But, once came the day when something felt out of synch in the way I used that marketing strategy, and I felt some gritchiness around the prices of products I recommended. I kept examining my assumptions, and everything seemed right. Still, the feeling that something wasn’t quite right persisted.

Never one to ignore an itch, I kept scratching until this week I realized what the problem is. I had been using quite different “markets” to assess what the market would bear. That is, I’d been looking at markets that had different values from the values of many of the people I attract. I based my pricing strategy and marketing on the proven best practices of other respected “info product” gurus, but those practices were designed to address the values of people who didn’t, and probably never would, be attracted to my e-zine.

Readers of my e-zine were a special case. From their emails and phone calls, I knew that they placed a high value on authenticity, intelligence, and creativity. I knew they had high standards for courtesy, honesty, and what I might call “finish.” They were tolerant of mistakes (assuming they were acknowledged). They had a sense of humor, a hunger for spirit, and a fundamental commitment to growth. At the same time they tended to be a frugal lot, willing to pay for high quality, but unmoved by hype and positively turned off by pressure tactics.

The generic information marketing model is designed to address the needs of people for whom profit is an over-riding value. These folks — many of them good souls indeed — thrive in the hyper-stimulating atmosphere of the motivational circuit: loud, upbeat music, extravagant challenges to dare to be great and simple formulas for achieving success. The more costly the package, the more this customer tends to believe in its value. And I’m willing to suppose that for the right person, that value can be substantial.

But this model didn’t fit me and it probably didn’t fit my e-zine readers, either. More than likely, they were past believing in “7 Steps to Instant Gratification.” They probably didn’t believe in easy answers, however much they might sometimes long for them. (Me, too.)

The bottom line is that, in that case, so-called “best practices” just didn’t apply. The sophistication, values, and life experience of this community constituted a different market, and we would just have to develop our own best practices.

What would those practices look like? My hunch was:

Transparency: No fake sales; any specials should be clearly linked to a business purpose, and the regular retail price should always be fair so if you miss a sale you can feel good about buying at another time for full price.

– Clarity: Accurate, no-hype descriptions of products and services.

– Simplicity: Prices expressed in whole dollar amounts. Forget the “95 cents” gimmicks. We can round up!

– Trust: Simple returns and exchanges.

I evaluated the marketing and pricing strategy for my products and those of affiliates, keeping asking the questions that gave birth to “Authentic Promotion” in the first place: “What’s bugging me about the way I do (or think I have to do) business? What am I assuming? What is the truth of this? What if the truth were not a problem?”

Goldilocks tried three chairs, three bowls of porridge, and three beds before finding the ones that were “just right.” In much the same way, your working toward “just right” prices and marketing methods will definitely pay off, as it did for me. I believe this price-value matrix will help you to find your “just right” price!

For example, my client sells a course which is a comprehensive self-guided seminar that transforms fears and resistance to marketing into grounded advocacy for good work. It’s a high value, if she does say so herself. Still, it has a medium price because she is still working on way to convey to potential purchasers the potency and efficacy of this course. One way she is doing that is to develop a series of follow up emails that remind buyers of key practices and principles, that ask powerful questions to help them move forward, and that suggest specific sections of the program that solve specific challenges. As she develops this support, she will be able to charge — and receive — a higher price.

PRICE-VALUE MATRIX

HIGH VALUE — LOW PRICE

Underpriced: value undercut by price. “What’s wrong with this picture” pricing strategy.

HIGH VALUE — MEDIUM PRICE

Attractive pricing: ideal for market penetration. “More for your money” pricing strategy.

HIGH VALUE — HIGH PRICE

Premium pricing: prestige, prominence. “Connoisseur” pricing strategy.

MEDIUM VALUE — LOW PRICE

True bargain: may be a temporary special to raise revenue or to move discontinued items. “Inventory sale” strategy.

MEDIUM VALUE — MEDIUM PRICE

Price and value are in balance, exclusive of other factors. “Square deal” pricing strategy.

MEDIUM VALUE — HIGH PRICE

Overpriced: informed buyers will stay away; sales may be made to unsophisticated market. “Infomercial” pricing strategy.

LOW VALUE — LOW PRICE

Cheap stuff. Often sold with lots of “bonus” items or features. “Tourist trap” pricing strategy.

LOW VALUE — MEDIUM PRICE

Turns sales into complaints. “Caveat emptor” pricing strategy. (”Let the buyer beware.”)

LOW VALUE — HIGH PRICE

Don’t even think about it: the “Fleece ‘em and run” pricing strategy.

