The Radiance of Knowing

Daryl Benn conducted a study on how advertisers use word choice and catch phrases to sell different, but identical in effectiveness, brands of aspirin. Consider the following: Brand A: proclaims 100 percent pure, claims nothing is stronger. Benn notes that governmental tests also showed no brand was weaker or less effective than any of the others. Brand B: advertises “unsurpassed in speed–no other brand works faster.” The same governmental tests showed “B” works no faster than any of the others. Brand C: declares it used an ingredient “that doctors recommend.” Governmental tests revealed that “special ingredient” is nothing more than regular aspirin.

The words we use can hurt others and cause tension and resentment. Words can even cause wars. Humans tend to create and use words that hurt or label. Hitler used labeling and name-calling during his rule in Germany. He called the Jews many negative things, including “vermin”, “sludge”, “garbage”, “lice”, “sewage”, and “insects.” Labels also extend far beyond the names people are given, into the way we describe things in a negative light, such as, “broken home,” “single-parent family,” or “blended family.” Whereas we think of theses terms as essentially neutral, the words can carry significant negative weight to those people to whom the terms apply.

As you design your persuasive message, you must consider the emotional impact of each word and phrase. When you want to create emotion, choose words that will trigger feelings. If you want to downplay the event or situation, use an unemotional word. Notice the following words generally have the same definition but carry different emotional weight, for example, calling someone “thrifty” versus “cheap,” “traditional” versus “old-fashioned,” “extroverted” versus “loud,” “careful” versus “cowardly,” and “eccentric” versus “strange.”

There are many words that are emotionally loaded and represent different values to different people. These words can get people to pay attention and alert them to know what significance the message has for them. It is hard to find a neutral word. Your word choice will paint different pictures for different people because the way we define words is based on our belief systems, our past experiences, and our social roles. The beliefs we hold about a word will dictate our actions and how we respond. For example, some cultures view death as a celebration of life; others view death as a tragedy.

Sometimes, if used improperly, positive words can still lead to a negative response. For this reason, persuaders will often avoid certain words, although generally positive, and instead use words that may still bear positive associations, but are more ambiguous. For example, in the world of politics we hear phrases like “freedom of choice,” “fiscal responsibility,” or “responsible taxation.” When politicians use such generalities, people of differing viewpoints can actually both be appeased. They will fill in the blanks and provide their own definitions.

Words can convey emotional color by how long or short they are. Generally, shorter words are more blunt, direct, harsh, or sharp. Consider words like “kick,” “hit,” “force,” “stop,” or “no.” Longer words, like “lonely,” “depressed,” or “painful” are drawn out to evoke colors of melancholy or suffering.

Advertisers know that changing just one word in their ad can dramatically increase the response rate. One advertiser changed the word “repair” to “fix” and saw a 20 percent increase in response.

There are other words advertisers employ, which are known as “weasel words”. These words confuse their audience and don’t allow you to put an exact number on the advertiser’s claim. They let you justify and believe what you want. They are called “weasel words” because weasels are notorious for breaking into the chicken coop and sucking out the inside of the eggs without breaking the shell. The eggs look fine but in reality are hollow and empty, just like these words. Watch out for these words:

* Helps
* May
* Possibly
* Improved
* Up to
* Almost
* About
* Approximately

Application Questions

Do the words you use trigger a positive or negative response in your prospects?

What weasel words to you use and do these words detract from your message?

What is the one word in your presentation that is taking away from your message?

Learning how to persuade and influence will make the difference between hoping for a better income and having a better income. It is the missing puzzle piece that will crack the code to dramatically increase your income, improve your relationships, and help you get what you want, when you want, and win friends for life. Ask yourself how much money and income you have lost because of your inability to persuade and influence. Think about it. Sure you’ve seen some success, but think of the times you couldn’t get it done. Has there ever been a time when you did not get your point across? Were you unable to convince someone to do something? Have you reached your full potential? Are you able to motivate yourself and others to achieve more and accomplish their goals? What about your relationships? Imagine being able to overcome objections before they happen, know what your prospect is thinking and feeling, feel more confident in your ability to persuade.

