More and Better Marketing Verse

Many sales problems can be solved
By sickly sweet smell of lost touch as they have...
Reality through the brain is the world involved
floating in the quiet ecstasy of cobalt wave.

Does Your Company Need More Marketing? Or Just Better Marketing?

Many sales problems can be solved by improved marketing. Selling harder is often not the solution. More . . . or just better . . . marketing may be what's needed. Marketing presents a special problem for any company that has not yet developed a professionally staffed marketing department. This article looks at the various marketing functions. It describes some successful approaches to determining when to add "more" marketing to your company.
In The Beginning
Most successful companies grow from a small enterprise based on the founder's idea or vision. In the early stages, the founder usually plays many roles. It's common to see a founder handling engineering and/or sales roles. As the company succeeds and grows, many of these tasks are delegated to others.
The one area most often key to the long term success of the company is the function of marketing. This article covers:

• The marketing functions
  
• The problems they can prevent or solve
  
• The contributions you can expect from marketing
  

Marketing: The Difference Between Buying And Selling

The definition of marketing has been attempted by many authors. It is commonly referred to as the process of relating the potential customers' needs and wants to the company, and then addressing the company's solutions to meet those needs and wants back to the marketplace.

We have described marketing as the process of focusing on Who the customer really is, and What the customer is actually buying from you . . . rather than what you're selling. What customers can buy from your firm . . . that they cannot buy from another . . . is the real reason they do business with you.

The marketing functions within your company that support this work can be divided into product marketing and marketing services to support demand creation and sales. Both functions are necessary to have an effective marketing effort. However, they are distinct. How much of each you need . . . and who should perform these duties . . . are important issues.

What Is Product Marketing?

The classic definition of product marketing includes the issues of product, price, promotion, and sales channel (place). The concept of product marketing holds true whether your company is a "product" or a "service" company. In the case of a service company, your "product" is the service provided.

To succeed, these product marketing issues (product, price, promotion, and place) must be handled so they are effective from the customer's point of view. In the beginning, these issues are usually a key part of the founder's vision. When the company succeeds, they often become too complex . . . and too important . . . to be handled part-time, by the chief executive.

Product marketing works over two different frameworks, each important, and fundamentally very different. These two areas are strategic and tactical.

Strategic Marketing

Strategic product marketing is the future component of the marketing problem. Strategic issues include:

• What business is your company in?
  
• What business should you be in?
  
• What products or services should be designed and offered?
  
• What technical capabilities need to be developed within the company or acquired from outside the company?
  

Other related strategic issues include:

• Marketing channel strategies (How do you reach your customers, then sell and deliver the goods?)
  
• Competitive positioning (What sets your company apart in the minds of your customers?)
  
• A complete understanding of, and ability to communicate to customers, What they can buy from your company that they cannot buy from any other company.
  

The strategic role requires a person who is a generalist, with a broad view of the market, the industry, and the company. This is the role most usually maintained by the founder/CEO. Portions of this strategic function may be provided by a senior marketing manager or by outside consultants.

Tactical Marketing

Tactical product marketing deals with issues that relate to the success of current products or services. These include:

• New products or services introductions
  
• Promotion of existing products
  
• Development of marketing programs and literature that are effective in reaching the customer
  
• Communicating the unique position that separates your company from your competitors
  
• Ensuring that the sales channels are being used effectively to reach customers
  

The development of tactical plans is a product marketing function. The execution of some of these tactical items may be accomplished by marketing services, as described next.

The tactical role requires a person with the desire and skills to "get it done." Both tactical and strategic roles require great communications skills, and the ability to deal successfully with a wide range of peo-ple, both inside and outside your company.

What Are Marketing Services?

Marketing Services executes tactical marketing programs. This may include sales contests, public relations, advertising, trade shows, dealer programs, direct mail campaigns, etc. This function manages or provides the creative, and produces items such as brochures, advertisements, press releases, trade shows, etc.

There is obviously an overlap between tactical marketing and marketing services in the area of defining and planning these programs. A senior, experienced, marketing services professional may be able to perform some of the functions of tactical marketing. Unfortunately, many times we place an excellent marketing services person in a position which really is tactical marketing . . . and the results are not satisfactory.