A Price-Value Matrix – A Cool Tool for Finding Your Just Right Pricing Strategy is a post from: Business Blog | Lilamitre-arte.com

During the entire process of getting a loan ready for closing, you and your customer are met with more than one reason to celebrate other than at the closing table.

For example, before you can proceed with a loan, your customer must have an appraisal done on their home.

Once that appraisal comes in, both to the liking of you and your customer, send your customer an inexpensive congratulatory gift such as a tin of pretzels, cookies, or candy.

But make sure you send it to their place of employment.

Why do something so cheesy you may ask?

Because when you send someone a gift at work, all of their fellow employees want to know why they got it and who it was from.

So when they ask, your customer will tell them all about you and the products and services you are providing them with.

Also, if you have sent some of your business cards along with the gift, you better believe they will be handing them out.

Don’t forget to use the same technique once the loan is approved and than again once the loan is closed.

This is a perfect way to get your customers selling you and your products to co-workers, friends and family.

A Perfect Marketing Strategy for Loan Officers is a post from: Business Blog | Lilamitre-arte.com

A low cost merchant account can help your business grow by enhancing your marketing plan. When the word gets out that your company offers electronic payment services like credit card swiping, telephone dial-up, and Internet Website payment options, customers will be impressed and may be more likely to check out your various options to see for themselves how easy you have made it for them to shop with your company. Naturally, you don’t have to offer all these options at once. But you can start by getting approved for merchant account services and then setting up one type of credit payment option to see how customers respond. If all goes according to plan and growth follows the expected trend, you may decide to add another option to further expedite payment procedures.

Your low cost merchant account can put a terminal-printer on your checkout counter to help your cashier process credit payments in addition to making change for cash payments and getting the manager’s check approval. When customers know that you accept credit cards, they may be more likely to spend more than they would have otherwise. They might even buy gift cards or novelty items in the checkout line. If you deliver goods or services with an appliance installation service, for example, you can buy or lease a wireless credit card processor that can go wherever you do for point-of-sale processing. You don’t have to worry about statements that won’t get paid or billing customers each month for the next year. A credit card sale can finalize the account to the satisfaction of both your client and you.

When you are ready to grow your business to the next level, with a low cost merchant account, you can apply for digital credit card processing by installing a telephone credit payment service. This will allow customers to call in at any time and key in their credit card account number for payments without the aid of a customer service representative. Then you can add a company Website with a credit-processing feature where customers can order services or supplies and pay on the spot with a credit card.

Don’t wait too long before making the move to electronic credit card processing equipment. Your customers expect it, and your company needs it to stay solvent and experience serious growth. Start thinking about applying for a low cost merchant account.

A Low Cost Merchant Account is a post from: Business Blog | Lilamitre-arte.com

1. Research Your Market
Before you start your cold calls it’s important that you’re prepared. This way, your prospect feels you really do understand their situation. Research the company you are calling, identify what issues they are having based on your other clients in their same industry and ask others in your company the main reasons why people buy your product or service.

The better prepared you are about discussing you prospect’s issues, the easier it will be to allow the conversation to flow.

2. Change Your Mental Expectations
Traditional selling has always taught us that our main goal of the cold call should be an appointment or a sale. With that mental focus, our mind is focused on the end goal before we even have a conversation with the person we are calling.

This creates conflicts because you will be trying very hard not to use words that make you sound like all you care about is the sale. And if your prospect senses you are focusing on the appointment or sale, they will immediately be defensive.

Change your mental expectations to focus on building a conversation first. Once you have generated a good dialogue, you can determine if you are a fit or not with your prospect. Be careful not to mentally “jump the gun”.

3. Understand Your Prospect
Take a few minutes to think about the focus of your call. Think about how you are going to approach the conversation. Put yourself in the mind of your prospect.

How would you want to be approached? Certainly the last thing you want to hear is a sales pitch from someone you don’t know.

Instead, begin the conversation diffusing any mystery as to who you are with “Hi, my name is Jim and you and I haven’t met yet”. This removes the mystery of who you are and allows you to begin talking about how you can help them solve a problem, rather than you having to default to a sales pitch.

Think before you speak.

4. Build Trust Through Conversation
Learning to build a conversation is the key to cold calling success. Engaging in a conversation should be as natural as calling a friend. Your objective is to build trust on your call so that your prospect feels comfortable conversing with you rather than trying to focus on getting you off the phone.

How do you build trust? You build trust by removing any elements in your approach that connect you to the negative “salesperson” stereotype.