Go to http://www.prewealth.com/iq and take the free Persuasion IQ analysis to determine where you rank and what area of the sales cycle you need to improve in order to close every sale! Take your test now at http://www.prewealth.com/iq

Kurt Mortensen teaches over a hundred techniques to give you the ability to effectively work with every customer that walks in your door. Professional success, personal happiness, leadership potential, and income depend on the ability to persuade, influence, and motivate others. Kurt Mortensen’s trademark is Magnetic Persuasion; rather than convincing others, he teaches that you should attract them, just like a magnet attracts metal filings. He teaches that sales have changed and the consumer has become exponentially more skeptical and cynical within the last five years. Most persuaders are using only 2 or 3 persuasion techniques when there are actually 120 available! Learning how to persuade and influence will make the difference between hoping for a better income and having a better income. Go to http://www.prewealth.com/iq and take the free Persuasion IQ analy

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So, you are afraid of the big, bad, scary internet
seller………….May I ask “Why?”. Most of the people that I
have talked to about this problem say that they are afraid of
being scammed, identity theft, getting thier bank accounts
drained, rampant charges on their credit cards, etc. Well, all
of you who are so scared of the internet seller are also the
same group that think nothing of giving a waiter or waitress
your credit card to carry up to the front in that fancy leather
folder to charge your meal in that restaurant! Who is to say
that the person you just gave your card to is honest? Ever
thought about that? Hmmm… Kinda makes you stop and think
doesn’t it?

That person who just carried off your card could easily copy
down all the information they needed to have to use your credit
card for as long as they could get by with it. Think of all the
times you use your card, handing it to people without thinking,
but when it comes to the internet, you are terrified to purchase
a $9.99 item. When you think about it in these terms it doesn’t
make much sense, does it?

Think of it this way-why should you balk at putting your
information into the appropriate fields on an internet web site
to purchase something, when you are handing your card, with no
second thoughts, to someone you don’t know and will probably
never see again? Is is because you can SEE them face to face?
Well, does that make them any more honest? No. Does that make
your information any more safe? No. Did you know that when that
person takes your card, they basically perform the same actions
with it that an internet seller would do. They transmit your
information over either a telephone or computer line, get an
authorization, and bring your card back to you. At least with an
internet sale, your card never leaves your possession, and you
don’t run the risk of leaving it behind in some shop or
restaurant that you can’t remember later when you are looking
for your card!

You probably never thought of it like that, now did you? Kind of
makes you stop and think, doesn’t it? Don’t mistrust dealers on
the internet just because you can’t see them and you are afraid
of the technology of the web. I have been an online seller and
buyer for years now, and have NEVER had a problem! Not even
once. I have found that most people are honest, and internet
marketing is a great way for a stay at home Mom, or a disabled
person to make a living and not have to be a burden on the
welfare system, or live in poverty, or just pay those extra
bills that always crop up. We are just like every other business
person out there that IS honest. We are just trying to get by.
If we cheat or scam someone, we are out of business. If we had
enough money in the first place, we wouldn’t be doing this! We
are more dependent on our clients than our clients are on us, so
it is in our best interest to be honest, ethical, professional
and give the best customer service that we possibly can. We
won’t do ourselves much good by scamming people and getting put
out of business, now would we? Plus, it is no easy feat to build
an internet website! I personally spend 10-14 hours a day
working. Why spend that much time, get situated with a reputable
web mall, etc., only to self-destruct? We are liable to the same
lawsuits, criminal charges, etc. that a “brick and mortar”
business is liable to, should one of us decide to rip someone
off. Therefore, the vast majority of us are not going to spend
all that time, just to get thrown in prison for identity theft.
Makes a little more sense now, doesn’t it.

There is one more thing I would like to add. Now don’t let this
scare you, but it is a fact. All someone has to know about you
is your name, basic location, and basic age, and within 1 hour
can know everything from your criminal and civil court records,
drivers license number, social security number, what your exact
address is, who lives there with you, who lived there before you
did, what your credit rating is and a HUGE amount of other
information that you never though anyone would ever find out,
unless you gave your permission! The really wild thing is, you
don’t have to be a hacker, have a special program or anything
else to find all of this out! It is there for the taking, if you
are of a mind to look it up. Online sellers, as a general rule,
not only do not have the urge to do this, they do NOT HAVE THE
TIME! Now, I am not saying there aren’t people out there that
will do this, but the majority of them are not owners of
internet e-commerce sites. They are the people who really don’t
want to work for a living, they would rahter live off of other
peoples money. Internet sellers are proud, professional business
men and women, and we have our own reputations to protect.

Now that you know all of this, take some time to think about it
and see if it doesn’t make sense. Besides, what is better than
being able to shop from home, in your pajamas, and not have to
go out and fight crowds, waste gas, you have the whole world at
your fingertips to find just the right thing, and to top it all
off, you have an honest person like me on the other end, waiting
to make your transaction a great one for you, because I WANT YOU
TO COME BACK!

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If you want to multiply your sales, profits and dollars in your bank account, then this might be the most important article you’ll ever read.

