Web-Based Employee Training Provides Cost-Effective Solution During Recession

With the current state of the US economy including financial bailouts from the federal government, stock market plummeting, and high unemployment rates, the pressure on businesses to be more productive with less resources has skyrocketed. Operating more efficiently and cost-effectively has become the current corporate mantra.
During this volatile economic situation, more businesses are faced with the challenges of maximizing employee performance and increased productivity. One way in which businesses can achieve operational excellence while continuing to cut costs is to invest in web-based employee development and training.
This current trend in e-learning continues to defy the challenges facing corporate America today. Through the continual investment in employee development, businesses are able to accelerate business growth and differentiate themselves from the competition.
How can investing in Web-based learning for employees contribute to a company's bottom line? Web-based learning provides employees the opportunity to enhance their core skills and competencies while providing employers with a cost-effective means to improving employee productivity. With Web-based learning programs, employees are able to take courses in the convenience of their office or home - resulting in minimal loss of productivity, money saved in travel, time out of the office and more.
Perhaps the most important benefit for businesses is Web-based learning provides employees the opportunity to learn in a more productive manner while enabling them to begin contributing to the productivity and profitability of the business in a faster method over traditional learning. New hires are now capable of contributing to a company's bottom line in a more concise manner.
When searching for an online learning resource, be sure to look for one that provides an interactive, real time learning atmosphere. This type of learning allows learners to interact directly with the instructors for a more enhanced learning experience.

Marketing Tips For Businesses Who Want to Boom During 2009

Well, here we are - on the doorstep of 2009. But before you open that door, I want to give you one of the most important marketing tips you can have.
A tip that can make you stick out head and shoulders from the crowd in '09 - especially when the "band aids" on the economy peel off and reveal the gooey, puss-infected wounds underneath.
Anyway, here it is:
Focus on getting customers instead buyers.
I first learned this in a short, $20 book called "The System Letters" by Ken McCarthy.
And it's one of the single most important business lessons I have ever heard - that radically changed the way I do business.
Why?
What's the big deal?
Well, think about it this way:
A BUYER is someone who buys ONE time.
He MIGHT buy again some day.
But usually, he buys one time and then moves on to the next bigger and better thing.
A CUSTOMER, on the other hand... makes it a "custom" to buy from you over and over and over.
So instead of a one-time sale, he buys from you multiple times - years into the future.
Plus, many of these extra sales are practically handed to you on a silver platter because of all the trust, and respect and loyalty they have for you.
I call it "selling in advance."
And it's by FAR the easiest and most reliable way to sell.
Because even if your sales pitch sucks or you break all the "rules" of copywriting, selling and marketing, it won't matter.
They aren't buying the "thing."
They are buying YOU.
The mere fact YOU are offering it is good enough for them.
It's the ultimate form of positioning.
And it lets even total "newbies" take market share quickly.
Anyway, I'm no prophet.
Heck, I'm not even a "Miss Cleo."
But I stand behind this prediction for 2009 and beyond:
The few (and there aren't many) marketers who go after "customers"... instead of "buyers"... will prosper BIG TIME.
They will have FAR more peace of mind and financial security as the economy explodes and most businesses start running around like be-headed chickens

