A child does not stop repeating bad behaviors and adopt new ones because her mother is disappointed in her. She stops because she quickly learns that there are repercussions for her actions. In sales training, an effective tool that is often downplayed is the idea of consequences. You can effectively communicate the sales training techniques, share this effectively communicated sales training softly or loudly, repeatedly in memos and meetings and trainings, but still not have the desired outcome.

The problem comes in when you don’t follow through. For example, you have spent a great deal of time encouraging them to learn the sales training techniques that you’ve designed because, ultimately, it will make their jobs easier and more fluid. However, learning these new techniques may be more difficult or time consuming than they may have thought and, for them, their job is not made easier with this new responsibility.

You may have communicated quite efficiently to your employees that you would suspend anyone who wasn’t implementing the new sales techniques by a certain date, but that date came and passed without suspensions despite the fact that many were still using the old ways. This may be due to an overwhelming work load or an inability to do the actually suspending, but whatever the reason, your lack of follow through communicates to your employees that you probably won’t follow through with these new sales training techniques either, so why bother?

Along with working out how you will communicate your new sales training, decide what consequences, or incentives, you will put into place. When an employee successfully learns and implements the new training, there should be a benefit or reward. When an employee does not learn the new training or does not put it to use, then, too, should there be a consequence.

These consequences should be very personal to your employee they should not be benefits or drawbacks for the company. For example, the benefit should be a monetary bonus for the individual employee instead of the airy concept that profits will soar for the company and that this will trickle down into raises for everyone. The drawback should be a suspension for the individual employee or a cut in hours rather than the general threat of bankruptcy for the company – or even the threat of layoffs in general. Just like sales to the customers, the way to sell your new sales training techniques to your employees is to make it personal.

Simply put, repetition or angry tirades do not back up effectively communicated sales training strategies. Instead, put your time and energy into creating and backing up consequences for jobs well done (or not done). Plan casual meetings during the a work day to get input on how things are going, to see if anyone has questions, concerns, or needs help. In this way, you will create an environment of trust and a foundation of follow through that will not only help you implement your current new sales training ideas but future ones as well.

Jeff Blackwell is the founder of SalesPractice.com a vibrant online Sales Training community that offers sales and marketing professionals free access to a comprehensive range of high quality sales training resources.

A magazine used this strategy to double sales in 15 months flat. Here’s what they did:

They took a database of 2200 advertisers and sent promo-pieces to them each month. After learning this strategy, they did an analysis and found that 167 of those 2200 advertisers bought 95% of the advertising in their competitor’s magazine.

This concept is called “The Dream 100 Sell,” a concept where you go after your “Dream” prospects with a vengeance. This magazine sent the 167 (best buyers) a letter every two weeks and called them four times per month.

Since these were the biggest buyers, the first four months of intensive marketing and selling brought no actual reward. In the fifth month, only ONE of these Dream clients bought advertising in the magazine.

In the sixth month, 28 of the 167 largest advertisers in the country came into the magazine all at once.

And since these are the biggest advertisers, they don’t take quarter pages and fractional ads, they take full pages and full color spreads. These 28 advertisers alone, were enough to double the sales over the previous year. The magazine went from number 15 in the industry to number one in just over a year.

Lesson learned: Market to your best buyers

Now you’re probably thinking to yourself, who are my best buyers? If you sell to the business-to-consumer market, chances are, your best buyers live in the best neighborhoods.If you are a dentist, accountant, chiropractor, R.E. Broker, financial advisor, restaurant, or even a MLM professional you should consistently go after the folks who live in the best neighborhoods.

They are the wealthiest buyers who have the money and the greatest sphere of influence. If you send them an offer every single month without fail, within a year, you’ll have a great reputation among the very wealthy.

If you sell to the business-to-business market, it’s usually fairly clear that your best buyers are the biggest companies. So what are you doing, every other week, no matter what, to let these companies know who you are?

There’s no one you can’t get to as long as you constantly market to them, especially after they say they’re not interested. People will not only begin to respect your perseverance, they will actually begin to feel obligated.