If you want to create life-time paying customers, then I urge you to check out these simple tricks that can BOOST your profits through the ROOF.

If you’re sick and tired of seeing low sales pouring in, then here’s good news.

Apply these 5 simple steps and I bet you will see your sales counter EXPLODE…

STEP 1 - Follow Up With Your Customers.

When you make your first sale, follow-up with the customer. You could follow-up with a “thank you” email and include an advertisement for other products you sell. You could follow-up every few months.

STEP 2 - Upsell Quality Products.

You could upsell to your customers. When they’re at your order page, tell them about a few extra related products you have for sale. They could just add it to their original order.

STEP 3 - Ask for Referrals.

Tell your customers if they refer four customers to your web site, they will receive a full rebate of their purchase price. This will turn one sale into three sales.

STEP 4 - Let them Join Your Affiliate Program.

When you sell a product, give your customers the option of joining an affiliate program so they can make commissions selling your product. This will multiply the sale you just made.

STEP 5 - Give Resell Rights.

Sell the reprint/reproduction rights to your products. You could include an ad with the product for other products you sell. You could make sales for the reproduction rights and sales on the back end product.

If you can use more new customers and sales, and I mean TONS of new customers to your site then start using the simple easy to follow 5 step system.

These powerful, inexpensive ways will help you to bring in all the sales you’ll ever need. The kind of leads that will rocket your sales right off the charts.

One of the most difficult and time consuming tasks in this internet marketing game is to get a continuous flow of traffic to your site.

Instead use the above tips and try getting more and more sales from your existing customers.

Murtuza Abbas specializes in creating simple ‘Profit Pulling Minisites’.

Create amazing Minisites in 3 Hours or Less. Grab your FREE $147 ‘Minisite Creation Pack’ & learn how to start an internet business today…

http://www.7DaysToEarn.com

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This is a stupid question but it has to be asked.

Does your sales letter create as many sales as you would like?

What proportion of them respond to your advert?

What is just as important, how many of those that responded actually purchased your product?

How can you improve the response rate?

How many new email addresses did you capture?

Do you have an ‘opt in’ strategy so that you can mail them later with more offers without being accused of spamming?

Let us look at the sales letter first.

The headline.

Does it stand out? Does it grab your attention?

Does it shout, “READ ME, READ ME, READ ME”.

On the other hand: Does it give a tantalising hint at something interesting inside. Something of real benefit to the reader.

Does it ask a question that can only be answered by reading the content of the letter?

The letter itself.

Is it speaking to a group of people? Or is it a one to one conversation?

How many times does it say ‘You’ compared with the number of times it says ‘Me, We or I’.

Your readers are not interested in you or what a marvellous gadget you are offering. No, they are only interested in what it can do for them. How much better off they will be if they invest their hard earned cash in your enterprise.

Will it help them to become rich, a better person, happier or better looking, Will it make them more attractive to the opposite sex?

Convince them of just one of these, or similar things and the price will not matter.

It all boils down to “What’s in it for me.”

The old adage: “Sell the sizzle, not the steak” is as relevant now as it was in the old days of door knocking.

Let’s go back to the original sales letter. How good was it in the first instance? Were you happy with the initial response? if so, what went wrong? Has it become stale. Would a makeover put it right? Perhaps it just needs a new headline.

If the click through rate is good, it would appear that the headline is doing it’s job. Should the ratio of purchases to clicks-through be poor I would suggest that the text of the letter is not up to scratch.

The problem may not be in the letter, or the headline. It could be that you are not aiming your advertising at the right people. Whatever you are selling, a very large percentage of the population will not be interested in it. You must find those who are the most interested in your particular product.

You would not think of advertising fishing rods in a boxing magazine.

It is amazing how many things are aimed at e-zines and other media that have little or no relevance to the product.

Let us assume that we are advertising in a selection of ezines. How do we know which ones to use? The surest way is to sort out some likely ones and subscribe to them. Ask for some back issues. Get a feel for the type of readership. Would they be likely to be interested in your product? Or have you another product that would interest them? I have had some of my best product ideas from reading an ezine that had no relevance to what I was selling at the time.

I generally try the cheapest adds first, if I am sure that the readership is right for my product and the cheap ad’ pulls even a few sales, I then put a similar ad in the best position in the ezine, knowing that if the small ad’ works, the bigger ad will surely make a good profit.

Should the cheap ad’ not work, don’t give up yet. You can generally get a good idea of what is working by studying the other ad’s in the ezine, especially those that appear week after week in more than one ezine. Type out a similar ad’ but for your product and see how it goes.