5. Ask A Question
Begin your cold call with “Hi my name is John, maybe you can help me out for a moment?”

Yes, that’s really all you have to begin with because in the next few seconds you will hear “How can I help you”. That is how you can build a two-way dialogue rather than having a one-way talk.

The truth is you are asking for help because you don’t know if you can help them yet, right? Until you have the information you need about their situation, you can’t determine if you are a fit or not.

6. Eliminate Pressure
Pressure is the main reason most cold calls turn into a negative rejection-filled experience. It doesn’t have to be that way.

If you can become aware of things you are doing that trigger pressure on your prospects, you can turn cold calling into a very productive and enjoyable experience.

The key is to never force your sales pitch, engage only in a natural conversation, and most importantly let your prospect talk. By doing all three you will eliminate pressure from the call and your prospect will be more open to the idea of what you have to offer.

7. Learn To Determine A Fit
So how do you know if your prospect is a fit with what you have to offer? You need to ask them this question towards the end of your problem solving discussion “Is solving your problem a top priority or something that is on the back burner for now?”

By determining the answer to this question, you can see if you can decide if your prospect is worth pursuing or not. You will also be able to determine their time frame which helps you better adjust your expectations.

Make no mistake about it, if you really want to be successful cold calling you’ll need to let go of traditional sales thinking. Try these strategies and watch how cold calling can be fun and productive.

A Few Simple Ways to Jump Start Your Cold Calls is a post from: Business Blog | Lilamitre-arte.com

Many top sales representatives feel that the sale is as good as closed if they can just obtain an appointment or meeting with a decision-maker. Their feeling is that their prospective customer must need their products or services or they would not be willing to set an appointment in the first place. The following checklist has been developed to help you make the most of a favorable juncture of circumstances and build the trust levels that are vital to your overall sales success:

Smile! No matter what kind of day you are having, if you will smile it will give those people you contact a feeling of acceptance. It will also help you feel better about your day. Tape a smiley-face or the word “smile” on your desk or telephone to remind you of the importance of a smile on your face and in your voice. Top sales professionals use the technique of thinking of a funny story or the latest joke they have heard just before meeting a prospective customer. Thinking about the story or joke almost assures them of having a smile on their face as they meet a decision-maker for the first time. Make sure you are smiling as you call for appointments or are conducting a sales presentation.

Shake your client’s or prospect’s hand. A warm, firm, friendly handshake goes a long way in building a trusting relationship. It tells your clients or prospects that you are a friendly person and that you are glad to see them. If your handshake is limp it can leave a negative impression. It can be equally as bad to grip someone’s hand too hard. Remember you only have one chance to make a great first impression.

Ask an open-ended personal question. (Open-ended questions require an explanation and can rarely be answered with a “yes” or “no”). Psychologists tell us that when a person reveals something personal about themselves, it builds trust.

It’s vital for you to practice using open-ended questions to create a short period of small talk (the prospect doing 80% of the talking), at the outset of your presentation. Remember, people buy from people that they trust. When people start to talk about themselves, they start to build a trusting relationship with you so that later, as you discuss your products and/or services, the things you say will be believed.

Research shows that people decide whether to follow the advice and buy from a sales professional in the first two minutes of the conversation. By following the track outlined above, you can make the most of your initial contact and truly turn each meeting of transaction into a favorable juncture of circumstances (a sales opportunity).

A Favorable Juncture Of Circumstances is a post from: Business Blog | Lilamitre-arte.com

This conviction was strengthened in me some time ago when there came to hand a report of a questionnaire circulated among the members of a Sales Executives Club. These men and women are “top brass” in the sales departments of big business. They have responsibility for the distribution of their firm’s product; have in some cases hundreds, even thousands, of sales managers and salesmen under their guidance and direction. The recruitment, training and management of these forces are their daily concern.

The question asked these sales executives was: What are the qualities or traits of character you value most in salesmen? This is the list they offered, the traits being stated in the order of importance attached to them by these sales executives. There is food for thought here. Note for instance that “persuasiveness” is toward the end of the list. Most people would list the art of persuasion as perhaps synonymous with salesmanship but according to these sales executives there are other more import traits, they are listed below.

Dependability was chosen as the most important.

Integrity was next. With this trait the salesman is incapable either of being false to the trust his company places in him or to the real interests of his customer.

Knowledge of product is one of the three fundamentals of success in the field of selling.

Self Time-management Perhaps no vocation gives a man a greater degree of latitude. He must be a good “boss” for himself and exact a high degree of self-discipline for selling.

