Category: Funnel Marketing

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I have been running a small business for nearly ten years and have used various forms of marketing ideas to help promote my services and to attract new customers. In this article, I write about these marketing strategies which I hope will benefit the people who read it.

business, advertising, marketing, newspapers, radio, television, direct, leaflets, presentations

I have been running a small business for nearly ten years and have used various forms of marketing ideas to help promote my services and to attract new customers. In this article, I write about these marketing strategies which I hope will benefit the people who read it.

When I was twenty-three, I had what I believed was a good business idea. I was going to offer a speech coaching service as I had managed to overcome a speech impediment and believed that the techniques which had helped me could help other people as well.

It is all well and good having an idea but if no one knows about the service you are offering, it is basically worthless. I had no real business experience and was unsure on how to proceed. By reading a number of books on marketing for small businesses, I managed to find some potential routes which could help me to get started.

Direct marketing

This was one of the first areas I tried. I had a small leaflet produced which explained the speech coaching service that I was offering and then with the help of some friends and family, went around my local area delivering them. This was not as successful as I hoped it would be, however I am sure that this area of marketing could work well for other types of business.

Newspapers

I then decided to speculate to accumulate. I contacted a number of the local newspapers in my area and paid for an advertisment which would appear on a weekly basis. This advert would reach quite a large number of people and even though this was quite an expensive form of marketing, it did work for me in the early days.

Open days

I wanted to expand the area that I was going to offer my services. I decided to hold an open day or presentation in various parts of the country which would help to promote my business.

This was successful as newspapers were happy to report this open day free of charge, as it was a local event which would be of interest to their readers.

Yellow pages

I advertised in the yellow pages for a number of years but their prices just seemed to increase to an unrealistic level. More and more people now have access to the internet and I believe this is where they are more likely to search for the services they require. Yellow pages or as it is now called Yell, has become more expensive when in reality probably less people are using it.

Advertising in the yellow pages did prove successful for me for a number of years however, and is certainly an area of marketing which could work for other small businesses.

Websites

I paid a company to design and build me a website around seven years ago and this has by far been the best marketing investment I have made thus far. I have worked hard to promote this site and it is now doing well in the major search engines.

Radio and television marketing

This is an area of marketing which I have not tried as yet as it is very expensive. I have heard from other sources that advertising on the radio or television can be very beneficial for certain businesses, if they can afford the initial outlay.

I am sure there are many other ways of marketing a small business and I will seek them out in the future for my own business.

The above ideas are what I have learnt about and as you may have read, I have tried some of them myself with mixed success. Every business is obviously different and it is basically a form of trial and error to find which ones will work.

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Marketing plans are very necessary to your small business success. But, they’re not the end all answer. If you don’t have any way to put your marketing plans into play, they won’t produce any results.

small business marketing, marketing tips, marketing ideas, marketing strategy

You want to grow your small business, but how do you do that? Many of the small businesses I work with are not really sure what works best, or how, or where to get started.

We’re all familiar with the term Marketing, but what in the heck is it really supposed to do for us?

* Build brand awareness
* Build name recognition
* Increase market share
* Get more clients
* Generate referrals
* Create more repeat business

Maybe you’ve tried some things in the past like brochures, yellow pages advertising, Chamber of Commerce networking but were disappointed with the results so you stopped doing them. And it seems that others are always willing to give you advice. Never mind that they have no idea what they’re doing either.

You know you need to be marketing, so why isn’t it getting done? There are just so many other things to take care of when you are trying to run and grow a business.

Maybe you have a lot of ideas, but still nothing happens. Are you guilty of any of these common small business symptoms – over analysis? perfectionism? fear of failure?

If you can relate, there’s a good chance that your ideas never get off the drawing board and put into action. And your visions of taking your business to new heights never materialize.

Action Without Ideas Is No Good Either

There is an opposite end of the spectrum which is also quite dangerous to the long-term health of your business.

Action without ideas can lead to a lot of busy work without a lot of new business growth. You might get lucky because at least you’re taking action. But, the results are more likely to be less than what you expect or need.

You Need A Plan To Put Ideas Into Action

OK, so I’m not going to talk a whole lot today about the need to have a marketing plan. Obviously the first thing you need to do is be clear about where you’re headed and what you’d like to get accomplished. For more insight on marketing planning, visit my proven-small-business-marketing-solutionsxhcb web site.