Copy other people’s methods but don’t copy their adverts. As soon as someone has written something, it immediately becomes their copy write and you would need their permission to reproduce it. (The main exception is if you paid that person to write it for you.) In that case it is best to decide who is the owner of the copy write before you start.

Don’t give up. If you have faith in what you are selling, you must find the best methods of advertising it.

Then it is up to you to write the best advert that you can. Always remembering that it is the headline that must capture the reader’s attention. Without a good headline, the best advert in the world will be overlooked and just a waste of space, time and money.

I hope I have given you something to think about. In this business your adverts are your shop window. The aim is to get their attention and invite them to come in and take a closer look. I wish you all the best in your business ventures, remember, You are a very important member of the community. Without the small businesses, the world’s economy would collapse over-night.

By for now.

About The Author

Robert J Farey

Bob has been on line for over five years. He loves affiliate programs because all of the technical stuff is done by the owners of the programs. Leaving him free to concentrate on the promotion side of the business. If this article has set you thinking. Please take a look at: http://www.33daystoonlineprofits.com/video/?robertjay

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Can you believe Microsoft PowerPoint has been around since 1987?
I remember the first time I watched someone give a presentation
with PowerPoint. I wasn’t quite sure what I was seeing, but I
was definitely “wowed” by it.

Should you still be using PowerPoint even though the “wow”
factor is no longer there? Absolutely. Studies show your
audience will retain up to 50% more of your information just by
adding visual elements to reinforce your points.

Key: Make your first impression count (or it may be your only
one).

I don’t mean to sound pessimistic, but In the business world
today- it’s true. Amongst the increasing information and
advertising clutter, you may only have one chance to make your
point. My personal philosophy is this: you will make either a
positive or negative impression during that first (and maybe
only) meeting. Make no mistake, a mediocre first impression is a
negative first impression. First impressions are lasting and
will color the rest of your dealings with that company. So,
you’d better make a good first impression or you’ll be fighting
an uphill battle the rest of the way.

Key: Your PowerPoint presentation is a powerful (often
subconscious) part of that first impression.

Often, your presentation pitch will be the first time many key
decision makers have heard anything in detail about your company
and it’s products. To gain those details they may have only two
immediate sources- you and your PowerPoint. Don’t let your
PowerPoint be the weak link. If your PowerPoint presentation is
cheap looking, sloppy and not well thought out- guess what
impression your audience will gather about your company.

Just as you would never show up to an important presentation
dressed in torn jeans and a plain t-shirt, your presentation
needs to make a professional impression. Back in the 90’s it was
perfectly acceptable to use a free template that came with
PowerPoint. But, today your PowerPoint is an integral part of
your sales and marketing collateral. If you don’t think of your
PowerPoint in this way then you truly need to shift your
thinking.

Key: Dress your PowerPoint for success.

Today, there are many sites that sell pre-made professional
PowerPoint templates. You can simply choose one (from among the
hundreds) that best matches your company’s look, feel and color
scheme. Once you purchase and download the template, you can
customize it to your liking.

Another option- If you don’t have the time or expertise to do it
yourself, you can hire an outside firm to do the PowerPoint
creation and customization for you. This can truly make your
presentation stand apart from the rest of your competitors,
through professional-quality images, advanced charts and by
utilizing appropriate animations that enhance and compliment
your message.

But, whether you decide to do it yourself or hire a
professional, it is definitely worth the investment to maximize
the professionalism and effectiveness of your PowerPoint
presentation. You’ll not only be doing your audience a favor,
but the high return on investment will greatly benefit your
company and you.

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www.motivatedentrepreneur.com

Sales & Marketing

The Sales Trail……….

By Ryan M. Hoback, Motivated Entrepreneur Incubation & Consulting

Everybody’s going selling, selling U.S.A……..

The sales trail can be slow paced or high energy; the way to
achieve the success we are looking for is to cover all the
bases. Sales management can be very intricate, time consuming,
and exhausting. However if all the right tools and elements are
brought together the results can be fantastic. As in any other
area of our business, we need to develop a plan of action. In
today’s society we need to use great forethought and
strategizing to meet sales challenges.

Our first step is to create a spider-web diagram or cluster of
ideas that contains the categories we would like to focus on.
Remember, it is all about getting your sales message across
clearly. Here is a good way to start;

• What is our Brand’s Product/Service Message or selling point?
• Develop our message so that we can craft our sales pitch to
our target customer. • Do we utilize cold calling, advertising,
word of mouth referrals, a mix of all three? • How will we
deliver our message in the most effective manner through each
one of these channels?

