Understand the Truth About Buyers to Increase Sales

Understand the Truth About Buyers to Increase Sales
Without a product or service that offers value to its
customers, a company can not and will not be successful.
Value is a combination of 3 factors which are known as the
Customer Value Triad - quality, service, and price.

Consider what happens as each of these 3 factors increase -

1. Increased quality increases Customer Value

2. Increased service increases Customer Value

3. But Increased price decreases Customer Value

Because of this relationship, we can think of Value in
terms of a mathematical equation:

Value = Benefits / Costs

So, it's actually a ratio between what a customer gets (the
benefits they receive) and what they give (the costs they
pay). Possible customer benefits can be either functional
or emotional or both.

And the possible customer costs can range from
psychological costs to money, time, and energy spent
acquiring the product or service.

But how do we know what will be a benefit to a customer?
Understanding their needs and wants can be complicated,
because many customers really don't know what they want, or
even know what is possible to want.

The language customers use to describe needs may be unclear
to marketers. How do you interpret the words inexpensive,
pretty, or powerful, for example? These are subjective
ideas that need much more clarification to actually be
incorporated into a product or service.

Marketers have found something very interesting, however,
in the general types of needs that customers have:

1. Stated needs - these are the literal words communicated
by the customer. For example, someone in the market for
new flooring may say to a salesperson, "I need an
inexpensive carpet".

2. Real needs - these are the actual functional needs of
the customer. The flooring customer really wants a carpet
that will resist stains and look good for at least 3 years.

3. Unstated needs - these are the expectations of the
customer. The flooring customer expects to get good
installation on any carpet they buy.

4. Delight needs - these are the wishes of the customer.
The flooring customer would like to get quick delivery of
their new carpet.

5. Secret needs - these are the unconscious needs of the
customer. The flooring customer would like their friends
to think they got a really good deal on their new carpet.

Simply selling customers what they say they want isn't
enough. Maybe you've heard the saying "buyers are liars".
This isn't because companies or salespeople don't like
buyers - of course all businesses love their customers!

The saying "buyers are liars" refers to the fact that the
majority of customers can't know everything about a
product. So when a customer who walks into a floor
covering retail store says, "I need an inexpensive carpet"
- what they probably mean is that they want a carpet that
brings them good value.

My point is that solely relying on a customer's stated need
could easily shortchange the customer. To be the best in
any market, a company must help customers learn what they
want. This is done by effective sales and marketing at
every level of the organization.

At the heart of any company's marketing, they must
communicate the answer to 4 key questions. This is because
the customer is asking themselves these 4 critical
questions-

• What are you offering?

• What does it cost?

• What does it do for me?

• Why should I trust you?

You must be able to easily answer these for your customer
in order to sell any product or service you offer.

"No matter how good you get you can always get better"
-Tiger Woods

----------------------------------------------------
Laura Adams is the host of the popular MBA Working Girl
Podcast. The content combines brainy business school theory
with real-world business practice from her career as a
business owner, manager, consultant and trainer. Subscribe
for FREE to this top-rated show and get the useful MBA
Essential Tip at http://www.mbaworkinggirl.com

How your friends destroy your marketing message.

How your friends destroy your marketing message.
A lot of blood, sweat, and tears goes into crafting your
'elevator speech' (I hate that term). You've probably
agonized over it, striving to catch just the right tone and
wording. Finally, you're (hopefully) finished.

For the final blessing, you turn to your friends and
colleagues, and test it out. They respond:

"That's great! I love it. Go for it."

They've just killed you with kindness.

Are they lying? No, they aren't. They sincerely like it.
The problem is, they aren't your clients. Or, worse yet,
they might be potentially clients, even if they are friends
or colleagues, but you'd never know it.

So, what's going on?

The true purpose of the so-called 'elevator speech.'

Your 30-second shpiel is not meant to win you a client or a
contract. It's not meant to sell your t-shirts, or anything
else you sell.

The only thing your marketing 'tagline' if you will is
supposed to do is help the person who hears it decide if
they want to walk into your store or not. It's just a
window display that helps them decide: "Is this something
I'm interested in, or do I know someone who might be?"

