0 10 Thing Sales People Need to Know About C-Level Decision Makers

Selling to high-level decision makers is challenging at the best of times. However, it can be easier if you understand a few business principles.

C-level decision makers are paid to improve their business results. Regardless of how the media portrays these executives, their primary concern is to improve their business. This includes increasing sales, market share, customer loyalty; reducing costs, errors, or employee turnover; improving productivity, employee engagement, customer service, etc.

How does your product, service or solution address one of these issues?

C-level decision makers deal with changing priorities. Improving customer engagement may be a top priority today but tomorrow that executive may be faced with cutting $250,000 in expenses. That means they sometimes go cold after expressing initial interest in your solution.

Do you have a strategy in place to keep your solution current?

C-level decision makersare extremely busy. The average executive arrives early in the morning and stays late into the evening. They get dozens of calls every day, receive too many emails, and attend too many meetings. This means that you need to maximize every minute you have when you connect with them. This applies to telephone conversations and face-to-face meetings.

Do you know EXACTLY what to say when you connect with these individuals?

C-level decision makersrely on others. Contrary to popular belief, these high-ranking big-wigs seldom make decisions on their own. They often defer to other people on their team and ask for feedback from peers and/or subordinates. This means you need to involve these people in your conversations and include them in the decision making process.

Do you have the ability to finesse this?

C-level decision makers don’t like to make mistakes. A major mistake can affect an executive’s reputation in their company. This affects the decision-making process which means you need to uncover their risk factor during your conversations.

How will you reduce your prospect’s risk factor?

C-level decision makers have big egos. Most executives have a healthy ego which is one of the things that helped them achieve their status in the company. This means that you need to be very confident in your own abilities when selling to these individuals. Don’t back down when you’re challenged. In fact, doing so could cost you the business because C-level execs want to deal with people who believe in what they do.

Are you confident enough to deal directly with C-level executives?

C-level decision makers spend the bulk of their day in meetings.The next time you’re in the office, watch an executive. Chances are you will see them dashing from meeting to meeting. Your prospects are in the same position. They aren’t sitting at their desk waiting for you to call them.

Are you persistent in your efforts to connect with these individuals?

C-level decision makers have at least 40 hours of work on their desk at any given time. Several executives I know have expressed these sentiment, “I will never get caught up” or “Just when I think I can’t get busier, I do” or “I never call a sales person back because I already have too much on my plate.” you need to give these individual’s an extremely good reason to meet with you or take your call.

Is your approach effective?

C-level decision makers receive upwards of 150 emails every day. Many sales people use email as their major form of correspondence and it can be ineffective because most C-level decision makers simply don’t have time to respond to every email. A Managing Director once told me that he prefers telephone correspondence because he simply can’t get to every email, even when he wants to.

Do you use a variety of strategies to connect with C-level decision makers?

C-level decision makers think big picture.Stop focusing on your product or your company and start looking at the big picture of your prospect’s business. Most C-level execs don’t get bogged down in the little details of their business—they pay others to take care of the details. I once met with the President of a $125 million company and made the mistake of asking her questions about front-line execution instead of top-level strategic issues.

Can you see and discuss the big picture?

Think about your responses to each question and adapt your approach accordingly.

© MMXI Kelley Robertson, All rights reserved.