Marketing Services' function is to create and manage the tools, support materials, and collateral that tactical marketing has determined necessary to effectively implement the programs designed to achieve the strategy.

Skilled marketing services professionals have excellent input regarding these tools and materials to assure effective results. Asking them to perform the tactical product marketing function is quite another thing!

What Do Marketing Problems Look Like?

Sometimes it's easy to see a marketing problem. One example of this is a stalled product.

You've spent many months developing a new product and feel sure of its merits in the marketplace. You've introduced the product, but it seems to be going nowhere. What do you need to do to take advantage of your investment and ensure the success of the new product (and perhaps your company)?

• Should you lower the price?
  
• Should you raise the price?
  
• Do you need to spend money on advertising?
  
• Do you need to kick off a public relations campaign?
  
• Do you need new sales channels, or do you need a program to "kick start" your existing channels?
  

Obviously some of these issues are tactical product marketing. Some may involve marketing services, or the problem may be fundamentally strategic.

Possibly, you have an unneeded or unwanted product or service. Maybe you have not fully determined what the differences are your product or service provides which are valuable to potential customers.

Another example of a potential marketing challenge is an important new product introduction.

• How do you ensure that you get the best press coverage?
  
• Should you introduce the product at a trade show? Or with a press conference? Or with a press tour?
  
• What literature and sales tools will you need?
  
• Does this new product (or service) fit your existing sales channel?
  
• What is the competitive environment in which this product will be introduced?
  
• How should the product be priced and positioned to take maximum advantage of the competitive situation
  
• What do your prospective customers think of the new product?
  

Again, some of these problems are tactical and some are Marketing Services. Executing an effective new product launch by relegating the planning and execution to Marketing Services, or worse, to your advertising agency, is a mistake. Given that 90% of new product introductions fail to achieve their sales goals, perhaps it's time to consider that the execution may not be the problem. Perhaps there was never a viable plan.

Sometimes it's more difficult to recognize the problem as belonging to marketing. It can still clearly be rooted there however. An example of this is the conflict between sales and the factory. Often the conflict looks like this:

The salespeople are frustrated. They see opportunity they can't turn into business, and they blame the factory for not listening to them, and for being unresponsive.

The sales person says, "Why don't they hear what I am telling them?" The factory staff in this case is often frustrated with field sales. "Why can't they just sell what we have?", is a common question from the factory.

Are the salespeople just complaining, so you should disregard them? Are the factory people being too "hardheaded?" Or is it possible that a marketing job, clearly defining the position of the product and communication of this to sales, has not been done?

If sales does not know the positioning, you will be getting inconsistent results and information from them. Has this happened to you?

Some marketing problems are easier to identify. You have an idea for a wonderful new product. But,

• What features should it have?
  
• What is the importance to your customers of each feature?
  
• Is there something else even more important about which you are unaware?
  
• How do you tell the story of the product so that you can get your sales people excited, and your customers to buy?
  

To answer these questions, what do you do? Do you conduct a focus group? Or a user survey? By phone, or letter, or face-to-face interviews? Or just design it, release it, and hope you were right?

The bottomline is that all of the above scenarios describe marketing problems which can be solved with the right marketing talent. Whether that expertise is full-time or a part-time, on-staff or from outside services are trade-offs you make to get the best solution your budget can afford.

Final Thoughts

The key to marketing is to see your company as you are seen by your customers. If you're satisfied with your company's results and feel that the future of your company is secure, then you may have all the marketing you need.

If you feel better results are needed, that you should be selling more, or your profits should be higher, or you should be doing a better job of satisfying your customers . . . then you should seriously consider adding marketing talent to your team.

(c) 1991, 2002 Customer Manufacturing Group

Author, Mitchell Gooze, is the president and founder of Customer Manufacturing Group. For a free subscription to Customer Manufacturing Updates, e-mail us at info@customermfg.com, call (800) 947-0140 or visit the company website at www.customermanufacturing.com.

Selling Scare Verse

Why Am I Afraid to Sell?

