by: Jackie Ulmer

What's that you say? You can't sell?

Oh, you must be right, although you are selling me right now!

A good friend of mine once said to me, "Life is sales."

What a profound statement! Think about it! Life IS sales. We sell all day, every day.

We just don't realize or acknowledge the fact that we are selling.

Why is that? I believe it is because we have adopted some misguided beliefs regarding selling.

The interesting thing to keep in mind is that of higher income earners around the world, a large percentage come from the world of sales. Many from direct selling!

When you think about sales, what comes to mind?

Chances are, it's the pushy, arrogant, over-zealous, quick-to-the-close type that you've done business with in the past.

But, is that truly what Sales is about?

I don't think so.

True sales is about sharing information. It's about finding out what the other person needs and then meeting that need.

It's about creating a win-win situation for everyone.

When was the last time you told someone about a great movie, referred a family physician or lavished praise and recommendations on the new restaurant in town?

This is sales in its purest form!

You perceive a product or service that could possibly meet the need of someone else. (A great place to eat or entertaining movie, etc.)

You share the information with someone else, in an effort to meet a need they may have.

Your friend either accepts or rejects the suggestion and you both move on about your business.

If your friend likes the suggestion and acts on it, you feel a sense of satisfaction.

If your friend does not, you just move on, realizing that there was no interest or need at this time.

Your friend was not rejecting you.

You don't try to overcome objections, attempting to coerce him/her into "buying" what you are offering.

You are detached from the outcome.

Oh, and either way, you don't get paid.

Perhaps this is why it's so easy for you to offer your suggesting.

Now, think about using this same process with a product or service that you offer.

Think of presenting your business idea to a friend, relative or acquaintance in the same way.

Just share the information!

See if there is a need to be met by what you are offering.

Don't try to sell or overcome objections.

Just listen and offer information.

If your friend acts on that information and buys your product or service, GREAT! You have met a need and delivered value.

Oh, and you get paid! That's okay!

If your friend does not choose to act on the information, that's okay, too. You can still go on about your business.

You both win in either case.

You aren't selling! You are sharing!

And, over time, using this strategy, you will move up into the ranks of the higher income earners around the world!

So, what's that you say about not being able to sell? Good, can you just try sharing?

About The Author

Jackie Ulmer, a veteran Home Business Owner, has coached thousands of men and women on starting a successful home business. Her free newsletter provides tips, resources and more for home businesses. She can be reached through her web site at http://www.streetsmartwealth.com/

by: Randy Lever

Trust.

One word.

One very powerful word that can increase both first time and repeat sales to an unlimited degree.

Trust.

What is it? Why is it so important? How do you get it?

Confidence in you from your cutomers, builds relationships and as a result, more sales, and through excellent customer service.
That's the short and sweet of it.

Now, how about a little more meat to it.

What is trust and why is it so important?

Definition: confidence in a person or thing because of the qualities one perceives or seems to perceive in him or it. (Webster's)

The confidence that any visitor or potential customer has about your business, service or product is the foundation of present and future success.

Before any potential customer even enters your site for the first time, there's this underlying feeling of distrust. It's automatic.

Either they're new to the Internet, received a poor product or service from a competitor or have already been scammed a few times.

Your first contact is either in some ad you placed in an ezine, classified, message board, banner, search engine description or some other form of advertising. Was it full of hype or were you honest in what your product or service delivers?

Once that customer enters your site and they don't see what was stated in your ad...........

goodbye, you just lost a sale and probably a lifetime customer.

If you can't be honest in your ad, then you're pobably not going to be with your product or service. So, why should that visitor stick around only to be disappointed or scammed again? Would you?

Do you know what happens when that visitor leaves your site? They email an ezine editor, friend, or leave a nasty little post on a message board about their not so wonderful experience with you, and you're credibility is gone.

How do you build that trust?

Believe it or not, it's not that hard. It does take effort and it's an ongoing process, not something you do once and forget about it.

Be Honest.

The importance of building trust really shows through here. Honesty should be at the front of your mind when you write up your ads and web site copy. Especially when that advertisement includes something free. Don't use free just to get visitors, your trust and credibility takes a hard nose dive when the "freebie" is junk.

Only write exactly what your product or service delivers and leave the hype and exageration out.

Don't Hype

I always skip over the ads that actually promise truckloads of money with little or no effort. Come on.

