Archive for Marketing + Selling
August 9, 2008 at 9:16 pm · Filed under Marketing + Selling
More and more I hear and read about a looming crisis of leadership at the middle management level and the inevitable resulting increase in, poor performance, accidents and production mistakes and hence declining profits.
I’m afraid to say these observations are not just rumours. In my own work as a management consultant I’ve noticed a distinct increase in negative behaviours in many middle managers in all sorts of companies.
In this short article I’ll explain what I mean by “negative behaviours” offer suggestions on what senior managers can do about it.
Over the past four years I’ve noticed the following kinds of behaviours from many middle managers:
Increasingly using harsh, abrupt language: “Don’t be so stupid”. “I don’t care what the problem is just get it fixed”
Becoming more dictatorial (unwilling to listen) “Yes, I know all that now do it this way”
Putting time pressure on people by continually asking when jobs will be completed and why things are taking so long
Losing tempers and insulting others when things go wrong
Unwilling to take the time to read, seek advice and think things out carefully
Creating a them and us culture: “We decide and direct and you do”.
Using more of the fear factor: “Perform or you’re out”.
If you’re a senior managers reading you’ll be disappointed and even shocked. The tragedy is that the middle managers I meet are excellent people - they are not behaving like this on purpose. When you point out the danger and destructiveness of these behaviours they acknowledge it and change for a few days. However, in a few weeks they forget and go back to unhelpful behaviours. Why?
In a nutshell, middle managers are under more pressure to perform than I have seen in a long time. For example,
In the past five years, levels of management have been stripped out resulting in middle managers doing more and more.
The constant downsizing, having to apply “for your own job” and frequent relocation have numbed many people. Some just don’t care anymore.
Many middle managers are now forced to be contractors and work in a culture where “you are only as good as your last job” and loyalty and long-term thinking is not seen to be valued.
Middle management is now overstretched to breaking point both physically and mentally, hence the behaviours listed above. This is having an adverse effect on the supervisors they manage and in turn on al their people. Another tragedy is that most middle managers won’t own up that they are under this pressure. So senior managers don’t know about it.
For me it’s the effective leadership of senior managers that will prevent the coming crisis. Here are just six straightforward steps senior managers should take now.
1. Initiate a short, anonymous survey to measure the extent of pressure on middle managers.
2. Take even more time to discuss in detail the workload and targets of direct reports. Probe to see if people are accepting unreasonable workloads just to please you as the boss. Make sure your direct reports do this with their people too.
3. Deliberately create situations where you as a senior manager can admit that you can’t cope and need help. People will not own up if you don’t do it first.
4. Find ways to show middle managers that you value them as people not just a resource. Especially when they are non-core staff. Yes, short-term contracting as a mode of employment is increasing but that doesn’t mean we should treat managers who are contractors as less valuable than full time staff.
5. Provide the time for management training.
6. Here’s the toughest of all. When the Board trims the budget for a project and you’ve struggled to find ways to do more with less and you realise you can’t, you should tell them. This is the ultimate source of unreasonable pressure. Don’t allow it to flow down hill.
Yes, we need a leaner business model for the modern competitive and fast-paced economy. Yes, we must keep pushing for better performance from everyone. But does lean have to be mean - do we have to lose the human touch? Indeed, doesn’t success in this era require senior managers to be even more human?
Copyright (c) 2004 Dr William Robb. Electronic distribution to ezines, friends and colleagues permitted but publication in print prohibited without written permission
Dr Bill has spent 20 years helping people and organisations improve their performance and get outstanding results from their time, effort and expenditure. http://www.mytimemanagementsecrets.com/
August 6, 2008 at 10:29 pm · Filed under Marketing + Selling
Gas prices fluctuate according to the price of crude oil. The price of crude oil, in turn, is determined by the world market and depends on the balance between world demand and supply. Currently, few countries supply the world’s oil, as these are the only countries that have oil reserves and production. The oil demand, however, encompasses demand from most of the world’s nations.
