Paradenitis

1. Attention-Getting Ads Get Results
Think about it…how many advertisements do you hear every day…how about every hour? Let’s face it, we’re bombarded with magazine ads, newspaper ads, TV ads, radio ads, and the Internet is plastered with ads on every site. Not many of the astronomical number of advertisments stick with us, and make an impact. How can you make your ad STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD?

” Make a dramatic statement: “Even my dog knows ….”
” Surprise them with the unexpected: “Use for 30 days totally free…”
” Ask a thought provoking question: “Is your current insurance costing you hundreds of extra dollars every year?”
” Use high impact headlines – it’s important to snag their attention right away.

2. Get Personal
How many times have you been caught in the cycle of automated phone services? Yeh, you push 15 numbers and end up back at the main menu and never did talk to a sales rep. People are hungry for personal interaction in the marketplace. Look for ways to make your business a personal experience that your customers will appreciate. Get to know something about the people who walk through your doors. Let the people who visit your website know something about you. Yeh, it’s easier to trust an individual than a huge impersonal company…and trust is crucial to building a pool of loyal customers.

3. Paint a Picture
Ah, the end of a hectic week has finally arrived! As I lock the doors on a still cluttered office, my mind wanders to the many things that will demand my attention this weekend. I long to just escape the demanding voices…escape to the waters of the lake across town. It would be like heaven to plop myself across the back seat of a boat, and watch the sea gulls dip and dive as the waves rock me peacefull to sleep. Yep, I can almost hear the sound of their splashing when the clang of metal alerts me to the fact that I’ve dropped my keys.

Put your customers on the boat. Yeah, painting word pictures that capture their emotions will be more effective that the raw facts of the benefit your product offers. Describe what the benefits will do for them, vividly and in great detail…get them panting for the end result. Paint your way to a sale!

Think about it…the 3 tactics we’ve talked about deal with human emotions or behaviors, rather than your product itself. Yeah, when we affect the inner part of the customer, our sales are likely to see great results… and hey, they’ll feel good while they’re writing out the check! What more could you ask for?

Allyn has spent over 24 years helping businesses like yours find new customers and increase sales to current customers. Allyn is a marketing and sales fanatic, providing measurable marketing solutions that drive huge results for small-to mid-size business clients. Allyn is the owner of AllynCutts.com and works personally with clients to design and deliver off-line and on-line direct marketing strategies that focus on measurable results.

Submitted with Article Distributor.

Besides the word free, there is probably no stronger tool to influence new customers to use your business product or service than testimonials from past customers.

As long as you provide an outstanding product or service, most customers are delighted to provide you with their endorsement. Unfortunately, most businesses don’t implement an actual procedure to systematically get testimonials.

The natural reluctance to ask for testimonials can easily be overcome by setting up a regimen that consistently asks your customers for their endorsement. You will be amazed at the comments you receive and surprised by some of the criticism. Use this feedback wisely to improve your business.

The following suggestions can be implemented with little expense or effort but will pay you huge dividends:

1. Unsolicited testimonials are always the best. Sometimes you will WOW! your customer and they will tell how thrilled they are. If you ask permission to use their comments on your promotions or website, the answer will be a resounding yes.

2. A report card on your product or service is easy to use. Include a postpaid card with all sales or service receipts. Ask questions about the customer’s satisfaction with your service, include a free form comment section and include a check box giving you permission to use their testimonial.

3. On all receipts, include a URL to your website where your customer can fill out an online report card. Once again, ask for permission to use their comments and be sure to have a free form comment box.

4. If one of your customers happens to be a celebrity, their endorsement will pay huge returns. Many celebrities are willing to help a small business owner without expecting any compensation. A free tune-up once a year or an occasional dinner or some specimen lawn plantings, etc., would be a small price to pay to reciprocate for their generosity.

5. Find an expert in your field and offer them your product or service for free. You’ll end up with an honest appraisal of your business product or service and quite possibly a testimonial from an “expert”.

Set up your own system to collect testimonials and use the powerful messages that you receive from them to grow your business.

© 2003 ODEC _______________________________________

Mike Burstein has been writing for the SOHO and Small Business market for over 10 years. He has helped countless small business owners solve start up problems, create best practices, automate their offices, get free publicity and dramatically increase traffic and sales.

Visit http://www.SOHOWiz.com for the latest FREE business tips. Email the Wiz at: mailto:SOHOWiz@SOHOWiz.com

You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, in your Newsletter, on your website, or in your E-Book, as long as the above author’s Resource Box is included with the article. Please be sure to send a link or print copy of any published use to The Wiz.

Do you have a visitor survey on your site? If not, you should. Your missing out on a golden opportunity to cash in. Let me explain. I operate a site that offers my visitors free ebooks but I also ask them specifically what their interested in and for them to give me their email address. Beside’s having my weekly newsletter which covers ebook related topics like research, development, brainstorming and all the rest, I open sub-mailing lists depending on THEIR topic of interest. Not everyone is interested in just the research , development, and brainstorming of ebooks. I can’t read my visitors mind, neither can you. This is a great way to get “inside” your visitors head and find out what their “specifically” looking for. I have a variety of ebooks on my site but one day it occurred to me, do I really have what people want? How would I know besides looking at log files, and then keyword searches are pretty general in nature at times, right? Than the light bulb went on in my head. All you have to do is ask Brian. The best part…they tell me what they want, they give me their permission to send them “periodic” emails when I have completed their “info product of choice”. (I inform them their not placed on a weekly or monthly ezine for that matter) I start creating a info product they “expressed interest in receiving” then I work on the backend, then I email them the information. Because I took the initiative to “ask them” what they wanted, than took the time and created the info product of their “interest/need”, my sales conversion rates will do what? That’s right…increase. Than I follow up with more info products related to their “topic of interest” and even include the occasional freebie to thank them. Out of all this the best part is the initial request, I offer no bonuses, no incentives, for them filling out the form, I just take the time to listen, create, fill their need, and in the end have a very satisfied customer for years to come. Are you asking and listening?