Business Advice

Ground rules outlined below can be useful in providing assistance to Purchaser of a Business in finding the right business. 1.  Take Your Time  When buying a business, it is important that purchaser allows for a considerable time (2-4 months) to find an appropriate business. Since buying a business requires a major commitment on purchaser’s part, it is vital that the purchaser takes his/her time and makes an informed decision. 2.  Conduct Industry Research Once the purchaser has decided on the industry in which he/she wants to buy, it is important that the purchaser undertakes relevant industry research considering points such as industry’s performance, no of businesses operating in the industry, main suppliers and customers etc. This would provide purchasers with an increased ability of analysing a business in that particular industry. Information about the industry can be obtained from library, trade magazines, accountants, consultants etc. 3.  Undertake Educational Courses   Undertaking a technical course specific to the industry chosen is a good way of obtaining additional information about a industry and the management issues involved in that industry. 4.  Don’t Buy the First Business Examined Examining a number of businesses that are for sale in their particular chosen industry would give the purchasers a better understanding of certain working aspects of the industry like profitability, staff levels and working hours etc. 5.  Obtain a Second Opinion Purchaser should get a second opinion on the business they find suitable from an individual who is independent of the transaction and also has the relevant industry knowledge like accountants or business valuer in order to make sure that no important details have been overlooked. 6.  Where to Find a Business  Purchaser should make use of the numerous avenues available to them in order to find the right business. Purchaser can look at the following areas for possible businesses to buy. Classified Advertisements Direct Approach Business Brokers Trade Publications Specialised Magazines Internet by Paul J St. Clair, Chartered Accountant and Taxation specialist - ph 02 9221 4088

In this article we’ll get down to the nitty-gritty of how to get going in a difficult economy. When we’re done, you’ll be armed with a creative, industrious, positive attitude in the face of hard times – the same hard times that cripple your competitors. If you’re reading this article in the middle of a difficult economy – and the chances are that you are – it’s vitally important to take careful stock of the psychological and transactional changes going on in both the minds and lives of your market place and in the minds and lives of your competitors. Look at the attitude and actions of your suppliers, vendors and support services. You’ll probably witness the following predictable reactions. Your competitors are feeling battered. Their sales and marketing approaches are generating meager results. They don’t have tried and tested plans in action. And they don’t have a proactive strategy for capitalizing on all things going awry. So typically you’ll see them pulling back and trying to cut costs to maintain a holding pattern. Or they’re redoubling the same ineffectual efforts that didn’t really work during the good times but got masked by the upward force of the economy. So what do you do? Set up an offence and defense – Offensively, you look for gaps, weaknesses and hidden opportunity in all this adversity. And believe me it exists in droves. Defensively, you stop doing anything that isn’t working. Test, monitor and measure your results and you’ll know immediately when something isn’t working and you can stop wasting time and money on it right away. This will help you guard against loss, but you can do better than that. Your next step is to go beyond merely surviving and to begin enacting changes that will ensure your business continues to evolve. What are some of those direct and impactful ways? Well, we’ve talked about the importance of joint ventures so let’s start there. Your first plan of action should be to structure joint ventures with groups who already have access, trust and credible relationships with market segment you want to reach. The key is to move your costs from fixed and speculative to variable, contingent and result certain. But it gets even better. These steps comprise only stage one of your crisis growth strategy. Your entire outlook and modified approach are based on gaining more direct, favorable, predisposed and highly credible access to your market in unconventional (but highly ethical) ways – and these are ways your competitors would never think of. It’s your opportunity to make your product or service stand head and shoulders above the rest. Think about it. When your competitors are too blinded by their own panic to reach out to the market place in a meaningful way, that’s when you can establish yourself as the pre-eminent, most trusted, reliable source whilst everyone you compete against is bleeding red ink. Life Time Value of a Client You can engineer countless performance based deals with other businesses when you are able to make them irresistible propositions. The key to success at structuring no-cost performance deals is to know your allowable cost for acquiring a customer. Most companies don’t analyse what a lead, prospect and converted first time sale really costs them. And until you know that piece of information along with the life time value of the buyer, it’s impossible to make performance based deals with the media and other companies. In a crisis economy when sales are down along with consumer confidence or motivation you need to make offers, propositions and proposals that are irresistible, unbeatable and non-refutable. And in this context especially remember the life time value of your buyers. In any economy the goal is to start the buyer relationship as quickly as possible, because the sooner they buy that first time, the sooner they’ll come back to buy again. So your goal in good times or bad is to lower their resistance, lower the barrier of entry and reduce the hurdle. Make it easy for your prospect to say “Yes.” Penetrate New Markets  In a crisis economy odds are great that your competitors are focusing their attention on the same basic market that you’ve all targeted all along. If everyone else is depending on either their newspaper ads or Yellow Pages to generate business, you can tap into overlooked, undervalued alternative sources. For one thing, there is an economic connection between doing one type of improvement and the incentive to do more. For example, people who remodel a kitchen suddenly see that the rest of the house looks a bit shabby. So they re-carpet and re-paint and re-do the driveway, roof, and bathroom and so on. It’s the same for people who add a pool or spa. They re-do their landscaping, re-envision their garden, and add an extension to their veranda. My point? Well let’s say you’re the contractor remodeling a bathroom. You can go to all the people who do non bathroom remodeling such as kitchen re-modelers, carpet companies, and roofing people and make deals to get their client’s names after their work has been completed. Their business is potentially a huge source of future business for you. What’s next? Look at your basic business – not what you sell, but what you don’t sell that your type of buyer or client needs, wants and will buy in a crisis economy. Most business owners see themselves as being highly specific sellers of a single category of product or service, yet the same people who buy from you also purchase complementary or related products or services before, during and after they buy from you. By adding additional back-end products or services that you can source from quality providers who, like you, are struggling in this crisis economy and will be open and willing to structure very advantageous deals where you offer their products and double, triple or even quadruple your revenue. Once you’ve mastered the art of growing your business regardless of what is going on in the surrounding world, your business will always thrive if you action these ideas. In a downturn, fewer people are taking the steps they would in rosier times. Your competitors are struggling because they possess the mentality that says “No one is buying”. You on the other hand are growing your business because you know that whilst the pie might be smaller, your piece of the pie is getting bigger and bigger. For further information on how your business can benefit from these and other exciting business and marketing tactics call Bob Lyon direct on 043 883 0937 or get your FREE report entitled “How To Sell Your Business At Your Price … And Cause A Stampede Of Prospective Buyers Literally Begging For Your Time” by simply going to  www.betterbusinessreport.com/ab4s1.htm

