When I was eighteen I started my own jewelery business in my bedroom. That Christmas I sold a lot of jewelery to my relatives and their friends. Why did they buy from me? Out of relationship, and I had no trouble in selling to them at all.
Then in my thirties I attended a two week sales training schedule with an insurance company and learnt the art of rebuttals – basically learning by memory an answer for every objection that a potential client would come up with. I had to throw out everything that I previously knew about selling from before and had to learn this system. But because this process went totally against all my previous sales experience, knowledge, success and my ability to relate with others in a personal way, I failed dismally. It took me quite some years to once again regain my confidence in selling.
However, the experts are now confirming that what I was doing when I was 18 was in fact right. Selling effectively is all about developing relationships and about developing trust. It’s not about how smart you are, or the greatest rebuttal argument that you can come up with. It’s all about consultative selling where it emphasizes client needs and how your product and service can not only meet those needs but actually provide more value to the client than just the face value of what they purchased. It is about working as a consultant who first determines the client’s needs and then provides them with a solution.
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Successful branding is an essential part of any company’s marketing strategy. It represents what your company stands for. However, it is crucial that your branding is consistent in every area of your marketing strategy and this includes your website!
Branding can range from the packaging of a product to the visual impression a customer gets when they hear your product name.
One of the leading branding companies in the world is Apple. Marketing experts attribute Apple’s success to one underlying standard, their branding. Apple does something unique by ‘up and coming’ technology and then market it through their branding style to pursue the products target market. By doing this Apple has developed a deep lasting bond with their customers. (Marc Gobe, Marketing Expert)
So how can your branding strategy be channeled through a website?
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It is well reported that in the majority of cases that most people go on to the Internet for the purpose of finding information, not necessarily to buy – well immediately that is!
So why is it important then to promote a Website?
People want to be educated about what they’re buying before they’ll part with their money. If you can do that as a business for your potential customers, by allowing them to view your products or services in the comfort of their own home, you are miles ahead of your competition.
But are people buying goods Online? The answer is a resounding YES!
[podcast]http://www.oe-design.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/online_spenders_girsl_friend.mp3[/podcast]
It is well reported that in the majority of cases that most people go on to the Internet for the purpose of finding information, not necessarily to buy – well immediately that is!
So why is it important then to promote a Website?
People want to be educated about what they’re buying before they’ll part with their money. If you can do that as a business for your potential customers, by allowing them to view your products or services in the comfort of their own home, you are miles ahead of your competition.
But are people buying goods Online? The answer is a resounding YES!
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Australians are the third biggest online shoppers in the world, and spent 38 per cent more this year buying products and services over the Internet than a year ago, according to new figures released by Visa International.
Potential customers are at their own convenience to learn more about the features of the products or services, with trust and word of mouth being the biggest influencers in online store choice. (Nielson Consumer Report 2008)
Consumers across the globe are increasingly swapping crowded stores for one-click convenience, as online shopping becomes a safe and popular option. Shopping online is quick and easy, you can shop 24 hours a day 7 days a week.
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