How to Market Online For a Real Estate Business

Before you go out making huge sums of money, you have to remember to keep yourself up-to-date with the latest news and developments in the market. You have to brace the losses and gains and try to see the reason and the various forces at work in the market which determine the success of your business.
You have to know one little thing: in real life, Mr. Scrooge's lucky $10 coin does not exist. Sure, luck will work its charm and you will not be sure where you are headed, but you will also have to fiddle with your brain to find the solutions to the problems that arise. But before solving and locating the way through the hurdles, you will have to see the root from where such troubles arise.
If you are in the real estate business, and are rather groaning in your nightmares because the numbers of deals on your desk have petered out, it is time that you decided to put an end to your trouble times. But to do that you will have to note down the reasons, and no matter how many sleuths you put to work to identify the problem, you will find that it is the marketing that is always at fault.
Marketing is the key issue in any business, and this is how you are able to spread your grip on the market. Marketing is the best way to advertise for your work, and this way, people will end up trusting you and so deals would inevitably come flooding in.
The cyber world merges with our reality in daily events and situations. The world online is so powerful in its influence that it is impossible to ignore it completely, unless you lived like the monks in some remote parts of the country. All the realtors and investors have realized the power and advantages of online marketing, and you need to do so too.
If you are a complete novice in the world online, there is no need to worry. You can follow all the guidelines that you can afford to get to learn the techniques that you will need to use in online marketing. Almost 99% of the marketing should be done online, since nowhere else can you ever get a better ROI on marketing than on net.
There are many real estate forum websites that you should look out for while marketing. There are many such basic sites, but you will have to settle with only the best ones. Good real estate forum websites must allow you an adequate amount of peek into the interest rates, the hot spots in the market community, the average home prices and also all the options to post your ads and comments regarding your work. Soon enough, there will be responses, and you will be flooded with deals!
You have to keep communications open with the realtors with whom you have done business in the past. They will store your name in their database and will keep on sending you mails to inform you the right time to sell or buy a house. The websites will also offer you the information regarding how to actually sell or buy a house, and the rules that you must follow while doing it.
Another big issue that will leave you blue is the lack of money. If you are a self-employed real estate contractor, you will have to pay up from your own pockets. Moreover, the national publications which are published online will charge you a lot of money for mentioning your business in their pages. But you can also sift through the net and locate the small publications which will charge you moderately. This way, you can save your budget.
It is really not very hard to be successful in your business. The key point is communication. You will have to keep really good contacts, and then gather enough information from around as well. This way, you will be able to use good tactics to keep you business thriving!

Sales Management - High Yield Sales Territory Management - Prospecting Efficiently