Another factor that determines pricing is how much gasoline we demand relative to the supply. The more we require, the more will be the gas price. There are some federal and state requirements that call for special gas blends with the intention of improving air quality. This makes the production of gasoline expensive, and thus, the price rises. The charges that are levied on gas have greatly affected gas prices over the past decade. Even changes in the petroleum industry, like mergers, make the gas price change over time. At present, the states of California and Hawaii have the highest-priced gas in U.S. However, compared to the rest of the industrialized world, it’s one of the lowest. The price of gas in Europe is more than twice that in U.S., due to higher fuel excise. And in other energy-importing countries like Japan, petrol costs are higher because of fuel transportation costs and taxes. However, some of the major oil-producing countries like Iran and Indonesia provide subsidized gas at low market prices.
Individual gas stations have no control over gas prices, as world markets determine the price. They can charge a margin of between 7 to 11 cents a gallon since gasoline is a commodity, and the gas station that charges more, tends to lose customers to other gas stations. This is the reason gas stations sell higher-margin food products in their convenience stores. It is during the weekends and holidays when American road travel is at its peak that gas prices soar, only to drop as the holidays close.
Gas provides detailed information on Gas, Gas Stations, Gas Prices, Gas Scooters and more. Gas is affiliated with Propane Gas Prices.
August 2, 2008 at 2:20 am · Filed under Marketing + Selling
What is trying and how does it really differ from doing? Often trying is a function of being in a serious contemplative state. I am trying to quit smoking, really means you want to quit, but are now merely thinking about it and have simply cut back. Yet the act of quitting actually means that you no longer smoke. So, which is it? Have you quit or are you still a smoker? If you listen carefully, you can see the difference here between trying and doing. The person that has cut back on his/her smoking is trying. The one that isn’t smoking anymore is obviously doing.
Let’s say you want to try to climb a mountain. Are you climbing or are you standing at the bottom thinking about how high it is? If you are climbing, then you are in fact in action and may make it to the top, but if you’re at the bottom looking up, chances are good you will talk yourself out of it before ever even beginning.
Trying in life, and trying your life on like it fits is a whole other way to look at the opportunities that come your way. Think about going to a shoe store to buy the perfect running shoe. You have money in your pocket, time on your side, find several pairs you like and are determined to find the best one you can. All the ones you’ve found offer something just a little bit different.
At first you try on one of each, not wanting to take the time to lace them all. You stand in place trying to distinguish between the two shoes, although you are clearly unbalanced physically and emotionally. Physically, because you are experiencing different sensations in each foot and emotionally, because it is impossible to imagine one shoe, when you are in two.
It isn’t until you lace up the matching shoe that you feel you can make an informed decision and as the last one is tied, you picture yourself running. Suddenly your frame of mind has changed from trying on shoes, to owning these shoes. You picture how they will be on the track in the morning, how they will hit the pavement in the afternoon and how they will be as the temperatures around you change too. And most importantly, how they will stand the test of time.
If they feel comfortable as you round the track, you continue picturing them as yours, now looking closer at the details and colors, until the questions begin to appear. How will they be tomorrow out on the pavement? How will they be at mile ten with achy toes? Hopefully your desire to have the shoes will outweigh your fears and you will buy them anyway. But do you take that same risk with your life or do you tend to leave the shoes behind, never really knowing your full potential as a runner?
Take a quick look at your life and the choices you make everyday about your career, friends and relationships. Why do many areas of your life seem to be failing after all the trying you’ve done? Perhaps because you need to start living and give up the trying for good. Maybe if you stopped trying on shoes and began putting each one on like it just may fit, what you may find is one that does fit. Or maybe you’ll find it doesn’t fit at all and you simply need to wear a different one.
Take a look at how you are living your life. Are you living the life you want to live or simply trying to find it? I say, stop trying and start living. At the end of the race, you will be the one with the Gatorade smiling. Just like NIKE says.