0 The 7 Best Ways to Promote an Event For Free

For some businesses, event marketing comes naturally. They have the resources to throw a bunch of money at 3rd parties and the promotions take care of themselves. They've done it before, they know the drill and they know it will work.
For the rest of us, event marketing is a timely endeavor and a risky use of precious time where the returns aren't guaranteed. But who says event marketing has to cost hundreds or thousands of dollars? While we may not have the resources to hire fantastic speakers or offer discounts that will break the bank, we do have the ability to compete on a higher level. With a few tricks up our sleeves, we can reach our goals to generate interest and leads for weeks to come.
Believe it or not, you actually have the power at your fingertips to promote your event and follow through with a rich, lasting marketing campaign for free. Here's how...
1) Leverage your network - The term leverage may be beaten-to-death marketing cliché, but there's a reason it's said so much and it boils down to this- the people most likely to believe in you and come to your events are the people you already know and their friends. Make them aware of your event by posting status updates, website banners, email blasts and telling them about it in person. You want the bandwagon effect here. People are much more likely to show interest if their friends are involved.
2) Encourage RSVPs via social media - There are three main benefits to using social sign up services like Eventbrite. For one, they're simple to use and they make it easy set up coupon codes, calendars, and guest lists. Secondly, they make your life easier because the transactions are taken care of, you only pay a percentage of the revenue, and you benefit from people finding your event in the search feature. Lastly, the social elements make it easy for someone to tell their friends and encourage a higher participation rate.
3) Share of the event through social channels ­- You know Facebook events and LinkedIn events are free right? You literally can't lose here. On top of that, social notifications tend to multiply the bandwagon effect and you want the bandwagon effect. Why? Because when someone signs up for your rockin' event, a notice will show up in their friends newsfeeds and pique their interests. Chances are, their friends are in similar markets and demographics and they are the people most likely to attend.
4) #Hashtags are your friends - If your event doesn't have a hashtags associated with it- shame on you. Hashtags are a great way to build buzz around your event and connect the people who are signing up, at the event, and following up. Word to the wise- you'll want to take a second to check Twitter before you pick a hashtag, to make sure no one else it using it. After that, claim your territory by tweeting it and adding it to all the other promotions. By notifying the attendees, in turn they will add the hashtag to their related tweets before, during and after the event. If you happen to be a social media jedi/guru/rockstar, you'll want to interact with the tweeps throughout the event. At minimum though, you should keep an eye on who's tweeting and make an effort to connect with them.
5) Live Blog the Event - If you're a one man (or woman) show, this probably won't be possible. But if you have a team, make sure someone is tweeting the good stuff in real time, using the hashtag of course- It's a great way to draw more interest to your company. By sharing updates and nuggets of wisdom, you'll earn retweets and exposure to the followers of the event and the attendees for free.
6) Record videos and share them afterwards - If you have speakers, this is a must. Granted they'll have to be on board, but if they're on board with marketing in the 21st century, this shouldn't be a problem. A great video can garner thousands of views on youtube and provide wonderful follow-up content and leads for both parties. Free information? What a great way to give back to your industry. Who would have thought great free content is a lead generation tool?
7) While you're at it, why not have a live video stream? If you really want viral attention, you'll need people tweeting your event from around the world. While I doubt non-attendees would actively engage with a Twitter stream, they will engage with a live video and complement it with Twitter. But doesn't that sound expensive? Well, it's actually free with this neat little workaround using Google+ and Youtube. Stream the video live, save it for later and save a boatload of money on marketing.
Do you have your own tips for promoting events? Share them in the comments section below for brownie poin

0 How to Transition Into a New Business

Today's article is about how to transition into a new business.Whether you're transitioning from a corporate job into a new business or if you are transitioning from one business to another, it can feel like a bit of an identity crisis. I know because I've done this twice.
The identity crisis and the angst comes from the fact that you don't want to lose income from the first business or job, but you also need to let others know about what you're doing. I have several tips for you today about how to transition from one into the other.
The very first thing I want to share with you is do not quit your day job just yet! For many years, I worked with clients who would let me know after the fact that they quit their day job, and they said, "Oh, I'm free and now I have all this time to spend on my new business." But they took their eye off the ball, if you will, in terms of what their bread and butter was. After a while, their income very quickly spiraled, which puts people into a fear place. I do not want that for you. Do not quit your day job. Instead, focus your attention on what is bringing in the money. Even if you're transitioning from one business to another, you don't want to put your full attention into the second business and forget what's bringing in the money.
Continue to give attention to job #1 or business #1, and then create extra time for your second venture.Perhaps you start working on your second business during the evenings and weekends. This is what I did in my transitions, both from corporate to my first business and from my first business to my second business.
The idea is that while you're still collecting a paycheck from either your first business or corporate, you create all of the marketing you need. This is where you start focusing on who is your ideal client, what is it that they need most, what is it that they are struggling with the most? Create a compelling message around this new business. Create your marketing materials. Create a marketing plan and decide how you will get out there in a big way while you're still collecting a paycheck.
Once you have those things in place, then it's time to begin networking your new business in a new group.Here's what I did in the beginning. I would go to a networking group at 7:30 in the morning, even though I was still working in corporate. I would market my new business and be at work by 9:00. If you're in your existing business, you keep networking for your existing business and then you find a different networking group and market your second business.
The idea is that you're riding two horses at the same time.That can be tiring, but it's less confusing and again, you want to continue getting that paycheck. Sometimes people ask me, "I'm carrying around two different business cards. Do I hand out two business cards or just one?" I believe that you hand out just one business card-whichever is more appropriate for that person. You don't want to confuse people.
Then once you're making enough income from your second business, that is the one that you start marketing full-time. Once you get at least enough to cover your basic expenses, then you shift your entire focus onto that one. Don't stop taking clients from the first one if you don't have to and then build the second one. That is how I've been able to transition twice and my clients have been able to do the same without losing any income and without sleepless nights.
Make the transition peacefully and easily.
Your Client Attraction Assignment
If you're thinking of transitioning into a new business, take these tips into consideration. Continue to get clients, continue to make money, and to be able to transition peacefully and easily.