This doesn’t happen right away, but even the most hard-bitten and cynical executive or prospect begins to respect you when you refuse to give up. The publication I mentioned earlier went on to double sales two more years in a row. They consistently marketed to the best buyers and much more aggressively than they did to the rest of the buyers.

A company selling to manufacturer’s used this strategy to target the 100 biggest manufacturers in the country. For the first three months no one responded to any of the calling or phoning.

But after three months executives started saying: “I just have to meet you. I’ve never had anyone continue to call me so many times after I said no.” Within 6 months they had gotten in to see 54% of those they targeted.

The secret is to NEVER give up.

Just keep going after those companies again and again. Or if you sell to consumers, commit to sending a promotional piece every single month to those wealthy neighborhoods. Eventually, all the wealthy people in your area will know exactly who you are.

Now the question is: Who are your DREAM prospects and how committed are you to getting them as clients?

Money Curve

Following the money curve is more difficult than it appears. The first step is to learn how to budget. One of the most common business mistakes is spending money as it comes in and leaving nothing for major projects such as an advertising campaign, upgrading equipment, or starting a passive stream of income.

Cash management starts with the ability to budget money and prepare a cash flow projection. If this tool will tell a bank whether the business is a good credit risk, then it will tell the business owner how healthy the company is.

The second half of the strategy is the Cash Flow Statement. The projection lets the owner calculate what they need in the future. The statement tracks the money that goes out. The statement can be created based on the actual cash, including personal money, or it can be based solely on the business’s books.
Watch for Falling Sales

Never wait until the cash flow starts a downward trend. A healthy business should have a gradually upward curve. A level or wavy curve is a sign of trouble. An advertising campaign should be started at least six months before the cash flow starts a downward turn.

Another thing to measure is profit margin. Sales and profit margins are different and can be totally unrelated. Sales and Revenues are the money that comes into the business. Profits are the money left over after the expenses are withdrawn.

Two companies may earn $10 000. One earns $1000 profit, and the other earns $5000 profits. Calculate the profit margin. Create a ‘cut off’ rate. Anything below that level should be considered a ‘warning.’

Borrowing

Borrowing money to pay debts is a sure sign of trouble. This doesn’t mean that it is wrong to borrow. The amount borrowed should never climb above 20% of revenue. Any amounts above this should be considered a ‘warning’ and be corrected as soon as possible.

Another aspect of borrowing is to calculate the amount of money spent on interest in a year. The lower interest rates are important, but so is the term of the loan. Businesses should keep the term as short as possible.

Past Due Notices

This is the ultimate red flag or warning sign. It signals to the business owner that they have lost a grip on the business’s cash flow. No matter how much, or how little, a business has coming in, it is vital to ensure that the business is self sustaining.

Stealing from The Company

The company should be seen as a separate entity. Its cash belongs to it. A business needs to be nurtured. In the brick and mortar world, a business should be self-supportive for the first five years.

Traditionally, business owners never expected the business to support the family through this time. Internet businesses have a shorter span, but they still need to be nurtured.

Every time money is removed from the company the business owner should tack a ‘red flag’ to their cash flow charts. All revenue should be returned to the business until it is self sustaining with enough ‘cash in reserves’ to avoid at least on emergency, and support expansion.

How to Avoid Problems

Get Help: There are thousands of qualified professionals who freelance for a fraction of what a company would charge.

Be Truthful: Avoiding issues, brushing over problems, and lying to people who can help should all be considered warning signs. When you run into financial trouble, then head to the bank. They have a lot in stake and will help, even if the business owner hasn’t borrowed any money.

Save Money: Save money, even if it only means sticking $1 into a jar every week.

Cut Costs: There are some vital questions to ask before spending any money. Do I need it? Can I get it cheaper? Am I buying this because I ‘want’ it? How long can I do without? What problems will I encounter if I don’t buy this?’

Emergency Plan: This is a plan of action that you’ll use to help avoid problems.