That's it. It doesn't have to do such heavy lifting. In
fact, 30 seconds is way too long. One or two sentences is
plenty. Because once you've spoken them, they'll know
immediately if they have 'the response' or not.

The only response that counts.

The only response that counts is if someone can either say,
"That's me!" or if immediately, without having to think
about it or be prompted in any way, faces or names of
people they know jump into their mind.

"I help women who are struggling with chronic illness and
still want to contribute in the world." Immediately, I'm
seeing the faces of women I know who fit this.

"We help people in business for themselves, who got into
business to make a difference, but really, really need to
make a profit." "You do? My buddy Tim needs to talk to you."

When a client of ours landed on the right message, she
tested it out on friends, and they didn't say: "Oh, I like
that." They said: "Wow, I didn't know that's what you were
doing. Can you help me?"

THAT's the response you're looking for.

Oh, there might be one other response.

The other response: "That's nice."

Sheer indifference will be what comes up for people who
aren't interested, and who don't know anyone else who is.
Which is absolutely fine.

You can walk past an automotive speciality shop, and if
you're into cars, you get drawn towards the open door like
a magnet. But if you're not, you might not even notice that
store is there.

It's not necessary that your message wow people, or even be
that remarkable. It just needs to be clear enough to call
someone's name, so the right people can say: "That's me- I
want to talk to you about this."

The Who-Who-What

I don't call this message a 'tagline' or an 'elevator
speech.' I call it the "Who-Who-What" after the three
elements that make it up. Once you have these three
elements right, you'll be calling your best clients' names,
and they'll respond, with interest.

Let me explain these three to you.

Keys to Calling Your Clients' Name

• The First Who: Demographic.

A demographic is something observable or independently
identifiable. "Women over forty" is a demographic, as well
as, "people in small business" or "bicultural Dutch
citizens."

Many people resist having a demographic because it seems so
limiting, or strange. I say, get creative with it! It's
incredibly grounding to your business. After all, "people
who buy ten chocolate bars a week" is also a demographic.
They might hide it from you, but it can be verified.

What is your demographic- who are you really wanting to
reach.

• The Second Who: Psychographic.

A psychographic is an internal belief or identity that
someone holds, but is not independently verifiable. Someone
who "wants to make a difference" is a psychographic. "Loves
chocolate" is another psychograhic.

The psychographic is what brings your demographic alive.
"People in small business" is incredibly generic, but tag
on the psychographic: "who want to make a difference in the
world" and suddenly it's very specific.

A demographic plus a psychographic is very powerful. But
you need one more thing.

• The What: The problem they are facing that you help solve.

The reason you're even in business is to help someone solve
a problem. It could be a serious problem, like someone
struggling with their health. Or it could be a serious
problem of a different nature, like a millionaire who
doesn't know which yacht to buy.

No, I'm not comparing these two problems, I'm just saying
that a problem is serious if your client thinks it's
serious. And if you think it's worth solving, and you have
the product or service that helps, voila, you've got a
business.

When you have a problem, what do you do with it? That's
right you, you focus on it. You struggle with it, complain
about it, dream about it, wake up at 3am about it. It's in
front of you all the time.

If you name the problem, you'll have their attention,
especially after you've named the two Who's, because there
will be no doubt you are talking to them.

While it's true that identifying your Who-Who-What is not
the easiest job in the world, it is the most powerful thing
you can do for your business. And, when you test it on your
friends, don't be surprised if, instead of "Oh, I like
that." you hear: "Wow, can I hire you?"

----------------------------------------------------
Mark Silver is the author of Unveiling the Heart of Your
Business: How Money, Marketing and Sales can Deepen Your
Heart, Heal the World, and Still Add to Your Bottom Line.
He has helped hundreds of small business owners around the
globe succeed in business without lousing their hearts. Get
three free chapters of the book online:
http://www.heartofbusiness.com

Easy Strategic Planning for Beginning Business Owners

Easy Strategic Planning for Beginning Business Owners
Most business owners know they should prepare a strategic
plan but seldom follow through because they are too busy
working "in" their business or because they don't know how
to prepare a strategic plan. For the new business owner,
it's better to have a simplistic strategic plan rather than
no strategic plan at all. This article will teach the new
business owner how to prepare a strategic plan in an easy
and simple manner using an 8-step method.

