/
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

When your prospect reads your ad, you want to make sure he believes any claims you make about your product or service. Because if there's any doubt in his mind, he won't bite, no matter how sweet the deal. In fact, the “too good to be true” mentality will virtually guarantee a lost sale...even if it is all true.

So what can you do to increase the perception of believability? Because after all, it's the perception you need to address up front. But of course you also must make sure your copy is accurate and truthful.

Here are some tried and tested methods that will help.

1. If you're dealing with existing customers who already know you deliver as promised, emphasize that trust. Don't leave it up to them to figure it out. Make them stop, cock their heads, and say, "Oh, yeah. The ABC Company has never done me wrong before. I can trust them."

2. Include real testimonials from your satisfied customers. Be sure to put full names and locations, where possible. Remember, "A.S." is a lot less believable than "Andy Sherman, Voorhees, NJ." If you can also include a picture of the customer and/or a professional title, that's even better. It doesn't matter that your testimonials aren't from somebody famous or that your prospect does not know these people personally. If you have enough compelling testimonials, and they're believable, you're much better off than not including them at all.

3. Pepper your copy with facts and research findings to support your claims. Be sure to credit all sources, even if the fact is common knowledge, because a neutral source goes a long way towards credibility.

4. For a direct mail letter or certain space ads where the copy is in the form of a letter from a specific individual, including a picture of that person helps. But unlike "traditional" real estate letters and other similar ads, I'd put the picture at the end near your signature, or midway through the copy, rather than at the top where it will detract from your headline. And...if your sales letter is from a specific individual, be sure to include his credentials to establish him as an expert in his field (relating to your product or service, of course).

5. If applicable, cite any awards or third-party reviews the product or service has received.

6. If you've sold a lot of widgets, tell them. It's the old "10 million people can't be wrong" adage (they can be, but your prospect will likely take your side on the matter).

7. Include a GREAT return policy and stand by it! This is just good business policy. Many times, offering a double refund guarantee for certain products will result in higher profits. Yes, you'll dish out more refunds, but if you sell three times as many widgets as before, and only have to refund twice as much as before, it may be worth it, depending on your offer and return on investment. Crunch the numbers and see what makes sense. More importantly, test! Make them think, "Gee, they wouldn't be so generous with returns if they didn't stand behind their product!"

8. If you can swing it, adding a celebrity endorsement will always help to establish credibility. Heck, if 'ol honest Abe Lincoln recommended your product and backs up your claims, it must be true! Ok, you get the idea, though.

9. When it makes sense, use 3rd party testimonials. What are 3rd party testimonials? Here's some examples from some Web site copy wrote when there weren't many customer testimonials available yet:

"Spyware, without question, is on an exponential rise over the last six months."
- Alfred Huger, Senior Director of Engineering, Symantec Security Response (maker of Norton security software)

"Simply clicking on a banner ad can install spyware."
- Dave Methvin, Chief Technology Officer, PC Pitstop

A deployment method is to "trick users into consenting to a software download they think they absolutely need"
- Paul Bryan, Director, Security And Technology Unit, Microsoft

Do you see what was done?

The above example took quotes from experts in their respective fields and turned them to the product seller's side. But_be sure to get their consent or permission from the copyright holder if there's ever any question about copyrighted materials as your source.

Note that an emotional hot button was also pushed: fear.

It's been proven that people will generally do more to avoid pain than to obtain pleasure. So why not use that tidbit of info to your advantage?

10. Reveal a flaw about your product. This helps alleviate the "too good to be true" syndrome. You reveal a flaw that isn't really a flaw. Or reveal a flaw that is minor, just to show that you're being "up front" about your product's shortcomings.

Example:

"You're probably thinking right now that this tennis racket is a miracle worker—and it is. But I must tell you that it has one little...shortcoming.

My racket takes about 2 weeks to get used to. In fact, when you first start using it, your game will actually get worse. But if you can just ride it out, you'll see a tremendous improvement in your volleys, net play, serves, ..." And so on.

There's a tendency to think, with all of the ads that we are bombarded with today that every advertiser is always putting his best foot forward, so to speak. And I think that line of reasoning is accurate, to a point.

But isn't it refreshing when someone stands out from the crowd and is honest? In other words, your reader will start to subconsciously believe that you are revealing all of the flaws, even though your best foot still stands forward.

