Business Blog | Lilamitre-arte.com

Tip # 1
Discipline Yourself to a Routine of ‘Asking’

Here’s something profound. The reason most of us do not get referrals on a routine basis is because we do not ask for them on a routine basis. Well, it’s almost that simple. What would be the upside on your year-end W-2 if you asked for 2 referrals from each of your new customers? Let’s say you average 6 sales per month. That would be 12 referrals per month or 144 per year. Conservatively, you close half of those warm leads. Multiply 72 by your average revenue per sale. Then calculate your commission percentage off the total revenue sold. Now ask yourself if you can afford not to ask for referrals on a routine basis.

Tip # 2
Develop a process to ‘Set the Stage’

Asking for a referral is one thing, but how many times do you actually get one? Execute a Powerful Routine after you sign up a new customer, and request permission for 3 additional minutes to get their professional feedback. Ask a series of questions soliciting their opinion on ways you can be more effective with your sales process, from initial contact to point of sale, with individuals in the same industry and parallel titles. You are now setting the stage for your future success. Over time, your contacts will give you a free ‘Masters Degree.’ Remember to ‘Pack your bags, but set the stage.’

Tip # 3
Communicate to a “Win-Win” Agreement

Be honest and sincere in reference to the importance of referrals for running your business effectively. Tell your story. If you have a high referral ratio let them know that and why it is high. Customers respect a good businessperson more than a good salesperson. Try to pick a time when the contact would feel comfortable giving a referral to help your business. That may not be at the point of sale, but upon service implementation or some time in the future when you have proved you delivered what you promised. The important point is you must define with the contact when it can happen or what criteria need to be met for it to happen.
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Many organizations and businesses want media coverage of their activities, and at the same time many newsrooms are looking for local (or even national and international) topics to cover. If you’re belong to an organization that wants coverage, you can increase the odds of getting it by following a few simple news release (or press release) conventions.

First, you must have something new or different to say. As the name News implies, the media want information that’s new or at least updated. At the same time, reporters and editors want information that’s relevant to their readers; choose your media targets carefully, and tailor the content of the release to their audience).

Second, your headline should be as interesting as a newspaper headline. It should promise something new, dramatic, or timely. Make the editor or reporter want to know more. Remember, though, the claim should be credible and relevant.

Third, in the first paragraph of the body, get in what journalists call the Five Ws: Who, What, Where, When, and Why. In fact, try to get them into the first sentence, and if you can’t, at least start with a clear concise statement that summarizes the story.
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The International business network gafimo.net -
the mobile, film, games network launches today in
germany. Matthias Pieper, 23, CEO of gafimo.net
is on the move to find as many professionals from
the mobile content, film and games-development
branches as possible to bring them together. “It
is clear that these industries have to work
together in the future” Pieper says. He knows,
what he´s talking about: after years of working
on the games workforce (giga, etc.) Read the rest of this entry »

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Are you your own worst marketing enemy? Hey, I’m sure you wouldn’t intentionally turn customers away… but we all make mistakes. In the following article you’ll find some tried and true ways to lose sales and kiss your profits goodbye!

1. Distract Them
You know what I’m talking about. You’ve been to Web pages where there were a TON of clickable links. You start clicking away, get 10 screens open… and yeah, you forget which is the original site and why the heck you were there in the first place!

This one is especially true for Internet marketers. Let me ask you… how many clickable links are on your Web page? Don’t send your customers to other places before you’ve made a sale. Once a prospect heads out for greener pastures, they’ll probably never find their way back.

2. Give Them An Unpleasant Surprise
You’ve probably made a purchase, got set to write the check and discovered extra fees that you weren’t counting on paying. No one even mentioned them until you were sitting there with pen in hand. Maybe it was that vacation package you’ve been dreaming about for a while. You’re left with a choice… grin and bear it, or walk off without the vacation.
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