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Matthew G. Sikich II is The Official SelfGrowth.com Guide to "Sales Training". You can find complete information on Matthew G. Sikich II and his products by visiting The 5 Buying Habits.
- Stop Selling - And Close More Business! - by Submitted on Jun 07, 2004 from Craig Jameshttp://www.sales-solutions.biz What? Am I reading this correctly? Stop selling and I'll close more business? Yes. Let me explain. I was on an initial meeting with a prospective client last week. This prospect was frustrated that several prospects of his that exhibited classic ...
Views: 1746(1 vote) - Optimizing Online Catalog Copy for the Search Engines - by Submitted on May 18, 2004 from Karon Thackston© 2004 http://www.marketingwords.com It only makes sense. You have an e-commerce catalog site. You want lots of visitors to come to your site and buy. The best (and most cost-effective) way to do that is with great search engine placement. However, search engines are text machines, and most ...
Views: 1141 - Optimizing Online Catalog Copy for the Search Engines - by Submitted on May 18, 2004 from Karon Thackston© 2004 http://www.marketingwords.com It only makes sense. You have an e-commerce catalog site. You want lots of visitors to come to your site and buy. The best (and most cost-effective) way to do that is with great search engine placement. However, search engines are text machines, and most ...
Views: 975 - Optimizing Online Catalog Copy for the Search Engines - by Submitted on May 18, 2004 from Karon Thackston© 2004 http://www.marketingwords.com It only makes sense. You have an e-commerce catalog site. You want lots of visitors to come to your site and buy. The best (and most cost-effective) way to do that is with great search engine placement. However, search engines are text machines, and most ...
Views: 922 - Optimizing Online Catalog Copy for the Search Engines - by Submitted on May 18, 2004 from Karon Thackston© 2004 http://www.marketingwords.com It only makes sense. You have an e-commerce catalog site. You want lots of visitors to come to your site and buy. The best (and most cost-effective) way to do that is with great search engine placement. However, search engines are text machines, and most ...
Views: 1027 - Copywriting Is Not One-Size-Fits-All - by Submitted on May 15, 2004 from Karon Thackston© 2004 http://www.copywritingcourse.com I was in shock. Honestly, I shook my head when I read his email. I meant no disrespect; I just couldn’t believe he really felt that way. “Karon, I want you to write the sales letter for my site. How much will it cost me?” read his note. After ...
Views: 1187 - Copywriting Is Not One-Size-Fits-All - by Submitted on May 15, 2004 from Karon Thackston© 2004 http://www.copywritingcourse.com I was in shock. Honestly, I shook my head when I read his email. I meant no disrespect; I just couldn’t believe he really felt that way. “Karon, I want you to write the sales letter for my site. How much will it cost me?” read his note. After ...
Views: 966 - Copywriting Is Not One-Size-Fits-All - by Submitted on May 15, 2004 from Karon Thackston© 2004 http://www.copywritingcourse.com I was in shock. Honestly, I shook my head when I read his email. I meant no disrespect; I just couldn’t believe he really felt that way. “Karon, I want you to write the sales letter for my site. How much will it cost me?” read his note. After ...
Views: 962 - Copywriting Is Not One-Size-Fits-All - by Submitted on May 15, 2004 from Karon Thackston© 2004 http://www.copywritingcourse.com I was in shock. Honestly, I shook my head when I read his email. I meant no disrespect; I just couldn’t believe he really felt that way. “Karon, I want you to write the sales letter for my site. How much will it cost me?” read his note. After ...
Views: 968 - Copywriting Is Not One-Size-Fits-All - by Submitted on May 15, 2004 from Karon Thackston© 2004 http://www.copywritingcourse.com I was in shock. Honestly, I shook my head when I read his email. I meant no disrespect; I just couldn’t believe he really felt that way. “Karon, I want you to write the sales letter for my site. How much will it cost me?” read his note. After ...
Views: 929 - Focus on a Trade - Not a Discount - by Submitted on May 14, 2004 from Kelley RobertsonSmart buyers will always ask for a better price. Unfortunately, too many sales people and business owners automatically think that reducing their price is the most effective way to respond to this request. However, negotiating is not always about price. Although price is a factor in virtually ...
Views: 702 - Focus on a Trade - Not a Discount - by Submitted on May 14, 2004 from Kelley RobertsonSmart buyers will always ask for a better price. Unfortunately, too many sales people and business owners automatically think that reducing their price is the most effective way to respond to this request. However, negotiating is not always about price. Although price is a factor in virtually ...
