April 12, 2008
Filed under: Uncategorized — admin @ 7:11 pm
So you’re in business. Whether it is micro, small, medium, or enterprise; you know the one key element you need to succeed in your business … sales.
Now, you have studied and learned many practices on succeeding in your arena, but there may be something still overlooked. You most undoubtedly have strained to learn every technique possible to gain the competitive advantage for ultimate return on your investment. What you may be missing out on is what you use to communicate during your sales process, more specifically; what communication products you currently use to implement your suave techniques of sale persuasion.
Recently a client in Florida phoned me requesting a way to consult with a large potential client and his peers overseas in Africa via telephone. He was a well traveled business man and was used to flying over to leads himself, but he thought he might try something new, something with less overhead; after all, it was still just a potential client. Well that request was a no brainer for me when I talked to him. I automatically suggested conference calling.
He was a little skeptical of using conference calling in place of face to face until I mentioned one of the conference calling services we offered. Being he had many international business leads and clients I mentioned CogniConference which offers toll-free conference calling from over 50 countries. He saw the opportunity the service presented and signed up right after we hung up with one another.
It was only two weeks later that he called our office to rave how wonderful the service was, and how if it wasn’t for the international conference calling he would have never closed the Africa based client, a 4.5 million dollar deal! Expenses totaled under $200.00, a fraction of the cost of just one plane ticket alone.
How exactly did conference calling help save the day? Well, beyond increasing ROI and reducing CPL (Cost Per Lead) by saving on travel and lodging expenses, he leveraged a telecommunications product to warm up his potential client that ultimately closed the multi million dollar deal. He showed them that they were important enough to be given a free way to discuss business with his company across the entire globe. Needless to say, to this day he uses conference calling for his international leads.
Not in all cases, but in many, it is the options your leads and clients have to contact you that can make or break the initial beginning of a sales process. To convey you care about your client and not just their business may not always be as simple as using a communications service, but there are many services out there that can provide the additional morale boost and incentive your clients may need to get into their comfort buying zone.
An example where you might not want to offer toll free conferencing might be if your business is MLM or Network Marketing. Example: Perhaps your offer is good and was advertised well .You might not be interested in paying more money just for the curious. In other words you might want to only attract the “serious ready to go” individuals. The use of a non toll free conferencing solution might make the better option. You’re saying to your leads, “I am giving you an opportunity to learn more about this offer in a group environment, but I need to see your level of dedication.” That level of dedication being the willingness to pay a little out of their own pocket to learn more about your opportunity. It can be a great prescreening tool on who will be effective in the future for your marketing team.
All in all, information is key in virtually all sales processes. Conference calling gives you the ability to get all of your knowledgeable personnel in on the sales call to get questions answered at the most vital point of contact. You may only get one chance to prove your case to win over that client and the voice conversation is your biggest chance over most any other method to win that prized sale. The personal approach is a big winner, ask any successful salesperson and they will agree.
Conferencing is the one tool specified in this article, but of course, it isn’t the one and only solution. You might just need an unlimited long distance calling plan to do cold calling. Maybe you need a catchy 800 number for advertising and taking in leads. Perhaps you need toll free forwarding to spare your potential client the hassle of leaving a message and playing phone tag. Whatever it is, you might just realize that telecommunications is very much apart of your selling process as is your breath to carry your voice. Be creative in meeting the needs of those who may become your customers as well as in reducing the costs to do so.
In closing, the lesson is very general here aside from conference calling benefits. How do you want your company viewed in the eyes of your future clients? Whether it’s how you’re dressed or what joke you use, be thoughtful of customers needs in advance and plan ahead to leverage your selling power, because as you already know … selling is business.
This article was written by Aaron Siegel of TopSavings.Net which provides online consultive services for communications for home and business.
