Solving Problems Sells

If you are marketing or selling products or information on the Internet, this post is for you.  You may have heard this old cliche before, "Nobody who bought a drill wanted a drill.  They wanted a hole."  What this means is that if you have drills to sell you want to solve the customer's problem with how to create the right hole, in the right place.  You want to solve the customer's problem first.   It's all about what the customer needs and wants, not all the bells and whistles you have on your drill or how sleek its design. 

How do you do this?  Ask the customer what they want and why.  Spend some time each day to fine-tune your marketing and selling techniques, websites and sales content.  Put your thoughts aside and really focus on their needs.  You may be surprised at what you learn and how you can streamline your materials.  When you make the customer experience simple, easy and enjoyable you will also build a long-term customer base that you can go back to over and over again. 

And that, they say, is the "rest of the story."

Force Majeure: Contract Basics

As an independent contractor the challenge of writing up a contract that is complete, accurate and "water tight" is not easy. The inclusion of certain clauses in your contracts will reduce risks to your company from lawsuits or misunderstandings. Surprisingly, the subject matter of the provisions in a contract is important - the exact wording is not. So, as long as the "plain sense" meaning is the same, it's not critical to use the wording or strive to use "legal-ease" language. Here is a description of one term often used in contracts.

Force Majeure (sample contract language)
Neither party shall be held responsible for any delay or failure in performance of any part of the contract to the extent such delay or failure is caused by fire, flood, explosion, war, embargo, government requirement, civil or military authority, act of God, or other similar causes beyond its control and without the fault or negligence of the delayed or non-performing party. The affected party will notify the other party in writing with ten (10) days after the beginning of such cause that would affect its performance. Notwithstanding, if a party's performance is delayed for a period exceeding thirty (30) days from the date the other party receives notice under this paragraph, the non-affected party will have the right, without any liability to the other party, to terminate this contract.

What This Means
This means that if some unforseen event prevents you, or the other party(ies) in the contract from performing their part of the contract, the non-performance will not be considered a breach of contract. However, the party experiencing the event must inform the other party(ies) that its performance under the contract is delayed and if the delay lasts more than 30 days, the contract may be terminated by the other party. When you are using this language, list the catastrophic events that are applicable to your business. The notice period should be long enough to allow the affected company to provide the notice, and the time period giving way to terminating the contract should be fair to both parties.

Business Cards with Pizazz

Most people have business cards, but sadly most of them do not have one that accurately reflects the brand image of their company. This small piece of paper is an important part of your entire business brand and package and deserves your attention. Quite often, your business card is the first item that potential customers receive from you, so it is your first opportunity to make a strong, positive impression on them.

You could certainly go with a "do-it-yourself" business card service and save some expense, but your customer may be able to spot the inexpensive and less professional card. So, why risk it? Cheap isn't always better and your dollars would return far more on their investment if your business cards reflected your value in yourself and your customers.

Here are just a few tips on how to get the best business cards, with pizazz, for your needs:

1. Seek the help from a professional designer or printer.

2. Keep the card simple and to the point using good proportion between the logo and type face and maximizing the effect of white space to deliver the right message.

3. Unless you are feeling brave, keep the card to the standard size. There is nothing more annoying than trying to make a non-standard sized business card fit in one's wallet or card holder.

4. Carefully choose the information you need to appear on the card. Decide what is the most important information to convey to your potential customers.

5. Unless you really need it for some purpose, keep the back blank so that people can write notes or non-critical information on it. Also, information on the back is likely to not be seen by anyone.

When designing your business cards decide first, what the message is that you want to deliver to your potential customer, and then, how to maximize it's message. Think of all the business cards you have in your file and identify the things you liked, or did not like, about each. Incorporate the best of this comparison into your card and then have a high-quality card produced.

Source: http://LearnBizTips.blogspot.com

Copyright M. A. Webb, 2004-2006. All Rights Reserved

PUBLISHING AND REPRINT RIGHTS: You have permission to publish this article electronically, in print, in your ebook or on your website, free of charge, as long as the author's information and web link are included at the bottom of the article and the article is not changed, modified or altered in any way. The web link should be active when the article is reprinted on a web site or in an email. Please forward a courtesy email to the author including an active web link where it is posted.

