Sunday, January 18, 2009
WHAT DOES YOUR E-ADDRESS TELL PEOPLE ABOUT YOU
How much time did you spend on deciding on the appearance of your business cards? Or your letterhead? Why was it so important to get them just right?
Were you trying to present a professional image?
Now, how much time did you spend on the appearance of your email address? Did you give it the slightest thought? Judging by the emails I get from countless colleagues in this business, few do.
There are two parts to an e-address, just as there are to your postal address: who you are, and where you are. Who you are, your e-name comes before the @ symbol, and where you are, your domain name, comes after it.
Your E-Name
People seem to make up e-names with little thought of what they convey to the recipient of their email. If you want to project a professional image, give it more thought than these examples that strike me as unprofessional, and why:
A012345@xxx.xx - Obviously not a human being;
bdc@xxx.xx - Must I guess who has these initials?
lucy@xxx.xx - Cute, no surname (unless it's Lucy);
Admin@xxx.xx - Great personal touch!
Sydney@xxx.xx - Male, female, first name, surname?
BigMoney23@xxx.xx - Where's BigMoney01, -02, etc.?
life@xxx.xx - Just anyone in the life department?
lifesites@xxx.xx - Or just anyone in the company;
Mimi-and-Max@xxx.xx - How did Max get into Mimi's act? (Or vice versa?)
The general complaint is that it's unclear who you're dealing with. Some even look as if they're from spammers or porn promoters.
People want to know:
a) that they're dealing with a human being,
b) if it's someone they know (not necessarily by their initials),
c) and not the cute receptionist, (or porn queen),
d) or the impersonal administration department,
e) where there's no doubt about the sex or surname of the source,
f) and he or she is not one of a number series,
g) or just anyone in the department or firm,
h) or possibly the spouse of their advisor.
Most subscribers to my email newsletter, "TIP: The Insurance Professional" have professional e-names that clearly indicate who sent the message. They use the name they're known by so, if they email a client, prospect, or center-of-influence, the recipient has no doubt about who it's from.
Good examples are AlanArcher@xxx.xx, Bill.Burns@xxx.xx, ddavidson@xxx.xx, etc. Hyphens, and underlines are trickier to remember, so try to avoid them. Some people even have problems with periods. I use 'donpooley', and tell people "it's all one word", to keep it simple.
Initial capitals don't matter, but if you think they help identify you, use them. Capitalising whole names is considered rude by email aficionados (unless it's an acronym), so BILL.BURNS@xxx.xx is not only gauche, but amateurish, and hence unprofessional.
Think about it. If you want to be considered a professional, your image must reflect it in every way. Don't let your e-name dull your image, or confuse your
clients.
Your Domain Name
The second part of your e-address, your domain name, is as important as your office address. If your image requires a prestigious downtown office, then your domain should reflect it. Ditto if you seek to indicate that you're unique, and special in some way, or a totally independent advisor.
When we start emailing, or to email friends or relatives, a commonplace domain, such as: telus.net, sympatico.ca, yahoo.com, aol.com, etc., is usual, but it tells recipients of your email either that you are new to digital communication, or that this is not a business message.
On the other hand, while a domain of a large firm such as: clarica.com, freedom55financial.com, assante.com does indicate a business message, it also implies that you're not an independent advisor.
Because of this, many advisors advertise their independence by registering their own domains, so you'll see domains such as johnsonfinancial.ca, jackjohnson.com, rrspguy.com, etc. The key here is something that uses your name, your business name, or something readily associated with you.
Domain names are easy to get, and cheap---$35 annually for .ca, less for most others---but they have to be unique to get registered.
What Does Your E-Address Tell People About You?
Your e-address says as much about you as your letterhead or business card, and just as you use them to project a professional image, so should you use your email address.
Your email address may actually be more important to your image than your letterhead or business cards. How many letterheads did you use last week? How many business cards did you hand out? How does their combined total compare to the total number of business emails that you sent out?
So, which projects your image more often? And how professional is it?
Were you trying to present a professional image?
Now, how much time did you spend on the appearance of your email address? Did you give it the slightest thought? Judging by the emails I get from countless colleagues in this business, few do.