Sincerely, Debbie Ducker

The key to riding out the recession is to create a plan to address it. “Simply planning ahead is one of the best strategies companies can use when experts begin to whisper recession,” says Debbie Mrazek, author of The Field Guide to Sales: The All Weather, All Terrain Guide to Selling.

Recession-proofing your sales begins with you, and being proactive is one of the best ways to ride high when others are crashing.

Put these seven easy strategies to work for you and you’ll soon find that recession or not your sales are soaring!

1. Lock in client loyalty. Remember, you aren’t the only one facing a possible recession. What can you do to serve your best clients? Call and ask.

2. Dig out lost proposals. You never know if those lost proposals went to another company that may not have been the perfect fit.

3. Make time for Face Time. It’s easy to slip into the habit of staying in the office and doing business by phone and email. Drop by or schedule a time to meet with clients. Listen for opportunities where you can offer a solution for their problems.

4. See a Need and Fill It. In a possible recession, sometimes luxuries are the first to go. However, if there’s a need, there’s usually money to pay for a solution. Can you create products or add-on items that fill a need?

5. Create package options. In hearty economic times, there’s more to go around. When companies face a possible recession, slashing expenses is one of the first things companies do. To stand out from others, create package deals that offer lots of value-add for the buck. This way you will stand out as a ‘good deal.’

6. Do more for less. We aren’t talking about giving away the farm. We are talking about doing just slightly more for the same amount. If you would normally tack on fees for an item, throw it in for free. Gifting ignites the law of reciprocity and loyalty follows.

7. Put systems, marketing campaigns, and people in place sooner than later. Businesses that take a proactive approach will feel less blind-sided. Create your plan now and implement it. And whatever you do, don’t cut back on sales and marketing initiatives!

Recessions are part of the economic landscape. They won’t be going away anytime soon. The best thing you can do is plan now instead of later. Determine a plan of action and work that prior to and through the tougher times.

Debbie Mrazek is the founder and principal of The Sales Company (www.the-sales-company.com), a sales acceleration company dedicated to entrepreneurs. Get Debbie's Special Report, How To Hit The Sales Sweet Spot for Bigger Profits at www.the-sales-company.com and learn more about her new book at www.thefieldguidetosales.com

Sometimes when sales are the focus of declining profits, it’s helpful to work with a sales consultant with business knowledge and understanding. With both sales expertise and business know-how, we can identify when the problem really is sales – and when it isn’t.

Let me share with you a story about a client. Recently, we sat down and looked at his business. It was going well, but not great. It seemed like every time he would turn the sales corner, something would push him back. It didn’t take long to see that it wasn’t his sales efforts that were impeding his success. It was his team’s inability to deliver his company’s services. He had some employees who were very nice people, but who were just not cut out for providing his service. When we fixed that part of his business, we could more readily focus on the business of his sales. His company has grown more than 30 percent in the last year. Needless to say, he’s ecstatic.

So how do you know when you’ve got a legitimate sales problem and when your problem might be somewhere else? There are some tell-tell signs to look for:

• Actual sales figures are up, but profits aren’t • Referrals are drying up • Clients don’t return from one year to the next • New clients come but they don’t stay • The amount of sales is decreasing

Any or all of these can indicate that something is amiss somewhere else in the customer delivery system. Like it or not, if you are in sales, you are also in the business of customer service. After all, if your customer doesn’t come back because they aren’t happy with someone else in the company, it’s not that someone else who pays – it’s you who pays.

One way you can keep a pulse on customer satisfaction is to build into your sales system a ‘check up’ with new customers. You might check with the new customer at 30 days and again at 120 days. Don’t let too much time pass between you and your hard-earned customer. It’s you they trust so be sure to cultivate that relationship.

Entrepreneurs who wear both a sales hat and customer service hat will appreciate that there’s more than signing contracts, the signed contract is when the real work begins of keeping that client for life!

Debbie Mrazek is the founder and principal of The Sales Company (www.the-sales-company.com), a sales acceleration company dedicated to entrepreneurs. Get Debbie’s Special Report, How To Hit The Sales Sweet Spot for Bigger Profits at www.the-sales-company.com and learn more about her new book at www.thefieldguidetosales.com.

And what does this have to do with sales? Simply, put, it’s the same way with sales. Are you the type of person who absolutely hates sales and believes you can’t sell? Or the type who buys all the latest sales books yet hardly cracks the spine? Or do you take sales on with the vigor of an Olympic athlete?