Life is just a game, so get off the bench and start playing!
Lesley Moore is President and Owner of LifeScope, Life Coaching. She specializes in working with individuals in transition, empowering them to create a life they love. She is also a Personal Fitness Trainer and a Freelance Writer. Lesley graduated from the University of Maryland with a degree in Journalism and has studied coaching through the Mentor Coach Program, which is recognized by the International Coach Federation. For more information about Life Coaching, visit her website at http://www.lifescopecoach.com/.
July 31, 2008 at 8:05 pm · Filed under Marketing + Selling
The Internet is a new marketing medium playing field for any
business wishing to get acquainted with its potential. Understanding the power of the web and its mechanisms is important to the growth of your business.
If you think that traffic is the only thing you should focus on to make more profits, then you’re wrong. Of course traffic is important as it means visitors for your website, but there is one more important thing you need to focus on: converting that traffic into buying customers.
To succeed in this operation you need to attract the attention of your visitors, and you can do that if your web content is used correctly.
- Speak to your visitors about their needs and wants.
Your prospects’ primary concern isn’t that you’ve been in business for 25 years. They search internet because they need something and you must use the content to identify at least one common problem of your prospects and the benefit of using your product or service.
- Use strong keywords.
Think and make a list with words that define better the needs of your customers. Use them to make a strong message so people who read your content to know how you can help them.
- Move prospects to action.
If you want to prompt prospects to visit your web site to buy or to contact you, include an offer that motivates them to do so.
- Ask prospects to contact you for more info.
That way your prospects will provide you with their contact information and the problem they want solved. Use the web, email, and the phone to follow up and close the sale.
- Ask for testimonials.
Ask your customers to give you testimonials and put them on the website. Do not post only positive comments, offer a real, but positive image of your business.
Valerian Dinca is a freelance writer specialized in internet marketing items like making money with home business
July 31, 2008 at 5:20 am · Filed under Marketing + Selling
Many people have a $100.00 radar detector to alert them of speed traps. But realize the authorities are in need of more budget money and they are going to get it from you and I anyway they can. The Tax revenues in many states has dwindled, cities which rely on a contribution of property taxes and sales tax are finding problems in areas which have lost population base or the economies are just doing the best they can locally. This is why you will find states trying to increase their revenues for their Transportation Departments much like the British did when we decided that we were going to throw some tea in the water. Popeye the famous cartoon character was always frustrated by these taxes, fines and fees.
Well America, they are going to get their money some how and probably from you and I. At the CES Show this year there was a seminar that listed between 15-22 million Americans have some sort of radar detector in at least one of their vehicles. Average American has 1.8 cars in metro area and subs and 1.1 in rural areas. About 20,000 X-Band radar units are installed in police vehicles in the US, which a small $90-100 radar detector can detect. But more than half are those of K-Band requiring a more sophisticated unit. And of course the latest Ka-Band with about 30-35 %. A cool book to read is “Fast Driving-without tickets” By Mr Peterson, available at Wal-Mart. He has a web site called
http://www.RadarTest.com
And as if the game of cat and mouse is not enough there is a group that does a cannon ball run in the US with exotic sport scars every year from San Francisco to Miami. Usually racking up $25,000 in fines and this year four impounded cars and 6 arrests. 30 cars in all. There is a users group on the Internet rec.auto.driving where sports enthusiasts go and discuss these issues. What few are understanding is that the troops using X-Band can sit and wait and then turn on their X-Band radar at the last minute and the driver would have no chance to slow down, even those with scanners for finding the other radios on will not work if the policeman turns off all electronics. This works well catching vehicles on highways in the middle of nowhere, where actually there is little risk of harming anyone, it is basically a way to raise revenues.
So forget being sneaky, just slow down and enjoy the fact that you have freedom and you can exercise it out on the highways and byways of America.
“Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/
July 27, 2008 at 8:55 pm · Filed under Marketing + Selling
* Do you waffle your way OUT of business?
* Do you drone on about how great you are; how great your services are?
* Do you focus so much on trying to get your message across that you don’t listen?
If you even think this might be you on occasion - read on!
Your clients and your potential clients are bombarded with information. Your clients and potential clients are surrounded by products, services, knowledge and people all trying to persuade them to part with their time, money and soul!
So how can you be different and what will enable you to get the business on your client’s terms?
Here are 3 factors to consider - Clarity, Connection and Specialism
Clarity
“…the most persuasive evidence of people’s expertise is the clarity with which they communicate” Harry Beckwith
When you are speaking with a client/prospect, be clear about what you are about. Be clear about what differentiates you and be very clear about the results you can deliver in line with the problems they need solving.
Speak in language that is non-jargon, non-clichéd and is clear and to the point.
Speak in stories and pictures sometimes as you describe successes you have had in the past.
Speak in linear terms as you describe a process you will carry out.
Speak in terms of the emotional needs that you can address.
In whatever manner or medium you communicate be clear. To do this effectively, all the time you need to clear yourself about purpose, message and outcome from the meeting/phone call/marketing collateral. If you don’t have clarity it’s certain your prospects and clients won’t.
Connection
Create a connection with your clients. If you woo them then ignore them you may have short term business but not a long term relationship. Simple things to stay in touch are not expensive or time consuming but they are effective and help your clients feel valued.
* A short “how’s it going” phone call - when you don’t have anything to sell!
* A quick “thought you may find this article interesting” email
* An invitation, introduction or complementary gift goes a long way to keeping you in touch with your clients, maintaining the relationships and if and when new opportunities come up who do you think they will most likely talk to?
Specialism
As more and more consultants set up their business the competition gets bigger. For independent or small consultancies the ability to win great business consistently means getting known. How do you get known? - by being a specialist. By being great at one or two things. By being THE consultancy that does X. Specialism is the way forward. If you try and be all things to all people a number of things happen.
1. prospects get confused about what you do
2. prospects are not sure what you are REALLY good at
3. prospects find it harder to choose
4. prospects have too many messages to cope with
5. you get less business
If you try and offer too many services or say you can to too many things, there is a danger that you do nothing well and spread yourself and your resources thinly as you try to cope with every demand as you become desperate for business. Desperation shows.
Whilst it may be hard to turn down business it shows you know what you are about and your prospects will recognise that. To complement your specialism you need to collaborate with other specialists that can support what you do or take business that you are not a specialist in. Forming strategic alliances is a good way to manage this.
“Consultants must first recognize that they are selling a relationship rather than competence and advice. You must win the person to win the business, and you must keep winning the person to keep the business.” Harry Beckwith
So put some focus on how you can win new relationships through clarity, connection and specialism.
Beverley Hamilton works with independent business consultants to help them grow a profitable consultancy and still have time for their life.
You can get my Free Ecourse Discover the 5 Most Common Incorrect Assumptions Independent Business Consultants Make and a complimentary subscription to Quickstart, the newsletter specifically for consultants. Go to One Step Further for more instantly accessible resources. Your future Your choice
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July 26, 2008 at 8:14 pm · Filed under Marketing + Selling
The role of marketing in business may surprise you. Many books and seminars on marketing begin on how to develop the Marketing Plan. I believe this to be a mistake.
You shouldn’t begin thinking how you are going to market something until you first determine if you have something to market. You also need to have the ability to develop and service your product; will it work the way you say it will work; are there no adverse legal ramifications? Finally, can you sell of offer it for a profit?
Finding your Niche Market
To begin, you need to find a product that people need. Think back in your life. Was there any problem that you felt was not resolved completely? Was a solution presented to you that could have been more complete? Still no ideas?
Then seriously contemplate and record the following:
- What kind of things are you interested in? Tennis, Books, Music…..