There are two parts to an e-address, just as there are to your postal address: who you are, and where you are. Who you are, your e-name comes before the @ symbol, and where you are, your domain name, comes after it.
Your E-Name
People seem to make up e-names with little thought of what they convey to the recipient of their email. If you want to project a professional image, give it more thought than these examples that strike me as unprofessional, and why:
A012345@xxx.xx - Obviously not a human being;
bdc@xxx.xx - Must I guess who has these initials?
lucy@xxx.xx - Cute, no surname (unless it's Lucy);
Admin@xxx.xx - Great personal touch!
Sydney@xxx.xx - Male, female, first name, surname?
BigMoney23@xxx.xx - Where's BigMoney01, -02, etc.?
life@xxx.xx - Just anyone in the life department?
lifesites@xxx.xx - Or just anyone in the company;
Mimi-and-Max@xxx.xx - How did Max get into Mimi's act? (Or vice versa?)
The general complaint is that it's unclear who you're dealing with. Some even look as if they're from spammers or porn promoters.
People want to know:
a) that they're dealing with a human being,
b) if it's someone they know (not necessarily by their initials),
c) and not the cute receptionist, (or porn queen),
d) or the impersonal administration department,
e) where there's no doubt about the sex or surname of the source,
f) and he or she is not one of a number series,
g) or just anyone in the department or firm,
h) or possibly the spouse of their advisor.
Most subscribers to my email newsletter, "TIP: The Insurance Professional" have professional e-names that clearly indicate who sent the message. They use the name they're known by so, if they email a client, prospect, or center-of-influence, the recipient has no doubt about who it's from.
Good examples are AlanArcher@xxx.xx, Bill.Burns@xxx.xx, ddavidson@xxx.xx, etc. Hyphens, and underlines are trickier to remember, so try to avoid them. Some people even have problems with periods. I use 'donpooley', and tell people "it's all one word", to keep it simple.
Initial capitals don't matter, but if you think they help identify you, use them. Capitalising whole names is considered rude by email aficionados (unless it's an acronym), so BILL.BURNS@xxx.xx is not only gauche, but amateurish, and hence unprofessional.
Think about it. If you want to be considered a professional, your image must reflect it in every way. Don't let your e-name dull your image, or confuse your
clients.
Your Domain Name
The second part of your e-address, your domain name, is as important as your office address. If your image requires a prestigious downtown office, then your domain should reflect it. Ditto if you seek to indicate that you're unique, and special in some way, or a totally independent advisor.
When we start emailing, or to email friends or relatives, a commonplace domain, such as: telus.net, sympatico.ca, yahoo.com, aol.com, etc., is usual, but it tells recipients of your email either that you are new to digital communication, or that this is not a business message.
On the other hand, while a domain of a large firm such as: clarica.com, freedom55financial.com, assante.com does indicate a business message, it also implies that you're not an independent advisor.
Because of this, many advisors advertise their independence by registering their own domains, so you'll see domains such as johnsonfinancial.ca, jackjohnson.com, rrspguy.com, etc. The key here is something that uses your name, your business name, or something readily associated with you.
Domain names are easy to get, and cheap---$35 annually for .ca, less for most others---but they have to be unique to get registered.
What Does Your E-Address Tell People About You?
Your e-address says as much about you as your letterhead or business card, and just as you use them to project a professional image, so should you use your email address.
Your email address may actually be more important to your image than your letterhead or business cards. How many letterheads did you use last week? How many business cards did you hand out? How does their combined total compare to the total number of business emails that you sent out?
So, which projects your image more often? And how professional is it?
Thursday, January 15, 2009
How To Use Database Marketing To Skyrocket Your Online Profits
Database Marketing is the gathering and storing of specific information
about your prospects or customers. This information is usually stored in
a database program on your computer. You would then use the information
to market and advertise to them. It can save you time and money because
you can target your promotional efforts to your best prospects or
customers.
The Types Of Information To Collect
The information will vary depending on the product or service you're
selling. If you're selling a product that costs $2 you wouldn't collect
information about their yearly income. If you're selling web space you
wouldn't collect information about what type of books they read. The
basic information you need would be all their contact information,
purchase history, and birthday. You will need to decide what other
information would benefit your business.