Services available at the website include Conference Calling, Toll Free Services, VoIP, Internet Access, Long Distance, Local Phone Services, Cellular Services, and more.Conference Calling at TopSavings.Net
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Before delving on what a debt management plan can do for you as an individual or as a business, it will be good to decide its scope. It is a misconception among many people that debt management plans can only be used for eliminating the existing mound of debts. Nevertheless, debt management plans have an extended scope. As the name suggests, debt management plans may be used with advantage to manage the debts to a particular level. It must be acknowledged that a proper management of debts makes debt consolidation and other methods employed to fight the menace of debts superfluous. Prevention is better than cure. Most of us repeat the adage incessantly. It will be through debt management plans that one can really develop the habits in ones life and dealings.
However, the role played by debt management plans in working with the debts already incurred may not be discounted. Many people owe their financial survival to the debt consolidation loans that helped them counter bankruptcy and other debt related problems.
The author has tried to illustrate the preventive as well as defensive uses of
Debt management plans through this article. Since the defensive part of the debt management plan is more widely used, we will first discuss the various plans to deal with debts that an individual or business has already incurred. The various debt management plans that come in this category are as follows:
• Debt consolidation loans
The most conventional method of dealing with debts is debt consolidation loans. Debt consolidation loan is essentially meant to arrange easy finance for clearing the mound of debts. A single loan is drawn after consolidating the various debts. One aspect that distinguishes debt consolidation loan from other loans is that the borrower gets help and guidance from the debt consolidation loan provider in the settlement of debts. Expert negotiation skills and a proficiency in debt settlement recommend the services of the debt consolidation loan provider in this regard.
• Debt consolidation mortgage
Debt consolidation mortgage constitutes a major part of the debt management plans. A debt consolidation mortgage is basically a second mortgage. In this method, the borrower requests the mortgagee who holds the first mortgage to the home to repay his debts. In exchange, the borrower includes the debts while making the monthly repayments. The advantage of the debt management plan is that finance is available for debt consolidation at rates equivalent to a mortgage, i.e. at cheap rate of interest.
• Debt consolidation through remortgage
While debt consolidation mortgage entails dealing with the same mortgage lender, debt consolidation through remortgage involves shifting to a mortgage lender who offers a better rate of interest. In this debt management plan, the borrower or the mortgagor requests the new mortgage lender to include several debts along with the unpaid amount on the original mortgage for disbursement. Again, this will help the borrower get cheaper finance for debt consolidation at the rates of a mortgage.
• Debt consolidation through credit cards
Credit card as a debt management plan will be especially useful when the debtor wants a quicker settlement of debts. As in loans and mortgages, a credit card user need not wait for the debt management plan to be approved and sanctioned. Another advantage of credit cards as a debt management plan is that borrower is not required to pledge any of his/ her assets to back the loan. This can however be too expensive for the credit card user.
• Debt consolidation through home equity loans
Home equity loan is a secured loan taken against the equity in ones home. Home equity loans put a convenient method of debt settlement. A home equity loan is a multi-purpose loan that can be used with equal advantage whether in a debt management plan or for making home improvements. Since home equity loan is secured, it provides cheaper finance. However, the borrower needs to be regular in making repayments to protect his house from repossession.
• Debt consolidation through debt settlement
This form of debt management plan involves associating with a debt settlement company. The debt settlement company undertakes to repay the debts while the debtor repays the amount through small monthly instalments to the debt settlement company.
As discussed above, the preventive methods are equally important tactics employed to avert the occurrence of debts. Debt counselling aims to impart debt management training to individuals as well as businesses. People are taught the manner in which to manage their revenues. Many of the tips provided as a part of the debt counselling techniques are time worn. The aim of debt counselling is not to recall these techniques, but to help people through innovative ways and means to employ these techniques in their life.
The defensive debt management plans having repaid the debts, do not give sufficient guarantee of the menace of debts not raising its head again. There is a need to end the cycle of the debts, and the preventive part of debt management plans will be especially helpful on this count.
Loan borrowing is like once in a life time decision and much is at stake. It is indeed not a good thing that many people are misguided into taking loans that are not appropriate to their financial situation. This leads to many allied misgivings. As a financial consultant the only driving force of Ann Gibson is to provide proper knowledge. Because knowledge in respect to loan borrowing is power and exudes financial benefits.He works for uk debt consolidation site uk debt consolidations.To find a uk debt consolidation loan,debt management that best suits your need please visit http://www.ukdebtconsolidations.co.uk
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Is your auto insurance bill $12000 a year or even higher? It’s not unusual for auto insurance to cost this much these days. But it doesn’t necessarily have to cost this much. There are ways to reduce these costs. It might take a bit of work but it is possible to cut that insurance bill by a substantial amount.