Let me just say, as a member of the 1% club (the top 1 percent of sales professionals), there was a point where I HATED sales (and selling). The last thing I wanted to do is sell. We all move through phases of sales power. Some days it seems like we could sell ice to eskimos. Other days, it takes all we can to summon the courage to pick up the phone to make the calls we know will result in the filled pipeline that we need to continue to be successful. And, then, there are days when we just want to throw in the towel.

And that’s okay. If there’s anything I would like for you to know today it is the idea that you CAN sell and, if you don’t give up, you WILL accomplish your sales goals. I think Woody Allen said it best. Eighty percent of success is just showing up. Be honest with yourself, do your best and it will come. Accept that there will be ups and downs on the way to the finish line.

I wish there was some super magic bullet I could give you that would be the panacea for all of your sales ills. But there’s not. And, truthfully, anyone who says there is may be thinking they have some oceanfront property in Arizona they may like to sell you. The reality is that sales are not a ‘one point’ process where things happen from doing ‘one thing.’ It takes consistent, forward motion to excel in sales.

The best advice I have for you from the field is for you to stay in motion with intention and focus. Do one thing each and every day that adds to your company’s (and your) bottom line. If you stay focused today, tomorrow’s results will take care of themselves!

Debbie Mrazek is the founder and principal of The Sales Company (www.the-sales-company.com), a sales acceleration company dedicated to entrepreneurs. Get Debbie's Special Report, How To Hit The Sales Sweet Spot for Bigger Profits at www.the-sales-company.com and learn more about her new book at www.thefieldguidetosales.com

Today’s complex marketplace has many demands placed on it by a seemingly never-ending quest for clients. Sales people play a critical role in managing client expectations, enhancing client service and preserving trust in the marketplace.

However, what, exactly, is the sales person’s role? Is it simply hunter?

The sales person is a natural extension of the company, and what many companies fail to realize is that clients don’t trust the company; clients trust the sales contact. This is an important distinction to make because not only is the relationship resting on the sales person, but the external trust a company imparts to the marketplace falls to these company ambassadors.

The win-win-win sales strategy aligns external clients (the marketplace) with the sales person and internal clients (company employees, including customer service representatives) and creates a strategy designed to retain all while enhancing overall brand trust.

Three Wins

Win #1 - The Sales Professional

With a strong labor market, top sales professionals are in demand. No longer can companies count on an endless supply of experienced professionals waiting to fill the sales function. Additionally, with the cost of replacing these positions, companies increasingly find themselves facing higher recruiting costs and, in some cases, the cost of lost intellectual capital, lost revenue, and lost client relationships can top five times a sales professional’s salary. Today, ensuring that sales professionals stay content and challenged is paramount for successful, thriving sales teams. Creating a sales process that promotes the sales professional as a critical component in that process creates a win for the sales professional as well as for client and employer.

Win #2 – The Client

The myriad of choices available to clients in our marketplace is staggering. One of the primary ways that companies differentiate competition is through human capital – the people who interface with the clients. The natural progression of putting people in front of clients is that the relationship naturally falls to the person the client sees most. Companies today realize that there is loyalty in the relationship. Facilitating a sales process that enables the client to interface with the primary sales contact offers the client access to a trusted point of contact, and allows clients an easy way to interact with the company. In many instances, a client will first go to a trusted source – such as the sales professional – before abandoning the relationship.

Win #3 – The Company

Companies seek to find a way to retain clients and to ensure that client loyalty is maximized. The sales sweet spot offers a win for companies because it aligns sales professionals with the client in a way that naturally protects the client’s welfare and, thus, the client’s lifelong revenue with the company. No longer can companies rely on an endless supply of clients or sales professionals. A strategy that serves both of these, in turn, serves the company through enhanced marketplace trust, reduced recruiting fees, reduced client attrition, and increased client loyalty, which, ultimately translates into greater lifelong revenue at a lower cost per sale.

2006 The Sales Company All Rights Reserved. Written permission required to duplicate.

Debbie Mrazek is founder of Dallas based The Sales Company. She can be reached at 972-618-1880 or debbie@the-sales-company.com. Learn more about sales at www.thesales-company.com

We are taught to learn from our mistakes as we are growing up. Today there is a "strengths" movement afoot that suggests that what we learn from our mistakes is the characteristics of mistakes. If we could shift our thinking to learning from our successes then we need to study successes.