The Internet is the most powerful force behind making traditional work practices and ‘the office’ less relevant. High speed connectivity and powerful software have the potential to render bus rides, train crushes and coffee queues in order to arrive at the office a thing of the past. Much of this is happening now. Today’s workforce could be the generation that pioneer ‘bleisure’ – a combination of business and leisure which irrevocably blurs the lines between home and work life, and if that happens, then what happens to the office as we currently know it? A recent report by Jones Lang LaSalle showed that within most organisations, staff desks are utilised just 60% of the time, with the other 40% spent in collaboration spaces or out with clients. In this environment people don’t even get a desk to call their own and companies are benefiting from it from needing less office space. Coupled to this is the fact that millennials don’t want to spend their day in an office if they don’t have to. As they seek to balance life style with work style, the office environment may not be the best place to do that. The ‘office’ of the future could be your home, your coffee shop, a library or a public park; and might be required to function in multiple ways as a touch down space, a collaboration space, a space where things can be built, a meeting place and more. As this new model for work emerges, the technology driving this movement forward is becoming more powerful. Technology will soon make it entirely possible to enter the board room for a conference, face to face, with clients and colleagues from around the globe, while you’re still at home. Virtual Reality (VR) goggles can readily provide this capability. The time, cost and stress of business travel will be eliminated. Artificial Intelligence (AI) could take care of most mundane tasks that don’t require emphatic thought processes. Emails will be automatically read and filtered, with only the most important ones being discussed with you. What’s more, your AI device will provide details on each person you meet instantly, informing you of both their personal and professional information. In this world you’ll have the capacity to be more collaborative and innovative than ever before, with the ability to ‘see’ what those in the physical world are doing and communicate with them whenever you need to, including ‘seeing’ what is happening on a project site or in your retail outlet and ‘popping in’ to take care of things without physically being there. You’ll print what you need to work by downloading a design from the cloud and using a 3D printer to manufacture it. Within this scenario, innovating will be more important than ever before. If mundane tasks are taken care of, the challenge to all workers will be to find new ways to add additional value. This will place a greater demand on workers to create more value for customers. Intelligence and innovation will become the ‘natural resource’ that companies must leverage to create competitive advantage. We have seen technology already displace and challenge many blue collar work environments. It would be naïve to think that similar disruption won’t occur to white collar work environments, particularly, when millennials are demanding this new balance. Critically, if we are on the cusp of another workplace revolution, it is important that we contemplate its impact. There is a need for businesses to begin to ponder how the way we work will change; the effects on staff and the need to adjust their resourcing strategies. Uber’isng the office work force is literally just around the corner. Aurecon has launched a new futuristic blog! Called Just Imagine, it provides a glimpse into the future for curious readers, exploring ideas that are probable, possible and for the imagination. This is a copy of a post which originally appeared on Aurecon’s Just Imagine blog. Get access to the latest blog posts as soon as they are published by subscribing to the blog.

Product publicity is the \"secret pathway\" to business success everyone wants. In simple terms, product publicity is a kind of advertising that costs you nothing, yet brings in the orders for you. Regardless of what kind of business you are operating, you should want, and strive for, as much publicity for your business and your products or services, as possible. After all, it’s \"free advertising\" that is essential to the growth of your business. However, your publicity efforts should be well thought out, and pre-planned for maximum results. The first and basic form of obtaining publicity is through what is known as … the press or news release. This is generally a one page story about your business, your product/service or an event/happening related to your business that is about to, or has recently occurred. These publicity stories are generally \"shot-gunned\" to all the various media: local newspapers, radio and TV, and trade publications. Problem number one is getting the people to whom you've sent these publicity stories, to use them, that is, to publish or broadcast them. And this leads us back to the \"right way” of writing them and sending them in. In every case, send a short cover letter addressed to the person you want your material to be considered by. This means that you send your story to the city editor of the newspapers; the news directors of the radio and TV stations; and the managing editors of the various trade publications. It will do you no good what-so-ever, to send your material to the advertising, circulation or business managers - describing how you're a long-time advertiser, subscriber or listener. The most important thing is that you make contact with the person who has the final say as to what is to be published or broadcast, and at the bottom line - this person's use of your material will somehow make him a \"hero\" to his or her readers, viewers or listeners. The cover letter should be a short note. Let’s take the Better Business Report - my regular publication for serious business owners to bring in new customers - as an example. You might send the following note to the editors and news directors of the media in their areas: \"Here's something  that’s new, and for a change, truly helpful, to business people trying to grow their customer base and those wanting to know how to write advertising that sells. Should be of real value - interest - to your readers. Please take a look - any questions, or if you need more info, give me a call at: 043 883 0937.\" Then, of course, you skip about four spaces, type your name, your business name, and your address - sign your name above where you’ve typed it, and staple this note in the upper right hand corner of your news release. So, now you've got a cover letter, and you know who to send it to. Then take it to a near-by quick-print shop and have them print 50 to100 copies. Now you need the actual publicity release, which also must be \"properly\" written if you expect it to be used by the media. Above all else, there's a proper form or style to use, plus the fact that it must be typed, double-spaced, and short - about a half page in total length. You can do it a number of ways, but here's one that’s worked for me: About an inch from the top of the paper, with an inch and a half margin on each side of the paper; from the left hand margin, type in all capital letters: “PRESS RELEASE:” Then, underline these words. Immediately following the colon, but not in all capital letters, put in the date. Always set the date forward by at least one day after the day you intend to mail the release. On the same line, but on the right hand side of the page, and in all capital letters, write the words, FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Underline this, and immediately below, but not in all capital letters, type your name - your phone number - and your address. Skip a couple of spaces, then in all capital letters - centred between the margins - type a story headline, and underline it. Skip a couple of spaces, and from the left hand margin, all in capital letters, type the words, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: From there on, it's the news or publicity story itself. You can write the headline before the story, and then a story to fit the headline - or the story before the headline, and then a headline to fit the story - either way, it's basically the same as writing a space ad or a sales letter... ... You attract attention and interest with the headline and fill in the details with your story. Here's an example of the headlines I use on publicity blurbs for the “Inside Secrets Of Advertising” home study course: HELP IN GETTING MORE CUSTOMERS... FAST NEW CUSTOMER-GENERATING PUBLICATION FOR SMALL BUSINESS Notice how I continue to sell or involve the editor - His readers are always looking for better ways to make ends meet, and he’s specifically interested as to what our promise involves. He wants his readers to \"think well\" of him for enlightening them with this source of help, so he reads into the story to find out who, what and how. Suffice it to say that your headline, and the story you present to the editor, must sell him on the benefits of your product or service to his readers. Unless it specifically does this, he will not use it. You must sell the first person receiving your materials. Keep this fact uppermost in your mind as you write it. The person you send your press or publicity release to, must quickly see and understand how your product or service will benefit his readers - thereby making him a hero to them - and he must be assured it will do what you promise in your headline. Come right to the point and say your product is lower in price ... or more convenient to use ... or