Work organization is efficiency in self-management. Much of a salesman’s time is wasted by the prospect. He must guard the balance jealously and make every minute count.

Sincerity excludes falsification of every shade. It must be real, few can “pretend” with success.

Initiative is the salesman’s spark plug.

Industriousness is devotion to the job, never being unemployed during work hours

Acceptance of responsibility for the car, for the sales material, records, samples and above all for the company’s good name and the customer’s good will.

Understanding of buyer motives this being another of the big three fundamentals of selling.

Sales ethics No longer is the slogan “caveat emptor” (let the buyer beware) but “caveat vendator” (let the seller beware).

Judgment is not inherited. It can be developed as a habit. Logic is a subject that should be a “must” for sales people.

Care of health, mental, physical, spiritual, financial.

Courtesy is more than politeness. It is consideration for others, deference to their opinions, their rank, their sex, their age.

Determination is a dogged adherence to a carefully worked out and settled program and purpose. The will to carry through. Unwillingness to compromise with anything less than your best performance.

Aggressiveness requires self-confidence and the language of assurance in all interviews. It is pressure applied without offensiveness.

Friendliness involves warmth of feeling, a positive type of cordiality that does not involve back-slapping or wise-cracking.

Resourcefulness Wide knowledge, curiosity, retentive memory, wide-awakeness. Quick thinking in the clinches.

Persuasiveness goes beyond the realm of reasoning, an appeal to feelings, desires, and emotions.

Appreciation of selling as a profession and as the road to personal success. Awareness of the fact that the field of “distribution” offers more in money, satisfaction, opportunity for service, and personal growth in all of the inner virtues and faculties than any other calling, especially more than anything in the field of “production.”

Copyright © 2006 Mary Hanna All Rights Reserved.

This article may be distributed freely on your website and in your ezines, as long as this entire article, copyright notice, links and the resource box are unchanged.

20 Essential Traits Needed For All Sales Executives is a post from: Business Blog | Lilamitre-arte.com

Give your product a distinct personality.
OfficeMax’s Rubber-Band Guy is an instantly identifiable, highly memorable character that has boosted sales and brand recognition. It personifies the brand while selling the message that whatever customers need they can get at OfficeMax.

Give them an interesting history lesson.
Some of the most common products we use today have the most interesting development histories. Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, left historical records of a powder made from the bark and leaves of the willow tree to help heal headaches, pains and fevers. By 1829, scientists discovered that the salicin in willow plants was the key ingredient in aspirin, which was later repackaged and marketed by Bayer.

Sing your product’s praises.
Create a memorable catchy song, poem or jingle that that hooks in people’s minds. Gillette sold millions of razor blades using “The Best a Man Can Get,” which continues to stick in consumers’ heads, leaving a positive impression about the product’s unbeatable performance.

Re-package your product for the customer.
Create new convenience packaging that makes your product easier to buy, use or refill. Motor oil used to be sold in cans that required a punch-in can opener or separate punch-through spout. These were messy and troublesome to use. Now oil is sold in twist-open, easy-pour plastic bottles.

Let consumables take the lead.
Drop the price of your product, then promote and sell its consumables. Computer printers can be bought for as little as $20, yet the ink cartridges sell for $29 apiece. So don’t worry about making a big profit on devices, let your consumables take the lead.

Use viral marketing.
Viral marketing is any word-of-mouth or “tell a friend” mechanism that induces users to re-convey a marketing message to other sites or users. Leveraged by the power of the web and email, viral techniques can create exponential growth in your product’s visibility.

Customize your product.
Try to give customers exactly what they want by creating apparently customized versions of your product. Consider the success of Cycle 1, 2, 3, 4 Pet Foods, or Burger King’s “Have it Your Way.”

Go high tech.
Exploit the latest technological advancements in media to underscore your message. For example, explore the use of audio chips in magazines, brochures or mailers. The novelty of these devices gets people talking, and there’s that “V” word again (viral marketing).

Promote product sharing.
This can be done by showing how your product brings friends and family together. An emotional appeal like this can be very memorable. A good example is Almond Joy’s, “you can share half and still have a whole.” Another is the ubiquitous Friends-and-Family discount, which abounds in everything from cell phones to vacation packages.

Show your product being used by experts.
If possible, establish your product as the one used by recognized experts in the field. A case in point is Canon’s use of photojournalists to endorse its 35mm cameras.