Tip #1: Get at least three price quotes. You can call companies to get quotes or get them directly via the Internet. You can also call your state insurance department, as it may be able to provide you with a comparison of prices charged by the major carriers in your state. Also, get price quotes from different kinds of insurance companies. Some sell through their own agents. Others sell through independent agents who often represent several different companies. Other companies have no agents and sell direct to the consumer via the phone or Internet.
Tip #2: Check insurance costs before buying that next car. Did you know that insurance premiums are based on the car’s cost, the cost to repair it, its overall safety record and the likelihood of its being stolen? You can often get a discount from insurers if the car you are buying has a great safety record or if it’s designed to reduce the risk of death.
Tip #3: See what you could save with higher deductibles. Higher deductibles can lower your insurance costs substantially. For example, if you increase your deductible on collision and comprehensive coverage from, say, $300 to $500, you could reduce your costs by as much as 15 to 30 percent. Move up to a $1,000 deductible and you might save 40 percent or more.
Tip #4: Reduce the coverage on older cars. If you have one or more older cars, consider dropping the collision coverage entirely. If your car is worth ten times the premium, buying collision coverage just may not be worth it. You can find out what your car is worth by contacting your bank’s auto loan department or you can look it up online at www.kbb.com (Kelly Blue Book).
Tip #5:Buy your auto insurance from the same company that has your homeowners insurance. All the major insurers offer both homeowners and auto insurance and will give you a nice discount if you buy both types of policies from them. You may also qualify for a discount if you insure several vehicles with the same company. Some companies even offer discounts for long-time customers.
Tip #6: Keep a good credit record. Auto insurance companies are using credit information more and more often to price their policies. Make sure you maintain a good credit history by paying bills on time, and by keeping your credit card balances as low as possible. Also, be sure to check your credit record regularly. That way, if errors occur, you can quickly correct them - to keep your credit record clean and accurate.
Have you heard about HD radio technology? It makes AM sound as good as FM and FM sound almost like you were listening to a CD … and its free! To learn more about this amazing new technology, just go my Web site, http://www.hd-radio-home.com, to get all the buzz. Douglas Hanna is a retired marketing executive and the author of numerous articles on HD radio and family finances.
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I went to the department store once to buy a suit. I stopped at one to take a closer look and feel the fabric, and the salesperson said, “That one’s very popular right now.” I kept looking, and she kept following me around. I found another one and tried it on. And she said, “That one looks good on you.” But I didn’t think so. So I tried on another one. This one looked good, but it felt a little big, so I asked her if they had one in a smaller size. She went and checked, and said no. I kept looking at the suit, and she said, “I don’t think it’s too big.” At that point, I had had enough of her lying (selling, I mean). So after looking around a little longer, I said, “Thank you,” and left. Needless to say, she wasn’t very happy. And neither was I.
This salesperson is actually like many salespeople. They don’t care if you look good in your clothes or not. They don’t really care about you at all; they just care about your money. They want you to spend your money so that they can make money. And I think they end up being poor salespeople - literally.
But I remember one time I walked into another store, and the salesperson came and said, “If you need any help, let me know.” Then she went away. Later on, I asked her for some help. She asked me, “What kind of suit are you looking for?” Instead of focusing on what they have to sell, good salespeople try to find out what you need to buy. And if you try something on, they’ll tell you if it looks good or not - they’ll tell you the truth. If the salesperson really knows their stuff, they should be able to tell you what you might look good in and suggest where you can find it - even if it’s not in their store. A good salesperson will focus on satisfying you and meeting your needs, which in turn will cause you to spend money - which will satisfy their needs. Satisfaction starts with the customer, and it ends with the salesperson - not the other way around. Serve the customer, and the customer will serve you.
