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A dirt-simple system for qualifying sales prospects

It is easy to fall into the habit of believing that everyone is a potential client. Some business owners will even say that they want to obtain ALL of the business out there … that everyone is a prospective client. This is a dangerous mindset.

Business growth isn’t about selling to everyone; it is about selling to every right one – that is, everyone who is a “qualified” prospect.

When you try to sell to everyone your efforts are too broad. You aren’t focused and you soon are faced with failures, because you are wasting time trying to sell something without understanding the value in other people’s eyes – or even whether they are truly a good fit for your product or service. In short, you aren’t qualifying companies/individuals in the field.

Qualifying – that is, effective prospecting and information gathering – leads you to the clients you should have.

Qualifying prospects includes 4 steps …more at A Dirt-Simple System for Qualifying Sales Prospects | Small Business Trends.

Flickr photo credit: Lougan Manzke

By ArcherTC|2012-01-05T06:47:36+01:00January 30, 2009|Blog, Small Business|0 Comments

No better time for e-mail marketing

What do the best franchise owners know about online marketing that you need to know, too?

With the new year comes new challenges. As business owners and operators, consumers, and citizens, we know that the climate has changed radically in the last year. However, as I indicated recently in my column–there’s no need to panic. I talked then about cultivating stronger customer relationships, and provided tips on how to do so. My advice applied to anyone working to establish and build a successful entrepreneurial venture, whether it be an independent restaurant, a consulting firm, a successful franchise or some other type of business. For all of us who are business leaders, everything begins and ends with customers. I’d like to dig a little deeper into how a customer-oriented culture impacts franchises–a market that has its own opportunities and challenges. …more at No Better Time for E-Mail Marketing – Franchise Challenges – Entrepreneur.com.

Flickr photo credit: m-c

By ArcherTC|2012-01-05T06:47:36+01:00January 30, 2009|Blog, Small Business|0 Comments

The Obama brand: lessons for the nonprofit sector

A Respected Brand Can Get You Through Tough Times

When friends, coworkers and even family members find out that I went to Washington, D.C. for the Inauguration of President Barack H. Obama, they ask, What was it like? In their usually hushed voices, you hear one part awe, one part envy and two parts reverence. Even one of my husband’s friends, who mostly just nods when he sees me, asked to speak with me – during their sacred weekly call about football – when he heard that I was on the National Mall for the swearing in.

Certainly, everyone from my mom to Rupert Murdoch and from the Guardian to CNN, MSNBC and Fox News (and how often do they all agree?) have called Barack Obama a rock star. Even rival John McCain pejoratively referred to then-Senator Obama during the presidential campaign as a celebrity. …more at The Obama Brand: Lessons for the Nonprofit Sector « TSNE – Strategic Communications Blog.

Flickr image credit: tsevis

By ArcherTC|2012-01-05T07:14:16+01:00January 29, 2009|Blog, Nonprofits|0 Comments