"You've Got the Order." The words we love to hear. They're Priceless!!
Everyone wants more sales. So here's how. Manage your sales territory better. Bring in more prospects. Improve closing ratios, or do both.
Now increasing closing ratios is by far the easiest if you; 1. Go after the right prospects and opportunities, and 2. Go after the right prospects and opportunities.
Probability and Process
Any successful person learns process and probability - business person, athlete, gambler, sales person, etc. Process -- What's the strategy; what's the game plan; what's the method/system/...? Probability - Based on conditions presented, what action has the best probability of success?
Let's apply this to closing ratios or going after the right prospects and opportunities.
Here are the probabilities for making sales:
• Existing Customers - Existing Products/Services - 67% • Existing Customers - New Products and Services - 50%, (80% if they helped develop it with you) • Old or Lost Customers - 40% Existing Products/Services • Old or Lost Customers - 25% New Products/Services • New Customers - Existing Products/Services - 25% • New Customers - New Products/Services - 5%
This tells you how to manage your sales territory. That is, spend more time prospecting with existing customers. To be more exact, spend 50% of selling time with existing customers, 30% with old or lost customers and 20% with new or competitors' customers. Readjust your time allocations to the above and watch your closing rates go up. That was easy - wasn't it.
Now let's talk process for selecting prospects and opportunities
Sales Territory Management Starts with Building Your Opportunity Matrix
1. Using an Excel chart, list who buys, and what, and who doesn't buy. Enter all existing clients (and their divisions and locations) down the left column. Across the top row, list all the products and services you sell. Include new or potential products as well. Use categories if there are many products. Check off with a "+" the products/services existing customers buy and note your percentage if they also buy the same from competitors. Leave blank (for now) all the services and products they don't buy from you, but could. Indicate with an N/A's those boxes that don't apply or fit at all. Don't use dollars or quantities. You just want a simple visual.
2. Now list all the old customers. Here the rows will be empty. Make a note of what they use to buy from you with XX's. Then list competitors' customers. Note what they buy from the competitor with YY's, and things they don't buy from anyone, but could, or do it themselves. Finally list those that do everything themselves or you're not aware who/if they buy from.
This is your Sales Territory Management Opportunity Matrix - a visual of all the sales you could theoretically be making.
3. Now identify each opportunity by chance of them needing it - Way Out There (M1) to Out There (M2) to Likely Candidate (M3) to They Showed Interest (M4) - these are the marketing phases. Once a prospect gives you a good verbal indication there will be a purchase, prioritize into the selling phases - Qualify (Q), Proposal (P), Close (C). Fill in the Opportunity Matrix with the appropriate abbreviation.
Create this Matrix with your Customer Service/Engineering/Tech Support/Operations people. These people usually know more or have easier access to the client's people than the sales person. They can be a wealth of information about what going on inside your clients' organizations. Later they can be a great network for introductions to high level people. Managers should thoroughly review this at least twice a year, but sales people should update it monthly.
4. Now Build Your Sales Territory Management Action Plans
Your first mandated action is to keep the existing business. This is where my book - TAKE ME TO YOUR LEADER$ will help. It shows the actions needed to develop the relationships and leverage to retain and grow existing volume, as well as, get their other opportunities you don't have.
5. Now look at all the other accounts you don't have in the rest of the region. It's overwhelming I'll bet. So start prioritizing based on the statistics above. Note how much business is available from existing customers, either the competitors' share, or services they do themselves that you could sell. Then look at the rest. This visual with be very revealing and motivate you to prospect.
Knowing the inventory of sales opportunities will give you a handle on growth. You can now build action plans for keeping existing business and capturing other potential opportunities. Cover every opportunity in every marketing/selling phase. The farther down toward the sale the more energy/time you should allocate.
For example with a new customer you may want to do a low cost mailing campaign - minimal energy. For a competitor's customer, you may want to do some phone research to find the right people and then contact them (phone or in person) to learn their likes and dislikes of the competitors. For existing customers you should be spreading through that organization like a virus, meeting all the people impacted by your products/services, especially all the senior managers to learn likes/dislikes, issues, opportunities - high energy.
6. Now assign an action to every opportunity, even the 5 %'ers, and a date of completion. Use another excel spread sheet with a column for Opportunity, Action and Completion Date, and Who's Responsible. This is your accountability or tracking document. Without this, opportunities will be overlooked and ripe for competitors. Make different people responsible for different types of actions.
For example, Marketing does the mailing for the specified list of low potentials. The sales person calls the competitors' clients. Customer Service/Engineering/Technical Support practice effective listening and get the sale person introduced to the clients senior managers. The sales person should be the lead and coordinator to make sure each action by others is accomplished.
Managing the Sales Territory Management Process
Sale management should review the Opportunity Matrix and Funnel of Actions for each sales person to be sure all potential opportunities are covered and people are assigned for the scheduled actions. Managers should also review time allocations to be sure sales people are spending time on each category of opportunity in the right proportion.
I often hear, "We do this at the beginning of each year." or "We have to report this every month." My question is, "Do you forecast every month? Do you track the actions you'll do to insure the forecast will happen?" Usually it's the former. The focus of management has to be how well the opportunities are being attended - not forecasted. Besides, low and moderate potentials should never be forecasted.
The Opportunity Matrix and The Funnel of Actions for each sales individual or territory will produce (1) a reality check of whether the sales will be made as forecasted; (2) an appreciation of selling skills / deficiencies for each sales person; and (3) a vision about the future - where will next year's business come from. The manager can then begin directing, coaching and/or correcting before expected sales are lost or not met.
This is probability and process. This is how to select the right prospects and opportunities. This is what will dramatically increase closing ratios and this is what will increase sales.

4 Marketing Myths Threaten Your Sales

These 4 marketing myths can cause you to lose sales if you base your marketing decisions on them. But the related marketing tips I included with each myth will boost your sales if you act on them instead.

Myth 1:
People Always Buy Where They Get the Cheapest Price

If this was true, only businesses that charge cheap prices would exist. Some people buy where they get the cheapest price. But most people are more interested in getting value for their money than in getting a bargain.

Tip: Look for some low-cost ways you can enhance the perceived value of your product or service. Then test raising your price. Don't be surprised if both your sales and your profit margin go up.

Myth 2:
Offering Your Customers Many Options Will Boost Your Sales

Presenting your customers with options usually reduces your sales. Here's why...

When confronted with several options, most customers have difficulty making a clear decision. They often react by procrastinating - and never making a decision. When this happens, you lose a sale you already had.

Tip: Try to limit your customer's decision making to either "Yes. I'll buy." or "No. I won't buy". Don't risk losing them by including "which one" decisions.

Myth 3:
Everybody Needs My Product/Service

That's what YOU think. Most of them don't think they need it...and most aren't ready to spend their money for it.

The hazard of this myth is that it causes many marketers to believe they can succeed without doing much marketing or selling. They think their product or service is so special that it should automatically generate hordes of paying customers. Unfortunately, it doesn't happen that way.