Even if I didn’t buy a suit from that salesperson, I might have bought something else, like a shirt. But whether I bought anything or not, I would definitely go back to that store. And I would definitely recommend the store (or more specifically, the salesperson) to my friends. Which in the long run, increases sales.
When I go shopping, I don’t just want a product. I want trust. Honesty. Friendliness. Expert advice. And good service. If you want to make money from me, all you have to do is try to make me happy. And the way to do that is to first find out what I need, and what would be best for me, and then try to give it to me. And I will gladly give you my money because you saved me time, trouble, and the possibility of having to deal with a selfish salesperson. I believe this is the secret to making my money - and your money as well. The way to make money is to understand people and what they really need - because people control money. And really, all you need to do is just try to make me happy - because even if you fail, I might still buy something from you because you tried so hard to make me happy. I might even feel guilty if I didn’t buy something from you.
Most salespeople don’t sell like this. They don’t try to give the customer what the customer wants; they try to give the customer what they want to give the customer - or anything in their store that the customer is willing to buy. Yet the more you want my money, the less I trust you and the less I want to give it to you. But the less you seem to want my money, and the more you want to make me happy, the more willing I am to spend it on you. If you want to make money, wanting it more doesn’t help you - it usually hurts you. This leads me to what I believe is a natural law of life: if you want something, the best way to get it is not by trying to get it directly, but by researching what it needs, and trying to make it happy so that it wants you. The best way to catch a dog or any other biological entity (which includes human beings, I suppose) is not by running after it, but by giving it the food it wants or likes. Trying to attract it to you, rather than chasing after it. When it realizes that you were the one who brought it happiness, it will voluntarily come to you.
skytoheaven.blogsome.com
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A poem hangs on the wall at Mother Theresa’s orphanage in India. For all who are called to lead, it is a great reminder of what we should do:
1. People are illogical, unreasonable and self-centered (including me). Love them anyway.
2. If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Do good anyway.
3. If you are successful, you win false friends and true enemies. Succeed anyway.
4. The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.
5. Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable. Be honest and frank anyway.
6. The biggest people with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the littlest people with the littlest ideas. Think big anyway.
7. People favor underdogs, but follow only top dogs. Fight for a few underdogs anyway.
8. What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight. Build anyway.
9. People really need help, but may attack you if you do help them. Help them anyway.
10. Give the world the best you have and you will get kicked in the teeth. Give the best you have anyway.
About The Author:
Chris Widener is a popular speaker and writer as well as the President of
Made for Success, a company helping individuals and organizations turn
their potential into performance, succeed in every area of their lives and
achieve their dreams.
To see Chris “live” at the upcoming Jim Rohn Weekend Event as he speaks on
the subject of Secrets of Influence go to
http://Chris-Widener.InspiresYOU.com/ or call 800-929-0434.
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With the aid of the Internet, you can almost have everything right at your fingertips. With just a few clicks you get access to thousands and even millions of pieces of information and data on virtually any field of interest. As years pass by, the Internet continuous to effect radical changes in many facets of human endeavors, including commerce. Experts say that the information space, commonly known as the “world wide web,” grows by over a million pages everyday as more and more people utilize the Internet for information, education, entertainment, business and other personal reasons. It doesn’t take a business-oriented individual to realize that this phenomenon can bring about sky-high financial gains. The Internet’s fast-growing popularity in the recent years is surely an opportunity for business that any entrepreneur would not want to miss.
You might be thinking only businessmen can make much money out of the Internet, don’t you? Think again. You too can earn big bucks through the Internet even if you don’t have products to sell and high-profile and established company. How? That is through affiliate marketing. You might have come across these words over the net while surfing. Affiliate marketing is a revenue sharing between a merchant and an affiliate who gets paid for referring or promoting the merchants’ products and services. It is one of the burgeoning industries nowadays because it is proven to be cost-efficient and quantifiable means of attaining great profit both for the merchant and the affiliate and other players in the affiliate program, such as the affiliate network or affiliate solution provider.