There are several ways to use these tools. One business owner can keep a chart. Another one may put red pins on a cork board. Another will create a strategy plan to solve the problem. Whatever is used, it should be considered a vital part of business success.

Among the most popular type of business-related letters is the sales letter because it is a very important tool for reaching customers and prospects. This is why sales letter writing has been deemed to be a very important aspect in marketing.

Many entrepreneurs have observed the power of sales letter writing in capturing a significant portion of the market. As such, many businesspersons went their way on writing their own sales letters.

Alas, not all of these aspirants were able to succeed with the materials they wrote. Some of these letters were not effectively written and were seen not to work as well as the others. It is thus important to know what makes of a good sales letter before writing one.

Here are some useful tips in sales letter writing:

- Gain Your Readers’ Trust: When your readers receive your mail, they should be able to put confidence in you so that they would feel safe to establish some business relations with you. The most common technique of doing so is by putting testimonials in sales letters to let people know of others who swear by your offerings. You may employ other tactics to gain people’s trust, what is important is for them to bank on what you say.

- Show That You Are Credible: Trust is just one step for people to give you some of their time, you also need to show them that you have something truthful to say to them. You should be able to show them that what you offer delivers its promise. Good means of doing this is by including scientific studies, successful stories and other materials that exhibit the truth in what you say. You need to show it more than you need to talk about it.

- The Letter should be Memorable: You can almost always expect people not to pay attention to your sales letter immediately. They simply might not need your product at the time they receive your letter, or they might not just be interested. However, this does not automatically mean that the sales letter is a failure – people can still respond to your sales letter after days, months, or years as long as they would remember it. If you can make your sales letter memorable, chances are the reader would be able to remember your products when the time comes that they are needed.

- Catch Attention: While looks are usually underestimated, it is important to make your sales letter writing very attractive whether you use visuals or not. It is not at all impossible to catch attention with mere words alone. Use bold statements that tickle your readers’ fancy. A boring letter would just end up in the trash with other junk mail. Be sure to make your sales letter writing upbeat and interesting so that your prospects would be enticed to read on and know more about what you offer.

- Give Clear Instructions: Winning trust, appearing credible, making your letter memorable, and catching attention is not enough for effective sales letter writing. It is important for your readers to be informed what they should do next by giving them clear instructions on how they could respond to your sales letter. Be sure to include how they can contact you and make it easy and convenient for them by leaving a mailing address, email, website, fax, or phone number where they can reach you easily. Of course you have to make sure that these are working well so you would not miss any customer.

- Give Rewards: People love bonuses whenever they purchase something. You can offer gifts, discounts, and other promotional offers to your customers. You can also give rewards to those who respond immediately so that you can easily reap profits from your sales letter writing.

- Reach Your Reader Personally: It could be very tempting for you to just hit the mail merge option of your word processor. However, they can make your sales letter writing very detached and unappealing. People like to be addressed personally and it is best to reach them as individuals.

Good sales letter writing is essential for today’s business. With it, you are several steps toward profitable success.

In the year 2000, Bill Gates commented about the internet saying, “the internet will create thousands upon thousands of new millionaires in the next four years, those who do not learn to use it will be left behind, for there will be two people on planet earth: those on the internet and those going out of business.”

That same year, I got hooked to the cyber world. Becoming aware of the information age, An age characterized by a high demand for information and where its exchange is quick.

The Internet is a door opener on a glamorous and exciting world with a powerful formative influence. Its advent has greatly increased the abilities of companies to transact their businesses faster, accurately, and at reduced costs.

Gates again, “will e-commerce change everything or just add another small sales channel? The Internet is not just another sales channel. It will transform your business. The future company will operate with a digital nervous system.”

The Internet is a new medium for doing business. It will help your firm bring about revolutionary changes in your relevant fields. It really does not matter who exactly you are, what you are, and where you are. The Internet will take you where you want to be.

“The Internet has opened a whole new world of opportunity for even the smallest home-based business owner. There is countless number of new self-made millionaires that achieved their newfound success on the Internet. These new millionaires are no different from you and I. They started their Internet business from the ground … found a niche and built their success one day at a time” Shelly Lowery

Step 1: Have a Product you can deliver online.