If you're like most beginning business owners you have an
idea of what you want to accomplish in your business but
it's not written down. A document that captures your
thoughts, vision and objectives on how you want to make
money will give you, your current employees, and future
employees direction when making business decisions. This
type of document is called a strategic plan.

Strategic Plan versus an Action Plan. A strategic plan is
usually a short document that talks about your current
business, your future business, and 4-7 key strategy
statements. These statements are the 4-7 items that you
feel are critical to your business success. You are
communicating to your employees and reminding yourself that
these items are the focus of your Company. An important
point to make is that a strategic plan does not go into
"how" you plan to accomplish these 4-7 key strategies. A
separate document, called an Action Plan, contains the
information on "how" you will accomplish what is in your
strategic plan. This article explains only the development
of a strategic plan.

Three Parts to a Strategic Plan. There are three parts to a
strategic plan. Part one includes your business mission,
vision and values. Part two looks at your business
strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. This is
commonly referred to as a SWOT analysis. The third, and
last, part is the 4-7 key strategy statements that were
mentioned earlier in this article.

Here is an easy, 8-step, method to develop a strategic plan
for the new business owner.

Mission, Vision, and Value Statement. Step one is to write
your Mission Statement. This is a statement of what you
want your company remembered for. Answer these three
questions: What product or service does your company
provide? Who is your customer? Why do they come to you
and not your competitor? Your answers can be separate
sentences or can be combined to make a single statement.

Step two is to write your Vision Statement or a statement
of what your company aspires to be in 5 years or beyond.
It usually is a very short statement. Answer these
questions: What do you want your company to do that seems
impossible right now but will build on your company
expertise, strengths, resources or customer bases? Is the
vision challenging and vivid? If not, make it so.

Step three is defining your values in a Value Statement.
It is important that you are committed to the values that
you write down, as they are the basis for your company
culture. Write down words that describe the most important
values for your company. Some words to consider:
Customer-oriented, helpful, high quality, teamwork,
integrity, expertise, or creative.

SWOT Analysis. A SWOT Analysis may be difficult for the new
business owner because you may not have enough history to
determine your strengths and weaknesses, however, the SWOT
Analysis still should be done.

Step four is to define your company strengths. What does
your company do very well? This could be related to
service, product, employee, management, operations, etc...
List 1-5 items. These will be items that you want to
capitalize, leverage and / or promote.

Step five is to define your company weaknesses. What areas
does your company need to do better? List 3-5 items.
These are items that you want to improve upon.

Opportunity and threats to your company deal with the
environment influences outside of your company and outside
of your direct control. You list theses items to be
proactive and to determine which items need to be
prioritized and used to your advantage or to have plans
developed if or when a particular situation arises.

Step six is to list 1-4 opportunities and step seven is to
list 1-4 of your company's external threats. For both
steps six and seven, you will need to consider the best or
worse case scenarios if, while operating your business, the
following changes occur: your business environment changes
(political, legal, environmental, social or technical), if
the industry that your business is in changes (new
competitors, alternative products), the market changes
(grows, gets smaller, new markets), or something happens
with your competitors (what's their strategies, strengths,
weaknesses?).

Key Strategies. Once you know where you are (Mission),
where you want to go (Vision) and what values will guide
your company, you need to determine the top 4-7 strategies.
These strategies will help you achieve your company vision.

Step eight is to refer to your Mission and Vision
statements and to begin to write down answers to the
following questions: 1) How will I achieve my vision
looking at where I am at currently (products / services,
people, resources, environment, etc...)? And 2) What do I
need to be doing today to achieve this vision? Look at
your weakness list. Are these things preventing you from
growing a stronger, more profitable business? Do they need
to be addressed as a strategic statement?

Using Your Strategic Plan. As you gain more information
about your business and customers you should refer to and
update your strategic plan often. Reviewing your strategic
plan may be on a monthly or quarterly basis.

With this easy to follow, 8-step method, you now have a
strategic plan that any new business owner can immediately
refer to for guidance and decision making criteria.