whichever way your product or service is useful to the people in general. It's also a good idea to include a complimentary sample of your product or an opportunity for him to sample your services. Remember, the editors receiving your information are fully aware of your purposes - Free Advertising! They are not the least bit interested in you or your credentials. If you've sold them on the benefits of your business to their readers, and they want background details, they'll call you. That's why you list your telephone number and address. These people are busy people. They have not got the time or the interest in reading about your trials and tribulations or plans for the future. They want only \"a flag\" that alerts them to something new and of probable real interest to their readers. Sell the editor first. Convince him that you've found the better mousetrap. Show him that your product or service - your business -fills a need and/or will interest a large segment of his readers, his viewers or listeners. When an editor uses your publicity release, always follow-up with a short 'thank you' note. On the other hand however, never, ever send a publicity release to an editor and then call or write demanding to know why he didn’t use it, use it as you wrote it, or only gave you a quick mention. Do this once, and that particular media will \"round-file\" any further material received from you, unopened! If your first effort is not used, then you should review the story itself; perhaps write it from a different angle; make sure you` re sending it to the proper person - and try again! As I said, these people are busy, with hundreds of publicity releases passing across their desks every day. They only have so much space or time. Therefore, your material has to stand out and in some way, fit with the information they - the editors - want to pass along to their readers, viewers or listeners.  Regardless of your business, product, or service, you must build your press release - write it - around that particular angle or feature that makes it beneficial or interest to the readers, viewer or listeners of the media you want to run your press release. Without this special ingredient, you're lost before you begin! The timing of your press release is always important. Try to associate your press release with current events in the news. A story on how hard it is for small businesses to survive, carried in the newspapers, on TV and radio, would prompt me to get publicity release out to all the media on the help and opportunity offered by the Hot Tips Advertising Letter! There's another kind of timing also to keep in mind ...Publication deadlines. For best results, always try to time it so your material reaches the editor in time for the Sunday paper. This is because that's when the papers have their greatest circulation; the most space is available; and the people, the most time to read the paper. For articles you'd like to appear in the Sunday paper, you'll generally have to get your release in at least nine days prior to the date of publication. If you're in doubt, call and ask about the deadline date. For further information on how your business can benefit from these and other exciting business and marketing tactics call Bob Lyon direct on 043 883 0937 or get your FREE report entitled “How To Sell Your Business At Your Price … And Cause A Stampede Of Prospective Buyers Literally Begging For Your Time” by simply going to www.betterbusinessreport.com/ab4s1.htm

Selling can be defined as everything that happens from the first contact with the prospective customer to the satisfactory delivery of the product or service. If your advertising is effective, it will attract prospective customers to your business. If you’re engaged in direct selling, where you telephone and make appointments and then go and see the customer personally you have to prospect for customers. Each part of the professional selling process must take place no matter how you meet the customer for the first time. 1. Prospecting  The first rule of selling is to spend more time with better prospects. Your first job in the prospecting process is to separate “prospects” from “suspects.” Your goal in the initial stages of your first meeting is to determine whether the person is a genuine prospect or just a “tyre kicker.” For many people shopping around is a form of entertainment. They are polite and pleasant and they ask lots of questions, but they have no real intention of buying in the foreseeable future. In prospecting you must ask carefully planned questions to determine whether this person has a genuine need that your product or service can satisfy. These questions will differ depending upon what you sell and who you sell to. One of the best investments you’ll ever make is in books, CD`s and professional sales training programs that teach you how to become excellent at prospecting and finding new customers. 2. Establishing Rapport And Trust Customers today are pampered, spoiled and fickle. They will only buy from someone they like and who they feel likes them. “They don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” People decide emotionally and then justify logically. In the first few moments with a prospect, you must slow down and take the time to build a minimum level of trust and likeability with that person. You do this by asking friendly questions and listening closely to the answer. You establish rapport and trust by being genuinely interested in the other person, as a person, rather than just as a customer. 3. Identify Needs In this part of the sales process, you ask the prospect questions about what they’re currently doing, what they need at the moment, and what their plans are for the future. Whenever someone asks me for my advice about which of our programs they should buy, I always ask, “What sort of business are you doing now?” When somebody comes into your business, perhaps the worst question you can ask is “Can I help you?” This question will almost always generate the response “No thanks I’m just looking.” A better question might be “Is there anything specific I can help you with today?” You could also say, “Hi is this the first time you’ve been to our store?” Whichever way they answer you could continue by saying, “That’s great! We’ve got some really terrific specials this week; can I show them to you?” In medicine they say, “Prescription without examination and diagnosis is malpractice.” Most sales people commit “sale malpractice” every single day. They start talking to the customer about the product or service before they have taken time to do the examination or diagnosis. 4. The Presentation Once you’ve established rapport with the prospect and clearly identified what they want and what they’re looking for, you can then show how your product or service is the very best choice for them at this time. You use what is called “educational selling” instead of trying to persuade the prospect to buy your product or service, you teach them about the product, what it is made of , how it works and especially what it does for the customer. You teach the special benefits that owning this product offer your customer. You do not try and sell at all. Instead you focus on giving the prospect good information and let them evaluate that information without pressure. 5. Answering Objections There are no sales without questions or concerns. A good customer will want to know about what will happen if they buy what you’re selling. The customer may have questions or concerns about the price, competitive offerings, or the suitability for them at this time. You must be prepared to answer these concerns openly and honestly. 6. Closing the Sale This is often the most stressful part of the sale for both the customer and sales person. However, it does not need to be difficult. It simply requires that you develop two or three simple ways of asking the customer to make a buying decision. The Assumptive Close. After you presentation, you ask a question like “Do you like what I’ve shown you so far?” or “How do you like this?” If the customer says “It looks pretty good” or “It looks fine” you assume the sale and behave exactly as if the customer has said “Yes, I’ll take it.” You ask “Well then, would you like me to wrap this up for you?” or “If you have no further questions, how soon do you need this?” The Invitational Close. You ask, “Do you have any other questions or concerns that I haven’t covered?” When the customer says, “No” you close the sale by saying “Well then, why don’t you give it a try?” If you’re selling services, you say “Why don’t you give us a try?” If you’re selling a tangible product you can ask, “Why don’t you take it?” or “Why not purchase it now?” In every case, once you’ve explained your product or service to the customer and explained how they can best use it, you should invite them to make a buying decision – “Why don’t you give it a try?” The Alternative Close. Customers often find it easier to buy if you give then a choice instead of an ultimatum. For example, “Which of these do you prefer, the red one or the blue one?” or “Which do you like better, model 25 or model 30?” If you only have a single product, offer a choice between methods of payments. “How would you like to pay for this, cash or credit?” Or you