Relationship marketing. It's the backbone of a successful online business. Fail to forge online relationships and your business will suffer. Simple enough concept, right? But what does "relationship marketing" really mean? Simply put, it refers to the principle that, in order to be successful in business, especially online since it's such an anonymous medium, you need to establish a relationship of trust with your site visitors and ezine readers before you can expect them to do business with you. It requires a commitment to customer service and a willingness to help others for no certain reward other than the satisfaction of helping another and building for yourself and your business a reputation of credibility and trustworthiness.

At the end of the day, though, if your business is to be successful, you have to turn a buck. One of the most common anxieties expressed by new (and even not so new) online entrepreneurs, though, is that they don't want to come across as "selling something" to those with whom they have forged the very relationship that is a prerequisite to actually making the sale!

In other words, the focus on "relationship marketing" has been so much on the relationship that the marketing begins to feel crass and a violation of trust. Many new online business owners report that they feel like they're taking advantage of the trust of those with whom they have forged a bond. Of course, there's no reason to feel any such thing so long as you believe in what it is you're selling and that it's something that will benefit your customers. If you don't feel this way, then your bad feelings are well placed. You ARE taking advantage!

The discomfort associated with selling is not restricted to the business owner, either. I have received several indignant emails over the course of the past year or so from readers of my ezine in response to promotions I have run for programs I actively promote. The recurring theme of these sorts of communications is that I have a "responsibility" to my readers because they've come to rely on me as an authoritative source of information and I have somehow breached this responsibility by doing something so crass as to actually market the programs I promote to earn part of my online income. Some have even gone so far as to suggest that, since I accept paid advertising in my ezine, I should be content with that revenue stream and not seek to make money by promoting outside programs.

My response to this line of reasoning is simply that I'm running a BUSINESS. I'm not working nights and weekends on my site and on my ezine out of the goodness of my heart. I'm just not that noble, believe me. I have a profit motive. Despite what some people seem to think, a profit motive is NOT, in and of itself, a Bad Thing. A profit motive is only a Bad Thing when one misleads, deceives and otherwise takes advantage of the trust of another to pursue that profit. There's no reason to apologize or feel guilty for wanting to make an honest profit.

How about you? Do you have just a twinge of uneasiness when it comes to marketing your products and services? Here are some ideas to help you overcome the reticence you may feel in pursuing sales from your prospective customers and how to manage these relationships so that your customer understands that, although you are there to help them, you are also out to help yourself by earning an honest living.

CRYSTALLIZE YOUR PURPOSES

The very first thing you need to do is decide what it is you're really doing when you create your website or publish your ezine. Is it a hobby or is it a business? The difference, respectively, is the absence or presence of a profit motive. If it's a hobby, fine. Don't try and turn a profit, just enjoy yourself and make just enough to cover your expenses if you can. But if it's a business, understand that making a profit is non-negotiable. It's the reason for your business's existence. You will no doubt have several purposes. But the profit motive is key.

Do whatever it takes to crystallize your purposes. For some people, just thinking about it and making a mental decision is sufficient. For others, crystallization requires seeing it in black and white. If that's you, write down your purposes. Again, though, if you're running a business rather than indulging in a hobby, turning a profit must be on your list of purposes (unless, I suppose, you're running a non-profit business but we'll leave that aside for present purposes). Recognize that purpose for what it is. Embrace it. PURSUE it with a vengeance. It's nothing to be ashamed or coy about. So long as you intend to do so, and actually do so, by legitimate, honest and ethical means, give yourself permission to aggressively chase a dollar. Why crystallize your purposes in this way? Because they'll keep you on track when you're confronted by the naysayers who'll inevitably pop up in your porridge.

BE BUSINESSLIKE AND PROFESSIONAL

The concept of "relationship marketing" does NOT mean getting up close and personal with your customers. You'll save yourself a lot of grief and angst if you just keep things businesslike and professional - friendly to be sure, but not *overly* personal. It's possible to be friendly and helpful in a professional, businesslike manner without stepping over the line into the personal. The people you're dealing with are not your friends, they're your customers. Of course, over time, you may become friends with certain people who started out as customers. But don't start from the position that you have to be friends with your customers in order to engage in relationship marketing. You don't. Keep it businesslike and professional and you won't raise any unrealistic expectations.