- Do these interest border on Passion? Football, Writing, Collecting…..
- Where is your Knowledge base? Is there any subject or topic that you know a lot about?
- Are you the person people come to for answers - asking your advice or opinion?
Answer the above questions. Consider each point carefully; don’t be afraid to consult with friends, family and colleagues. And be completely honest. When you pursue a business that you are passionate about, something you really like to do, your chances of success in business increases dramatically.
Finding the Hurt
The product or service you wish to develop should be related to something you are interested in. By promoting your interests, it will feel less like work, and more like fun. After all, wouldn’t you rather “work” at what is fun?
Many people make the mistake of developing a product first, then trying to find a market. That is backwards. You must first find the demand, and then fill it. This will guarantee the success of your product, as people are already looking for what you are about to develop. By filling this need, you can actively focus your energies on marketing to the audiences that will provide the highest sales profit.
I. Finding the Right Markets:
Examine your list. You now must research and find markets that relate to your list of interests. Brainstorm a list of general, potential markets for each of your interests. Do not be concerned if your markets seem too broad or general. Utilize friends, family and the Internet - searching keywords related to your interests.
II. Research the Competition:
Now that you have your list of specific markets, it’s time to examine the competition -both online and off. Research businesses that cater to the specific markets on your list.
For Example: Artists might be segmented into oil painters, watercolor artists, sculptors, advertising. Examine how existing businesses cater to these markets. What approach do they take to the ceramic artist? Are they offering fr*e advice, selling it, providing products?
Finally, take a look at how well these businesses are marketing themselves to the market segment. How organized and professional looking are their sites?
Two great tools to compare companies is Alexa and Marketleap. Alexa is comparatively accurate, and can give you details for a site including:
- Traffic Ranking
- Related Links
- Link Saturation
- Contact Information
- Site, User Reviews
While most of the information is accurate, it can be abused. I have found several Reviews coming from competitors with less than flattering remarks. The comments were unfounded and only used to try and reduce the credibility of the actual site. I also found Contact Information slow to be updated. On the whole it is a great tool and worth utilizing.
Marketleap will help you compare sites showing Link Popularity, Search Engine Saturation and Keyword Verification.
Their Link popularity check is one of the best ways to quantifiably and independently measure a website’s online awareness and overall visibility. Simply put, link popularity refers to the total number of links or “votes” that a search engine has found for that website.
Search Engine Saturation simply refers to the number of pages a given search engine has in its index for a website domain. Not all search engines report this information but enough of them do to create some meaningful benchmarks for search engine marketing campaigns.
The Keyword Verification Tool checks to see if a site is in the top three pages of a search engine result for a specific keyword.
III. Meet the Market Demand:
Now it’s time to find the greatest need. There are several ways to research this:
1. Research Keywords
To narrow down your niche market utilize tools such as:
- WordTracker
- Overture Term Suggestion - gives a list of related searches and how many times those terms were searched in Overture during the previous month.
Search for terms that are frequently searched for by your target market - but are not being used effectively by your competition. This competitive analysis will expose untapped needs and help you avoid marketing to heavily saturated markets.
RULE: When competing in a saturated market, define and maintain a tightly focused niche market for your business.
If you find there are many web sites marketing a similar product and not enough people are actually buying to make your product idea profitable, it is better to find out before you launch your Marketing Campaign.
2. Newsgroups, Discussion Boards,Chat Rooms
Be still, and listen. People will TELL you what they like and don’t like; what they’re looking for. These forums are frequently visited by people seeking advice. By monitoring these discussions you will discover the “hurts” that need to be filled.
This is a great way to find potential products or service ideas. If the same question is repeated, there are probably hundreds and, perhaps, thousands of people wondering the same thing. Some good places to start:
- ThreadWatch
- Webmaster World
- CashKeywords
- Google Groups
A search in any of the major search engines will provide several good boards and chat rooms.