How To Collect This Information Online
It's pretty easy to collect this information online but the hard part is
getting people to give it you. The best way to collect this information
is to give them something FREE in return. Ask them to fill out an e-mail
survey before subscribing to your free e-zine. Tell everyone who visits
your web site they will get a free e-book when they fill out your online
questionnaire form. Ask them this information before they sign up for a
free contest at your web site. Sometimes you have to give a little
something to get a little information online.
Beneficial Uses For Your Database
Find out your customers purchasing habits. Use the information to
improve the design of your web site. Use it to write all your
advertising material more persuasively.
Find out the things they like or dislike about your business. Use the
information to target your best prospects.
Find out how much money your prospects or customers make. Use it to
improve your customer service.
Find out what new products or services they need or want. Use it to test
ideas before launching a total sales campaign.
Find out how to your improve your existing products or services. Use it
to build your customer loyalty.
Find out which benefits or features they like most about your products
or services. Use it to send electronic greeting cards on holidays or on
your customer's birthdays.
The list of beneficial uses are endless. Do you see the importance of
collecting this information? The Internet makes the process of
collecting this information quicker and cheaper than offline methods.
Take advantage of database marketing and watch your online profits
skyrocket.
about your prospects or customers. This information is usually stored in
a database program on your computer. You would then use the information
to market and advertise to them. It can save you time and money because
you can target your promotional efforts to your best prospects or
customers.
The Types Of Information To Collect
The information will vary depending on the product or service you're
selling. If you're selling a product that costs $2 you wouldn't collect
information about their yearly income. If you're selling web space you
wouldn't collect information about what type of books they read. The
basic information you need would be all their contact information,
purchase history, and birthday. You will need to decide what other
information would benefit your business.
How To Collect This Information Online
It's pretty easy to collect this information online but the hard part is
getting people to give it you. The best way to collect this information
is to give them something FREE in return. Ask them to fill out an e-mail
survey before subscribing to your free e-zine. Tell everyone who visits
your web site they will get a free e-book when they fill out your online
questionnaire form. Ask them this information before they sign up for a
free contest at your web site. Sometimes you have to give a little
something to get a little information online.
Beneficial Uses For Your Database
Find out your customers purchasing habits. Use the information to
improve the design of your web site. Use it to write all your
advertising material more persuasively.
Find out the things they like or dislike about your business. Use the
information to target your best prospects.
Find out how much money your prospects or customers make. Use it to
improve your customer service.
Find out what new products or services they need or want. Use it to test
ideas before launching a total sales campaign.
Find out how to your improve your existing products or services. Use it
to build your customer loyalty.
Find out which benefits or features they like most about your products
or services. Use it to send electronic greeting cards on holidays or on
your customer's birthdays.
The list of beneficial uses are endless. Do you see the importance of
collecting this information? The Internet makes the process of
collecting this information quicker and cheaper than offline methods.
Take advantage of database marketing and watch your online profits
skyrocket.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
TECHNO MARKERTING
In the IT sector, Technical Knowledge is really necessary. Whether the person is in Sales, Customer Support, Marketing and nevertheless in the Technical Department. We need to upgrade ourselves everyday & every moment. Its just like a doctor who needs to upgrade with new medicines and therapies everyday.
But the main magical word is marketing & sales. With the knowledge we are implementation many new things, that’s good but we need to market those products. I'm not talking about the market. Just talking about the new product to be first demonstrated among the internal customers (fellow colleagues), the management, the internal users.
If the organization is confident about the product then the organization can market it properly to the outer customers. There might be several faults in the product but after all we do not sell a product but our attitude. Once the attitude is sold positively we are happy. But the basic this is the marketing funda & nothing else. So good Technical knowledge + Proper Marketing Fundamental = A positive Deal
Written by Upal Chakraborty
But the main magical word is marketing & sales. With the knowledge we are implementation many new things, that’s good but we need to market those products. I'm not talking about the market. Just talking about the new product to be first demonstrated among the internal customers (fellow colleagues), the management, the internal users.