For purposes of this article, I’m assuming you have some ideas, but just not the activity and results you need. You’ve studied up, learned some great techniques, pretty much know what you need to get done, and you have the best intentions. Then why is it you still don’t seem to get any marketing completed.

You see, while marketing plans are vital to your success, they’re not the end all answer. Left alone, marketing plans don’t produce any results.

In order to get your ideas into action, you need a little something more. Here are three things I suggest to start putting your marketing ideas into action for your business:

1. Create A Simple Action Plan

You need to have an action plan. In my experience, most marketing plans cover the “what you want to do,” but not necessarily the “plan to actually get it done.”

An action plan actually translates the “what” into the tasks and activities needed to complete each of the objectives. Your action plan needs to be in sufficient enough detail for you to know what it takes to get the strategies and tactics implemented.

Your marketing action plan could be as simple as a checklist of all the marketing activities you want to be implemented. Keep the checklist handy and check off the tasks and activities as they are completed.

A marketing checklist like this can act like a scorecard to keep track of what you’ve accomplished and what still needs to get done.

For some, a simple marketing checklist oriented action plan may not be quite enough. You may need to invest a little more time and energy in creating a more detailed plan to put your ideas into action.

Consider this approach… Start by identifying the three primary desired outcomes you’d like to have in the next six months. Now for each of those desired outcomes, identify three key things that need to be accomplished in the next 90 days towards achieving the outcome.

Then take each of those three key things and break it down in to three or four tasks that need to be completed. Maybe even limit it to key tasks that should get completed in the next 30 days. Finally, go back and start putting estimated complete by dates for everything you’ve outlined.

Now you’ve got an action plan to move you forward.

2. Create A Marketing Focus Calendar

Once you’ve determined what you need to put into action, schedule them on a calendar.

One of the classic problems small businesses experience is getting nothing done because they are so overwhelmed when they look at EVERYTHING that needs to get done.

Choose a small handful of the marketing strategies and tactics that you feel best about and you think will be most productive. Decide how often you’ll implement each idea. For example… attend five networking events per month, give one presentation per quarter, send one eZine per month, and go on two potential business partner lunches per month… You get the picture.

Now look at your calendar and start writing down activities for each of the months you want to get things done. Commit to at least a couple of significant marketing activities or tactics every month.

Look over the calendar to make sure it’s balanced with a decent mix of the approaches you’ve chosen. Track all of your marketing efforts so you know what to add, change or remove from the calendar.

Map out your marketing focus calendar and hang it up on the wall by your desk. This very simple tactic can be very powerful for putting your ideas into action. The key here is that you’re getting the plan down in a format that makes you more likely to stick with working the plan.

3. Schedule Marketing Appointments

Book a regularly scheduled appointment in your calendar for yourself. One of the best ways to force yourself to put your marketing into action is to schedule a marketing appointment like you would with your best client.

Don’t kid yourself. If you want great marketing results, it takes some regular and consistent effort on your part. You can create that regular and consistent effort by scheduling time for yourself. Then when the appointment is on the calendar, don’t schedule over it.

Don’t let anyone infringe upon this time, not even your best client – except under extreme circumstances. When someone wants to book an appointment with you that overlaps this time, tell them you’ve already got something scheduled and see where their flexibility is. It’s not important that they know that the scheduling conflict is time you’ve set aside for yourself.

Hold yourself accountable for making this appointment on time every time. Make productive use of your time by turning your ideas into actionable plans and working the action plans.

I’d predict that you’ll begin looking forward to this time as you start putting ideas into action and getting greater marketing results. Ideas without action will get you nowhere, so even a little action today is a good start. Ready? Go!

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If you are a mortgage broker or loan officer looking for a good source of marketing materials, here are a few simple things to consider.

If you are a mortgage broker or loan officer looking for a good source of marketing materials, here are a few simple things to consider.

If you are a mortgage broker or loan officer looking for a good source of marketing materials, here are a few simple things to consider.

I’m sure you are aware of the power that lies behind your business cards, but it bears repeating and here is a twist you can put on it.

Always give customers or potential customers two or three cards. One for them, and ask that they use the others to distribute to a friend or family member that may need your services.