3. Customer Use
If you already have an established customer base, send out an email survey. 80% of your continual sales come from 20% of your client base. Statistics have shown that up to 36% of your current client base will purchase form you again if you have something similar to offer.
4. The Reviews Are In
These sites are used by people to either rave or complain. This makes it a gold-mine of information of how the public perceives the competition.
- Cunsumer Review
- Consumer Search
- Epinions
5. Competitive Analysis
What exactly is your competition offering? What solutions are they offering? Where are they vulnerable? To beat the competition, you need to understand the competition.
The purpose of Competitive Analysis is t to determine which business strengths are needed to be competitive in the market. You also need to determine how the competition will react to your strategies BEFORE you implement them.
Your competitors could be your greatest source of inspiration. Once you have chosen your area of interest - start a thorough market research.
To analyze the competition, gather information on:
- Their Competitive Market Share
- Their Current Strategies
- Future Goals
- Where they are vulnerable
- What will provoke retaliation
- copies of all their marketing materials
The more you find out, the better you’ll be able to find a weakness, and then develop a strong Unique Selling Proposition. Make your product better, faster, easier, safer, and more cost-effective. Do whatever it takes to entice customers to buy your product or service over your competitions.
IV. Customer Analysis : : How Accurate Is Your Research?
At this point, determine if your research is accurate? Talk to members of the market and confirm it.
- How big of a problem is it for them?
- Is it a minor nuisance, or is it something they would pay to obtain a solution for?
- How much is that solution worth to them?
1. Validate your information; get on the phone, run surveys, chat in newsgroups. Do research to see if anyone else is currently offering a solution to this problem. If they are, what are they charging and how good is the service?
2. Customer Interest: Find out if customers are interested in the product or service. It may be that there is already enough products in that niche, but it lacks in services to help use the products.
3. Determine the general price range. Can you offer a price advantage? Determine the price-sensitivity of your future, potential customers. If the competition is constantly cutting costs to gain new customers, this is a warning flag.
4. What gender is your potential market? What is their income level? What level of education do they have? Their geographic location? These are important factors in order to determine how lucrative your market will be, as well as how to best approach and advertise.
5. Most importantly, What motivates the market to buy? Do they react to a price drop? When you understand your audiences’ motivation, you’ll be able to appeal to what motivates them to buy.
Conclusion:
Remember to find the problem before you try to develop a solution. It is much more lucrative to find out what your potential market is searching for and then filling that need.
- Choose a niche market from your interests
- Research keywords to find what the market is already searching for
- Research existing niches and improve on existing products
- Survey current customers for potential products
Your business success hinges directly on choosing a product that the public already wants and then providing it.
_______________________________________________________________
About The Author
Suzanne Fyhrie Parrott owns and operates OneWay Advertising and Design, and is co-owner of TrafficGeni.us. Established in 1988, OneWay is a full-service Christian Advertising agency providing marketing, advertising and graphic design services for on and off the Internet.
July 25, 2008 at 4:49 pm · Filed under Marketing + Selling
What if there was some way to tap into the ever-growing popularity of world-wide sport that could turn the gambling factor of sports betting into an investment vehicle producing sustainable results over the long-term such as equity trading?
Sports Trading was conceptualized and bridge between conventional sports betting and real-world stock trading was built.
Please note: generalizations are used in this article because sport trading exchanges can differ in nature and offerings.
What is Sports Trading?
You may immediately associate sports trading with that of card trading but until fairly recently, sports trading has taken on another exciting meaning.
Although the actual definition of sports trading may differ exactly depending on the type of exchange in question, it is essentially the act of investing in virtual sports issues or contracts (i.e. sports teams, players or markets).
Sports trading is not to be confused with sports betting (betting against a bookmaker) or some other form of fancy gambling, sports trading runs along the same investment lines as trading on a conventional stock market exchange (e.g. Wall Street).
Participants of:
- Fantasy sports games
- Stock trading simulation games
- Sports betting exchanges
will identify a commonalty with a typical sports trading exchange.