could offer a different delivery, “Would you like to take this with you now, or should we deliver it to you tomorrow?” There are more than one hundred ways to close a sale however I believe you only need to know about seven closing techniques. Once you’ve learned and memorised these techniques, you have them in your head to use at the appropriate time. 7. Getting Resales and referrals Immediately after making a sale you should ask. “Would you happen to know of anyone else who might be interested in getting what you’ve just purchased?” To get resales, you must be sure to follow up the sale with excellent customer service. The Most Profitable Sales The reason that resales and referrals are so important is because they are the most profitable and easiest to make. A sale to a satisfied customer is ten times easier that advertising, selling and getting new customers. This means that it take one tenth of the time, cost, and energy to make a resale than it does to make a first time sale. All successful, profitable businesses are built on the second sale (and third, fourth, fifth etc.). A referral from a satisfied customer is fifteen times easier to sell than a cold call or a new customer. This means it takes fifteen times the cost and energy to find a new customer through advertising, promotions and sales effort as it does to sell someone referred to you by a happy customer. Credibility Is The Key To The Sale Perhaps the most important word in business is “credibility.” The higher your creditability the easier it is for someone to buy from you. And everything you do in your transaction with your customer either raises or lowers your credibility. Everything counts. When you get a referral from a satisfied customer, it will almost always be to a relative or friend or close business associate of your customer. The customer already has established a high level of credibility or trust with that person. When you call on a referral it is with the credibility that has already been established by your customer. As much as 95% of the sale has already been made. Consistent Customer Service The third part of successful business development after marketing (lead generation) and selling (lead conversion) is customer service and satisfaction. Almost any company can attract customers for the first time. But it is your ability to keep the customer coming back and buying again that is the true measure of your effectiveness as a businessperson. Just remember, professionalism is the key to a great sales person. The more professional you appear, the more your prospects will listen to what you have to say. People like dealing with experts in their field, with someone that really knows what they’re talking about and somebody who will look after their interests. They want good advice and information before they buy. They’re very wary of being caught by some clever sales person whose only interest is to make money. So make the choice, treat every sale like it really matters, build rapport and trust with your customers and provide excellent service and performance. Do this, and watch your sales multiply! For further information on how your business can benefit from these and other exciting business and marketing tactics call Bob Lyon direct on 043 883 0937 or get your FREE report entitled “How To Sell Your Business At Your Price … And Cause A Stampede Of Prospective Buyers Literally Begging For Your Time” by simply going to www.betterbusinessreport.com/ab4s1.htm  

The single most important strategy you can use to maximize the value of all the other strategies is to communicate regularly with anyone that contributes or will contribute in any way to your business success. You need to do this in order to maintain strong, positive relationships that can benefit all involved. It’s a simple strategy. It’s powerful, it’s incredibly enjoyable, yet its concept is not understood and practiced by many of the businesses and professionals I work with. But before I explain how to do it, let me tell you why you must do it. People are bombarded by more information today than at any other time in history. That causes you a real problem. The moment they have transacted business with you, their minds immediately shift to some other concern, issue, challenge, problem or need and you drift out of their mind. Your challenge and your biggest opportunity, if you’re going to retain and sustain significant client transactions, are to keep those clients connected to you. Keep clients constantly thinking, how good you are, how valuable you are, and how much you care about them and their wellbeing. Keep them thinking about how much they enjoy desire and value the products or services you provide and keep that connection alive and flowing. “Constantly” doesn’t work if it’s not strategic. And by strategic I mean it’s got to be ongoing and purposeful and it has to serve the client. The more contact and communication you have with a person, the stronger and richer the relationship becomes. In business the secret is keeping and growing clients and developing a continual and meaningful communication with everyone important to you. This is a simple and very powerful method of getting the most out of your clients or key contacts. Communicating with a client and telling them how great you are doesn’t do the client a lot of good. Communicating with clients and finding out how well your product or service is performing, offering them a free check-up or service review, offering advice that will help them get longer or better use from your product or service is a great benefit to them. So you have to make certain that whatever strategy you use to communicate constantly with your clients is one that always puts the client’s interests ahead of your own. And while we’re talking about constantly communicating with your clients, look at your clients as dear and valued friends. The way I see it, I’m lucky to have clients who are so valued they’re old friends. I’m deeply connected to them. I care about them far beyond their capacity to spend money with me. I celebrate with them, I emphasise with them, and I’m there for the agony and the ecstasy. If you share that feeling, you’ve got more motivation and desire to communicate, to keep in touch (just as you would with any good friends). If you look at your clients as friends with whom you have the opportunity and pleasure to stay connected with, it makes the process a lot more enjoyable, fulfilling and ultimately more profitable. And don’t just communicate with clients. Open a dialogue with anyone and everyone who can help you reach your goals. Develop relationships with colleagues, people in other businesses, employees’ even competitors. Call, E-mail or write people who do what you do, who sell the product or service you sell, but in a market where you don’t compete. Share with them, find out what they’re doing and where they’re finding new avenues of success. Find a mentor, someone who has been where you are and knows the pitfalls and opportunities you’re facing. This could be a person who has retired from your industry but has vast amounts of knowledge that you could benefit from. I taught a dentist to contact her patients continually. She calls every patient after they’ve had a procedure. She calls to check how they’re doing and how the procedure worked. She does it right after the work has been done. And she programs her data management system to call again in a week’s time. She programs her D.M.S. to call again in a month’s time. Have you ever had a dentist do that? What do you think would happen if your dentist called you two or three days after they’ve done a major filling? What do you think would happen if they called you a week later just to make sure the pain and discomfort were totally gone? … You’d be shocked. What do you think would happen if they called you thirty days later just to make absolutely sure there were no reoccurrence, no problem, no irritation, and no inflammation? Do you think it would demonstrate that they cared about you at a level much deeper than any other dentist you’ve had? Do you think you’d be inclined to think about them often and tell your friends? Do you think you’d be inclined to keep your appointments and not break them with this dentist? Do you think you’d want to take all your family members there and tell everybody you worked with or all your neighbours about this dentist? … Of course you would, and that’s what happens. This lady’s practice has boomed since she began this simple procedure. When you do contact clients after they’ve done business with you, it’s a perfect time to gently remind them of why they chose to do business with you in the first place - Your unique selling proposition and your solid risk reversal policy. People rarely understand the benefits you provide them – unless you carefully educate them to fully appreciate your efforts on their behalf. Teach your client why that U.S.P. and risk reversal advantage is so much more important than the benefits offered by your competitors. A post purchase follow up expressing your U.S.P. and guarantees is vital, regardless of how frequently you back-end or resell to that client. You enhance your client’s loyalty and value to your business by following up after the sale. At the very least, a follow up call or