Affiliate marketing works effectively for the merchant and the affiliate. To the first, he gains opportunities to advertise his products to a larger market, which increases his chances to earn. The more affiliate websites or hard-working affiliates he gets, the more sales he can expect. By getting affiliates to market his products and services, he is saving himself time, effort and money in looking for possible markets and customers. When a client clicks on the link in the affiliate website, purchases the product, recommends it to others who look for the same item or buys it again, the merchant multiplies his chances of earning. On the other hand, the affiliate marketer benefits from each customer who clicks on the link in his website and who actually purchases the product or avails of the service provided by the merchant. In most cases, the affiliate gets commision per sale, which can be fixed percentage or fixed amount.
If you want to be an affiliate marketer and make fortunes out of the Internet, you may follow the following three most basic and easiest ways to start an effective affiliate marketing program. First is to identify a particular thing you are interested in or passionate about so you won’t be bored and forced to develop your affiliate web site later on. Focusing on a specific area you know very well will help you bring out your best without much risks and effort. You can add a personal touch to your site and give your visitors who are possible buyers an impression that you are an expert in your field. In this way, you gain their trust and eventually encourage them to buy the products you endorse. Next is to look for good paying merchants and products or services related to your interest and create now a website. In choosing the products, you must also consider its conversion ratethe number of visitors-turned-buyers. There are various affiliate networks and affiliate solution providers that can give you info on the most profitable products and best paying merchants. The key here is, be wise enough to choose the right one.
Now that you have decided where to concentrate, have chosen the products to endorse and the merchant you are supporting and have created your own web site with top level domain name and reliable hosting, you are ready to promote. This is a crucial task, since it is through this that you would be able to increase traffic to the business website, sales and of course, profit. In affiliate marketing, it is possible to earn large sums of money in a short span of time especially when you’re endorsing high-priced items. Expensive products are hard to sell; however, with the right marketing strategies and sales techniques, you can draw visitors to the merchant’s site and make them buy the products. How to promote the products, though, would need a separate discussion. Continue to educate yourself by reading books or other articles online about the best advertising techniques.
Keep in mind, there is no facile and quick path towards success. Affiliate marketing may seem very tempting due to numerous encouraging testimonies of merchants and affiliate marketers alike who have benefited from it, but it entails great deal of hard work and persistence. Likewise, you need to be creative, flexible and willing to embrace new ideas to market your partners’ products until you find the perfect strategy that works for a specific market that you are targeting. Neither signing up for an affiliate program nor copying ads and leading others towards the merchants’ site doesn’t guarantee success yet. Many affiliate marketers fail to understand this, so when they don’t make sales, they quit, look for other programs and repeat the same mistake. In the end, they conclude that affiliate marketing is just one of those scams in the Internet. Even as you sleep, you can work your way to great financial success if you employ the right strategies in affiliate marketing. Be creative, be smart and surely, you’ll achieve your goals.
Author is writter for sites such as Information
Today
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Do you know the origin of basketball?
The origins of the game of basketball can be traced back to a gentleman by the name of Dr. James Naismith. In 1861, Naismith was born in Almonte, Ontario, Canada. During his early school days, Naismith would play a game called duck on a rock whereby the child would endeavor to knock the duck off the top of the rock with a toss of another rock.
Later on, Naismith would go on to McGill University in Montreal and would later become McGill University’s Athletic Director. He would subsequently move on to YMCA Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts and in 1891, the game of basketball began.
Given the cold Massachusetts winters, Naismith needed to find a recreational activity that could be played indoors and he preferred a sport that would develop skill and one that was not exclusively relying on strength. The first game was played with two peach baskets for goals and a soccer ball.
Further to his credit, Naismith became a medical doctor specializing in sports physiology and a Presbyterian minister. Naismith was able to see his beloved sport of basketball, gain acceptance in numerous countries through the YMCA since 1893. As well, the sport of basketball was brought forth at the Berlin Olympics in 1936. As we speak, the game of basketball has become a very popular professional sport.
Catherine Kenyeres is a successful author and publisher for http://www.best-4u-tickets.com. Catherine has written numerous articles for the sports enthusiast.