----------------------------------------------------
Resource City Connections, your knowledgeable and nurturing
business community, for business owners and entrepreneurs
looking to accelerate their business. If you're ready to
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How to finally turn Resolutions into *New Year's Results* REVEALED!

How to finally turn Resolutions into *New Year's Results* REVEALED!
Are you ready to learn how to finally turn your New Year's
resolutions you made over 6 months ago into New Year's
results?

The key word here is "new", because you want to create
"new" results. You must analyze the last 6 months that has
passed in the year 2006, which means do not think
"re-run/replay" instead think about forging forward into
the remaining 6 months of the Year.

In order to create "New Year" results, you must decide to
analyze, develop and implement new action steps.

Invest about 60 minutes of uninterrupted time analyzing the
last 6 months of your life. Examine exactly what you did
over the last 165 plus days of the year 2006 to create the
results that you have now. (Be Truthful)

*Don't worry about these results and don't complain about
them either*

Simply analyze them and understand that you are exactly
where you are today because of your actions over the past
year. (Take responsibility.)

That's right, your actions created your results to date in
2006. Your actions turned into personal decisions that
produced the results that your are experiencing.

Now, are you satisfied with your results in 2006?

If not, then how do you turn your New Year's resolutions
into results?

*You must decide today to implement *NEW* action steps*

- - Revelation - -

*New actions steps will create new decisions that will
finally turn resolutions into New Results*! (re-read 10
times-it is worth millions to you)

Analyze what you did every day to develop these new action
steps.

Look at your business...

How large is your business?

Have you prospected enough?

Have you attended enough seminars?

Have you invested enough money into personal development?

Have you taken advantage of all that's available for you to
produce the results that you desire?

If you are not happy with your results from 2006, then just
imagine where you will be at the end of 2006 if you
continue to take the same actions and make the same
decisions.

It doesn't matter what kind of resolutions you make if you
don't develop NEW daily action steps.

I challenge you to forget about those New Year's
Resolutions; instead, analyze the last 6 month's results
then develop and implement *New Daily Actions that will
lead to *New Decisions and produce New Results* for the
remaining 6 months of the year 2006 (Your New Year).

Creating 1000 Millionaires by the Day!

----------------------------------------------------
John shocks millions globally by exposing the truth about
how to achieve monumental life success despite the labels
that society has placed on you. Through his award winning
live seminars, power-packed training programs, live
tele-classes, weekly ezine and website
(http://www.FindYourWhy.com), John Di Lemme has made
success a reality for thousands worldwide.

Looks Do Matter in the Non-Verbal Communications of an Interview

Looks Do Matter in the Non-Verbal Communications of an Interview
We have always heard it said that "looks don't matter" or
"it's what's inside that counts". Well although this may be
true, when walking in to an interview environment the first
rule is looks do matter.

Research shows that the overwhelming majority of
communication done between individuals, especially ones
meeting for the first time, is done through non-verbal
cues. Non-verbal communication is very broad in nature
ranging from appearance, attitude, how one carries oneself,
smile, body language, eye contact, breathing patterns,
laugh, voice and speech patterns. The list goes one but we
will just focus on those relevant to participating in a
stellar interview.

When meeting someone who may become your potential boss,
the hiring manager, or an influential assistant, an
appropriate, positive first impression is vital. Basic
assumptions like good hygiene should be a given, clean
shaven - clean clothes - clean body.

However, clothing style, hair style, outerwear, shoes, even
umbrellas, bags, briefcases and purses should be
appropriate to the position you are interviewing for.
Nothing will hurt your chances more than walking into an
interview with flip-flops, a wrinkled shirt, an old stain
on the tie, or a hand bag with glitter across the side. You
want to make the right impression that says you are serious
about the interview, you want the job, and you are a right
fit for the company.

Looking into the dress code of a company you are
interviewing with is a great way to find out the right
clothes for the job. Dress codes vary so it is definitely
something to check into. High style is fine, even looked
for in some industries but keep it conservative for the
interview. Nothing should be worn that is too short, too
tight, or too stylish; it might intimidate or present you
as over or under qualified. After you land the job then you
can get decide how far to expand the wardrobe.