Look at what you are good at....your strengths:

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If you could strengthen your strengths would you be able to overcome your weaknesses or would your weaknesses become irrelevant?

If your strength in sales is closing deals then you should have others around you who are great at identifying opportunities, setting appointments, creating presentations. You do not have to be great at everything.

For years in my sales career I sold technology products. I always felt like I should go back to school and get a degree in engineering so I could talk more technically about what I was selling. In the process, I dismissed the fact that what I was excellent at was listening and connecting people.

My customers never expected me to be able to "design" the semiconductors and printed circuit boards I was selling. They did need me to listen to them and understand what they said and connect them to those who had the products they needed.

Below are some books that I used to help me identify my strengths:

1. Relator 2. Adaptability 3. Maximizer 4. Responsibility 5. Individualization

Study your strengths and focus on how you can make them stronger to grow your sales and your success well, with more ease and efficiency. Let your weaknesses be someone else's strength and partner with them for your combined success in selling!

What was Popeye's strength? I promise you it wasn't the spinach!

Debbie Mrazek is a successful networking, prospecting and relationship selling expert. What Sales Deb loves even more than sales is empowering people to sell and achieve more. Sign up to receive powerful sales tips in The Sales Blip ezine and receive the Free white paper, Hitting the Sales Sweet Spot at http://www.the-Sales-Company.com

It’s no secret that not so long ago investors, eager to cash in on an exploding Internet e-conomy, happily funded technology companies headed by strong teams offering futuristic wares. Some of those companies came to the table with a viable business plan and others hoped that funding could command their business model. It didn’t take investors long to learn the technology ropes. Now, high-tech companies looking for funds have to wow investors the old fashioned way – with an impressive product offering, savvy professional team, investment-worthy business plan and financial data worthy of securing the dough. Funding in the new millennium is hardly an undertaking for the faint of heart.

Next, enter sales. What if tech companies incorporated their Plan B into their Plan A? Ah, yes, now we are talking. Plan B, of course, is to start selling the product or service – just in case the VC doesn’t come through. Spin that idea around and marry it to Plan A and you have a tech formula for success.

Sales could be your key to the VC vault. Venture capitalists are looking for a revolutionary product or service that can offer them a handsome return on investment. If your company sales prove that your product has a market – we’re talking customers here – and you have the plan to take it successfully to that market, then you are that much closer to securing the funds you desire. Powering up sales to ignite funding offers more than a safety net. In one instance, a company incorporating a sales plan with the path to funding found that company sales funded the business sufficiently enough that venture investment/funding was no longer needed. The team redirected more energy and effort into sales and increased the company’s return exponentially. If the company moved along the funding path, it could still be waiting for VC instead of running an explosively successful operation today.

So what does it take to put your sales vehicle in motion? You need to start with a plan. As critical as your business plan is to your venture, so too is your sales plan for your sales activities. Time is money and, as an emerging company, you have to maximize both. Unless you successfully have managed the sales process, it’s wise to spend the money and invest in a person or a company that has a track record in your industry for growing companies such as yours. Be sure that the sales pro knows how to work with the resources you have available. When you meet with prospective sales consultants, be honest about your situation. How many people can focus on sales activities? What, realistically, is your sales budget and how long can you commit to the plan once it is developed? How much time can company leaders devote to tracking, follow up and redirection?

Next, map out who, what, when and where.

• Who will develop the sales strategy and plan? • Who will execute it? • What is the process? • What are the goals? • When will you start? When will you review your results? • Where will you begin your action plan? Where will you find the operating funds to keep the show afloat until you realize tangible results?

Then, put your plan on paper and commit to it. Set your weekly, monthly, semi-annual and annual sales goals. Execute and analyze. What’s working? What isn’t? What can you do better – smarter? What was a miss and why? Log all activity into your sales journal and tweak the process until you get it right.

Once you are on the sales track, reach out to mentors or others you know who have successfully grown their companies through increased sales. In sales, the goal is to work smarter, not harder. Tap into your true sales potential and you will be on your way to growing your company and securing funding – through VC or, at a minimum, your own sales power.