It is imperative that you continue to distribute business cards and keep them in circulation.

The next time you go to the super market, pin your business card to the message board.

Another material that can be used to market your business is the standard greeting card.

Use thank you cards to send to new customers and make it a point to keep a record of customer birthdays and special occasions, than send them an appropriate greeting card for each occasion.

People are truly thrilled by the fact that you would remember them on such an important occasion in their life, and this is a perfect way to keep your name on the tip of their tongue should a referral opportunity show up.

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Many business owners put off beginning to market their business until sales increase. While this may make perfect sense to an accountant, it is more often than not a poor choice for a business owner to make because until something is done to increase the sales they will usually stay where they are or decrease.

marketing on a budget

Many business owners put off beginning to market their business until sales increase. While this may make perfect sense to an accountant, it is more often than not a poor choice for a business owner to make because until something is done to increase the sales they will usually stay where they are or decrease.

It can often be difficult for established companies to set aside the time and financial resources necessary to effectively market their company, and it can seem impossible for a fairly new company. You can solve half of this equation almost immediately by hiring a professional marketing company. Now you just need to figure out where to find the financial resources to complete the other half of the equation. This can be accomplished with a little bit of research. There are many reputable marketing companies out there that will be willing to work with a company that may have limited financial resources but under the circumstances you will need to be realistic with your expectations.

Most marketing companies probably won’t be willing to offer you extended billing terms. They have to cover themselves financially and if you are unable to make the investment now they may feel that you will be unable to pay them in the future. You may have to work with them for a while before they will be willing to offer you any sort of extended billing terms. Don’t take it personally – you don’t expect to walk out of the grocery store with a cart full of groceries and then pay next week. Until your marketing company is comfortable with the situation you shouldn’t expect any different. If you don’t have the resources available to invest in your marketing then you may want to consider taking out a personal loan from your bank or using credit cards.

Some of the marketing companies that you approach may be willing to reduce the price of their services to help you get started. If this option is available to you, it can make a significant difference in what you can accomplish with a particular sum of money. There are some things to consider in this scenario. If you are paying reduced rates you should expect that the marketing company may not be able or willing to meet with you and take your calls at times that are convenient to you. By offering lower rates they may need to fit you in when they are able to. Most will also not offer extended billing terms for clients that are already getting reduced rates.

If you’ve gone through all of the marketing companies but have been unable to find one that you felt comfortable with and would work with your situation, then you may be forced (at least temporarily) to handle it yourself. This is still a workable situation – you’ll just have to be creative and put a little more time into it. Below are some tips to stretch your marketing dollars.

1. Produce a co-op brochure or direct mail piece. You can collaborate with other companies related to your business but in non-competing niches. For example, if you own a restaurant that specializes in authentic Mexican cuisine, you could find a grocery store that specializes in Mexican foods and produce a brochure or direct mail piece with them. This would cut your cost in half and allow you to expand your exposure, you would both benefit from a similar clientele, and you could both immediately benefit from each other’s existing customers.

2. Offer to volunteer your services in exchange for recognition. If you owned a catering company you could offer to cater a networking event in exchange for them mentioning your company in their handouts. You now have the opportunity to market your company to all of the attendees of the event.

3. Offer to do a Q & A session to the public on a local talk radio channel. They usually discuss various subjects throughout the course of their radio program and many companies have used this to their advantage. A mortgage broker using this method of marketing would quickly be established as a local expert and would remain in their prospects minds since they would hear them at least once each week.

4. Offer a contest to create a buzz about your business. A great contest for a car dealership would be to offer contestants the compete to win a car by simply putting there hand on a part of the car and not allowing them to move it. As the contestants become fatigued they will move their hand from the car, becoming disqualified. The last person remaining wins the car. Many car dealerships have used (and continue to use) this method with much success because people will usually jump at the chance to win a car and it’s the sort of thing people talk about.

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Outside of winning the lottery, money generally doesn’t come easy. You have to work hard to make good money, right? Wrong. Stinson & Koehl have outdone themselves this time. They have developed a system that makes it simple to recoup your initial investment within a couple days. It’s profit from then on. Many have found it to be an excellent method to earn cash from home.