Aside from your clothes, other areas to keep in check
during interview preparation include items carried like a
bag, purse and even umbrella. Make sure your entire
ensemble is in line with the professional image you are
trying to convey. Come to the interview prepared with a
notepad, quality pen, additional copies of your resume and
all other pertinent documentation. Poise yourself to
portray the professional you are and one who is
self-confident, prepared, and able to handle the job.

Other interview non-verbal communication skills to sharpen
include; presenting a firm handshake, making and
maintaining eye contact, walking confidently and displaying
pleasant attitude are all ways to benefit your first
impression. Work at finding something to "connect" you and
the employer. Look around the office, does he enjoy deep
sea diving, chess, or golf like you - mention it! This will
help to break the ice and bring emotional connections into
the picture - and help you be remembered.

Like everything in life, you have to work for anything that
is worth having. If this job is worth having then go for
it! Make it happen - you know you are right for the job,
the only thing you have to do is convince the employer. The
right looks and preparation is the key!!

----------------------------------------------------
Kris Plantrich is the owner of ResumeWonders Writing and
Career Coaching Services. She is certified in Resume
Writing and Interview Coaching, experienced and affordable
and is nationally published. Reuse of this article is
encouraged but must include a link to
http://www.resumewonders.com .

Career Success - Why They're Just Not That LinkedIn To You and What to Do About It

Career Success - Why They're Just Not That LinkedIn To You and What to Do About It
Not "feeling the love" that is supposed to come from
networking on sites like LinkedIn? You're not alone! It's
not easy to "get connected" successfully regardless of how
many people tell you LinkedIn is the holy grail of
professional networking.

Here's how to minimize residual damage to your
self-confidence and sense of worth when they're just not
that "LinkedIn" to you.

1. It's Not Who You Know, It's Who Knows You!

LinkedIn advises connecting only with those you know and
trust. Which is great if you know a lot of people. Not so
great if you're looking to meet new folks to expand your
network which is how most people are "sold" on the system
and why they are using it to begin with.

Who needs another time-consuming networking tool to stay
connected with people you already know? You have a
relationship with them and probably keep in touch regularly
via other ways and means.

Don't be surprised if you find people you know on LinkedIn,
issue an "invitation to connect", then don't hear back from
them. If you look closely, you may find they set up their
profile a long time ago, never did much of anything with
it, and aren't all that active in LinkedIn anyway (if at
all). Not much of a problem then.

What is a problem is when these same people respond to your
invitation with a "Doesn't know" tag. Get enough of these
and LinkedIn will ban you forever. Ouch!

2. It's Not Who You Know, It's Who WANTS to Know You!

LinkedIn has a defined social hierarchy. Don't act
surprised. Every society has a "pecking order"; this one
just happens to be online.

At the top of the hierarchy is the "open networkers". They
call themselves LIONS (for LinkedIn Open Networkers). They
typically have hundreds, if not thousands of connections
and advertise their openness to connecting with anyone.
This does not mean you don't have to check their profiles;
your "invitation to connect" can still be rejected. But it
does mean chances are good they'll accept thereby making it
possible for you to grow your network by connecting to
them. The downside is you're not likely to have a lot in
common with a LION (unless choosing them wisely) which
could make building ongoing relationships harder.

At the bottom of the hierarchy are the "closed networkers".
These folks accept invitations to connect based on
highly-defined known-only-to-themselves criteria.
Approaching them is very risky. Even when you know them,
worked with them, and possibly are even close personal
friends with them, they still might reject your invitation
to connect. If you're lucky, they'll just ignore you.
Multiple times. Your feelings might get hurt, but at least
you won't score any penalty points.

If you are thinking of adding them to your network, make no
assumptions. Test the waters offline before issuing an
invitation to connect to be on the safe side.

In the middle is everyone else. They may or may not know
you but, if you can get up the courage to send an
invitation to connect, there is a 50/50 chance they'll
accept if for no other reason than you look like someone
they really should know (or at least give the appearance of
knowing) or because they actually do know you and have
decided to give you that "virtual seal of social approval".
Others may accept because they have an agenda of their own
to pursue and you look like someone they can safely
approach with it sooner or later.

