Need More Sales?
Build a Better Relationship.

 

IN THIS ISSUE

1.   Relationship-building Tools
2.   And the Survey Says...
3.   National Publicity Summit
4.   Small Biz Marketing Summit
5 .  Quote of the Week
6 .  Resources for Entrepreneurs and Marketers
7.   News from Marketing Idea Shop
8 .  A Little Fun
9 .  Smell the Coffee

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1.  Relationship-building Tools

What makes a good friend? To me, a friend is someone I can rely upon to always be there for me, tell me the truth, listen and share intimate moments with me, and enjoy doing things together. I've had some friends, like Jan Glas, since I was a little girl. Others, like my former roommate Wendy Jungbluth, came along later in my life, but we became so close during our roomie days that we are more like sisters. It doesn't matter how often or how little we communicate. These two women will always be my friends.

Others may move from acquaintances to friends and back to acquaintances. As people's lives get busier, they forget to phone, neglect to respond to an invitation or email, and fall off the friendship radar screen. There's only so much time you can put into one-sided communication.

And it's not so different with clients and prospects.

Getting prospects to commit to hiring you, and then keeping them as clients, requires the same relationship-building skills as you use to make and maintain friendships. Of course, you don't need to suffer through lots of "one-sided communication" to become the "blip" that stands out on the client's radar screen if you're good at:

• Rapport building.

• Honesty.

• Commitment.

• Follow-through.

• Organization.

• Follow-up.

• Asking for what you want.

• Communication.

• Doing the right thing.

• Keeping the other person's best interests in mind.

• Always being there; not always being there to sell.

Let me explain what I mean by the last bullet. If you give your prospect the impression that the only thing that is important to you is to make the sale, you'll lose it in a heartbeat. You need to be stable, solid and ready to provide help - within limits, naturally - to your prospect to prove that you have their best interest in mind.

Send articles to your prospect that discuss industry trends. Shoot off a succinct email with a tidbit of information you recently discovered. Forward opportunities that you hear about. Help the prospect find that special employee they have been searching for, etc. That's what I mean by "always being there, but not always being there to sell." It is, of course, a rapport-building technique.

What are some of the most important relationship-building activities that you do to keep your business relationships alive? Email me with your thoughts and I'll include them in a future issue of Brainy Tidbits.

In 52 READY-TO-GO SALES MEETINGS, an ebook that I wrote with sales guru Jim Wilson of Selling Strategies, Inc., you'll learn how to get and keep more clients. Each easy-to-read lesson gives you one technique to improve your sales TODAY ... whether you're a sales rep or a sales manager. Improve your sales now. Learn more about this ebook or download it and be reading it in minutes, here.

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2.  And the Survey Says...

Doing a survey is a great way to get valuable information from your clients, vendors, prospects, employees and just about anyone. Until recently doing your own survey was likely to be costly and rather ineffective. But now, there are free or low-cost online tools that just about anyone can use. Here are a few of the options:

http://www.surveymonkey.com
http://www.websurveyor.com
http://www.zipsurvey.com
http://www.zoomerang.com


And now...you can check out how one of them works. Please TAKE MY SHORT SurveyMonkey survey and tell me what you think about Brainy Tidbits and the Marketing Idea Shop website. I'd really appreciate your feedback!

There are only 10 questions. Click here.

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3. National Publicity Summit

Want Big-Time National Publicity? Would you like to be written-up in major national magazines and interviewed on top TV shows? If so, be one of just 100 people to attend Steve Harrison's National Publicity Summit in New York City July 14-17. It's your opportunity to learn the inside secrets of getting national media exposure and make the personal contacts that could make you famous.

You'll be able to pitch your story to journalists from top national media outlets including ABC's The View ... CNN ... Montel ... USA Weekend ... Live With Regis & Kelly ... Late Night With Conan O'Brien... Publishers Weekly... CBS' 48 Hours ... XM Satellite Radio Network ... Family Circle ... Parents ... ABC Radio Network ... Parenting ... Dr. Laura Show ... People magazine... Fox News Channel ... Maxim ... Parade ... New York Post ... Good Housekeeping ... and many other top national media outlets, 81 in all!

Last year at the Summit, one attendee was interviewed on Fox News Channel within five hours of meeting the producer!

Click here for free info.

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4.Small Biz Marketing Summit, May 21-23, Costa Mesa, CA

In a first-ever, 3-day, content-packed marketing seminar created just for service professionals, 9 experts, including Joan Stewart, The Publicity Hound, and Alexandria Brown, The Ezine Queen, will expose real-life strategies to build a client attraction system that causes prospects to seek you out. If you own a small business and need more clients, sign up on or before May 3 and save $200 on this action-packed Small Biz Marketing Summit. Read more about it and sign up here.

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5. Quote of the Week

Although most goals are driven by money, I believe success is achieving your goals; no matter how big or small, quickly or slowly.