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Internet marketing is nothing new, however every now & then a new method is introduced. Co -founders Rod Stinson and Chris Koehl have brought the 1 Step System opportunity to people all over the world. Many are joining now because the company is still in its infancy, which from a marketing standpoint is surely the best time to get on board.

What makes this business opportunity so attractive is that it is so easy. It is appropriately called the 1 Step System. It stands to reason, the more an individual puts in to their business, the more he or she will get out of it, however, your early efforts in the beginning stages can easily provide at least some income while you lay back and observe.

Everyone knows, there is no such thing as a free lunch, however, I haven’t seen another business opportunity where start-up costs can so easily be recouped in such a short time and profit starts rolling in. From those who have no experience, to the most seasoned marketer, its a great opportunity to see a steady cash flow in a relatively short time. It’s also a great way to earn extra income at home. Those with years of Internet marketing experience are calling it a brilliant concept designed for building wealth for anyone who is savvy enough to see its earning potential.

Our experience has revealed that to many entrepreneurs out to earn extra money from home, have fallen victim to deceptive and greedy get rich quick scams that guarantee your success. This business sets itself far apart from those, and what is so refreshing about the 1 Step System is there is no selling, no phone calls, no explaining, no answering questions and no closing. Most of the work is done for you. It’s a fact, co-founders Rod Stinson and Chris Koehl have taken the ‘Net by storm. It’s nice knowing that with this business, anyone, regardless of their experience or background, has the same chance for financial independence.

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Having a competitive advantage over other businesses targeting the same market as yours is a basic, survival must: many choose to develop longterm relationships with their customers, in an attempt to create such competitive advantage. Knowing your customers is crucial, and it is quite a different thing from knowing their buying behavior. It is every marketer’s dream to have real, up-to-date information about consumers: their preferences, opinions, attitudes, beliefs, interest…

marketing,research,consumers,customers,behavior,behaviour,buying,decision,market,purchase,strategy

Having a competitive advantage over other businesses targeting the same market as yours is a basic, survival must: many choose to develop longterm relationships with their customers, in an attempt to create such competitive advantage. Knowing your customers is crucial, and it is quite a different thing from knowing their buying behavior. It is every marketer’s dream to have real, up-to-date information about consumers: their preferences, opinions, attitudes, beliefs, interests, education level, behavior are the base of understanding their needs.

Businesses often employ Marketing research to determine the consumers’ degree of acceptance of a new product, and the reason behind this is the fact that launching a new product without a real demand would involve much more costs than actual market research. Plus, a failed product launch is not only damaging for a business’ finances but also its image and reputation.

Any marketing research upon consumers’ profile should address at least the following questions:

Who makes the market of a product?

A company active on any given market must ask itself who its customers are. Are they mostly young people, or perhaps elderly? Women or men? What would their income levels be? This is the demographic information that can be a starting point in creating a customer profile.

What do people buy?

Is there a certain product consumers seem to prefer? Can we detect a trend of migrating to a given product? Will the market accept new products or changes in existing ones? These questions could offer a perspective on the mechanisms triggering buying decisions; the answers could indicate just how open to changes customers are.

Why do people buy?

Many businesses ignore the reasons why their customers choose one product or another. While we all know that impulse buying is a reality, most purchases are still made on reasons of benefits, value, satisfaction. Hence, we should ask ourselves “Why certain products are more popular among consumers and are perceived as being superior to others?”

Who takes the buying decision?

It is critical to know who is actively involved in the buying process, as the users of a product are not necessarily the ones to buy it. For example, food items destined to children are normally bought by a parent, which means the advertising messages should be aimed at parents and not at children. Identifying the real decision makers is an important part of any consumers research study.

How is the buying decision taken?

What are the reasons followed by consumers when making a buying decision? A marketer should remember that these reasons are likely to be influenced by a variety of social, cultural, economic factors.

When do people buy?

Some products are requested and are offered only in certain periods of a year, as demand can be driven by social or cultural factors (think of seasonal holidays, for example). Consumers’ lifestyle might also dictate the day or week when shopping is done.

Where do people buy?

Identifying the preferred location for people to buy is yet another important task in researching consumers’ behaviour. Where do they buy from? Supermarkets? The corner shop? New, creative venues can be employed, such as e-commerce web sites.