ACT IN ACCORDANCE WITH YOUR BUSINESS'S BEST INTERESTS

One way of keeping yourself in check is by constantly testing your decisions against the criteria "is this decision in the best interests of my business?". If so, do it, recognizing that something can be in the best interests of your business even if it doesn't involve cash flowing in your direction. If not, don't. Occasionally, it will be in the best interests of your business to do something that may be perceived by your customer as a personal favor. An example might be giving a refund for a purchase under circumstances where the customer is not strictly entitled to one and where you have an ongoing relationship with the customer. You do so in the interests of customer service and this is certainly an example of something that is in your business's best interests.

Sometimes, however, customers can take advantage of such a policy. To forestall this type of problem, if you decide to do something that benefits your customer/reader/visitor over and above what they have an entitlement to, make it clear, in a subtle way, that you are doing so for business reasons. Be prepared to set limits though. Know how far you are prepared to go before it stops being a business decision and becomes a personal one and to the detriment of your business interests.

Being uncomfortable saying "no" is not a good enough reason to sacrifice your business's best interests if that's the right decision in all the circumstances.

BE DIRECT AND HONEST

Don't be shy about promoting your products and services and letting your prospective customers know you would like for them to purchase from you. Be direct, open and honest about it. For example, if someone emails me and asks for my advice about how to get started in an online business of their own, I'll recommend products that I think will benefit them. Typically, I recommend Cookie Cutter and Cash Cow if they're new to internet marketing. Why? Firstly, I believe in both products and think they give the newbie an efficient, cost-effective way of learning a lot about how online businesses work in a short period of time.

Secondly, I am an affiliate of both programs and earn $20 a pop each time I sell one. Would I recommend any products that are directly relevant to my business that I don't have a financial interest in? No. Why? I have a profit motive. My time is money. The key is, I believe in the products. If I thought there were better products out there than the ones I was promoting I'd recommend them too. But only after I signed up as an affiliate so I could make a profit from my recommendation.

On the other hand, occasionally I'm asked to recommend a webhost. I'm an inactive affiliate of one of the major webhosting companies but I never recommend them because I think they're too expensive. In this case, I refer the enquirer to the webhost I use for my own site. I'm not an affiliate of theirs and I have no financial interest in making the recommendation. I'm not particularly interested in webhosting as a product to promote so I haven't bothered (yet) to sign up for my webhost's affiliate program. It's just an honest recommendation, just as Cookie Cutter/Cash Cow is an honest recommendation. The only difference is, I make money on the latter and why not? The point is, so long as you're making an honest recommendation, there's no reason why you can't make a profit at the same time. It's a win-win situation. So stop being afraid to sell. It's the reason your business exists and it won't if you don't.

Written by Elena Fawkner, editor of the award-winning A Home-Based Business Online ... practical home business ideas, resources and strategies for the work-from-home entrepreneur: http://www.ahbbo.com.

Heat Sales Serenade

10 Scorching Ways To Heat Up Your Sales

1. Email each visitor a satisfaction questionnaire after they purchase. This will allow you to improve your order system, customer service, site, etc.

2. Give a percentage of your profits to a cause your customers would like. It could be a charity, school, environmental improvements, etc.

3. Take harsh criticism the right way and improve your online business. Don't get down in the dumps, improve the situation so it doesn't happen again.

4. Try bartering before you buy services, supplies and equipment for your business. You can use the extra money you save on advertising your business.

5. Give away a follow-up email course on an auto-responder. Include your ad with each lesson. People will buy quicker when they see your ad repeatedly.

6. Make sure your classified ads don't sound like an ad. Don't ask people to buy anything or they won't click, give something away instead.

7. Give your free bonus products extra perceived value. Don't use the phrase "free bonuses" use the phrase "you will also get".

8. Keep your visitors on your web site longer. The longer they stay, the greater chance they will buy. Just hold a treasure hunt contest on your web site.

9. Make sure you're always creating new products and services or improving old ones. Most products or services won't stand the test of time online.