Views: 640 - Focus on a Trade - Not a Discount - by Submitted on May 14, 2004 from Kelley RobertsonSmart buyers will always ask for a better price. Unfortunately, too many sales people and business owners automatically think that reducing their price is the most effective way to respond to this request. However, negotiating is not always about price. Although price is a factor in virtually ...
Views: 671 - Focus on a Trade - Not a Discount - by Submitted on May 14, 2004 from Kelley RobertsonSmart buyers will always ask for a better price. Unfortunately, too many sales people and business owners automatically think that reducing their price is the most effective way to respond to this request. However, negotiating is not always about price. Although price is a factor in virtually ...
Views: 702 - Focus on a Trade - Not a Discount - by Submitted on May 14, 2004 from Kelley RobertsonSmart buyers will always ask for a better price. Unfortunately, too many sales people and business owners automatically think that reducing their price is the most effective way to respond to this request. However, negotiating is not always about price. Although price is a factor in virtually ...
Views: 833 - A Lesson From “The Apprentice” That Can Make You A Master - by Submitted on Apr 27, 2004 from Karon Thackston© 2004 http://www.copywritingcourse.com I have to admit, I was curious. When I saw previews of a new show called “The Apprentice,” it made me want to at least watch the premiere to see what was going on. Immediately, I was hooked. The whole idea of candidates - from all walks of life, not ...
Views: 973(1 vote) - Attracting New Business on a Shoestring Budget - by Submitted on Apr 16, 2004 from Kelley RobertsonIn a recent marketing workshop I attended, I discovered that most business owners rely on just two or three strategies to attract new business. Even well-established companies tend to rely on one or two strategies. However, there is a multitude of ways to drive new business to your door. Here ...
Views: 1029(1 vote) - Network Marketing 101 : for Beginners - by You¹ve just decided to make THE move. You are considering joining a Network Marketing Company. Maybe you¹ve already found one. Great!
You¹ve spent some time evaluating the best ones, with the best products, the best compensation plan, the best trainingŠ and finally you have made your choice. ...
Views: 5319(1 vote) - Deadly Sins of Getting the Second Appointment - by Deadly Sins of Getting the Second Appointment
An excerpt from: “Getting the Second Appointment” by: Anthony Parinello
Have you ever encountered great difficulty getting a second appointment, such as: not getting your calls returned, having meetings cancel at the last minute or worse yet, ...
Views: 1177(1 vote) - Copywriting Makeover: Know Where Your Customers Are In The Buying Process Part 2 of 2 - by Submitted on Mar 23, 2004 from Karon Thackston© 2004 http://www.copywritingcourse.com In part one of this article series, I introduced a client of mine (AEwebworks) who suffered from some copywriting traumas. The basic diagnosis was a lack of synergy within the copy, ineffective use of testimonials, a lack of focus on the target ...
Views: 1076(1 vote) - Copywriting Makeover: Know Where Your Customers Are In The Buying Process Part 1 of 2 - by Submitted on Mar 23, 2004 from Karon Thackston© 2004 http://www.copywritingcourse.com When you begin to write copy for any product or service, there are a few things you have to take into consideration. The first is always your target audience: who you’ll be writing to. Finding out about the needs and wants of the audience members, ...
Views: 1044(1 vote) - Are You Asking the Right Questions in Your Copy? - by Submitted on Mar 09, 2004 from Karon Thackston© 2004 http://www.copywritingcourse.com It’s a common approach to writing copy. You begin by asking questions. Why? To evoke thoughts in your readers' minds, to stir up emotions, and to get customers thinking in the way you want them to think. But have you ever thought about how you phrase ...
Views: 1129(1 vote) - Maintaining Your Motivation - by Submitted on Feb 19, 2004 from Kelley RobertsonI recently spoke to a group of sales professionals at the end of their training conference. The attendees had participated in many learning sessions over a two day period – most of which were product related. I was scheduled to speak after dinner and I was somewhat concerned how attentive they ...
Views: 876(1 vote) - Practice the Seven Secrets of Sales Success - by Excerpted from Brian Tracy's Be A Sales Superstar, published by Berrett-Koehler
There are seven secrets, or principles, of sales success. They are practiced by all the highest paid salespeople every day. The regular application of these principles is virtually guaranteed to move you to the top ...
Views: 9374(1 vote) - Job Number One How to unlock your powers to achieve greatness in selling - by Fear is and always has been the greatest enemy of mankind. It is the greatest obstacle to success in your life and your career. It is both subtle and devastating. It works on you, deep in your subconscious mind, causes you to see the world negatively instead of positively. To achieve great ...