Debbie Mrazek is the founder and principal of The Sales Company (www.the-sales-company.com), a sales acceleration company dedicated to entrepreneurs. Get Debbie's Special Report, How To Hit The Sales Sweet Spot for Bigger Profits at www.the-sales-company.com and learn more about her new book at www.thefieldguidetosales.com

Sales is an operational area that confounds even the savviest executives from time to time. Determining when it is appropriate to call for reinforcement and when a simple adjustment to a vulnerable area will do can mean the difference between achieving results desired and a vicious cycle of one-time starts. Companies in all industries face similar sales issues and the extent and complexity of sales challenges vary from company to company. However a simple sales check-up can help executives pinpoint where along the sales process their sales teams stepped off the golden patch.

The first step

The first step is the sales examina-tion. Just like a doctor, this step takes the business’s vital signs to get an idea of the health of the sales organization.

In this phase, key employees talk about where the company is and whether they believe the cause is internal (the organization is responsible for what’s going on) or external (that means someone else is impacting company efforts).

Internal issues may include fear or lack of certain skills or tools needed to be successful. External forces could point to something in the business or company that affects sales. This could be anything from poor customer service to unfulfilled customer expectations.

Key questions asked during this phase, include:

- What are sales?

- How do the company’s sales stack up against sales goals?

- How does the company set sales goals?

The more thorough the exam, the better the diagnosis tends to be. Working with the check-up allows participants to reap the full benefit. Companies find that simply taking the time to analyze the current situation yields positive results.

For instance, a large manufacturing company met for this phase. When company executives and sales professionals discussed each area systematically, they discovered that they were not meeting a critical client need. Their sales message lacked the necessary punch to move clients to buy.

With minimal adjustments, a coordinated marketing campaign and renewed sales vigor, the company was able to move sales upward very quickly. This was a problem the company struggled with for quite some time, but feared that hiring outside consultants would cost too much considering the company’s already weakened sales. The end result, however, paid them 10 times over in increased sales, improved client relations and a turbo-charged sales force that looked forward to selling the company’s products.

The diagnosis

Once a company has disclosed everything about its sales life, it’s time to move to the diagnosis. This is where an objective third party can truly add value. Sometimes the issues hit too close to home. Sales consultants can walk through a sale with company sales representatives and provide great insight into what’s working and what’s not. Companies need a safe environment to explore what is happening so they can pinpoint what is causing the pain.

When choosing a consultant, select a professional who can be both objective and honest, and possesses a successful track record in sales. The diagnosis might be changing the sales approach or it might be to hire more capable sales people. It could be a combination of two or more things. What is important is figuring out what it is and moving past it.

The prescription

The next, and perhaps most active, phase is the prescription. During this phase, companies look at what they can reasonably accomplish today, tomorrow and in the future to move sales in the desired direction. This may begin with more aligned goals. Sometimes it can be as simple as that.

While setting goals may sound easy, it isn’t. Goal setting requires a structure that can ensure sales organizations are on the right track for its professionals and for the company.

Sales consultants who are also business-minded can determine other operational areas that may be affecting sales. Human resources, for example, may be hiring the wrong types of people for the sales positions. In this case, it may be determined that the company needs a shot in the arm, too. That’s where sales consultants with business knowledge can help.

Here’s a good example. A client company’s business was going well, but not great. It seemed like every time the owner would turn the sales corner, something would push him back. It didn’t take long to see that it wasn’t his sales efforts that were impeding his success. It was his team delivering his company’s services. He had some employees who were very nice people, but just not cut out for providing his service. When this part of his business was addressed, he could more readily focus on the business of his sales. His company has grown more than 30 percent in the last year. Needless to say, this is a great example of how sales were not the problem. The prescription involved human resource changes.

The next step to getting sales to a healthy level is a sales regimen. Once a specific diagnosis is made, the plan is developed to keep companies from returning to a vulnerable situation. A regimen is a plan that helps turn sales efforts into actual, measurable results. This plan outlines what the company will do, how often company professionals will do it, what executives can expect from these efforts and strategies on what to do when things just aren’t going as planned. It’s a scaffold for professionals to develop new habits that will make sales easier and that will not only help company sales grow, but will lock in more profitable sales. It’s not enough to grow sales if greater profits aren’t realized at the same time. Who wants to work more and make less?

When sick individuals see a doctor who sends them out the door with a shot and a prescription, what are the odds that that person will take all of their prescription?