Although sport trading is still somewhat dwarfed by the sports betting and real-world trading industries, there is no question of the future popularity for this concept as people from all backgrounds are coming together to trade be it virtual stocks or issues or real contracts for real money on any sports related market, offered by the online sport trading exchange.
Sports trading exchanges are developing sophisticated technology, commonly employing a proprietary trading platform and in most cases, with a Level II type trading interface.
It is typical of a global sports trading exchange to offer around-the-clock (i.e. 24/7) trading as exchange members are not inhibited with limited or set trading hours so are free trade anytime, from anyplace around the world.
Advantages over Sports Betting
Sports trading has the thrill of sports betting but without the inherit risk of gambling that sports betting produces.
Some notable advantages sport trading has over conventional sports betting are (trading exchange dependant):
- Far less risk; eliminates the ‘all or nothing’ situation
- Can still profit even from an event loss
- Capital appreciation
- Dividend income
- Not solely competing against professionals
- Greater chance of success (not limited to above reason)
- Can be invested with minimal effort
Sport trading eliminates the gambling factor associated with sports betting; traders seldom lose their total investment in a stock holding (i.e. they have the ability to trade out to prevent further loss), the sports bettor loses their entire wager with an incorrect guess.
The sports trader is not competing solely against professional bookmakers whose job is to get the better of you - more often. Sport trading exchanges are about people-to-people interaction so you are pitting your skill, judgement and knowledge against fairer competition. Learn to be savvy and you end up with the edge.
Once invested, the sports trader can theoretically sit-back and monitor their investments passively; the sports bettor must normally wager every time to potentially make money and therefore, incur greater risk on each and every bet.
Advantages over conventional stock trading
Participants of stock trading already will find other useful benefits from a typical sport trading exchange such as:
- Lower trading fees due to being solely online trading
- Greater participation from a wider audience
- Not being exclusive to professionals
- Around the clock trading (no set trading sessions)
- Wider-economy independence
- Readily accessible sport information for all
- Global trading stock exchanges
The global online sport trader is conveniently afforded time-zone irrelevant trading from an online trading environment that typically does not shut for trading.
With the world-wide following sport increasingly enjoys (activity is seldom subject to prevailing economic factors that affect conventional trading exchanges) and the substantial amount of publicly available information not subject to a privileged few, sport traders can finally compete on fairer terms with other traders.
Online sports trading on virtual trading exchanges provide a wonderfully unique cross over between conventional sports betting and real-world stock trading in essence; they combine many of the advantages of the two, in a single investment product.
The opportunities that exist on these virtual exchanges and the resulting advantages are too long to detail here but it is the hope of this article to spread further awareness and the investment advantages of sport trading because this is a viable form of investment worthy of promotion.
The Sports Trading Investor - games of strategy and skill, markets of excitement and opportunities. Providing informative resources to help make you become a winner!
July 23, 2008 at 10:05 pm · Filed under Marketing + Selling
Even if the decision to buy appears to rest elsewhere, women frequently have a major influence on whether or not the sale is made. It’s easy to consider the car industry as predominantly male-driven. The majority of salespersons, journalists and mechanics are male, and published statistics of new car sales are weighted toward men.
For example, in 2002, almost 850,000 new cars were sold in Australia, according to the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries. It is estimated that sole female car purchases represent between 20 and 48 percent of this figure, but female influence on those same purchases is around 70-80 percent.
This takes us back to the basic marketing concept of remembering that the decision-maker is not always the person who pays the bill, a rule frequently forgotten by administrators of hotel loyalty cards who do not allow points to be collected by guests if the bill is being sent back to the company.
Another area often considered to be a male dominion is that of technology. Looking at DVD sales, for instance, we find that in 2002, only a third of women claimed to be their family’s primary DVD purchaser but by 2004 that figure had increased by more than half.