Views: 1322(1 vote) - Press Releases Can Increase Search Engine Positioning - by Submitted on Feb 09, 2004 from Karon Thackston© 2004 http://www.copywritingcourse.com When you write a press release, what is your ultimate goal? No doubt, getting the information to as many publications and on as many Web sites as possible. The focus lies in moving outward… taking the press release to as many *other* sources as ...
Views: 1050(1 vote) - Two Steps to Improving Your Marketing Success - by Submitted on Jan 22, 2004 from Joel SussmanSince the human brain seems to be able to focus on only one thought at a time, it's difficult to evaluate an advertisingidea from the perspective of both a marketer and a customer. That's why it's necessary to use a two-step process when developing highly effective ads, sales letters, web pages, ...
Views: 1004 - What Do Your Customers Really Want? Ask Your Competition - by Submitted on Jan 21, 2004 from Karon Thackston© 2004 http://www.marketingwords.com It’s not always an easy task. Sometimes discovering what your customers really want is like pulling teeth. It is imperative for any business owner who hopes to develop new products/services or to write effective advertising copy to know what is important ...
Views: 957 - SEO Copywriting - In the Wake of the “Florida” Update - by Submitted on Jan 13, 2004 from Karon Thackston© 2004 http://www.copywritingcourse.com/keyword After Google’s most recent update, those in the search engine optimization (SEO) field seem to be standing at attention. As sites that have held long-standing positions in the top 10 flounder and bob around in the search results like a fishing ...
Views: 1049(1 vote) - Internet Resolutions - by Submitted on Jan 01, 2004 from Larry JohnsonWith the coming new year, I thought it was time to take review and make some internet resolutions for the coming year. Now these aren't the typical kind of personal resolutions like losing weight or quitting smoking.I have in mind resolutions as they relate to thetime and work each of us ...
Views: 1050(1 vote) - K.I.S.S.--Simplify the 3 P's to Sales Success - by "The easier you make it to buy for your prospects, the more they will."
K.I.S.S. - Keep it Simple Silly.
But simplicity goes beyond just ensuring you do not talk technical when describing offerings to prospects. It means keeping everything about the sale simple. It means recognizing that ...
Views: 6004(1 vote) - How To Ruin Your Press Release in 3 Easy Steps - by Submitted on Dec 17, 2003 from Karon Thackston© 2003 http://www.marketingwords.com I see it almost every day. People who want to generate a press frenzy, but go about it in just the opposite way that they should. There are some definite strategies you need to use when writing a press release that gets results. There are also some ...
Views: 1121(1 vote) - Copywriting Tips for Sales-generating Brochures - by Submitted on Dec 15, 2003 from Karon Thackston© 2003 http://www.copywritingcourse.com Brochures have held an important place in marketing plans for longer than most of us can remember. There is no doubt that they have the ability to generate sales and increase revenues. Why then do so many of them fail? There are several aspects of ...
Views: 1123(1 vote) - An excerpt from “Getting the Second Appointment” How to Close any Sale in Two Calls - by What’s your definition of the word “Selling?” Here’s mine:
“Representing your products, services and solutions in the best interest of the other person or party -- so that their requirements, needs and visions are overachieved in a time-frame that they define.”
There are four activities that ...
Views: 1930(1 vote) - Rules, Regs, and Recommendations for Search Engine Copywriting - by Submitted on Nov 22, 2003 from Karon Thackston2003 http://www.copywritingcourse.com Copywriting is a primary factor when it comes to achieving good search engine placement. However, many times all that is done is to include keywords in the tags of a page and to include a few keyword mentions. While not extremely difficult, writing for the ...
Views: 1106(2 votes) - Breaking the Voice Mail Barrier - by Submitted on Jul 20, 2009 from C.J. HaydenEven if you never place a cold call, you still have to reach people by phone. That customer who was so interested last month never called you back, and now you must call her. You call once, twice, three times, but you can't get her in person. How can you manage to close a sale if all you ever ...
Views: 1474(2 votes) - Choosing Keywords That Bring the Best Results - by Submitted on Nov 05, 2003 from Karon Thackston© 2003 http://www.copywritingcourse.com As a search engine optimization copywriter, I’ve seen my share of keywords. When working with me, clients choose their own keywords (or have someone else choose them) and then send me the list to include in their copy. I must admit, sometimes I’m just ...
Views: 1155(1 vote) - 8 Ways to Get More Email Addresses On Your List ... Today - by Submitted on Oct 29, 2003 from Cynthia SmithWhether you've got 100 or 100,000 people on your email list, chances are you can optimize your web page to better feature and promote your ezine. Here's a few ways to capture more customers and leads - without having to increase your traffic. Give Something (Or a Few Things Away) Studies show ...