letter drastically reduces or eliminates, cancellations, returns, complaints, adjustments and disputes. And it reassures the client of the prudence of their recent purchase from you. Other businesses can use continual communication to have customers return more often. A chiropractor could send letters to his patients every four months. He could call patients personally twice a year. He could alert them to exercises and examinations they can do, he could tell them about new procedures he has and offer continual opportunities to come in for free services. Does it work? Well I can tell you that one chiropractor has a waiting list of people trying to get an appointment … because he’s booked four weeks in advance. This was not the case when I first met him. Any business could use this method, send letters and actually go and visit their clients. The more people you network with develop relationships with, the more opportunities and insights you’ll have. Open one door leads to dozens of other doors - Opening dozens of doors leads to hundreds of others. For further information on how your business can benefit from these and other exciting business and marketing tactics call Bob Lyon direct on 043 883 0937 or get your FREE report entitled “How To Sell Your Business At Your Price … And Cause A Stampede Of Prospective Buyers Literally Begging For Your Time” by simply going to www.betterbusinessreport.com/ab4s1.htm

Buying a business offers you the potential to create, and control your future. You can make your own decisions, there’s no one to tell you what to do, and you get to reap the benefits. This is the joy of being your own boss. I’m sure you’re aware however that unless you take charge, your business will. Too many people end up being in a self- made prison rather than reaping the freedom and rewards. And, while you may think that you’ve escaped a boss, there’s no tougher boss than a business that relentlessly demands your attention 24/7. So how do you avoid ending up being ‘employed’ by your business? You must be the number one priority of the business. From the in-depth research gathered when writing The Invisible Entrepreneur: How To Grow Your Business By Taking 3 Months Off!, I saw too many entrepreneurs being the last in line to reap any rewards from their business. If you are investing in a business, then you need to make sure that it’s a wise investment, and that it does give you a return on your investment. As a business owner keep in perspective that having a business isn't an end in itself, but the means to an end. Over the past twenty-five years I have seen too many business owners forget that a business is a moneymaking machine. Now before you jump to any conclusions, and think that I’m saying that money is everything, it’s not. I know that making a difference is important. I also understand that you get to be creative, and you get to set the standards that align with your core values. However, there’s another benefit that you may not have thought about which is your business needs to give you sufficient funds to be able to invest in other income- generating vehicles. For instance, imagine using your business to generate enough revenue, so that you can then invest in ‘bricks and mortar’ and build a property portfolio that will give you a passive, and ongoing income. Would you agree that this could provide you with real freedom, and the opportunity to choose what you do, or don’t do in your business? Be clear about your short- term and long-term objectives Buying a business can often be an emotional decision. It feels like it’s the right thing to do, and if you just get started, you’ll figure out the rest. However, this can be costly, and may not lead you to your destination. So before you buy a business, it’s important to map out ‘why’ you are going into business, and what you really want to get out of the business. You must think in terms of the short-term as well as the long term. It’s much easier to map out your game plan when you know what game you’re playing. When reviewing the business’ financials, look at the previous turnover and historic costs, but also look at the scalability, and whether this business could operate without you. If you can't see the potential for this to happen, you may well be staring at a ‘vampire business’ that’s going to bleed you dry—delivering minimum returns for maximum input in terms of your time, effort, and resources. Begin with the end in mind How might you set up your first business, if you knew that it wasn’t going to be the only business you’ll ever have? In The Invisible Entrepreneur the focus is on you not being in your business, and having to run it day-to-day. It’s about you taking on the role as the investor of the business. And, if there’s one thing that I would encourage you to do is to begin thinking like the investor from day one. It might sound like an impossible role to play in the beginning, however it will pay you dividends if you can master operating like this. It will give you enormous freedom to direct two game plans simultaneously. Game Plan 1 is your business. Game Plan 2 is an investment portfolio, funded by your business. Another way of saying this is, don’t put all your eggs in one basket. If you’re interested in creating a future that gives you the best of both worlds—your business and your investment portfolio, then please call me to discuss how this can be achieved. William de Ora is the best selling author of three business books. The Invisible Entrepreneur: How To Grow Your Business By Taking 3 Months Off! The Invisible Partnership: How To Live, Love, And Work With Your Life Partner The Invisible Branson: The Definitive Guide To Becoming A Business Rock Star To contact William: Email: [email protected] Mobile: 0414 834 733 W: www.InvisiblePartnership.com

Why are some people more successful than others? Frequently it’s due to them having a better philosophical strategy. They approach everyone they deal with in a totally different and more effective way than anyone else does. And while their competitors are usually unable to figure out this strategy, it is one that anyone in business can successfully employ by simply changing your focus from “ME” to “YOU”. This is true whether you own a business or work for one. This simple adjustment in your focus is the key to what I believe is the most powerful business strategy you can employ. Once you begin to use it you will stand out in the minds and cheque books of your customers as the very best there is. Creating empathy with your customer is quite simply the ability to put your customer’s needs in ahead of your own. When you master that, your success will naturally follow. If it seems backwards to put your customers interests ahead of your own, that’s understandable. In fact, that is the reason so many businesses are unremarkable, unmemorable, and ultimately unsuccessful. It’s amazing how many people and companies will do whatever it takes to make a one-time sale, rather than taking time to understand the customer’s desired outcome. And then having the courage and concern to tell the customer what they really need is much less than they told you they wanted. You may, when you take this approach end up with a smaller initial sale, but you will have made a new friend, someone who will remember you the next time. And will no doubt, tell their friends about you and your business. Having empathy with your customer is a powerful yet simple strategy that almost single-handedly can transform your business or career. It makes people want to do business with you rather than your competitors. It will give you an uncanny insight into what people want, and why they act and react in various ways. It will turn customers into literally friends for life. And it will strengthen your passion and connection with everyone you associate with. You need to understand the true needs of your customers and how to approach them in a way that results in their complete satisfaction and long term loyalty to you.  