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Whether you use aromatherapy as a stand alone or as a complementary first aid treatment there are several aromatic oils I’d like to recommend you have in your aromatic first aid kit. My recommendations include important details for you to consider when purchasing an oil, such as its Latin Name, Country of Origin, Method of Extraction and Part of the Plant Used. I also list the best oils to consider when creating a synergistic blend.
GERMAN CHAMOMILE (Matricaria recutita) - Certified Organic, Steam Distilled Flowers, both England and the USA grow and distill lovely oils.
German Chamomile is a lovely shade of deep blue - like Blue Tansy it can stain, so take care. Its aroma is deeply melodic and sweet. It reminds me of fresh mown hay!
Keywords: CALMING & ANTI-INFLAMMATORY As an Anti-inflammatory German Chamomile is my first choice when treating inflamed, irritated skin!
It acts as a sedative or pain reliever, for “angry” situations and feverish conditions including, burns, cuts, inflamed joints, migraine headache, teething pain, toothache, injuries, sprains, and swelling, as well as various aches and pains, arthritis, colic, cramps and stress related complaints.
A very relaxing and peaceful oil, German Chamomile quiets the mind and body by calming emotional feeling states. German Chamomile summons sleep and is excellent for insomnia.
Use it to relieve tension or stress-related headaches and intestinal spasms. A revitalizing and comforting tonic German Chamomile stimulates the production of red blood cells and is known to relieve aches and pains.
Good results have been reported for relieving distinctly feminine complaints like irregular menses, premenstrual tension, or menopausal upsets, as well as cystitis, rheumatic type pain and loss of appetite.
A highly respected oil for over 3,000 years, German Chamomile has a long history of helping skin conditions, such as dermatitis, boils, acne, rashes, eczema and psoriasis.
It regulates the skin’s natural sebum production and is outstanding for balancing dry, itchy or flaky skin conditions, as well as treating too oily or dry skin and sensitive skin types.
German Chamomile is effective when used in a carrier oil for direct application to your skin. Use it in a blend for soothing inflamed skin such as acne or barber’s rash. Because of its benign nature Chamomile may be used as a remedy for diaper rash.
Try a synergistic blend of German Chamomile with any of the following aromatic oils: Clary Sage, Frankincense, Geranium, Neroli, Petitgrain, Sandalwood, or Vetiver.
Please join me for part III in this series of articles to learn about the next essential oil I recommend you have in your aromatic first aid kit, Eucalyptus globulus.
Properly administered essential oils are a natural, safe and effective way to enhance your health and well-being and can produce satisfying results where other methods have failed.
Aromatherapy is a gentle and noninvasive complementary and alternative health care system used for balancing and synchronizing your body, mind, spirit and emotions to enhance your health. Please consult with your physician regarding your health concerns.
KG has utilized essential oils in her energy medicine practice for more than 30 years. During that time she has facilitated healing for thousands of people suffering from personal trauma, illness and injury. Through her unique AromaTest system KG formulates essential oil blends that heal.
Please note: There are many cheap, synthetic copies of aromatic oils, but these are not recommended for therapeutic use. For best results purchase the highest quality oils you can possibly find. Use organic, or ethically wild crafted oils whenever possible.
KG Stiles is a certified aromatherapist practicing in Ashland, OR USA PurePlant Essentials is her line of pure organic and ethically wild crafted essential oils. KG formulates aromatic oils for: colds and flu, insomnia, stress, anxiety, depression, menopause, anti-aging, skin care and more. KG’s DVD & book about her AromaTest system, “Your Aromatic Signature ~ How to Formulate Blends that Heal,” are scheduled for release in 2006. Click to see PurePlant Essentials Menu & Essential Oils Kits: Order Pure Organic & Wild Crafted Essential Oils Kit Click to see and order Complete Essential Oils Kit. KG invites you to Subscribe to Health Mastery Ezine to WIN FREE Aromatherapy Products. To learn more visit: Subscribe To Win Contact: KG Stiles at Springhill Wellness Center, 2520 Springhill Drive Ashland, OR USA (541) 941-7315
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