Views: 1205(1 vote) - Copywriting Makeover: It’s Not About YOU, It’s About THEM - by Submitted on Oct 27, 2003 from Karon Thackston© 2003 http://www.copywritingcourse.com I’ve always loved scented candles. They help create a cozy atmosphere. They give you a relaxed feeling. And - most importantly - they make your home smell wonderful! So, naturally, I was excited when I was approached to rewrite the index (front) page ...
Views: 1072(1 vote) - Winning Sales Strategies of Top Performers - by Submitted on Oct 23, 2003 from Barbara SanfilippoTo achieve the critical edge over your competition, consider these seven sales strategies of top performers. ATTRACT BUSINESS TO YOUImagine being flooded with phone calls and emails from hot prospects requesting information on your products and services. Top performers have a philosophy that ...
Views: 5602(2 votes) - Listen, Don't Hear: A.R.T. Your Way To Sales Success - by There is no better way to distinguish yourself from your competitors than to summarize your prospects' needs- out loud- after probing, and prior to your presentation.
When you summarize, you prove you listened, not that you heard.
What's the difference?
Hearing is simply not being deaf. ...
Views: 1068(2 votes) - Be a Winner in the Sales Industry - by Submitted on Oct 13, 2003 from kelvin chiaEquip yourself with the appropriate selling skills and mindset before you step into the sales battlefield! Doing sales is no longer the same as before. One has to constantly upgrade his skills so as to attain a larger market share in such competitive times. Without the appropriate skills and ...
Views: 1153(1 vote) - SEO Writing Strategies for Graphic-Oriented Sites - by Submitted on Oct 03, 2003 from Karon Thackston© 2003 http://www.copywritingcourse.com As a copywriter, I’d love to tell you that every site on the Web needs tons of copy. However, the simple truth is not all do. Many sites simply produce better sales when they use more graphics than words. Since search engines are hungry for words you ...
Views: 1175(1 vote) - They're Searching So Why Aren't They Buying? - by Submitted on Sep 25, 2003 from Karon Thackston© 2003 http://www.marketingwords.com There seems to be a common myth regarding site visitors and the buying process these days. I’ve heard this statement more than a few times over the last several months: “My visitors find me when they use search engines. They type in the exact keyphrases I’m ...
Views: 1056(1 vote) - Price isn't Everything - by Submitted on Sep 24, 2003 from Kelley RobertsonMany salespeople and business owners mistakenly think that negotiating is something you do near, or at the end of, the sales process, particularly when discussing price or term of the agreement. Effective negotiating, however, is a process that begins with your first contact with your customer ...
Views: 1065(1 vote) - Cold Calling for Introverts - by Submitted on Sep 07, 2003 from Hal WarfieldIn her book, The Introvert Advantage, Marty Olsen Laney talks about the defining moment when she embraced the fact that she was an introvert. It came in the form of a statement, "Oh, there's nothing wrong with me, I'm just an introvert!" According to her research only 25% of people are ...
Views: 4492(1 vote) - Short Copy: Understanding Its Purpose Can Increase Sales - by Submitted on Aug 26, 2003 from Karon Thackston© 2003 http://www.copywritingcourse.com I believe it was Mark Twain that once said, "If I would have had time, I would have written a shorter letter." His point being... it takes much more thought and time to write a short, concise piece than a long one. It's true, too! Think about it. How ...
Views: 1069 - “Out of Focus” Ads Can Cost You Customers - by Submitted on Aug 08, 2003 from Karon ThackstonAs I was riding down the road last week, I noticed a billboard. As I sat waiting on a stoplight I kept staring at it. I couldn’t help wondering what those people were thinking when they created that thing. It made no sense to me whatsoever. The focus was completely off. They were spending ...
Views: 1104(1 vote) - How do you change the behavior of an experienced salesperson? - by Submitted on Jul 22, 2003 from Dave KahleEvery client I deal with, in one way or another, eventually asks that question. The words may be different, but the question is the same. In this turn-of-the-century economic environment, it's a universal question. If you haven't confronted the issue yet, it's only a matter of time before you ...
Views: 1344(1 vote) - Taking Your Sales Performance Up-a-Notch - by Submitted on Jul 18, 2003 from Dave Kahle"Selling is more difficult now that it was just a couple of years ago." Most of the participants in my sales seminars nod solemnly when I make that statement. And then they begin to fidget in their seats when I follow that up with this: "And it will be more difficult next year than it is today." ...
Views: 1357(1 vote)