A Client Not A Customer Consider the definition of these two words … Customer: A person who purchases a commodity or service. Client: A person who is under the protection of another. If you use the word customers, that’s fine. But always think of them as clients. And when you start to serve clients rather than sell clients, the limits on your business success will disappear. What exactly does “under your protection” mean? In this case it means not selling a product or service just so you can make the largest one time profit possible. You must understand and appreciate exactly what they need when they do business with you – even if they can’t articulate that exact result themselves. Once you know the final result they need and you lead them to that outcome – you become a trusted advisor who protects them. And they have every reason to remain your client for a lifetime. When a dad comes into your store to buy his six year old son his first bicycle, what’s he looking for? Does he just want a bicycle? No. He’s looking for one of the most joyful, sharing, experiences of a lifetime – teaching his son how to ride a bicycle. Just like his dad taught him to ride a bicycle when he was six. He’s looking for a memory that will last the rest of his life and his little boy’s too. He’s looking for that once in a lifetime moment when his son, smiling ear to ear and speeding down the street, yells, “Look, Dad I’m riding a two wheeler!” So, do you sell the father and his son the top of the line, highest profit margin bike in the store? Maybe, if that’s the best solution to your client’s problem. But you should definitely tell the father that you’ve seen hundreds of dad’s come in and buy their child’s first bike and you know what a wonderful experience he and his son are about to have. Possibly a less expensive model would be better for his son. It’s the little fellow’s first bicycle and he may crash into a tree or two. You make the sale and you just became a trusted advisor to the father. The father realises you just didn’t sell him a product. You “protected” him. He became a client. In a couple of years his son will need a new bike. Where do you think he’ll go to buy it? And at the point of the sale, the high profit margin model might be the best choice. Maybe the entire family will want bikes to ride together. And when the time comes for the little boy to buy his son his first bicycle, where do you think he’ll go? Having empathy with your client doesn’t apply only to selling products and services. This strategy is equally important to anyone in any business situation. If you’re in administration, customer service, shipping – any department – you should use the strategy for dealing with everyone. Be a problem solver, not a problem bringer. Add value to every task you undertake. Clients can look at you as a trusted friend who is providing a service that will benefit them in some way. Not just because you helped them, but because they will want to continue to take advantage of the valuable service you provide them. Whatever you do, if you focus on giving value and advice instead of manipulating and manoeuvring, you will win over many more prospects and you’ll be rewarded in ways you’ve never dreamt of. Falling In Love One of the biggest mistakes, probably the biggest mistake, people make in any business is that they fall in love with the wrong thing. They fall in love with their product, service or business. But you should fall in love with your clients Awesome service is admirable but trite. Falling in love with your clients means taking responsibility for their wellbeing and putting their best interests ahead of your own. Most people say “What do I have to say to get people to buy?” Instead they should say “What do I have to give? What benefits do I have to offer? It has nothing to do with sales shenanigans, trickery or schemes. It has everything to do with the benefits you give your clients.  The more value you give others, the more value you generate, not only for your clients but for yourself. The more contributions you make to the richness of your client’s lives, the more bonded you will be with them and they with you, and the more successful you’ll become. Your focus should be that your client’s wellbeing is important to you. And you should see yourself as a creator of value.  Human Nature  Mastering the empathy strategy is really understanding and having respect for human nature. Start by considering yourself and how you go about making decisions. Naturally you want to feel good about yourself and the decisions you make in business or just in everyday life. The beauty of the empathy strategy is that it applies to any business. Whether you’re selling life insurance or you own a hardware store. The steps you must take always remain the same. You must first identify what your client really needs, even if your client doesn’t recognize what it is they need. The client may think that a particular item is what they are searching for, but if you probe a bit you might see an entirely different solution might solve your clients problem, maybe even a less expensive solution. Now you have become more than a sales person, you’ve become an advisor. You’ve begun the process of winning trust, and ultimately, additional business from your client. This approach to business may seem obvious to you. But you’d be amazed to find how few people in business understand this very basic concept. It’s hard for them to understand that they’re really selling solutions to problems, not merchandise. Selling people what they need, rather than what you have to sell, will set your business apart and create extra repeat and referral business that will astound you. 

Every relationship is an asset—in the beginning. Deciding to join forces with another human being is filled with promise and high expectations of what’s possible. You are filled with optimism and have a sense that you can take on the world. And, this isn’t limited only to your life partner. This same feeling comes when you employ your first team member, or when you get a sense that you have finally attracted the right 2IC. What about the sense of accomplishment you get when you sign up with a new client or you engage a supplier who really gets you. It’s all perfect, life works, you’re in heaven. But for some unknown reason to you, your life partner, your team, your clients and your suppliers quickly turn from operating as your best assets and become a liability! Shock, horror, what happened, where did things go wrong you may well be asking yourself. No wonder fifty percent of marriages end in divorce, and seventy-five percent of businesses fail within the first five years, can anyone live with, or work with, other human beings? However, you know that going solo isn’t an option either. So, what is the solution? A key to your success is to know how to work powerfully with your life partner. If you get this right, then you can adopt the skills, insights, and knowledge into all areas of your life and into every other relationship. And, trust me, I have worked with my life partner in our business for nearly twenty years. Some people thought that our relationship would end in disaster, and there was a time when they would have been right. Three years into our marriage we nearly got divorced. What I thought was a winning formula; our lethal weapon in life and business, almost became our worse nightmare. I had a lot to learn about what it takes to successfully work with your life partner and be together 24/7. Tips for valuing your asset To go from the brink of divorce, the potential collapse of a business, and the giving up of a dream to celebrating eighteen years of marriage, you could say that I have earned the right to share some tips with you. What I want you to know is that no matter how bad you think your current situation is with your life partner, there is hope. There is a solution. And, it can be turned around today. 1. Taking Responsibility Your first decision is to decide to become 100 percent responsible for the success and failure of your business and your partnership. For things to change you must be willing to go first. This can never be about you only changing when your partner changes. 2. Admit that there is a problem in your relationship Your second priority is to admit that there is a problem, or a breakdown in how you are relating with your partner. You then need to be willing to write down what you think the issues are, who you think is at fault, and how long these issues have been going on. Please understand that this is an exercise between you and the issues. This isn’t an exercise in you gathering evidence to fire off at your partner. No! This is about you being responsible for your thoughts, your opinions and your view of what you think is going on and being willing to get them out of your head and onto paper. 3. What you value most about your partner Prior to sharing your thoughts with your partner, it’s important that you get back to basics and reflect upon what you value most about your partner. Write a list of all their strengths, skills, talents and what you most admire about them. Look at the role they have been playing in your life and your business. Start to see where they have gone beyond the call of duty. Acknowledge that perhaps they’re not always able to operate from their strengths—meaning have they had to extend way beyond their capabilities and therefore operating in an area of weakness. 4. Create a goal worth playing for If you have become disillusioned by what you’re doing and how you’re operating, then perhaps it’s time to create a goal that is worth playing for. After all, you inspired your life partner about what was possible some time ago, perhaps it’s time to do this again. 5. Communicate Decide to communicate with your partner. Create the opportunity to share your views and be open and willing to hear their side of the story. The key is to not continue to work around the elephant in the living room. 6. Find a mediator If you need a third party to support you, then find someone who is experienced in working with their life partner. Not every issue can be resolved on your own. I share these tips with you not for the purposes of a one-off exercise. In choosing to have a rich and rewarding life-long relationship with your partner, you must consistently maintain, value, and appreciate your one and only asset. When I truly learnt to value, respect, and appreciate who Louise was and what she brought to our business and our personal partnership, everything started to work. I wish you every success.