Marketing research relies on other sciences as well, such as psychology or sociology. Being able to develop the products consumers need, and then market them in accordance to the consumers’ behavior lay the basis for competitive advantages and shape the strategic decisions a business must make.

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Often the best marketing communications are brewed in the mind of the zaniest members of the team. Discover the rationale for letting the most irrational among you do what they do best…be disruptive and get noticed.

advertising, marketing, promotion, ideas, franchise,business opportunity

Creating a strong brand and establishing a leadership position in the marketplace is one of a franchisor’s greatest obligations. Most franchise companies, at least when they’re getting started, have underwhelming ad budgets with which to do this. Too often, they take a cautious marketing approach, wary of making a mistake. They end up taking the most obvious, logical course, and become indistinguishable from the rest of the pack. Those who create break-through brands are rule-breakers. They understand the power of a bold idea, undiluted. Though they may have been A-students, they know the Marketing Secrets of the Class Clown (MSCC).

Here’s how I learned the MSCC. I was class clown laureate of Sacred Heart Grammar School and, later, a clown-in-residence while attaining my highly prized Masters degree in Fiction Writing. I proceeded, to the continued delight of my parents, to become a banjo-playing street musician, appearing outside of some of Chicago’s finest venues. Street music was actually the best possible preparation for my career as a marketing and brand development guru. When your business model includes giving away your product away for free, then convincing your customers they should pay you for it anyway, you learn to engage and delight quickly, or else.

Sometimes it takes a village (idiot)

A couple of decades ago, in the mystical land of Ohio, I registered for a banjo contest at an upcoming festival. I regretted it as soon as I arrived. There was a sea of spectators, most looking (intentionally or unintentionally) like civil war reenactors. There were literally dozens of A-student banjo-playing competitors, all joined by the common bond of being at least twice as good as me. Halfway through the competition, the emcee called my name and I climbed reluctantly onto the stage, clad in a derby hat, paisley pants and rainbow suspenders. The reenactors started to chuckle. The emcee asked me how many banjo contests I had been in.

“Including this one?” I asked.

“Yes, including this one,” he said.

I thought hard for a few moments, then answered, “One.”

The crowd broke into such uproarious laughter that it frightened me. They kept laughing and laughing, like this was the funniest joke they had ever heard. Sizing up the situation, I ditched the difficult tune I planned to play, and launched into my comic “Schizophrenic Dueling Banjos,” in which I frenetically play both parts of the famous tune.

The applause was thunderous. I took a technically undeserved 3rd place out of about 40, and was a celebrity for the rest of the day. Among the serious banjoists there was a great wailing and gnashing of teeth. A class clown had beaten the A-students.

It was an important marketing revelation for me. All the serious, technically proficient competitors were all playing the same tunes. They were all trying so hard to do what they were supposed to, trying so hard not to make a mistake, that they became indistinguishable from one another. The crowd wasn’t there for technical proficiency: they wanted some fun on a Sunday afternoon. Some personality. Some entertainment. Some relief.

Send in the clowns

In the late 70s, before my freshman year in college, we all had to submit pictures to the frosh publication the New Student Record. Every guy sent his coolest picture, the one where he’s leaning against the fake birch tree, his puka shell necklace visible from his open shirt. The idea, you see, was to get chicks. I felt so pathetic as I looked through my pictures that I took a quick shot of myself wearing a Groucho Marx nose & glasses, and sent it in. When the NSR was published, I was flooded with calls from people who wanted to meet me. In fact, every time I’ve risked looking exceedingly stupid, I’ve been rewarded in some way.

The point is not that humor is the appropriate approach to every ad campaign. It’s not. But nonconformity usually is. Your goal is to engage interest. To stand out. To distinguish yourself from the pack. When it comes to CFO, hire the A-student. But when it comes to calling attention to yourself, you need the guy who sat in the back row. In the big classroom microcosm of the business world, you need to hire the class clown, and let him or her go to work.

In fact, I’ll wager you this: next time you see a really great ad or commercial, one worth talking about later, it was created by a class clowns working for A-students who understand that caution can be the most reckless approach of all.

