In This Issue:
It's a New Year, Time for a New Sales and Marketing Strategy
The Dreaded Question
Teleclass Series-Sharpen Your Networking Skills
MBA Chapter Meetings
It's a New Year, Time for a New Sales and Marketing Strategy
Once upon a time, the majority of our population were gainfully employed and lived happily as consumers. Then, two things happened that transformed a good number of people from employees into business owners: 1) The surge in the network marketing industry, and 2) the global recession. The promise of earning a residual income encouraged some to start a side business, and the global recession forced many out of work, and provided an impetus for self employment. During the process, these newbie entrepreneurs, who made a good portion of the population, learned all the sales pick up lines and marketing tricks, which were supposed to make a consumer feel like they had to buy. Soon, all these tips and tricks stopped being effective as pretty much most of the population were in on them.
This is our story folks! As business owners we need to pay attention and change our marketing strategies. Here are some of the worn-out tricks and sales pick up lines that I still hear:
- Expressing interest in someones work just so they would accept an invitation to a coffee meet, where they will hear a sales pitch.
- Expressing fees as an "investment".
- Calling a prospect, falsely claiming that the last day of a super sale is going on, which requires placing an order right then and there.
- While prospecting, listing "subscription to a newsletter" as one of the benefits offered to paying customers.
Here is a list of ideas that are worth consideration when planning your sales and marketing efforts for the new year:
- Invite people for coffee, really show genuine interest in what they do, and make an effort to actually help them achieve their goals.
- Focus on a few networking groups that match your needs, and take the time to build relationships.
- Become social media savvy.
- Provide free reports, white papers, and articles on matters related to your business. If you can convince your audience that you are an expert at what you do, people will come knocking on your door.
- People will do business with people they like, project a positive attitude at all times.
Do you have anything to add? I would like to hear them, please go here and leave a comment.
The Dreaded Question
Does the story in the cartoon sound familiar? This is a scenario that happens all too often to stay at home moms, whether they work from home or not. Do our loved ones get up in the morning and decide that they will devalue anything we do to support our families? No, of course not! Unfortunately, as a society, we are conditioned to believe that we are not "doing" something unless we leave the house and earn a regular pay check. However, by educating our families about the important work that mothers "DO" to support them, their false impression will cease to exist. Here is something you may want to try: claim a space on the refrigerator door (you are entitled to that space) and showcase your activities. Make a list of everything you do during the day in large print for everyone to see, and update the list daily. This activity is valuable in two ways: 1) it makes your family appreciate how much you actually "do", 2) it helps you develop a time-management tool. You basically kill two birds with one stone.
Give it a try and let me know how it goes, I'd love to hear your comments.
In closing, I would like to thank my 9 year old daughter for helping me with the cartoon artwork, it pays to have smart offspring!
Teleclass Series-Sharpen Your Networking Skills
When: Four consecutive Mondays
January 18th, 25th, Feb 1st & 8th
4:00pm – 5:00pm Pacific Time
Training provided by: Mindy Selinger
Mindy Selinger is the publisher of NetworkingEventFinders.com and teaches networking skills with "The PowerPartner Approach™". Her first book, Face-to-Face Networking Skills in a Social Media World, will be published soon.
Cost: $99.00 MBA members, $125.00 Non members
Register here
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