1 Your Trade Show Display Company Can Help You Woo International Visitors

Making a lasting impression isn't always the same as making a good impression, particularly when you are trying to woo international leads. An global trade show display company can give you valuable tips for wooing international clients. When you use tradeshow displays and bannerstands to convey your message at an international event, you should assume that you will encounter visitors from other countries that are valuable players in your industry and who are interested in what your business has to offer. The difficult aspect of this is to gain their interest and respect without damaging a potential business relationship because you were ignorant of certain social rules surrounding their behavior and expectations. There are a few things you can do to successfully network with foreign visitors. Keep the following guidelines from an international trade show company in mind as you demonstrate your products or services.
Read Their Body Language
Americans tend to engage each other quickly and interact physically as well as with words and gestures. Some countries have a different concept of how close is appropriate for business peers. If you are talking to guests and they seem to be trying to retreat behind your bannerstands, you've probably invaded their personal space. Follow their lead rather than taking the lead when greeting. More than one trade show display company has a horror story about global business misunderstandings. Let your guests take the lead at your company's tradeshow displays.
If they bow, you should bow. If they extend their hand for a handshake, do so firmly but quickly. One of the most crucial elements of body language is eye contact. You should never linger over eye contact longer than your guests do, but do be willing to lock gazes briefly when making a point. Remember, follow their lead to avoid coming off too strong.
Engage Them Personally
Many business cultures in other countries put a high value on making a personal connection before getting down to business. If they send company representatives to international trade shows, those people are usually high ranking executives within their organization. They will expect to be treated with a level of hospitality that isn't often found in the United States, where things are "strictly business." You should give some individual attention and hospitality to any international guests according to more than one international trade show display company. Moving on to business too soon may be construed as insulting.
Avoid Language Barriers On Tradeshow Displays
Many Americans don't realize how often they use slang, colloquialisms, metaphors and
regional dialect until this is pointed out to them. When talking to others at tradeshow displays abroad, be sure you're using proper English grammar. If you can, practice your sales pitch and some casual dialogue with someone who can point out when you're using language that could be unclear or confusing. Metaphors and similes in particular don't translate well, so stop talking about "a fish out of water" or when it's "raining cats and dogs."Be sure to talk to your trade show display company about the wording on your tradeshow displays and bannerstands. They can offer valuable input on properly wording text so that it will appeal to your international guests rather than confusing them. If your trade show display company has overseas offices, they can work with those branches to ensure that your message is being conveyed accurately so that your guests don't quickly move on to other trade show displays where they can understand their hosts better.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7380178

0 When Should You Start Your Search Engine Optimisation?

Having mentioned this, of course many web designers cannot develop code, and many who can do either or both, are rubbish at SEO. So choose wisely!
Without SEO you cannot have a successful, pro-active online presence and most webmasters today understand the importance of SEO for their websites. However what most website owners do not know is the right time to start their SEO efforts. Which is the ideal time to start looking for an SEO company, or which is the best time to start your SEO efforts? Most website owners think that they should first get their websites designed and launched before they started making any SEO efforts.
The right time to start your website's SEO however is when you first decide you to launch a website. Your search for a reliable SEO company should start along with your search for your web design/development company. Before you approach your prospective partner with your final specifications you should have consulted your SEO services provider. You should first get your keyword analysis performed before any work on your website design starts. Your website's URLs for its inner pages should be based on this report. In other words your website's navigation names should be made keyword rich. Only when you include all this information in your website's detailed specifications will your web design company will be able to create search engine friendly link structure. This will save you a lot of money and time at a later stage because you will not have to make tweaks in the code structure of the site.
Get help from your SEO services provider on the naming convention for the file names including image files. Make all your file names keyword rich. Even your images should be named carefully. You can easily improve the effectiveness of your keywords by making your entire website search engine friendly. Most web design companies I have very little, or no, SEO knowledge or they are guessing rather than analysing, which keywords are most suitable and are going to bring about a return on investment. So, you need to feed them with adequate SEO data which you will have after you have consulted an SEO company. Imagine putting your website through a major revision to make the URLs and your images search engine friendly. Such an approach can also interfere with the website's functionality. So it is important that you do not repeat the mistake most webmasters make. Start making your SEO
efforts as early as possible and you will create a very powerful website based on sound SEO concepts.You should look for a professional SEO company with adequate experience. There is no use hiring SEO companies that are slaves of their own SEO packages. Your SEO services provider should be with you right from the moment you start designing your website and throughout the process.

