Automate and Tangibilize Your Business

IN THIS ISSUE
1.  Automating Your Business
2. "Tangiblizing" Your Online Business
3.  Marketing Mailbox
4 . What's New at Marketing Idea Shop?
5 . Quote of the Week
6 . Resources for Entrepreneurs and Marketers
7 . A Little Fun
8. Smell the Coffee
9 . Highlights from Our Next Issue



This ezine is for anyone who wants to attract more customers, close more sales, earn more revenue, boost their bottom line, and drive their competitors
crazy.

Don't forget to tell all your friends and business associates about this informative newsletter! You don't want to be the only smart one in your group, do you?

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SUCCESS SECRETS EZINE COMING
If you haven't already done so, please sign up for my new "Success Secrets of Women Business Owners" ezine, coming in September. Each issue will profile one successful woman business owner and include her top five tips for creating a successful business.

When you subscribe to "Success Secrets of Women Business Owners Ezine," I'll give you a free special report, "Build Website Traffic by Writing Articles: Top 10 Sites to Publish Your Articles" ($9 Value) - subscribe here by sending a blank email here.

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1. Automating Your Business

Boost your business and make it more efficient with autoresponders. You can develop or improve a relationship with your prospects and customers, offer free or paid sequential training courses, and upsell ("Do you want fries with that?") a customer who buys one of your products.

Sure, it takes awhile to write and set up the emails, but once you've done it, it's totally automatic. Now you can just sit back and rake in the do-re-mi.


Consider setting up an autoresponder series like my 3-day sales training course to teach your customers and prospects about what you sell. Subscribe to my course, which I created in my shopping cart, here.


Having autoresponder abilities in your shopping cart can save you money because you don't have to pay extra for the service. For more money-making ideas about what to look for in a shopping cart, download this free ebook by Tom Antion, "How to Pick a Shopping Cart System that Makes You Money" (no need to put in credit card info, just skip that part).


If you're not ready for your own shopping cart system, then an autoresponder service like AWeber is the way to go. This service allows you to create and distribute an email newsletter to your list, too, so you can save money on distribution services. You can test drive the AWeber service without risk for 30 days free here.


And, if you do it today, you can get a FREE bonus. Jonathan Mizel has been called the "master of targeted opt-in e-mail." Right now, the TWO-PART video of Jonathan's sequential autoresponse seminar in London, England is available for FREE to AWeber customers! In this amazing hour, Jonathan reveals:

• Totally unique ways to use AWeber autoresponders
• TWO case studies of DOUBLED, even TRIPLED profits
• Secrets of super-marketers like MARLON SANDERS
• Jonathan's own secrets, a peek inside his organization!

Go on...take a test drive!

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2.  "Tangibilizing" Your Online Business


Okay, so "tangibilize" is not a real word. But is certainly describes what people selling on the Net need to do. John Audette, founder of Adventive, which was sold and evolved into MarketingVOX, coined the word a few years ago.

Selling "intangibles" — or products that you cannot see, touch, taste, or feel such as services or downloadable products — has always been harder to do than selling something physical, like a dress or cake. And the Internet has made it even harder because we (as sellers) don't physically interact with our customers, either.

If you sell services, you know what I mean.

It's always easier to sell your services during a face-to-face meeting than in a letter or over the phone, isn't it? That's because your prospects can see that you are a real live person; your speech is genuine; you know and are passionate about your services; and they can trust you.

So how do we help our customers and prospects really "connect" with us on the Net and buy our products and services?

We make our website and our interactions with others as real as possible. That's one of the reasons that I always include a "Smell the Coffee" section to this newsletter. I want you to know who I am, what I'm interested in, and what is important to me so that you get to know me better and can begin to picture me as the real person I am. And I try very hard to get you to comment on what I write, offer suggestions, and send in ideas. Because I want to know you, too.

Here are a few things you can do to "tangibilize" your business:

1. Always include all of your contact information on your website: name, company name, snail-mail address, phone, fax, and email.

Yes, I know. It's a pain to get all that junk email from the spammers who collect your email address off your website. But get over it. People need to know you are a real person and how to contact you.

How much time have you wasted on websites trying to find this information? Does it make you want to buy from someone if you have to spend a half hour looking for a phone number or email address? No, it doesn't make me want to pull out my credit card, either. [In fact, I personally never buy from an online resource unless all the contact information is there or I get a personal recommendation from someone I know and trust.]

2. Create an "About Us" section on your website that introduces all the key players in your company. Include a bio, photo, and a few interesting tidbits that help your visitors get to know you and your staff.