Then there are the people who send you an invitation to
connect with them. Now you get to decide who's in and who's
out. What's your standard "acceptance" criteria going to be?

3. Make a More Memorable First Move!

You can approach people you don't know on LinkedIn but if
you just send the boilerplate text provided for an
invitation to connect don't expect many acceptances. Send a
personal message; give them a reason to want to connect.
You'll be much more successful.

4. Tell a Better Story!

Just how "attractive" are you on screen? LinkedIn is not a
"meet market" for professional socializing. In fact, they
only recently started letting members post photos on the
site. But don't expect to see much "action" in the
networking game if you haven't put much effort into your
web presence.

Your professional profile tells a story about your
connection worthiness. You still have to "sell" yourself if
you want to make decent connections; your "rejection"
percentage will be high if you don't do a good job of it.

5. Go for Group Gold!

Does your profile read virtual wallflower? Check to see if
you meet the criteria of specific groups or associations.
Then make group connections and display your badge of
acceptance (group label) on your profile. Depending on the
label, your "connection" attractiveness could increase many
times over.

When using social networking tools like LinkedIn don't take
anything that happens or doesn't happen in cyber-space
personally. We all hunger for belonging, acceptance,
validation and love; it's just more productive to look for
these things in places other than online.

----------------------------------------------------
Download more free career tips and advice at
http://www.smartstartcoach.com
Career advancement expert and mentor Linda M. Lopeke is a
leading authority on how to succeed in the 21st century
workplace and the creator of SMARTSTART Mentoring Programs:
Success-to-go for people working @ the speed of life!

The Importance of Your Credit Score Fico Information

The Importance of Your Credit Score Fico Information
In the United States, a credit score is a three-digit
number based on a person's past credit files, and
represents that person's creditworthiness. The score is
based primarily on credit information obtains from the
three major credit bureaus, and the credit score determines
the likelihood that a person will pay his or her bills on
time. FICO is a credit score developed by Fair Isaac & Co.,
and it is used by many mortgage and lending companies to
determine the possibility of a client defaulting on
financial obligations to the lenders.

A credit score is determined by past credit history, and it
must be built up from scratch. Many different factors
determine what your credit score will be, including number
of accounts or loans, amount of total loans and debt, and
even the length that the various accounts have been open.
Whether or not payments are made on time consistently will
also determine a credit score, as well as any negative
marks including bounced checks or going over an account
balance on a credit card. Because a credit score is
important for trying to get loans, avoiding negative
activity is important to build up a good credit score.

A good credit score is necessary when wanting to buy a home
or property that requires a mortgage company, since many
companies won't lend to those who are a high risk for not
paying it back. A low credit score can also impact those
renting a home, since landlords would rather rent to
someone who has shown they can pay their rent on time. A
poor credit score can cause you to be denied by several
types of lending companies, because a low credit score
means the applicant is a high risk for defaulting on loans
and financial obligations.

Because not everyone in the world has a perfect credit
score, there are many companies that will still lend money
to those with poor credit scores. Although this may seem
like a credit score doesn't mean anything since almost
anyone can get a loan, but it's completely the opposite.
Those with low credit scores will end up paying much more
in the long run, since credit card and mortgage companies
charge higher interest to those with lower credit scores.
Having a good credit score can save you money by avoiding
high interest charges, and can also give you the ability to
apply for almost any loan or credit card that you wish.

Credit card companies that require their customers to have
good credit scores usually offer great benefits, including
balance transfer options and even rewards programs. Those
with good credit are also typically approved for a higher
loan, giving them the ability to buy whatever they may want
or need before they have the money available.

Having a good credit score is a great way to save money and
enjoy the ability to take out a loan, but it can be
devastating for those with low credit who end up with
outrageous interest charges. Having a low credit score
isn't the end of the world though; it can quickly be
improved by keeping negative marks from your credit report.
Make sure to make all of your monthly payments for loans
and bills on time each month, and avoid taking out too many
loans or credit cards. Try to lower your total debt each
month rather than paying off a card and then charging it
back up, since high amounts of debt can decrease your score.

----------------------------------------------------
Other credit report information articles by Anthony Smith
at:
http://creditreportinformation4u.com