10. Split the cost of online advertising and marketing by sharing a web site with a similar, non-competing business. You would both put up half the cost.

Over 40,000 Free eBooks & Web Books when you visit: http://www.ldpublishing.com.

Sales Turning Up Poem

10 Amplifying Ways To Turn Up Your Sales Volume

1. Make your potential customers forget about the competition. Just tell them to forget with a factual and believable reason why they should.

2. Joint venture with your competition if you can't beat them. You could agree to work together and beat the other competition then share the profits.

3. Visit chat rooms were your potential customers would gather. You can lurk and do market research or mention your product to people.

4. Make your web site sticky by building a large directory of web sites your visitors would enjoy. It saves them precious time searching for them.

5. Start a free-to-join business association from your web site. Just ask all members to place your association logo and link on their web site.

6. Make extra revenue for your web site by selling advertising space on your web site, in your e-zine, in your free ebooks, on your classified ad site, etc.

7. Switch your marketing plan when your market dies for your product. Be flexible and redesign your product for a different market.

8. Make your web site worth revisiting. Give your visitors original content, free ebooks, information web site links, free useful software, etc.

9. Build your opt-in e-mail list using an FFA (free-for-all links page). People can submit links to your links page and you can send them a thanks e-mail.

10. Reward your customers for giving you product feedback. It could be discounted products, useful software, information products, etc.

Over 40,000 Free eBooks & Web Books when you visit: http://www.ldpublishing.com.

Sales Gaining Ode

10 Ways To Gain An Avalanche Of Sales

1. Utilize holidays to increase your visitors or sales. You could give away free electronic greeting cards, hold discounts, send customers holiday cards, etc.

2. Become well known by speaking or chatting at seminars. The seminars could be held offline, in a chat room, by telephone or via e-mail.

3. Start a free ebook club on your web site. People could sign up to receive a free ebook from you each month. Just include your product ad in the ebooks.

4. Give away your products or expertise to internet business newbies. Just ask them in return to place your link on their web site.

5. Trigger your visitors to buy your products by using colors. You should totally relax and think about which colors would compel prospects to order.

6. Let your past offline customers know about your web site. When they visit and sign up to your e-zine it will remind them to shop at your online store.

7. Create a long term relationship with your entire customer base. You can stay in touch with them through an e-zine, with greeting cards, etc.

8. Repeat the 3 most powerful or appealing benefits throughout your ad copy. Repetition can brand your product's benefits quicker in your prospects mind.

9. Give your new customers surprise free gifts. This will increase their loyalty and give you more word of mouth advertising.

10. Make your long ad copy interesting enough so people click through to the next web page. If it's not, they won't take the time to click and read more.

Over 40,000 Free eBooks & Web Books when you visit: http://www.ldpublishing.com.

Use Affiliates for Selling Ode

How selling through Affiliates works...
You peer into brain and defile mind troll,
Then pull out the heart bottle's cork -
Crazy potato heads, where're the fish rolls?

Don't Overpay for Selling your Products. Use Affiliates

How selling through Affiliates works...

I bet that if you aren't yet into selling your products through Affiliates it's because you didn't look for the benefits. And I can also bet that when you are thinking about doing more sales, you are thinking about hiring a new Sales Manager or paying for some advertisements.

No secret that the newly hired Sales will spend about 6 months trying to understand your products and the market (but, well, he gets paid even if he makes no sales in the learning time) and even when he starts selling it will still take 6 months to get him up to speed. About the advertisements, they are a sure cost and a not so sure result.

If you have been there and have done that (or just thinking on doing it) what about hiring not one but 1000 sales people (and promote your products widely) only paying a commission from sales made? If that sounds good, then you are already thinking to sell your products through affiliates - the pay per performance model.

I'm not sure if you know how selling through Affiliates works. Keeping the explanation on the most basic level, it's about Affiliates (webmasters, companies or individuals) that pre-sale your products on their sites and get rewarded for every successful sale. They promote your products on their sites, and should get a commission from the sales they generate. Each one is a Salesman for your products.