3. Include a "welcome letter" with a photo and contact information that welcomes your visitors to your website and invites them to contact you.

4. Include testimonials throughout your site, and especially on your order form. In an article that John Audette wrote, he said that he added a testimonial to his order form and his sales closing rate doubled, from 30% to 60%!

5. Become a "real" person by offering free advice and resources on discussion forums and listservs. Show that you are willing to help others without an expectation of "payment" and people will begin to think of you as a trustworthy expert.

Now go forth and tangiblilize! (Bad English, I know, but a good business practice.;-)

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3.  Marketing Mailbox

I received some very good feedback from a few readers about my article on launching a website last week. Here is some of it...


From Meryl Evans, Content Maven for Hire:

"Something very critical is missing...

the audience. Unless you are creating the Web site for yourself... the entire process needs to be about the person using it..."

[Yup. I just forgot to write that part for my readers!]

Don Crawford of Shickel Corp. (and my husband) said:

The article was too long and it didn't have enough meat in it. Your ezine is still too long and your writing needs to be "punchier" -- more like Joan Stewart's.

[Okay, I'm working on the wordiness.]

Ross Laskey offered LOTS of comments. Here's some of what he said:

• [Regarding my niche research...] Do what you love. The passionless site is obvious and doomed to failure.
• Spend more time on competitive research. The great likelihood is that whatever you think is original or unique is already in progress...but, that's not necessarily a problem.
• A good web designer is responsive, helps you achieve your goals and makes your website an excellent sales tool.
• Choosing a dot com website address is not very important today. [I still disagree with this one.]
• It's more important to make the domain name memorable, easy to spell and no double letters. [Oops. WomenBusinessSuccess is doomed! Actually, I have purchased several misspellings, too, that will roll over to the correct site if people misspell the words.]
• Hire experts to do the things you aren't expert in so you are "working on your business, not in it."
  
  
  
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4. What's New at Marketing Idea Shop?

Our Article Bank has many new articles to help you improve your business.
Take a look:

Marketing Idea Shop Article Bank

I'm always looking for good, informative business articles. Get a link to your site from mine and improve your search engine ranking by submitting an article for our Brainy Article Bank. Send it in the body of an email here.


We have many new resources on our resource page.

Improve your search-engine ranking by cross linking with Marketing Idea Shop. We have a Google page rank of 4/10, which is pretty good. If you would like to link to us, please send your request for cross-linking to me here.

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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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5. Quote of the Week

"It's never too late to be who you might have been."

George Eliot, Writer
(1819-1880)


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6. Marketing Resources for Entrepreneurs

• WebTeks wants to help solve the Microsoft Service Pack 2 problems. If you or someone you know is using SP2 and you find any features or functions not working ON ANY WEB SITE ANYWHERE, please let WebTeks know. "It may or may not be a result of SP2 and we want to help not only our clients but anyone we find who might have a problem. Ultimately it will help all of us adjust to the new MS reality. Email us your observations of sites that are not working."
  
  
• Selling to Virginia: Opportunities for Success, Sept. 22, 8:15 am-12:45 pm
  
  The Small Business Development Center and the Virginia Department of Business Assistance are sponsoring a half-day seminar at The College Center, James Madison University. The cost to attend is $20. Learn more and register here.
  
  
• DiversityBusiness.com, a small business Internet portal, will hold its 5th annual "Top Small Businesses in America" survey to determine the Top 500 Small Businesses in the United States, the Top 500 Diversity-Owned Business in the United States, and for each State the Top 50 Small Businesses and Top 50 Diversity-Owned businesses. The winners will be announced on October 25, 2004 and will be honored at the 5th Annual Multicultural Business Conference in March 2005. The awards are based on annual sales volume. All Small-, Women-, and Minority-owned businesses are encouraged to register. The deadline to enter is September 30. Go to:
  
  http://www.DiversityBusiness.com
  
  
• Women's Entrepreneurship Conference, October 15, 2004, 8:00 am - 3:45 PM, Governor Dodge Inn, Platteville, Wis., $45 (includes lunch and snacks)
  
  If you are thinking about starting or expanding a business and you live in Wisconsin, this is the conference to attend. It's a full day of workshops to help you succeed, and my good friend, Jo DeMars of DeMars & Associates, Ltd. is one of the presenters. To register, call Kathy Polich at 608-348-8888 or email Sunny Kessel.
  