Very few of us do exactly what we are supposed to do. We start feeling better, we get our energy back and the prescription goes by the wayside. We behave similarly with sales. Once a company has a regimen, it’s tested and it’s helping ailing sales, company professionals may feel like they are cured. It’s hard to change – even when we are getting exactly what we want. In this case – more sales.

A sales check-up can help companies stay on track. Talking about what’s working and what’s not working will ingrain the process even more. The goal of a check up is to minimize the pain so it’s not necessary to get another shot three months, six months or even a year down the road.

One particular company owner knew the importance of staying accountable to an objective third party. But, one day, industry issues hampered sales and internal conflict between two employees became almost too much to handle. The owner called to scale back sales consulting.

It’s important to remember in this type of situation that conditions are temporary, but commitment to sales will last as long as the lifeline of the company. After just a short conversation, the owner decided to continue with sales check-ups and accepted a lower expectation due to these issues. The next month, the client was back on track having alleviated the temporary issues.

Staying on track

Once a company adopts a regimen, continues addressing what’s working and what’s not feels good about its progress, how do professionals stay on track? That’s where a coach can make the difference between staying motivated and backsliding. Clients of The Sales Company, including owners and professionals, call us the boss’s boss.

Becoming accountable to someone, even if that someone is within the company, equates to bottom line success. In a lot of ways, maintenance is the most important part of the sales program. But how do companies maintain the regimen?

The basics are the same for everyone. Apply the knowledge gleaned from the rest of the process and continue to expand sales endurance. Like any good maintenance training program, companies and sales professionals must push to work outside of their comfort zone– just a little everyday. Make one more phone call, use a different sales tool, push to exceed weekly sales goals. Every step taken toward growing the sales repertoire makes newly learned skills easier. Each skill builds upon another.

What are healthy sales?

And at the end of the sales road, sales professionals arrive at the healthy sales they’ve always wanted. But what are healthy sales? Healthy sales translate into an increased bottom line that delivers profits and more of the right customers the company wants. Sales success is about making sales efforts better and more effective. It’s also about enjoying the process of sales. Working through each phase of the sales process will make sales activities more enjoyable. Companies will be able to forecast – accurately and predict-ably – sales performance.

A sales check-up provides the tools to help organizations meet future goals and continue to increase long-term objectives. It also sets a plan in place that helps diagnose and prescribe what’s needed to transform future sales challenges into healthy sales.

No matter where a company is on the sales continuum, using a proven process makes the sales process easier and more profitable than imaginable!

Debbie Mrazek is founder of Dallas-based The Sales Company. She can be reached at 972-618-1880 or debbie@the-sales-company.com. Learn more about sales at www.the-sales-company.com.

Files are stored in a computer and files are stored in filing cabinets. Not much difference as far as the content. With that in mind there is no good reason to use a different thought process to name them. Ultimately, locating the file is the goal.

Duplicate files cost time, money and effort. A file named auto might be a duplicate of a previous file named vehicle. A person’s name could be first then last or last then first such as Debbie Cook or Cook, Debbie. Six months down the road the hunt is on. Valuable time is lost and you look incompetent.

As you set up a filing system – whether physical, computer or both they should be grouped by category. I say this knowing that some of you reading this will strongly disagree with me. That is OK – I just believe that for most of us, my way is the most efficient way.

The most important rule to follow is consistency. Remember, retrieving the file is the goal. If you can remember any part of the file name you can find it through this method. For example, reporters keep files for future story ideas. The category could be “Reference” or it could be “Expert”. The file name itself could be “Technology”. The file would look like this – “Reference – Expert – Technology”. Then it could be expanded to “Reference-Expert-Technology-Cook, Debbie”. This saves time when searching for an expert quote to use in the next story. Another similar file could be “Reference-Expert-Organizing-Cook, Debbie”.

A tip for naming you computer files is to use the same names as you do in your file drawer. I scan paperwork - then some gets shredded and some gets filed. If the name is the same both in my drawer and in my computer, the search process is extremely easy. As long as I can remember even part of the file name is can easily be found. Debbie Cook is a freelance writer specializing in technology and a Professional Organizier. She can be contacted at deb@debbiecook.com. Visit her website at www.debbiecook.com.