Metalfrog Studios Limited offers seo services covering organic SEO, PPC, and Link Building Services. Our USP is that we offer legal contracts guaranteeing page 1 Google for proven keywords or free service until the project is achieved.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6438188

0 Choosing the Right SEO Agency by Understanding What They Know and Do

Most online business owners will eventually seek out an experienced SEO Agency to create more competitive search engine optimization strategies. This is because successful SEO campaigns are often more dynamic than originally supposed by emerging online business entrepreneurs, who find themselves ramping up to achieve even stronger presence within their own marketing niche. They have reached the inescapable turning point that every true competitor comes to face, grow or get left behind.
Compelling layout and content are the nucleus of successful websites, but creating these elements is a bitter-sweet effort if no one visits the site to experience what it has to offer. Lately, the rules for driving traffic to websites have been given an algorithm clean up by major search providers such as Google. Their goal is to keep scammers and other unscrupulous profiteers out of their quickly overcrowding databanks while providing their readers with more "honest" and useful search results. Of course, this also implies that Google can exercise more control over its advertising revenues by filtering out unprincipled freeloaders, but what do we care, we can still back link.
Originally, techniques to draw internet traffic to a website were of a more dubious nature. These included: taking undue advantage of meta tags by inserting unrelated words that miscued search engines into creating backdoor links to unrelated promotional websites; keyword redundancy within page content to create an over count of subject matter resulting in better search page placement; untrue claims in articles that were actually e/mmercials with links to hard-sell landing pages; the list goes on.
Here are some new guidelines used by top search engines. Keep in mind, that reviewing the work of competing SEO agencies and writers can clue you in to whose on top of things and who will keep you out of trouble.
Today's more sophisticated search engines can distinguish between professional writers and those with less training in grammar and compositional structure and who write "thin" that is to say fill a page with meaningless fluff and platitudes to stretch out the word count. The old standard of--the longer the article, the more chance the spider will find the page and its links, is gone. Today, it is just the opposite--the more succinct and to the point the article, the higher its score for search page placement which encourages desirable backlinks. The more articles following the same subject in a website, the more relative content the search engine has to chew on, which reinforces the possibilities of a good ranking. Google's search engine also follows statistical parameters: the number of stop words, the number of superlatives, etc. The search asks 200 questions to which its algorithm responds by scoring the article and posting it per ranking.
Today's search engines are very sensitive to common terms used to expand the meaning of a thought within a sentence. The assumption is that use of these terms affirms that the writer is earnest about creating clarity and relevancy in the article, and these terms carry more weight ("weighty"). Conversely, if you'll pardon the pun, terms used in "selling text" drives the relevancy ranking down. This is why search results for data websites claiming they have already found your information reveal the fee only after you've linked off the search page. Such websites are mostly booted over to the PPC (pay-per-click) column on the search results page. Google publishes only a small portion of the keywords evaluated by its algorithm, and none of the common terms. The keywords and terms are updated at least once a year and sometimes more. This enables Google to maintain control over its search criteria, and keep an edge over its competition.
Google's search engine also scores an article's paragraph structure based on the order in which it introduces, discusses and summarizes information. This is another way to assign value (or weight). Good articles follow info-delivery formulas much like assays, except their content is not so dry. In contrast, traditional sales text opens its premise in or near the first paragraph. This is why for years so many online health and beauty sales pitches were

disguised as consumer reports or articles of new cures touted by a doctor. The buyers might fooled but today's search engine spiders are not, and you'll find most of these sales pitches labeled "advertisement" in small gray type just above or below the article.Some other algorithm scoring criteria includes: too many or conflicting keywords embedded in the article (low score); too many keywords concentrated in one place (apt to be filtered): unreadable or non-sense text (signals spamming); beginning a paragraph with a keyword (signals spamming); Latent Semantic Indexing, a method of measuring the semantic relationship between words, the presence of which indicates natural text (high score); links within the context of the article that are not thematically related (low score).

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عندما نتحدث عن حلول الاعمال فإننا نريد أن نتطرق إلى كيفية تطوير الأعمال داخل المؤسسات كما يجب أن نعلم من هو المؤهل لتطوير أعمال المؤسسات بالإضافة إلى معرفة الوقت الواجب التطوير به.
حين نبدأ لكى نعلم ماهى حلول الأعمال نبدأ بأن نوضح أمرا هاما وهو أن جميع المؤسسات والمشروعات تمر بأربعة مراحل البداية والنمو والازدهار والتدهور وفى حالة الإزدهار إما أن تقوم المنشأة بتطوير أعمالها حتى تحافظ على الغزدهار والتقدم وإما الإهمال مما يؤدى إلى دخولها فى المرحلة الرابعة وهى التدهور.

ومن هنا نستنتج أن تطوير الأعمال يجب أن يتم خلال تلك المرحلة الثالثة وهى مرحلة الإزدهار كما بالشكل