  
• Women's Leadership Summit & Gala, Washington, DC, Oct. 25-26, Marriott Wardman Park Washington DC Hotel
  
  Two days of fabulous networking plus keynotes from Stedman Graham (Oprah's sweetie and a well-known entrepreneur and author), Marsha J. Evans, president and CEO of the American Red Cross, and others. Don't miss out. Register now.
  
  
• Looking for an online dictionary, thesaurus, or other writing tool? Here's a huge list of resources from Power Reporting to help you.
  
  
  
• 2004 Venture Funding for Women Entrepreneurs Available
  
  Are you looking for venture capital? Here's a terrific resource for you! In this 400-page downloadable ebook, you'll find all of the contact information for 200 venture capital firms and investors who recently invested in companies that are women-owned or women-led. You'll also have access to all contact information for the 671 women-led companies that received funding. This is a wonderful tool for you. And you get it all for just $249. Read more about it or buy it here and begin your financial investment ride.
  
  
  
• Do you like these resources? There are plenty more like these in my ebook, BUSINESS SUCCESS SECRETS: HARD-WORKING TACTICS & RESOURCES. 37 pages, packed with ideas you can use immediately... to get more business, generate more traffic to your website and improve your bottom line. Over 135 hyperlinks that can take you directly to marketing resources or ideas you can use right now...so you can save time and money. Beginning and advanced tactics to really make a difference in your marketing results...and you can make more sales with much less effort. Learn to save money on your advertising. Get a list of websites that would LOVE to post your articles. Read more about it or buy it here.

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7. A Little Fun

Thanks to Chris George for sending this in:

Find the dollar.

XYZ Company was putting on their very first weekend seminar in Smallville, New York. The seminar was such a hit that all the rooms in the seminar hotel were completely booked. When the last three participants arrived on Friday night, they were told only one room was left.

So they decided to share the room and split the cost. "How much for the room?" they asked. Thirty dollars was the reply (Hey, I know, $30 a room - just assume you got a great corporate rate). So each of them paid $10 each (3 X $10 = $30). When the clerk got back to his desk, he realized the room rate was really $25. Not knowing how to divide the $5 overcharge between the three, he decided to give back $1 to each one and pocket the remaining $2...($1 X 3 = $3 + $2 = $5). So now each guest paid $9 ($10 - $1 =$ 9) and all three paid $27 ($9 X 3 = $27), plus the $2 the room clerk pocketed adds up to $29....where's the missing dollar? (Hint...it didn't go for room tax!)


Chris' Answer:

The answer lies in the basics..$30 total, clerk takes $5 to split..$1 each for the 3 guests and he pockets the remaining $2. Therefore $1 X 3=$3 +$2 = $5 + $25 in till = $30. There is no missing dollar...by telling you each guest paid $9, which equals $27 is a true statement, but the clerk pocketing $2 has nothing to do with the math...you were misdirected. The 2 math problems are $25 & $5, the other was $3 & $2....I mixed them up..it's the proverbial apples and oranges...they're not equal.


This Week's Fun - Watch What You Say! Olympic Bloopers:

• Paul Hamm, Gymnast: "I owe a lot to my parents, especially my mother and father."
• Boxing Analyst: "Sure there have been injuries, and even some deaths in boxing, but none of them really that serious."
• Softball announcer: "If history repeats itself, I should think we can expect the same thing again."
• Basketball analyst: "He dribbles a lot and the opposition doesn't like it. In fact you can see it all over their faces."
• At the rowing medal ceremony: "Ah, isn't that nice, the wife of the IOC president is hugging the cox of the British crew."
  

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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8 . Smell the Coffee...

Have you ever taken a yoga class? When I was complaining about my body and joints hurting, a couple of my friends recommended that I sign up for yoga. I finally decided to take their suggestion. I just started a couple weeks ago. My old body is starting to feel amazingly better. In fact, it has felt almost GOOD, even from the first day and I don't even have to twist into a pretzel! ;-)

Lois


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9 . Highlights From Our Next Issue...

Next week we have some good things in store for you! You'll learn:

• How targeting FEWER prospects can make you MORE money.
• Plus, as always, you'll find several new resources in our Marketing Resources section, a fun joke or puzzle, an enlightening quote, and a little bit more about me.
  
  So, tune in next week..."same time, same station."
  
  
  Back to Top

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Published by:
Lois Carter Fay, APR
Marketing Guru, Marketing Idea Shop, LLC
411 Rainier Road, Massanutten, VA USA 22840
Voice 540.289.3840 or 800.203.8660

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© 2004 Marketing Idea Shop. All rights reserved.

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We value your privacy and keep your email address and other information private.

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