If the organization is confident about the product then the organization can market it properly to the outer customers. There might be several faults in the product but after all we do not sell a product but our attitude. Once the attitude is sold positively we are happy. But the basic this is the marketing funda & nothing else. So good Technical knowledge + Proper Marketing Fundamental = A positive Deal
Written by Upal Chakraborty
Internet marketing mistakes
Mistake 1: Using too much Flash. If your website is one big Flash presentation, you are making a huge mistake! Why? Because consumers go to your website to seek information, not to watch an "I'm so cool" Flash presentation. Ask yourself, when you go to a website, do you sit there and watch their ego-building Flash presentation or do you click the "skip flash" link to get to the real information? If you are like most people, you click the "skip flash intro" link as quickly as you can find it.
Another major problem with Flash is that it is only "interesting" the first time a visitor goes to your website. If they actually return to your website, they will do everything they can to skip your Flash presentation so they can quickly get to the information they want. In my experience NOTHING kills Internet sales more than Flash. That is why you almost never see the world's top websites like Google, AOL, MSN, and Yahoo using Flash as the basis for their web pages. If you are making this mistake, get rid of the Flash immediately and make your website a valuable source of information, because that is what consumers want.
Mistake 2: Letting your webmaster write the text for your website. This is another huge mistake that companies make. On nearly a daily basis I get a call from a company that has spent a fortune building a website and they cannot understand why they are not generating any sales. My first question is, "who wrote the text for your website?" In nearly every case they tell me their webmaster wrote it.
Why is it a mistake to have your webmaster write your website marketing text? Here is a hint: webmasters are programmers, NOT a professional marketing copywriter who know how to write text that sells. If you want your website to generate sales, you must hire a person who is an excellent copywriter and knows how to write words that make people want to buy! Would you hire your webmaster to write a display advertisement for you? Of course not! Then why on earth would you allow them to write the text for your website? By having your webmaster write the text for your website, you are ensuring your website will be a poor sales tool. To solve this problem, hire a professional marketing copywriter to write the text for your website.
Mistake 3: Making your website hard to navigate. Have you ever been to a website where you have to click on various generic graphics or parts of a flash picture to try and find a link to the information you are looking for? Why on earth do companies do this? It is not fun, it is not clever, it is STUPID AND ANNOYING! When designing your website's navigation (links to information) use the acronym K.I.S.S., which stands for KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID! Simple sells. Complex does not. If your webmaster tries to sell you on using parts of a Flash picture for links or some other complex navigation system, FIRE THEM IMMEDIATELY!
Mistake 4: Not having a telephone number on your website. People rarely trust companies that do not have a telephone number. I certainly don't. If I am considering buying a product from a website and they do not have a telephone number, I don't buy. And I know others feel the same way. For example, I have had several clients hire to develop their marketing program because I had a telephone number on my website and the other marketing consultant websites they were looking at did not. Therefore, if you want customers to buy from you, make it easy for them to contact you by having a telephone number on your website. In fact, you should have your telephone number on EVERY page of your website. If you want to make sales on the Internet, make it easy for your customers to buy.
Another major problem with Flash is that it is only "interesting" the first time a visitor goes to your website. If they actually return to your website, they will do everything they can to skip your Flash presentation so they can quickly get to the information they want. In my experience NOTHING kills Internet sales more than Flash. That is why you almost never see the world's top websites like Google, AOL, MSN, and Yahoo using Flash as the basis for their web pages. If you are making this mistake, get rid of the Flash immediately and make your website a valuable source of information, because that is what consumers want.
Mistake 2: Letting your webmaster write the text for your website. This is another huge mistake that companies make. On nearly a daily basis I get a call from a company that has spent a fortune building a website and they cannot understand why they are not generating any sales. My first question is, "who wrote the text for your website?" In nearly every case they tell me their webmaster wrote it.
Why is it a mistake to have your webmaster write your website marketing text? Here is a hint: webmasters are programmers, NOT a professional marketing copywriter who know how to write text that sells. If you want your website to generate sales, you must hire a person who is an excellent copywriter and knows how to write words that make people want to buy! Would you hire your webmaster to write a display advertisement for you? Of course not! Then why on earth would you allow them to write the text for your website? By having your webmaster write the text for your website, you are ensuring your website will be a poor sales tool. To solve this problem, hire a professional marketing copywriter to write the text for your website.