Great vs. Ordinary Companies

It is easy to recognize extraordinary companies, or those that stand out for their good service, great products or other similar characteristic. If a company is to grow and prosper, it will need to spend time evaluating its products and services and put plans in place to move from being a “good” or ordinary company, to one that is extraordinary or the “best.” Here are three simple concepts that should be considered by any company desiring to move to the next level:

FOCUS ON THE MISSION. Great companies do not attempt to “do it all.” They find their best products or services and then hone in on it. Instead of “dabbling” in many products or services, they find a few they can do or provide very well.

ENDURANCE. A great company has an enduring message, or brand, longevity, community standing and it brings stability to the people it serves as well as those it employs.

MAKES A DISTINCTIVE IMPACT. Extraordinary companies are those that are considered to be the true “salt of the earth” or beacon in their community and industry.

These three concepts seem simple enough, but will require that the company pays close attention to every aspect of their business and applies each of the principles constantly. It is no surprise that this is easier written than actually done. However, with a little research of your own you can identify companies who have accomplished this very successfully and are thriving in today’s marketplace.

Source: http://LearnBizTips.blogspot.com

Copyright M. A. Webb, 2004-2006. All Rights Reserved

PUBLISHING AND REPRINT RIGHTS: You have permission to publish this article electronically, in print, in your ebook or on your website, free of charge, as long as the author's information and web link are included at the bottom of the article and the article is not changed, modified or altered in any way. The web link should be active when the article is reprinted on a web site or in an email. Please forward a courtesy email to the author including an active web link where it is posted.

What Is Your Vision?

If you want to start a business, whether it's a traditional brick-and-mortar company or an e-Commerce website, you probably have some sort of vision or dream. If your business is going to have any meaning beyond the hard work and effort it takes to produce it, you must have a vision. Without a clear picture of where you want your business to go, how can you ever expect to to begin to live your dream? See how they go hand-in-hand? In the book The E Myth Revisited, Michael E. Gerber writes ..."I believe great people to be those who know how they got where they are, and what they need to do to get where they're going."

So, before you start your business or head back to your desk or office, here are some questions you should ask yourself:

• What do you want your life to look, or be, like?
• What would you like your life to be like on a daily basis?
• What would you like to tell others about your life?
• How would you like to be, or act, around your family, friends, business associates, customers, employees and community?
• What would you like people to think about, or remember you by?
• Looking ahead, what would you like to be doing in two years? Five years? Ten years? And in the last years of your life?
• Make a list of what you would specifically like to learn during your life - physically, financially, spiritually, technically, and intellectually? What would you like to learn about business and technology?
• Estimate how much money you will need to accomplish those things you want to in your life? When will you need it?

Once you have answered all the questions above you are well on your way to creating your Business Plan and vision. Your vision will help to provide you, and your associates, with purpose and energy to drive your business and for the energy it takes, on a day-to-day basis to move forward successfully!

Source: http://LearnBizTips.blogspot.com

Copyright M. A. Webb, 2004-2006. All Rights Reserved

PUBLISHING AND REPRINT RIGHTS: You have permission to publish this article electronically, in print, in your ebook or on your website, free of charge, as long as the author's information and web link are included at the bottom of the article and the article is not changed, modified or altered in any way. The web link should be active when the article is reprinted on a web site or in an email. Please forward a courtesy email to the author including an active web link where it is posted.

Nichecraft

Knowing who your market is and defining what they need are are attracted to will help you to be successful in business. It is not necessary for you to create your own niche, you will be much more successful if you focus on one specific market, aspect, or problem associated with a business or industry and then develop a high-level focus to address this need, or niche. The idea of focusing on a a good niche and then practicing what you have learned and incorporating it into your own business plan and goals is called "nichecraft."

Nichecraft involves seven easy steps, as follows:

1. Create a wish list. Your wish list should include those with whom you wish to do business. Be specific with this and identify the geographical range, types of businesses or customers you wish to target, or the specific departments or groups within an industry that you will be targeting. If you do not take this step, then you will not know who to contact once you launch the business. Be careful to not identify too large a market as it is simply impossible to do business with everyone. By having too large a focus you will find yourself confusing your customers and exhausting not only yourself, but those who support you and your goals.

2. Identify Your Focus. Completely identify and clarify what product(s) or service(s) you wish to sell. Remember, you cannot target "everyone" in your market and that a smaller focus, or niche, is best. Also keep in mind that your niche may not be the same field as in which you work. For example, retail clothing is not a niche, but a field of business. A more focused niche would be selling exercise or warm-up gear to women over the age of 50.