Make your product sui generis.
Establish the fact that your product is generically in a class by itself. Consider Porsche’s use of the line “there is no substitute.” Or products that have become household words: “blow your nose with a Kleenex,” or “make me a Xerox copy.”

Think outside the demographic box.
Attract a new category of customers by thinking outside the box. Consider gaining younger or older buyers by expanding the utility and style of your product, e.g., cell phones for ‘tweens, or health bars for seniors.

Alex Kecskes provides a full range of copywriting services. Visit www.akcreativeworks.com for more information and samples.

12 Sales-Boosting Strategies is a post from: Business Blog | Lilamitre-arte.com

2. Reduce and Multiply
Big isn’t always better, sometimes quantity is more effective. Try reducing the size of your current advertisements and run more. Surprisingly, short ads often generate more response than long ads. Yep, keep it short and sweet, and watch the results.

3. Liven up Your Ads
Take a look at your current advertisements. Are they full of active, lively, colorfully stimulating phrases? Yeah, get rid of all those boring words and replace them with phrases like…it’s as easy as 1, 2, 3… hurry! Don’t miss out…Save, save, save!…Act now!… That’s right, keep things hopping and full of action for effective advertising results.

4. Give ‘em the Warm Fuzzies
People buy products for the feeling they get from the purchase. How do you feel when you get a new car? Yeah, excited, proud and anxious to show it off a little bit. Keep in mind these feelings, and draw word pictures with your advertisements that will stimulate them. Yeah, you’ll be surprised at the results you’ll get from encouraging and dramatizing the desires of your readers.

5. Send Them a Postcard
It only takes a minute to read the back of a postcard. Most people are just like you – busy, busy, busy. Regardless of how busy we are, all of us automatically read postcards that are short, clear and concise. Send postcards with short ads to your target audience, and watch the flood of response sweep in.

6. Pay Your Customers to Advertise
Nothing is more effective than word-of-mouth advertising. That’s right! Your customers can say it better than you could ever say it, so why not let them? Yeah, implement a reward program for referrals and watch your sales climb.

7. Say Thank You
It only takes a minute to put a thank you card in the mail to a customer, but the effects of your thoughtful act can create a loyalty that will last a lifetime. Yep, we all like to be appreciated…your customers do too.

8. Sell to Your Current Customers
The idea that sales growth comes from new customers isn’t always true. Yeah, you can increase sales with the customers you already have! Have you tried offering them a product that will complement the item they are buying? What about follow ups? It’s a lot easier to sell more to your current customers than to get new customers through the door. Don’t overlook the potential that’s in your store today!

9. Combine Items for Special Sales
Buying in bulk is ALWAYS cheaper…or is it? Consumers tend to feel that buyer in larger quantities is saving them money. Take advantage of that feeling. Group a few products together and advertise a special sale. Yeah, customers will feel pressured to shell out the dinero before the deal expires!

10. Surprise, Surprise!
Who doesn’t like a pleasant surprise? Yeah we all do, especially after we’ve made a purchase that our conscience is telling us we shouldn’t have. Do you want to get rid of those after purchase guilt trips for your customers? Give them a surprise at the register! They’ll leave feeling like it was their lucky day, rather than struggling with the after-the-sale blues.

11. Count the Losses
When we look at sales, we often focus on what will be gained by the purchase. What about the loss that results from failing to purchase? Most of us are more affected by losses than by savings. Let your customers know what they’ll be losing by failing to take advantage of your offer.

How many of these techniques are you using? Try implementing some new strategies and watch for new results! Yeah, nothing ventured… nothing gained. Sometimes it pays to take another look at what we’re doing, and take it up a notch. Give these 11 tips a try, and watch your sales skyrocket!

11 Proven Ways to Skyrocket Sales is a post from: Business Blog | Lilamitre-arte.com

Here are 10 tips that will save you from becoming the worst sales person in the company:

1. Not being punctual: being on time is very important to a customer. Take into consideration that many of your seasonal Christmas customers will be new. Your sales people will represent the first contact these customers have with your company. First impressions are lasting ones and your sales person need to make a good impression. Being on time will give a good impression to the client and increase their confidence in your company.

2. Poor presentation: some sales people just do not have all their ducks in a row and simply do not present the product well. A presentation is the first thing a customer will know about your product. If your product is not shown correctly to the customer he is very unlikely to buy.

3. Bad attitude: rudeness and unprofessional behavior is not acceptable under any circumstances. It is quite surprising that you will meet some sales people who are just plain rude and short with you the consumer. This gives the potential buyer the wrong impression about your company. They do not get a proper picture of the product, as they will probably not even wait for the presentation to end. You will lose many sales like this.