Building a successful business is hard work - most of it devoted to finding customers. Even if most people can use your product or service, you still need a marketing strategy to reach them and a persuasive sales message to close sales.

Tip: Look for narrowly defined niche markets where your product or service solves a unique need of the customers. Focus your marketing on them instead of trying to reach a broadly defined general market. You'll generate more sales and enjoy a better return on your advertising expense.

Myth 4:
Keep Changing Your Advertising or Your Sales Will Decline

This sounds logical but it's not true. Never abandon advertising that's working. I know many businesses that have been using the same advertising for years and they're still growing. Here's why...

The goal of most advertising is to attract new customers. Once someone becomes a customer, they won't respond to that advertising again. But you can use different (and cheaper) advertising to generate additional sales from them.

But there's still a large population of non-customers who didn't respond to your regular advertising. Most have not seen it yet ...and those who have usually need to see it numerous times before they will respond.

Don't abandon advertising that's working - but keep trying to improve it. And regularly test new things to see how they work for you. If you never make any changes in your advertising, your sales will eventually decline.

Tip: You can automatically keep your advertising up to date by allocating 80 percent of your budget to proven promotions and 20 percent to testing new things. When something new works better than your proven promotions, move it to the 80 percent group and start testing something else in the 20 percent category.

Don't believe these 4 marketing myths. They're not true. Marketing based on them will cause you to lose sales. Instead, apply the related marketing tips I included after each myth to boost your sales.

How to speed up your Sales?

To speed up your sale, you must move the pain that you are offering to solve near the top of the prospect's priority list.

Here are three ways that you can do this.

#1 - Choose Your Prospects Ruthlessly
To put it simply, the fastest sales happen when the prospects know they are in pain. For a given problem, the businesses (or people) who have this in common will likely share other characteristics. Look at who has been spending money during this slowdown with either you or your competitors, and ask yourself what they have in common. You want to have a profile of what these customers look like when you are prospecting. This will enable you to quickly decide whether to engage in a sales effort. Prospects who don't meet your profile should be thrown out.

#2 - Get To The Executives First
Not getting to the decision-makers early in the sell cycle is a common reason for lengthy sales cycles. To get there, you have to know how to talk to them. Exec's want to know how you are going to increase revenues or efficiency, and save money or time. Their biggest fear of salespeople is that you will waste their time with techno-babble.

You can create a direct mail and telephone campaign to make contact with your target executives. This is a topic that demands way more space than I have here to write. But the strategy is to get their attention with specific stories and questions that dramatize the pain using examples that they can identify with.

You can also have your current executive customer contacts refer you to other executives that they know within your target prospect accounts. Or You can use your management as a "power meets power" way of getting access. And you can also form partnerships with complementary vendors who might have access into your accounts.

In the case of a small software company, it could make sense to partner with a larger company who already has the executive relationships. Companies like IBM, HP, or Accenture have salespeople for every account you can imagine. When you show them how they can sell more of their products and services, they will want to work with you to get into the account.

#3 - Intensify Their Pain
When your sale is low on their priority list, it is because the executives believe they have bigger problems to focus on. You can influence their perception and priorities by getting them to experience the consequences of the unaddressed problem in advance of it happening. You want to make this problem feel real in the present moment.

There are two very effective techniques for doing this. One is to tell stories. You mentioned that you had a number of customers both large and small. Interview your customers and find out precisely why they bought your software. Determine the specific pains, and the specific results they got from installing it. Create detailed stories about your customers such that your prospect will identify with the pains that your customer's had. Discuss how bad things would have gotten if they hadn't solved the problem with your software.

Stories are an effective indirect way to get a prospect to open up about a potential problem. The most powerful motivation for a sale is the prospect's own fears and desires. You can uncover this and use it to propel your sale forward with planned persuasive questioning. People make decisions to buy, or move your sale up on their priority list when they are in an emotional state. Questions that get them to experience the consequences of problems that they are not dealing with can bring the pain strongly into the present moment.

Focus On The Right Things
You cannot control the slow economy.

Here are some things you can control.


Who you sell for and what you sell.
Which prospects you choose to engage.
The level at which you first engage your prospects:
executive, middle management, or staff.
What you do, say, and ask when you engage people.