In today`s business climate you have to change your philosophical approach and Fall in Love With Your Customers Instead of Your Product or Service which is a whole new way of looking at the relationship you have with your marketplace. It’s seeing yourselves, and your company, and everyone in your organization as the ultimate fiduciary, as an advisor, as a trusted, respected, expert advisor. And you have the responsibility and the obligation to counsel those people in what’s in their best interest. To give them the very best short and long-term outcome. And when you start advising them with their best interest at heart, you no longer will accept or allow them to buy less than they should… fewer combinations than they should… less quality of products or services than they should… and less frequently than they should. You’ll never again, take the order just because they’re willing to buy. You will never again be struggling with how to manipulate, what kind of things to say or do. You’ll always be focused on the fact that the more value you add, that is perceived by them, the more success you will have. You will start thinking of your relationship with them all as “clients.” If you talk to them or think of them all as customers, you should change – and I’ll tell you why. In a world that is trying to slam everyone down to commodity and marginalized status, you have to draw a line in the sand and distinguish yourself. And the way to do that is to start thinking of your relationship as an advisor, and the people you deal with as clients. Look up in the dictionary the word “customer.” And look up the word “client.” “Customer” is defined as,” someone who buys a commodity or a service.” “Client” is defined as, “someone who’s under the care and the protection of another.” You want to move the whole relationship that you have with your “customer” to where they are your “client.” Someone you see as under your care and your protection. Someone whose wellbeing is important to you. The biggest problem that I see with companies I serve, and most companies I study, is they fall in love with the wrong thing. They want their company to be the fastest growing, the biggest, and the best, the Fortune 500 Company of their industry. They fall in love with the mega-organization, the worldwide impact. The way to greatness today is to transfer your ultimate passion away from your product, your service, your company, and instead, fall in love with your client. If they’re at the top of your awareness all the time, and if all you focus on is constantly getting them the very richest, the very best, the most productive, the most profitable, the most enjoyable, the most enriching, the greatest protection in whatever your product or service provides…you will dominate everyone else in your business sector, because they don’t look at it that way. They’re in love with having the biggest company, and as a result, they don’t. You also have to fall in love with your three tiers of “clients.” The people who pay you and the two tiers of people you pay. You have to fall in love with your team members and suppliers and you have to want greatness for them. And you have to know that you are the vehicle to their and their families’ richness and security. And you have to envision the fact that their kids are going to go to college because of you, and lives are going to be enriched because of you. Just as with your clients, you have to see their businesses or their personal lives thrive, their prosperity grows, and their security enhanced. If you can’t visualize that you’re going to lose torque. Falling in love with your client is truly transforming. It’s the most liberating, the most animating, and it’s the most passionate concept you’ll ever embrace. For further information on how your business can benefit from these and other exciting business and marketing strategies call Bob Lyon direct on 043 883 0937 or get your FREE report entitled “How To Sell Your Business At Your Price … And Cause A Stampede Of Prospective Buyers Literally Begging For Your Time” by simply going to betterbusinessreport.com/ab4s1.htm

Small business is often the first choice for those who have lost their jobs. Most will not have been in business before. The transition is not easy and being a first time business owner is a vastly more complex occupation than being an employee. Here is a list to help you make this transition and ensure success: You should have a clear vision for where you want your business to go and be able to easily identify opportunities that help get you there. You should have a business plan, your road map. Your plan must be based on the best market research you can get. You must source experts to assist with the strategic and financial aspects of the plan. Make sure you have sufficient capital – not just for the purchase price but also for working capital. Prospective customers need to know the reasons they should choose you over your competition. You need to be able to articulate the reasons. You should have a marketing plan that covers all aspects of promoting your business, appropriate to your business. Always remember that your current customers are the lifeblood of your successful business. Always keep in touch with them. Show them that you are looking after their interests. Ask them if you meet their expectations. Be honest with them. Being able to communicate persuasively is crucial to business success. To communicate convincingly, you need to focus on one clear message and then structure your support message properly. If you want people to follow your advice, position yourself as an expert. Use your time effectively. How efficient you are is a great determinant of success. Failing to take action is one of the biggest roadblocks to business success. Avoid putting off tasks you need to do. Be different. Finding a point of difference from your competitors is the way a new business can lift revenue and become visible in the market. Be fair on people, firm on performance. Set performance standards for employees and suppliers from day one. Review performance on a regular basis and give feedback. Use technology. Have a website to help you build relationships and drive more sales through your business. Form an online relationship with customers through emails. Systemise your processes. Having a systemised and predictable process of doing things is like breathing - without it your business can not survive. Surround yourself with a good team. Carefully choose your employees. Have passion for what you do and a desire to build an enterprise through clever strategy and creativity. Hire an experienced accountant to help you meet your tax obligations and give you advice on how your business is going and how you can enhance it. Should you need any assistance, please do not hesitate to contact Peter Small on 02 9221 4088. The road of excellence is challenging but very rewarding. Yet many twists and hurdles can derail you and produce obstacles to success. The best organisations understand the need for a clear vision,  create strategies to circumnavigate the impediments, and remain focused on the customer. Good luck with your endeavours! St. Clair partners - phone (02) 9221 4088