Mistake 3: Making your website hard to navigate. Have you ever been to a website where you have to click on various generic graphics or parts of a flash picture to try and find a link to the information you are looking for? Why on earth do companies do this? It is not fun, it is not clever, it is STUPID AND ANNOYING! When designing your website's navigation (links to information) use the acronym K.I.S.S., which stands for KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID! Simple sells. Complex does not. If your webmaster tries to sell you on using parts of a Flash picture for links or some other complex navigation system, FIRE THEM IMMEDIATELY!
Mistake 4: Not having a telephone number on your website. People rarely trust companies that do not have a telephone number. I certainly don't. If I am considering buying a product from a website and they do not have a telephone number, I don't buy. And I know others feel the same way. For example, I have had several clients hire to develop their marketing program because I had a telephone number on my website and the other marketing consultant websites they were looking at did not. Therefore, if you want customers to buy from you, make it easy for them to contact you by having a telephone number on your website. In fact, you should have your telephone number on EVERY page of your website. If you want to make sales on the Internet, make it easy for your customers to buy.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
How To Increase Your Online Sales Anytime
Hold a discount sale on your web site. Use the sale to getrid of excess inventory, gain new or repeat customers, andincrease your sales. Most businesses pick a theme for theirsale, like a Halloween Sale. Below are six unique salesthemes you could use:
Nobody's Visiting Today Sale
Every online business has low visitor and sales day throughthe week. My days are Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Youcould sell your products or services for cheaper to increaseand sales on your slow days. You could have this advertisedright on your web site.
Time Of The Day Sale
Periodically , pick out a time of the day like 5 to 7 pm tolower your prices. With online sales you need tell peoplethe time zone. Announce your scheduled times ahead oftime in your e-zine. This will give people enough time toplan when they will visit your web site.
Product Or Service Of The Day Sale
Each day offer different product or service at a lower price.This will draw people back to your web site everyday. Thisis a high traffic generating sale. If you don't have a lot ofproducts and services you may want to run the sale weeklyor monthly.
Niche Group Sale
Hold a sale for a niche groups of people. Students, seniorcitizens, single people etc. This really works if yourintroducing a new product or service for the first time to anew target audience. Announce your sale in a targetede-zine, e-mail discussion groups, message boards, etc.
Holiday Or Seasonal Sale
Offer lower prices on holidays and during seasonal changes.These type of sales let your visitors and customers knowyour no scrooge. Be creative and go as far as decoratingyour web site. You could upload holiday and seasonalgraphics. Change the color of your text to match. Get in thespirit!
Get More For Your Money Sale
Give customers more products or services for their money.People relate these kind of sales to getting a bargain orsaving money. You could offer a buy one get one for halfoff sale, a buy two get the third one free, two for the priceof one sale, etc.
Nobody's Visiting Today Sale
Every online business has low visitor and sales day throughthe week. My days are Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Youcould sell your products or services for cheaper to increaseand sales on your slow days. You could have this advertisedright on your web site.
Time Of The Day Sale
Periodically , pick out a time of the day like 5 to 7 pm tolower your prices. With online sales you need tell peoplethe time zone. Announce your scheduled times ahead oftime in your e-zine. This will give people enough time toplan when they will visit your web site.
Product Or Service Of The Day Sale
Each day offer different product or service at a lower price.This will draw people back to your web site everyday. Thisis a high traffic generating sale. If you don't have a lot ofproducts and services you may want to run the sale weeklyor monthly.
Niche Group Sale
Hold a sale for a niche groups of people. Students, seniorcitizens, single people etc. This really works if yourintroducing a new product or service for the first time to anew target audience. Announce your sale in a targetede-zine, e-mail discussion groups, message boards, etc.
Holiday Or Seasonal Sale
Offer lower prices on holidays and during seasonal changes.These type of sales let your visitors and customers knowyour no scrooge. Be creative and go as far as decoratingyour web site. You could upload holiday and seasonalgraphics. Change the color of your text to match. Get in thespirit!
Get More For Your Money Sale
Give customers more products or services for their money.People relate these kind of sales to getting a bargain orsaving money. You could offer a buy one get one for halfoff sale, a buy two get the third one free, two for the priceof one sale, etc.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
Posts