Now, let's talk about the benefits:

• It's cost effective

You don't have to pay 1000 sales people, you don't even have to pay a single one. You don't have to pay for advertisements. You only pay a commission for successful sales. Think about affiliates as "external sales forces".

• It's the best way to penetrate new markets

No matter what products you have on sale, selling in Asia would be completely different from selling in USA. Selling in USA will be completely different from selling in Europe. How many sales people you need to target each market and each country? Well you only need affiliates. They know the niche markets and know how to promote your products there. It's like having a local sales force. Which you only pay on results!

• Have a niche product?

No problem, Affiliates are niche marketers. Actually the best practices in affiliate marketing point that you should follow a niche and get the best Search Engine position for it. That means the affiliate will get a good Search Engine position for your niche product - could help for your position in front of the competition.

• Increase your sales

If you are in the race of increasing sales, the affiliates do just that: they bring multiple sales from multiple sources. And actually, these sales will be made through your site or payment solution. With Affiliates, sales can only go up.

• Increase the awareness of your products

What would you say if your products will be listed, mentioned or at least linked from thousands of sites? Not so bad. It's called Affiliate Marketing.

• Create Added value to your products

Some of your affiliates might be experts in your field, and with a genuine interest in testing and evaluating your products. You don't have to pay for it, because they expect to be paid a commission from sales.

Still not convinced? Amazon is doing it (and thousands others) so they must be doing something right.

This article was written by Cristian Dorobantescu, Affiliate Network Coordinator at Avangate B.V. Avangate is a complete ecommerce provider for shareware sales incorporating an easy to use and secure online payment system plus additional software marketing services and sales tools:
http://www.avangate.com. Copyright © 2007.

Salesman Verse

If You Respect Them, They Will Buy - Closing the Sale

We've all had the unfortunate experience of being convinced by a pushy salesperson to buy something we weren't sure we wanted. You may have really wanted the product, but after being pushed into buying it, you don't want it anymore. You either return it or you never patronize the store again.

Since you resent the experience, don't recreate it for others when you are trying to sell. If you didn't appreciate being pressured and disrespected, no one else will either. When trying to close a sale, you must always respect the opinions and thoughts of the buyer. If all you care about is your payoff, then you will drive customers away. They will be afraid to buy from you, thinking that you will always try and convince them to buy things they don't want.

Here are some helpful tips to help you close a sale with class:

1. Be kind and considerate: Don't try to fool the customer. You will get a lot further if you're really trying to help them, instead of just helping yourself.

2. Give them a direct request: You can let them know what you want them to do. Don't be afraid to ask for the order or sale. The customer will know you are being honest if you tell them what you really want them to do.

3. Give them two choices: Explain that, on the one hand, if they buy the product, they will be receiving these benefits. Then explain that if they don't buy, they will be losing out in certain ways. People like to have the pros and cons laid out for them. It helps them make a decision the smart way.

4. Give them plenty of room to think: Don't pressure them. As I mentioned above, people resent purchases they were pressured into. Real persuasion doesn't involve pushiness. The choice belongs to your customers, so let them make it.

We learn at a very early age how to persuade people to do what we want them to. Some of us learn it better than others, but EVERYONE can LEARN to use simple persuasion techniques to make their life better. Often, earning more, finding the perfect mate, being pushed around less, and being happier in life don't have anything to do with you as a person. It has more to do with knowing a few simple rules of persuasion.

Author, Jian Wang is a master in the art of persuasion. His ebook, "Hypnotic Persuasion: How to Get Anything You Want," is a truly inspirational read, filled with the wisdom to help you gain control of your own mind and convince others without resistance. These techniques can be used to improve business, sales, relationships, and your overall well-being. For more information visit http://www.mrchange.com.

Crank Sales Ode

When you make your first sale
There, yet the rat ate the other rat:
Things are not always as they appear -
Once upon a time there was a little cat...

3 Hot Ways To Crank Up Your Sales

1) QUICK FOLLOW-UPS

When you make your first sale, follow-up with the customer. You could follow-up with a "thank you" email and include an advertisement for another product you sell. You can be more subtle including the offer within your signature file.