In this article we'll look at the value of your existing customers. Not the lukewarm, wishy-washy appreciation of customers that most business has. I mean the intense insight that it is NOT new customers, but old customers that are the key to growth and profitability. Your best prospects are your existing customers. If you've been putting all your marketing efforts into acquiring new customers, stop and divert some of your resources into reselling and cross selling to those same customers. Do this in every way possible -- through package inserts, regular mailings and special offers -- stay in touch with those customers and get them used to buying from you. Your customer relationships are the number one asset you have, so stay in touch. Provide your customers with post purchase reassurance; give them the best deals and guarantees you can possibly getaway with. Give them preferential pricing and build rapport and trust. A frequently overlooked way to gain your customer’s trust is to thank them for favouring you with their purchase. Send your customer a letter within 5 days to a week after the customer's first transaction, where you: Thank them Resell the value of your company and Reassure them of  prudence of their purchase Such letters program your customer tore purchase from you and are an excellent way to offer additional products and services or upgrade the original sale. The point is you must reinforce the buyer's decision. This simple action can prove extremely powerful because it builds your long term sales. Have you considered how the value of your customer increases if you actively contact them again and again? Create a special offer to go with every invoice or delivery Program your data management system to contact customers every month or each quarter Mail your regular customers every month Mail delinquent customers and prospects every two months And if you have a really HOT offer that really works mail your entire customer list. Offer to up-sell at the point of purchase And tell your customer why they should buy, how to buy, what to do and why they should do it now.  Before you begin to market these programs you may want to take another look at your customers and their needs Ninety percent of businesses I look at NEVER determine the needs, desires or requirements of the people they're trying to sell to. How can you expect to adequately fill somebody’s needs if you never take the time to understand them? It's laughable! Yet few companies seek to meet their customer’s needs. Those companies that do understand their customer's needs and attempt to satisfy those needs seem to end up with all the business. You can end up with all the business too, if you'll take the time to learn what your customers need and want. Let's probe that a little … People want products that offer convenience or better quality. They want things that last longer, save time, look better, perform more functions, are state of the art, save money, make life less difficult by saving effort, generate more money, or make their owners more effective. What do your customers want or need most in the product or service you offer? Do they want the convenience of knowing they can go down the block and get it from you or the knowledge that your firm stocks or offers more items, sizes, or products than any other company? Do they want Top-of-the-line products or service? Or, do they want highly personalised service, attention, advice and instruction? Perhaps they merely want to acquire the kind of goods and services you sell at the lowest possible price. Or maybe price alone isn't what they're after - maybe they want the best guarantee or the best service to support the sale. We don't always know which need or which combination of needs you customer is seeking, but once you find and fill that need you'll own your business niche. If you don't know what needs your customer wants you to fill, start by recognising that no one can be all things to all people. You'll dilute your image as a need filler if you try and do that. So first determine which needs you can fill that is consistent with who you are, what your business is and how you operate. Then talk to your customers and let them tell you specifically what needs they most want filled and decide which of those needs you can actually fill. Then, don't just silently fill those needs. Inform your customers and the entire market place that you've listened and that you’ve done something to satisfy the needs of your customers. Continually inform, educate and point out that your company is fulfilling the needs of your customers. Change your ads and sales letters and phone your customers and inform them you're prepared to fill their needs. Once you determine precisely what your customer’s needs are and you commit to fulfilling those needs … Then do it. If you decide that service is the critical element, offer the best service, the fastest service, the most skilled people and the most knowledgeable staff. If top quality is the need you decide to fill, don’t offer mediocre goods! If you claim to be the best quality business, make darned certain you're a regular fusspot about what you sell. If you promise the lowest price, keep that promise. Integrity demands it. If you don't genuinely fill the needs you say you will, your customers will soon abandon you. The cornerstone of your marketing plan should be to educate your customers. One of the saddest marketing mistakes I see is the failure of businesses to educate their customers about the unique advantages offered them. When you educate your customers you’ll see your profits soar. Think about yourself. When you buy or consider buying anytime or service you often don't know as much as you'd like to know about the item. If you have any unanswered questions about a product, you're less likely to shell out the money to buy it. When a company takes time and initiative to objectively educate people on all the products they're considering purchasing, it gains trust and favour. Education is a powerful marketing technique. Educate your prospective buyer about everything including a few of the bad or less positive aspects of your product or service and you'll sell almost twice as many people as you do now. This one concept - educating your customers - will gain an inordinate advantage over your competitors. Take your customers by the hand Few businesses realise that they must lead the customer to action in addition to developing a compelling marketing plan. People need to be told how to act and obtain your product or service. Therefore -and this is incredibly important - every sales call, letter, commercial or personal contact should make the case for your product. Give your customer a brief education then take them by the hand and tell them what action to take next. Tell them why Whenever you ask for a sale, run an ad roofer a product at a specific price, always tell the reasons why. Why can you sell a product or service at lower prices than your competitors? Is it lower overhead or volume buying? Do you buy odd lot inventories? Do you not provide all the services? Why is your price so good? If your price is high, tell your customer why. Do you offer a superior product? Is your product made with demonstrably finer materials? Is your product designed to last or perform longer than your competitors? If your price or package is especially good value, tell customers why you're makingthis offer. Is it because the customer is ordering for the first time and it's an exclusive offer for first time customers? Or is it because you got a great purchase on all or part of the components in the package and you want to pass the saving son? Or, is it because you're overstocked and you want to clear your slow moving inventory so, you're willing to sell at a loss. Please tell your customer the reasons why! Why should I patronise you instead of your competitors? Tell them what you’re doing that makes favoring your firm better for them. Why can you handle my purchase better than someone else? Please tell your customer all the reasons why. The more factual, believable, creditable and plausible reasons you give for people to deal with you, the more compelled they are to favour you with their business. Make yourself into an expert Here's a marketing niche that's crying to be filled. Reposition your company as the source for industry information - as an expert in the industry - and you'll be amazed at the increase in business that results. First educate people about your product or service. Tell them all the interesting details regarding the construction and function of the product and be sure to include this information in your advertising and promotional material. Next, create a booklet or report about how your product or service can save customers' money, time or effort and how you offer better guarantees, personalized service and advice. And finally have a report on how to buy or what to look for when choosing your product or service. You might even have a broader book about the product category that only touches on your particular service. So there you have it … Four powerful strategies you can implement straight away. “Understanding customers and their needs” and “educating customers to your value” are surprisingly simple but highly effective and when implemented concurrently will produce amazing results. For more information about how your business can benefit from these and other powerful marketing tactics go to www.betterbusinessreport.com/ab4s1.htm