BIG BOLD HEADLINES are a sure sign of hype to nth degree. Promises that are impossible, like the truckloads of cash, are always a big giveaway. If your product doesn't have it or do it, then don't promise it.

Follow Up

If you've done everything right so far and you are making sales, don't forget about the customer. Follow up with a thank you letter. Add a special bonus that they didn't know about. Ask them if they like your product or service. Ask if there is anything else you can help them with.

Bottom line is, build a relationship without trying to always sell them something. Talk to them, not at them or down to them. Be their friend and actually help them out when they need it, if you can.

Use Testimonials on your site.

When you followed up with your customers and asked if they liked your product, then ask if you can use their comments on your site. Of course, you'll also include their name, email and website address.

Testimonials build enormous instant credibility. If a visitor to your site sees that there are already satisified customers, then you deliver what you say you will and you've kept in touch with that customer. Plus the name and email also keeps the visitor comfortable as they know that they can get in touch with that person to verify what they had to say was, in fact, true.

As you can see, building trust isn't all that hard.

Just be sincere. Be personable. Be available.

If you follow these few rules to help you gain trust and credibility among both your site's visitors and your peers, then you'll gain both lifetime customers of your product and lifetime relationships with some really good people.

About The Author

Randy Lever is the owner of the "Complete Internet Marketing Package", Marketing Profit. Learn the ins and outs of a successful ad campaign. http://www.glimmersmarketing.com/marketingprofit

by: Patty Baldwin

Everywhere you go on the Internet you find the words, "target market." What do they mean? What does it have to do with you? Well it has everything to do with your success in sales.

Let me give you an example. A few weeks ago an online entrepreneur asked me to review a direct sales presentation for him. Let's call him "Joe". His product and service is excellent. Top quality and performance, excellent customer service and support. The product will produce desired results for any business advertising online.

In this particular case, Joe's potential customer is in the furniture manufacturing business. The company owns a small chain of outlet stores and advertises on the Internet. Basically, an excellent candidate for Joe's offer.

Well, Joe sent me his package. In the offline world, it would have required UPS to deliver it with a hand truck! Now, that is an overstatement, but it consisted of a three-page cover letter, with four separate attachments and a CD presentation that he was going to mail as a follow-up.

Here's my response to Joe:

"What a tremendous amount of work you have put into this presentation.

Having been on the receiving end of proposals such as this, I must tell you that it would be the recipient of the "delete" key. Why? Too much to wade through. Too much for me to absorb. Too much for me to do. Nothing to compel me to read on.

Having said that, let's pretend for a moment that I am Mr. Jones.

1. Where are the needs development questions?

2. What tells me that you have done your homework and know about my industry?

3. What are my problems and how will you solve them?

4. How much does the average household spend on furnishings annually? (In the US it's about $1,000)

5. How are you going to help me capture a share of those dollars?

6. How has the economy affected my business?

7. What qualities separate my business from my competition?

8. How extensive and how important are brand names to my customers?

9. What are my specialty areas?

10. What market do I target and why?

11. Why do my customers keep coming back to my stores?

12. What are some of the hot buttons or copy points that you might use to target Mr. Jones?

13. What is his business terminology?

Joe, here are two sites that can help you develop a more "targeted" approach to Mr. Jones:

http://www.furniture-info.com/1061.htm

http://www.furniturestatistics.com/statisticalreviewsales.html

I hope this helps, Joe. Decision makers are bombarded daily and we must be ever diligent that we are focusing in on "WIIFM" (What's In It For Me)".

Now, what was the message to Joe? Do Your Homework. Mr. Jones doesn't give a rip about your product unless it can fulfill his needs, but first you have to know what those needs are.

Joe's presentation, which probably took him hours if not days to prepare, was a classic case of overkill. The two sites referred to would have given Joe all the ammunition he needed to prepare an effective presentation and in just a few short minutes.

By the way, the research tools that I use to study markets, trends, and individual sites are listed below. Both are free to download and are priceless.

http://www.copernic.com

http://www.alexa.com

Ready, Aim ... Get Ready To Fire!

About The Author

Patty Baldwin is a former Better Business Bureau executive and the owner of several online businesses. A successful net marketer, she invites you to visit any one of her sites at:


http://www.allbizservices.com


http://www.4bstrading.com


http://www.allbizwealth.com