Another way is to take your customer to a "thank you" web page right after they order. You should thank them for their order and next begin to tell them about another product you sell. You could also include a picture or graphic of your product.

2) UPSELL ADD-ONS

You could upsell to your customers. When they're at your order page, tell them about a few extra related products you have for sale. They could just add it to their original order.

Besides upselling on your order pages, you could give them a choice of a basic or deluxe edition of your product right in your sales letter. Your deluxe edition would include add-on products with a higher price.

3) REBATES FOR SALES

Tell your customers if they refer four customers to your web site, they will receive a full rebate of their purchase price. This will turn one sale into three sales.

An additional option would be to give your customer a rebate on one of their products if they would buy two extra products. This type of rebate can double your sales.

QUICK READ SUMMARY

1. Follow-up with customers to sell extra products using "thank you" e-mails and web pages.

2. Upsell to your prospects with differently priced packages and product add-ons.

3. Give your customers rebates for their purchases when they buy extra products and give referrals.

Over 40,000 Free eBooks & Web Books when you visit: http://www.ldpublishing.com.

Increase Sales Blowing Opus

10 Mind Blowing Ways To Increase Your Sales

1. Show your prospects how much enthusiasm you have for your product and business. If you're convincing enough, they will be enthusiastic too.

2. End your sales letter or ad copy with a strong closing. It could be a free bonus, a discount price, a benefit reminder, an ordering deadline, etc.

3. Please your complaining customers. You can refund their money, give them a discount, give them a free gift, solve the problem quickly, etc.

4. Make your customers get excited about your business and they will tell their friends. Give them a free vacation certificate, a coupon, etc.

5. Give your prospects extra confidence so they will order. Use endorsements, testimonials, a strong guarantee or warranty, etc.

6. Build your opt-in list by allowing your visitors to sign up for a free e-zine, ebooks, software, contests, sweepstakes, etc.

7. Give your prospects or customers a breath of fresh air. Don't be afraid to design your web site and ad copies different from everyone else.

8. Allow your customers to get part of your total offer right after they order. If you have to ship the item, make one of your bonuses available online.

9. Write and submit articles to e-zine publishers or webmasters. If you want it to be published, it should be like an article and not like an ad.

10. Show your prospects that you are an expert, because authority can persuade people to buy. You could publish an article, write an ebook, etc.

Over 40,000 Free eBooks & Web Books when you visit: http://www.ldpublishing.com.


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Testing Sales and Marketing Poem

7 Tips for Testing Your Sales and Marketing

One marketing technique may work wonders for someone, but that doesn't guarantee that it'll do the same for you. The only way to really know what works for YOUR products and YOUR target audience is to experiment. Testing and experimentation are crucial to increasing your profits.

1. Try using the occasional pop-up window to get more subscribers to your newsletter. Some people *really* hate these, so use them sparingly. For example, you could have a window pop up only the first time someone visits your site ... or you could have one appear whenever someone leaves your site. Try different scenarios to see what works best.

2. Change the price of your product and see what impact it has on sales. Even if your sales drop, you may still come out ahead when it comes to profits. Note: your sales may not drop at all; I increased the price of my own booklet from $12.95 to $19.95 and sales stayed the same. You never know until you try.

3. Test different sales copy on your website and in your autoresponder. Should you come on strong, be subtle, be extremely detailed? Does long sales copy do better than short copy, or vice versa? Do you get more sales by spreading your sales copy on multiple pages, or by putting it all on one page? Be sure to make backups of your previous work; if you find the new copy kills sales, you can always restore the previous version.

4. Track your advertising. There are a number of commercially available ad tracking packages that can help you see which ads are working well and which aren't. Discard anything that doesn't work, and try to improve on ads that appear to work well.

5. Experiment with the navigation of your website. For example, change the number of clicks required to get to your ordering page, or change the flow of navigation so that your visitor always ends up at an ordering page.

6. Test different types of links. You might try short ads in the margins of your web pages vs. text links within the context of an article, for example.