Kristin Wilson
WHO and WHAT is E-Parents?
http://ahomebiz.web1000.com

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AND NOW, A MESSAGE FROM OUR SPONSORS...


What's your definition of success? Email your comments to me.


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6. Resources for Entrepreneurs and Marketers

Thanks to Alexandria Brown, The Ezine Queen, for this tidbit:

Each email program allows a different number of characters in the subject line, so if you send an email newsletter or email PR, you'll want to keep these maximum subject line lengths in mind:

AOL: 52 characters
Hotmail: 45 characters
Outlook Express: 64 characters
Yahoo: 80 characters


Thanks to Kim Komando for this tip:

Do you travel for work or pleasure? Here's a site with a handy little checklist that will help you remember what to pack:

Travel Smith


Wondering what the political candidates stand for? Here's a non-partisan website that can help you evaluate the candidates:

http://www.vote-smart.org/


Looking for a new marketing forum? Experiential forum discusses "experiential marketing." You can sign up here:

http://www.experientialforum.com


Looking for a great shopping cart system? HOW TO PICK A SHOPPING CART SYSTEM THAT MAKES YOU MONEY is an ebook that explains all the important features. You can get it here, free!


If you like these resources, you're going to LOVE my ebook BUSINESS SUCCESS SECRETS: HARD-WORKING TACTICS & RESOURCES. It is filled with over 135 hyperlinks to great resources and marketing ideas like these. 37 pages.

Read more about it or order it here.


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7.News from Marketing Idea Shop

Shel Horowitz of Frugal Marketing let me know that the article we collaborated on, "How Can a Restaurant Sell on the Web?" is now online at Frugal Marketing and linked from Down to Business magazine.

When you take a look at this article, note how Shel has created his own online magazine where he can post his articles and those of other recommended authors (Down to Business link above). Can you do this on your site and begin to generate more visitors to your website? I know I can (and will)!

If you have issues that you would like me to write about, please send me a note. I'll be happy to provide information on anything that I can. Let's help each other become fabulously successful!

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8. A Little Fun - Branding or Stereotypes?

Thanks to Dick Cook at Norfolk Wholesale Floral for sharing this one:

Three Little Pigs went out to dinner one night. The waiter comes and takes their drink order.

"I would like a Sprite," said the first little piggy.
"I would like a Coke," said the second little piggy.
"I want water, lots and lots of water," said the third little piggy.

The drinks are brought out and the waiter takes their orders for dinner.

"I want a nice big steak," said the first piggy.
"I would like the salad plate," said the second piggy.
"I want water, lots and lots of water," said the third little piggy.

The meals were brought out and a while later the waiter approached the table and asked if the piggies would like any dessert.

"I want a banana split," said the first piggy.
"I want a root beer float," said the second piggy.
"I want water, lots and lots of water," exclaimed the third little piggy.

"Pardon me for asking," said the waiter to the third little piggy, "but why have you only ordered water all evening?"

You're gonna LOVE me for this....

The third piggy says -

"Well, somebody has to go 'Wee, wee, wee, all the way home!"

Help keep the smiles coming...please send me your marketing, PR or sales jokes. I'll be happy to give you credit and list your website! Email me.


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9.  Smell the Coffee...

Mother's Day is coming up this week. My mom died years ago, way too young. She was just 57 years old. I've learned to take better care of myself than she did and I expect to live to my 90's, at least. Are you taking care of yourself?

Don't forget to get your mom something special! My client, Rowena's, has the BEST pound cakes and fruit curd sauces available IMHO. I suggest you surf over to her website and pick up one or more today. You can buy the special - a Heart Duo (one almond and one chocolate heart cake) or a beautiful Almond Rose Cake - and still get it to your mom before Sunday.

Although my mom is gone, I do have a beautiful mother-in-law, and I'm clickin' on over to Rowena's right now to get her something special.

Back to Top

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MORE PRODUCTS

I encourage you to look around our Marketing Idea Shop website for lots more information. Plus, you'll find a lovely picture of me on the home page! There are free articles, past copies of Brainy Tidbits, resources, ebooks and special reports. Remember, we are constantly adding brainy ideas and information to the site for you.

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THE FINE PRINT

© 2004 Marketing Idea Shop. All rights reserved.
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ISSN 1545-035X


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Reprinted from "MarketingIdeaShop BRAINY Tidbits," a FREE ezine from Marketing Idea Shop and Lois Carter Fay featuring brainy ideas and resources for marketers and small businesses. Subscribe today at http://www.marketingideashop.com and receive FREE by email "67 Ways to Promote Your Business."


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Published by:
Lois Carter Fay, APR
Founder, Marketing Idea Shop
411 Rainier Road, Massanutten, VA USA 22840
Voice 540.289.3840 or 800.203.8660
lcf@marketingideashop.com
http://www.marketingideashop.com

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