Several years ago Debbie Allen approached me about writing my favorite shameless self promotion story for her new book SECRETS OF SHAMELESS SELF PROMOTERS. At the time I wanted so much to write a personal story for her book, however I told her “I would love to do this Debbie but I AM NOT A SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTER”

Several months after her best selling book came out, I was making a presentation to the National Association of Women Business Owners titled “You can either make a living or design your life ..the choice is yours.” Debbie was in the audience.

During my presentation I just “happened” to mention my children’s book and song I LOVE MYSELF. It is a book about self esteem. I also just “happened” to mention that the reason I wrote the book was because I knew my grandson Nathan and other children just like him would always have issues with self-confidence. Then I just “happened” to mention that Nathan was with us today to sign books, would you like to meet him??

The audience started to applaud and stand as Nathan approached the stage (he was 6 at the time). I asked him a couple of questions about school and asked if he or any of his friends were ever made fun of for no reason? Of course his answer and sweet little face was touching to all the mothers out there in the audience when he practically whispered “yes.” After that we all watched him walk to the back of the room to sign books. I was not surprised when the line kept growing to allow Nathan to sign a copy of I LOVE MYSELF for their kids, their grandchildren, neighbors, and friends.

As Debbie was leaving the room she pulled me aside and said “You think you are not a self-promoter???This was the most shamelessly fabulous self-promotion I have EVER seen. You used every emotional ploy you could to sell books and songs.. Grandmothers, children, self esteem and confidence issues. You even made the audience sing the song I LOVE MYSELF as they were heading to the back of the room to BUY THE BOOK AND TAPE............... ..I have got just three words of advice for you ..................STAY SHAMELESSLY BRILLIANT.

Thanks Debbie Allen for giving all of us Shameless Self Promoters a place to plant our stories. I am now one of the many proud people that call themselves SHAMELESS SELF PROMOTERS.

Patricia Noel Drain Author, Professional Speaker, Business Owner resides in Az with her husband Tom. Patricia travels the country delivering keynote presentations on Selling with “Sizzle”,.... Growing your Business to have value, and Self Confidence is the Key to Success. She believes in multiple streams of income so visit her 4 money making websites @ www.buildagreatbusiness.com www.maximizingsuccess.com www.developconfidence.com www.patriciadrain.com

Gary Guesser

Debbie Deal Maker

Ronny Rocker

Gary Guesser does a little research, reviews some information and then decides, “Yep, this one looks like a deal.” Being like Gary is very scary. This type of investor gets into trouble –usually very quickly. Guessers take the numbers on a deal from wholesalers, agents, sellers and other and believe that the numbers are true without doing their own research or they don’t get all of the required information and just assume that the deal is a good one. Investing in this manner causes one to quickly become frustrated with investing and decide that it just doesn’t work.

Debbie Deal Maker, now she has a complete due diligence process whereby she runs all the numbers and does all the research. She knows how to properly compare comparables and determine the after repair value of a property (ARV). She also knows how to calculate all the expenses in a deal –not only the expenses to get into the deal and hold it, but also the expenses to exit the deal. Debbie knows how much profit she needs; and she knows how to calculate the amount of discount she needs on a property before she makes her offer. It doesn’t stop there –Debbie actually makes an offer. She takes the necessary actions to make the deal happen once she has done her analysis and found a good deal. Remember if you want a deal, you’ve got to make the offer.

Ronny Rocker, he does everything that Debbie does except take action. He continues to analyze and analyze a deal until he has what we call “paralysis of analysis”. It’s kind of like this quote, “Worrying is like a rocking chair, it keeps you busy but gets you nowhere.” Can you get a visual on this? It’s like Grandpa sitting on the porch rocking back and forth and contemplating. Even if he figures everything out, he’s still got to get up and take some action or he goes nowhere.

Nancy Spivey, known as The Real Estate Investor’s Resource, is an active investor, speaker and coach. Through her training and coaching programs, she helps new and experienced investors create profitability, productivity and prosperity. Nancy serves on the board of directors for the Georgia Real Estate Investors Association, the largest investor association in the U.S. She is also the host of Real Estate Reality Radio.

For a free copy of the eBook, The Science of Getting Rich, a list of Nancy’s Private Rolodex Resources, and information on events go to www.transformit.net and sign up for her free ezine, which is loaded with free tips, resources and tools that will help you create profit, productivity and prosperity in real estate investing!

© 2008 Nancy Spivey