4. Not being articulate: a sales person must know how to express himself with confidence and fluency. He needs to be able to greet the prospect and introduce himself with assurance. This will start the whole presentation off to a good start. When he actually presents the product he must be sure to do this in a confident manner. He should also be prepared to answer all questions concisely and well. If your sales person cannot do this, your sale will not go through.

5. Not listening to a customer: a sales person should not only be able to present your product but listen to the prospective buyer. There is nothing more irritating to the consumer than having a sales person go on about a product and not letting you ask a few simple questions. After all whose money is on the line here? Worse still is when you do finally get to ask your question and instead of giving you a straight answer they go off on a tangent and have clearly not been listening to you. This will make a customer angry and they will probably never do business with you.

6. Basing a sale on cost: it is extremely risky for a sales person to depend on cost to close the sales. The prospective buyer will be quick to take advantage when he sees that the deal depends on the cost factor. He will drive the price as low as he can and you will take a heavy cut in profits for the sake of a sale. The buyer may hold off and then not even buy.

7. Not knowing when to close a sale: This is a common fault but a lethal one. Many sales have been lost because the sales person did not know when to close the sale. A good sales person is in tune with the prospective buyer and knows instinctively when to move to close the sale.

8. Hard sell: Hard sell is when sales people try to push the sale on the prospective customer. This will make the buyer aggressive and he will try to get rid of your sales person as soon as possible. It is a proven fact that nobody likes to be sold to.

9. Inflexibility: a sales person should be aware of different personalities and various situations. They must be flexible and able to adapt to different circumstances. The presentation may be the same but the buyers are rarely the same. Each buyer wants to feel special and expects the sales person to understand his circumstances. Inflexibility will cost you many sales.

10. Not following up a hot prospect: Follow up is very important. It is actually plain good manners. You have spoken to a person who has expressed interest in your company’s product but may not have been able to make a decision yet. It is courteous and good for business to follow up with hem. You may even make a sale this way. If your sales person does not know how to do this you will end up losing valuable customers and sales.

10 top tips to become the worst sales person in your company! is a post from: Business Blog | Lilamitre-arte.com

Here are a few tips:

1. Pay attention to the exterior first. This is what potential buyers notice. Give priority to home improvements that are visible to the naked eye. Fixing the façade will get you a better price than ensuring the foundation is solid.

2. Tidy up the yard and garden. If there are signs of neglect most buyers will not even step in. what one needs to do is create a presentation. Make sure there are no tires or wood lying around and any loose shutters or storm drains and gutters are properly fixed.

3. It helps to landscape. This does not mean you need to spend on redesign. Prune hedges, trees, and shrubs. Weed flower beds and paint old pots.

4. Ensure that the roof is clean and sparkling. Have it power cleaned. Statistics reveal that 30% curb appeal is a sparkling roof.

5. Have the interior repainted and the carpets and vinyl flooring replaced. Most buyers want to move in right away. Few would consider investing in a house where they need to get work done.

6. Reduce clutter and spruce up the interiors. Sparkling windows, clean curtains, attractive upholstery, bright cushions, flowers on tables and a few paintings or photographs placed strategically make a room a home. It gives the place warmth and invites a person to take a look.

7. Pay attention to odors. What may seem fragrant to you may be repulsive to others. Invite a friend in to inspect on your behalf. Many find pet odors, smell of urine, sprays, insecticide, herbs, deodorants, incense, spices, and so on repulsive. Often if curries are cooked or egg or bacon fried the smell tends to hang around the house.

8. Spruce up the kitchen and bathrooms with friendly plants, colorful towels and inexpensive fixtures or brick-a-back.

9. Have the house cleaned from top to bottom. There should be no evidence of mold, mildew, or leaks.

10. Arrange the furniture and lamps to give a warm glow. If you have too much furniture or personal belongings of sentimental value have them stored. The closer the interiors come to being out of the glossies the faster the home will sell and that to for a good price.

Never overspend or make changes that are not in keeping with the neighborhood. If handled cleverly 80-90% of the costs of repair and sprucing up can be recovered. If emotions and sentiments cloud your judgment seek professional help, ask an interior designer or consultant to give you a few guidelines. The internet today is an invaluable source of information. Do some research which will clear your mind and give you direction. When in two minds seek the advice of the local real estate agent who has property values at the tips of his fingers and a licensed appraiser who would know what is best.

10 tips to maximizing sale of your home is a post from: Business Blog | Lilamitre-arte.com