Does it sound outrageous? Yes, /No, Whichever. Delivery a product online is one among various legitimate ways of making money online or increases your income online. The product that you deliver online, need to be intangible and flexible. I give examples E-books, Affiliate programs, Information products like MLM (Multi-level Marketing.) Please do not get me wrong here, products can be deliver offline too, but this is the old fashion way.

Hey folks! We are now in a globalize community. Activities need to be done fast as to remain in business. Come to think of it, lectures including examinations are done online. Those in the Finance institutions including the Aviations industry are not left in the dark. For funds are paid and transferred online and airline tickets are booked online. So, what are you waiting for? Get a product that you know you are good at and can deliver online. Need more help, visit http://www.web-source.net

Step 2: You need to have prompt response.

Wait a second. Have you given it a thought that when you begin to activate your email account with any of the service providers like yahoo.com/mail.com among others, your get instant response to all the followed instructions, like user Id has already been used and some other stuff. Remember, your are not to spend 24/7/365 on the net. There are other appointments to attend to. For further clarifications and better understand, visit http://www.getresponse.com

Step 3: You need a way to accept payment online.

A must have, if you really want to make money online, increase your income online and possibly remain online. If this step is absent from your website, even if the previous two is present, you are only reducing the number of visitors to your site. Kindly re-consider upgrading or building a new website with all these features in it. Please visit http://www.paypal.com/, www.2checkout.com/, and www.clickbank.com. My little advice, ensure maximum security.

Step 4: You need a traffic website.

Your website have been upgraded with step 1 to step 3 in it. But that’s not all. You need to attract more visitors to your site just as honey attracts bees. The higher the number of visitors to your site, chances is that (if your product is on a high demand) your sales will rise. Consider these options:

a. promotion
b. link exchange
c. freebies

You’ll agree with me that the above tips are practical and applicable if rigorously followed. And once you start making your money and your income starts to increase, forget me not.

Setting up and running an online business does have several advantages over setting up a “normal” business. You can usually run it in conjunction with your current job, your potential market is bigger your initial overheads are usually smaller and you can operate it from the comfort of your own home. Once you decided that you want to enter into the world of E-commerce you then need to take a lesson from main stream business and create a business plan.

The very first thing you need to decide is what type of business is right for you and then research the market. Possible businesses open to you are.

An Affiliate Program
An Adsense Program
Selling Products

With an Affiliate Program you are paid a commission for selling a companies products. You have no contact with the customer, all you do is provide sales leads to the company of whom you are an affiliate. An Adsense program is where you take an existing website of yours about a particular subject and add contextual Adverts from Google’s Adsense program. When a person clicks on an advert you then receive a few cents. There are 2 approaches to Adsense programs, build a well respected Niche site with lots of traffic the more traffic you get the higher the Click Through Rate (CTR) and thus the higher the income.

The second method is sometimes referred to as the shotgun method, build lots of sites with less traffic but earning a smaller amount from each site. A $1 a day income from each of 50 sites is better than $40 from 1 site. It is worth pointing out here that it against Google’s TOS to build site specifically to target Adsense revenue.

The final E-commerce method we will look at is the most similar to mainstream business, selling a product. You build a web site with a shopping cart and give as many details about the products as possible. The products can be something you make yourself, or a product you buy in bulk or a product from a drop shipper. With drop shipping you sell products which are then dispatched from a location elsewhere by a 3rd party.

If all this sounds too easy it’s not. Setting up the business is just the start of it, the hard work needs to start now. You need to get traffic, the more traffic you get the higher your sales will be. In addition you need to look at the performance of your site and tweak the layout so you make more sales. You need to get your site onto the first page of Google and other search engines.

You may need to write adverts and operate an pay Per Click program. In short you need to become an expert in many new subjects. If you have the drive and dedication then it is possible to make a good income from E-commerce but don’t expect to spend an hour a day at the computer and the rest of your time on your Yacht.