When we develop our message, try to find one that brings forth
both an emotional and rational response. In order to have an
effective sales strategy regardless of what industry we may fall
in, we must make sure our sales associates are familiar with our
company’s objectives, policies, and feelings on each product or
service.

A good way to promote this is by issuing written statements,
which clearly define and state the product/service concept, its
intended use, and why it is beneficial to the customer. This
company wide statement allows our organization to operate with a
homogenous understanding of the company’s views on its
product/service. This induces a heightened level of creativity
throughout sales departments, and gives them the flexibility of
concentrating on their selling techniques and correcting their
mistakes while remaining completely confident in the sales
material.

When approaching sales, building a solid foundation and a sturdy
structure will help increase effectiveness. We need to implement
mechanisms that will monitor the progress of our sales teams.
Weekly reports and call log files are a great way to stay
informed on a regular basis of what is happening within our
sales departments. An additional aspect of creating structure
revolves around developing internal communications amongst
departments or people. The more our sales team is connected to
the marketing and advertising departments, the better. In
addition, finance is a key element to any sale, and we must be
prepared by having done our research on the numbers involved
with our product/service.

Once we have established a steady sales stream, it is time to
start thinking about increasing our market share. A good place
to start is to do some sales research, survey our current
customers to learn how they view our company and our
products/services. Take these opinions and revamp our sales
approach, placing a greater focus on these areas. Increase our
sales teams’ productivity by continually re-training our staff
on new procedures and methods, while supplying easy access to
sales tools and resources. We must constantly review and revise
our sales process to stay on top of current trends and remain
competitive.

© Copyright 2004-05 by www.motivatedentrepreneur.com

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In the 15 years we’ve been training salespeople in High Probability Selling, we’ve known that what we teach scares people. What we haven’t known is *why* our methods scare some salespeople into clinging to their old - but ineffective - sales approaches. Why can’t so many salespeople change the way they sell?

After years of research, we’ve finally determined why so many salespeople can’t change the way they sell: They’re afraid of doing what really works!

Typically, salespeople mask their fears with macho attitudes. They think of themselves as heroic figures, persevering against all obstacles, fighting the good fight day after day. But, think about this: Who are they really fighting?

Through extensive research under the guidance of Dr. Wayne Diamond, we’ve concluded that salespeople’s own fears are the biggest impediment to their success. Fear is the real ‘enemy’.

This is where true courage enters the picture: We have to recognize and confront our fears before we can overcome them. Here is a 3-Step Strategy for overcoming your fears. (Note: “Uncomfortable, uneasy, and anxious” are other words for fear.)

1. Reality or Fantasy?

The first thing you need to do is determine whether the fears you have are based in Reality or Fantasy. You can’t beat what isn’t real. You can’t overcome what is real if you won’t admit exists. If a fear is based in reality, facing it helps to overcome the fear. If a fear is based in fantasy, acknowledging the fantasy helps to overcome it.

What you resist persists. If you resist facing your fears, they will persist.

2. Acknowledge Your Fears

Typical Sales Fears	        Reality

The Fear of Rejection	        The way you sell causes rejection
 The Fear of Loss	        You can't lose what you don't have
 The Fear of Scarcity	        Learn to find an abundance of prospects
 The Fear of Being Intrusive	People who mind intrusion don't take calls
 The Fear of Being Offensive 	The timid way you sell offends prospects
 The Fear of Not Being Believed	Practice full disclosure and be believed
 The Fear of Being Disrespected	Directness and Authenticity get respect

The Fear of Failure and/or the Fear of Success needs professional guidance

3. Assumptions Are Sales Killers

Assuming that you know how people will react often produces negative results. It doesn’t matter if your assumptions are generally negative or positive. Both are condescending and/or insulting. Both are based on some or all of the fears listed above.

Assumptions are usually based on what you believe to be True, or what you wish were true. Our false assumptions may be due to past unsuccessful sales experiences, or they may be relics of personal experiences, recent or long ‘buried’.

“Understanding one’s fears is simple. Facing the avoidance patterns that comes from fear is quite complex.”- Dr. Wayne Diamond. For further information on how to apply these principles call Dr. Diamond at 215-242-9054.

©Jacques Werth, High Probability® Selling - All rights reserved.

Jacques Werth, author of “High Probability Selling,” is an internationally respected Sales Trainer and Sales Consultant. HPS graduates are excelling as Top Producers in over 70 industries. Visit http://www.highprobsell.com to read more articles, preview the book, and learn more about High Probability Selling.

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