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So your in the internet business market for a reason right? Because you want to get your share of the millions and billions of dollars that there are to be made on this up and coming marketplace that has in part and will eventually in whole bring the whole world’s worth of customers into your store. You have made a good decision for many reasons. However there is even more potential than you realized because you haven’t entered into the world of automation yet. Automation is …

marketing software

So your in the internet business market for a reason right? Because you want to get your share of the millions and billions of dollars that there are to be made on this up and coming marketplace that has in part and will eventually in whole bring the whole world’s worth of customers into your store. You have made a good decision for many reasons. However there is even more potential than you realized because you haven’t entered into the world of automation yet. Automation is almost the biggest reason to have commerce on the internet anyway. So what do you need to automate your internet business? You need marketing software.

Marketing software is just a fancy way of saying that you need programs that are tailored to your specific niche and business model that will take all of the steps that are taking you days/weeks to do manually and do them in a matter of minutes. You need a program that does all of your market research. You need a program that selects products to then market. And on, And on. Basically you need your computer to do the work that you are capable of so you can have the time that you desire to use your money the way you dreamed you would, only 20 years from now instead of immediately.

You say that sounds great but what your talking about, if it is truly tailored to the product I am selling, the advertising strategies that I am using, and the evaluation and fine-tuning of these, than I am going to have to write this marketing software myself. My answer is a great one: well, yes and no.

Yes you will have to come up with the plan for how you want the program to run and how you want the output to be organized and what parts you want to do in what order. But no in the fact that you don’t have to actually write the marketing software yourself. What people don’t realize is that there is a lot of talented software designers who live in other countries and are happy with beans when compared to their American counterparts. The internet is all you need after all and there are great systems set up (like PayPal) that allow payment to be safe for both parties.

They are happy to do projects for you and eager to please, and did I mention that they are talented. You may even get better work than from guys here–just because they don’t have the same drive that these guys do to make good marketing software.

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OK, so you’re standing in line in the supermarket, or you’re in an elevator, or you’re at a party, or you’re in a networking group. Sooner or later, someone is going to say to you, “So what do you do?”. This is what you want, free publicity so to speak. However, how you handle this question could determine whether this person becomes a prospective client, a prospective referral source or just walks away.

This article exposes the 3 mistakes you could be making and why they …

real estate, realtor, realty, marketing, strategies, strategy, advice, tips, real estate marketing

OK, so you’re standing in line in the supermarket, or you’re in an elevator, or you’re at a party, or you’re in a networking group. Sooner or later, someone is going to say to you, “So what do you do?”. This is what you want, free publicity so to speak. However, how you handle this question could determine whether this person becomes a prospective client, a prospective referral source or just walks away.

This article exposes the 3 mistakes you could be making and why they don’t work. Then you’ll discover the ideal answer and understand why it’s important to use it.

Here are 3 common answers:

Mistake #1 You say to little

You say something like, my name is Jane Doe and I’m with _______________________ Real Estate Company. And then you smile hoping the other person will ask you a question. Probably they won’t. This is a mistake because you have made a short statement that doesn’t engage the other person’s attention. It doesn’t invite questioning. The other person may politely say what they do to fill in the awkward silence or they may excuse themselves in some socially graceful way.

Mistake #2 You say too much and ask for the business

You say something like , “My name is Jane Doe. I work for ____________________________Real Estate Company and I specialize in country homes. I love the country and I love to show country property. It feels so good to get outdoors, breathe the fresh air and help someone find a home they love in the country. So who do you know who is seeking to buy or sell a country home?”.

This is a mistake because you said too much about yourself, you did not ask a question that would engage the other person’s attention and it’s way too early to ask for the business. You should be cultivating a relationship with that person. Remember, people do business with you when they know, like and trust you. With someone you just met, you’re still in the “getting to know each other stage.” The most you should ask for is their business card and give them yours. If you have a connection with that person and would like to contact them in the future, you might consider adding them to your Sphere of Influence and sending them an Item of Value once a month.

Mistake #3 You talk on and on about yourself and your career

I know this may sound hard to believe but you’d be amazed at the things people say when they are nervous and trying to make small talk. So someone says, “So what do you do?” and you answer, “My name is Jane Doe and I’m with ___________________________ Real Estate Company. I have been with them for 5 years. It’s a great company. All the people there are so friendly and helpful. I am so glad I chose real estate. I love the flexible hours and the income potential. This really beats my corporate job and…”.