7. Test response rates between direct links to your sales page and the use of a follow-up autoresponder. Sometimes people just need an extra 'push' or a reminder to order. (make sure your autoresponder has an easy way for your prospect to unsubscribe)

Angela runs several successful sites dedicated to helping beginners profit from the Internet. Her new web magazine, Online Business Basics, features step-by-step tutorials for eBusiness 'newbies'. To take the guesswork out of starting and building an Internet business, click over to http://www.onlinebusinessbasics.com.

Autoresponder Courses Poem

20 Ways To Increase Your Traffic And Sales Using Free Follow-Up Autoresponder Courses

An autoresponder course is a group of articles or information set up to be sent out separately over a set period of time by e-mail. People just e-mail your autoresponder to receive the free course and it is sent out automatically over time. You can find free follow-up autoresponders to use by typing it into any search engine. Below are ten ways to use them to increase your traffic and sales.

1. Offer your course as a free bonus for purchasing one of your main products or services. People will buy your products quicker when you offer a bonus.

2. When you write and give away a free course you will become known as an expert. This'll gain people's trust and they will buy your main product quicker.

3. Allow others to add your free course to their own product packages. Their customers will see your ad when they purchase.

4. People love to get freebies. A free autoresponder course is perfect. They will visit your web site to get the free valuable information.

5. Allow people to receive your course for free, if they give you the e-mail addresses of 3 to 5 friends or associates that would be interested.

6. Allow other people to give away your free course. This will increase the number of people that will see your ad in the course.

7. You could trade advertising space in your course for other forms of advertising. It could be banner ads, e-zine ads, web site ads, etc.

8. Gain new leads by having people sign up and give you their contact info before they can receive your autoresponder course.

9. Give away the autoresponder course as a free gift to your current customers as a way of letting them know you appreciate their business.

10. Give away the course to people that join your affiliate program. This will increase the number of people that sign-up.

11. Make money selling advertising space in your course. You could charge for small classified ads or sponsor ads.

12. Get free advertising by submitting your course to freebie web sites. This will increase the number of people that will see your ads in the course.

13. Make money by selling the reprint rights to those people that would like to sell the course. You could make more money by selling the master rights.

14. Hold a contest on your web site so people could win your course. You will get free advertising when you submit your contest to free contest directories.

15. You'll gain valuable referrals from people telling others about your course. Word of mouth advertising can be very effective.

16. Make money cross promoting your course with other people's products or services. This technique will double your marketing effort.

17. Increase your e-zine subscribers by giving your course to people that subscribe to your e-zine. This'll give people an incentive to subscribe.

18. Allow your affiliates to use the free course as a promotional tool for your product. Each lesson could include their affiliate link.

19. Promote other businesses affiliate programs you join with your free autoresponder course. Include a different affiliate link on each lesson.

20. Advertise a different product or service on each lesson. If you only have one, use different emotional response ads on each lesson.

Over 40,000 Free eBooks & Web Books when you visit: http://www.ldpublishing.com.

Energize Your Sales Opus

10 Shocking Ways To Energize Your Sales

1. Start your own internet radio station. It could be related to the theme of your web site and you could advertise your products over the station.

2. Turn your banner ad into a trivia question. Post the question on the banner and tell readers they can win a prize if they answer the question at your site.

3. Motivate people to buy your product. Tell them a lot of positive things like "You can now reach your goals and change your life if you buy our product".

4. Get your sales letters and web site evaluated for free. Visit business discussion boards and ask other discussion participants to evaluated them.

5. Get your products or services evaluated for free. You can give your product for free in exchange for evaluations and even testimonials.

6. Keep your loyal customers happy because they are your future profits. Give them discounts and free gifts as often as possible.

7. Clone your advertisements all over the internet by allowing your visitors to give your online freebies away. Just include your ad somewhere inside it.

8. Make it easy for your affiliates to make sales. Give them proven ads to use, make it easy for prospects to order and provide helpful affiliate stats.

9. Persuade e-zine publishers or webmasters to run your ad for free. Just allow them to join your affiliate program and earn commission on the sales.

10. Make your products sell quickly by adding a ton of bonuses. You could get the free bonuses for little or no cost buy joint venturing with other businesses.

Over 40,000 Free eBooks & Web Books when you visit: http://www.ldpublishing.com.