To help you begin the process of focusing, here are some suggested techniques: a) make a list of things you do best and the skills that are implicity needed in each of them; b) list your own achievements and accomplishments in this niche; c) identify the most important life lessons you have learned that have brought you to this point; d) identify the patterns that reveal your style or approach to resolving problems that will help you achieve your business goals.

3. Define the Customer's Viewpoint. Spend some time defining your niche by looking at your product(s) or service(s) from the customers viewpoint. Can you identify what their needs and wants might be? I have found it very helpful to actually ask my customers waht it is they want or need. Larger corporations often use focus groups for this purpose. If you use your customer's viewpoints, you want to ensure that they are comfortable giving you honest and direct feedback and not simply telling you what they think you want to hear.

4. Integrate. As your niche begins to take shape, you can begin to integrate your customer's ideas and needs into your business plan. Keep in mind that a good niche will generally have five qualities: a) it takes you where you want to go and conforms to your long-term business goals; b) your customer's want your product(s) or service(s); c) your niche is carefully planned; d) it is "one-of-a-kind" or unique to your niche; e) it will constantly evolve, allowing you to develop different products, services or income streams for long-term success.

5. Evaluate. After you've completed the steps above, you should take time to carefully evaluate your proposed product(s) or service(s) against the criteria identified in step #4 above. You may find as you evaluate that you either missed a critical component in your plan, or that your business is going to require additional funds, travel or other aspect that you will need to plan for to be successful. If you find this, then you should return to the first step in this process and rethink your next steps. Do not be afraid to scrap your niche, ideas or plans and start over. That's what the planning process is for.

6. Testing. After you have matched your niche with a product or service, take it for a test-market drive. Give a select set of customers or advisors the opportunity to purchase or use your product or service, not just in theory, but in actual use. You can do this by offering samples, free information, trial periods or other similar opportunities. Do not spend a lot of money in testing. If you find that your test-market plan fails, then you should not be discouraged, simply return to step #1 and rethink your niche.

7. Move forward! After a successful test period, you are ready to implement your idea. Do not be afraid to take this last important step. Instead, embrace the concept and be strong and decisive as you move forward!

Creating your niche is the difference between being in, or not being in, business. It can be the difference between surviving and thriving or huge success. It is not only important that you like what you are doing, but that you also enjoy great success!

Source: http://LearnBizTips.blogspot.com

Copyright M. A. Webb, 2004-2006. All Rights Reserved

PUBLISHING AND REPRINT RIGHTS: You have permission to publish this article electronically, in print, in your ebook or on your website, free of charge, as long as the author's information and web link are included at the bottom of the article and the article is not changed, modified or altered in any way. The web link should be active when the article is reprinted on a web site or in an email. Please forward a courtesy email to the author including an active web link where it is posted.

Free Publicity with Press Releases

A press release, or sometimes called news release, is a condensed article that is written in journalistic style. It is not a sales document, resume or even an advertisement. It's purpose is to highlight what is interesting about your business, call attention to what is newsworthy and to grab the attention of potential customers. A press release can include information about products, new services, or an event within your market.

The good news is that press releases are relatively inexpensive (and sometimes even free) to prepare and distribute. Market research has shown that most press releases generate a higher return than even high-powered (and expensive) ad campaigns.

When the news media picks up and features your story pulled from your press release, free publicity is being generated. It is not uncommon to have your story show up in more than one major newspaper, talk shows or even carried on the major networks such as NBC or CBS. If you are looking to advertise to smaller, local markets only, then you can direct your press release to those local publications who are targeted to your specific industry or marketplace.

One of the biggest advantages about sending out a press release is that there is always a demand for news. All news organizations, including magazine editors, broadcast and industry-specific editors use press releases to develop the bulk of their published news stories. The increase in Internet search engine marketing has increased this demand.

In summary, there are many reasons why press releases are beneficial, here are just a few:

• low cost
• increased company visibility
• high demand for news and press releases
• increase credibility for your organization
• attract new customers
• attract new investors
• take advantage of free publicity

There are many online, printed and other resources to help you learn more about press releases and to generate your own stories.

Copyright M. A. Webb, 2004-2006. All Rights Reserved

Source: http://LearnBizTips.blogspot.com

PUBLISHING AND REPRINT RIGHTS: You have permission to publish this article electronically, in print, in your ebook or on your website, free of charge, as long as the author's information and web link are included at the bottom of the article and the article is not changed, modified or altered in any way. The web link should be active when the article is reprinted on a web site or in an email. The author would appreciate an email indicating you wish to post this article to a website, and the link to where it is posted.