This is a mistake because it’s “all about you”. Not only that but the only things you’re promoting here are (1) The nice atmosphere of your office and (2) what a great career real estate is . If you keep going you might talk the other person into becoming a real estate agent but they won’t be a prospective client or referral source.

So, what should you say?

In my 10 years of specializing in coaching real estate agents in doubling their incomes I have found one amazing answer that does wonders and I’m about to let you in on that secret.

Here’s the scoop. When the other person, asks , “So what do you do?” , you need to ask them a question to engage them. The question is , “Well, you know when people are buying or selling a home how nervous and stressed out they can get?” Pause and let the other person respond with a “yes”. Then you say, “Well I take care of all the details and paper work, I hold their hand through the process and make the whole thing a relaxing, enjoyable experience for my client. My name is Jane Doe, and I’m a real estate agent with _______________________company”.

Now, what do you think you’d feel or think if you heard that? Most likey you’d want to do business with that person. Why? There are 3 reasons:

1. They didn’t talk about themselves.

2. They showed that they have a thorough understanding of the issues and problems people face when buying or selling a home.

3. They provided specific solutions to the client’s problems.

When you give this kind of answer there are a lot of benefits. Can you guess what they are? The other person will be genuinely interested because you’ve engaged them. The other person will begin to trust you because you put the client’s needs before your own. Finally, you answered in a unique way and that sets you apart from the crowd. So the next time the person has a real estate question, they are going to call you because you have demonstrated that you care.

With those kind of benefits wouldn’t you want to use this answer, memorize every word and have it roll off your tongue the next time someone says, “So what do you do?” You bet you would. Just watch your income increase.

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The holidays are fast upon us and as work at home moms we know how it feels to have just one more thing to think about! Meant to be a time of excitement, joy, memories and fun, often the holidays drive the home based business mom over the edge and into the land of stress and craziness.

But you, Direct Sales Mom, have what many of those stressed out moms need this time of the year. You have the gift of GIFTS! Without having to battle the lines at Kohl’s or the mall, moms ca…

Direct selling holiday season, holiday sales

The holidays are fast upon us and as work at home moms we know how it feels to have just one more thing to think about! Meant to be a time of excitement, joy, memories and fun, often the holidays drive the home based business mom over the edge and into the land of stress and craziness.

But you, Direct Sales Mom, have what many of those stressed out moms need this time of the year. You have the gift of GIFTS! Without having to battle the lines at Kohl’s or the mall, moms can email or call you and have their holiday shopping done without even leaving the house! By adding a little sparkle of “extra mile” to your already excellent customer service skills, you can help busy moms everywhere bring back the joy and fun this holiday season.

So, let’s talk about what you can do in your direct sales business to help these over the edge moms starting today!

** Give them a simple organization gift – Send out a blank wish list sheet to your customer mailing list. Offer it as a gift to new subscribers to your newsletter list too. This can be as simple as a chart with columns and rows for “Name” and “Gift” for them to keep track as they shop. It’s a nice gesture and could be just what an overwhelmed mom needs to help her get organized with this part of the season. You can create one yourself in word or excel, or search the web for some fancier templates. Just make sure it has your resource box on there, “Compliments of…” so they know who to call!

** Offer gift-wrapping and “delivered to their door” service for moms who purchase gifts from you. Yes, it might cost you a little more, but think of the help you’re giving to another mom and the potential for future business you’re generating by the sacrifice.

** Group your products into gift packages. Get creative here ladies. Take a good look throughout your catalog and create lovely packages of complimentary products at various price points. Do the thinking for your customers to take away one more layer of stress. Go beyond just suggesting and up selling and create packages with package pricing so all they have to do is call or email you and say, “I want 3 of that $15 package you mentioned on your email”. Offer the gift-wrapping above and include that in your package pricing to make it even easier for them.

** Provide gift certificate services so your customers can give your catalog and the certificate as a gift. Not only does this help your customer with her stress level, but it gives you the opportunity to win over a new customer as well.

** Most of all brainstorm about what would help YOU feel more relaxed about your holiday shopping this holiday season and then see how you can help other moms in the same way.

Make the most of your holiday selling season by reaching out and helping others. You’ll be glad you did!