What is interesting here is not so much the size of the market, but the speed of its increase. Therefore, companies that have traditionally geared their marketing to men and continue to do so because the male market has always been their main source of custom may be guilty of backward thinking.
Another aspect flagged up by the speed of change is how challenging it can be for companies to stay ahead of the game when marketing to women. Factors that affect women’s desires and purchasing power such as levels of education, income and independence are all increasing at a more rapid rate than those of men.
What women want that’s different to what men want
The lives of the majority of women today are infinitely more complicated than the lives of their male counterparts. It is the woman in the relationship who will generally be looked to when it comes to the multi-faceted operation of the home. The woman is likely to be the one who keeps the environment clean and organized, ensures the family or partner is clothed and fed, shops, irons, recycles, handles the help, ferries the kids and keeps tabs on everyone’s social diaries. On top of this, she’s very likely to be holding down one of more jobs or developing a business or career.
So the entire running of the household is likely to have the female as the lynch-pin. This often includes the handling of the household finances and yet the majority of financial products, along with cars and technology, are still considered male-gender specific.
How women make the decision to buy
Frequently, when seeking solutions to problems, women will have conducted research online and be extremely well-prepared prior to placing themselves in line for a sales pitch. Any company that does not acknowledge this and insists on wasting a woman’s increasingly valuable time is likely to trigger a negative response as she can feel patronized by a “step-by-step, start from the beginning”, approach that may be unnecessary.
With such complicated lives, women seek simplified solutions. When looking at your product, consider how your marketing can also be simplified to avoid adding to an already stressful life. Is it possible for your entire product and its benefits to be presented in such a way that it solves problems for over-stressed women? Does your marketing show how your product will support her busy lifestyle?
It is not even as simple as the traditional method of asking questions and identifying what she wants because she will make purchasing decisions based, not only on her own needs, but also on the needs of her family. The first consideration should always be an acknowledgement of the complications in her life.
So she needs to know that you understand the problems she faces. Can your sales force show that they identify with her?
Women are three times as likely to learn about a new product from another woman. It is likely that women purchasers assume that another woman can more easily understand her challenges than a man. If a woman is presenting your product and is able to show how your product or service makes sense in the world they both occupy, the purchase is a natural progression.
When the sale is made in this manner, your female purchaser feels valued and acknowledged and knows that she has been offered a solution, rather than having been pushed into a sale which she will inevitably cancel.
Maria Davies is a Professional Sales Presenter who specialises in “Pull Selling” - a method that works particularly well sellling to women. Using techniques that lead the customer to a natural purchase conclusion without the traditional hard sell and resultant buyer remorse, she achieves outstanding results in platform sales and teaches others to replicate her success. Contact her at http://www.laddersofsuccess.com to have her present your business or product or train your sales presenters in her persuasive techniques.
July 22, 2008 at 1:40 am · Filed under Marketing + Selling
When buying baby clothes parents are suddenly inundated with multiple choices that can become quite confusing. How many cute and adorable outfits does little Bill or Hillary need? How many “Onesie” body suits are enough? For little people that grow so quickly there are certainly a wide variety of clothing options, how does a new parent know what to get?
To help settle the dilemma and answer these questions, parents need to keep in mind a simple “rule of three.” Babies need three kinds of clothes. Clothes are needed for daytime wear, for going out, and for sleeping. The baby sleepwear will likely outnumber the other varieties since sleeping is what babies spend most of their time doing, but the numbers of each outfit will vary in direct relation to the number of times the parents are willing to do laundry.
Baby Daywear
The clothes you have for your baby to “hang around” in should be comfortable, easy to access for diaper changes, and simple. These are the articles that your baby will spend most of her time in and they’re bound to get dirty. When the baby spits up, spews strained beets all over the place, crawls around on the floor, or does any of the other relatively messy and somewhat disgusting things that babies do, these clothes are going to bear the brunt of the abuse. As such, you probably don’t want these things to happen while baby is wearing the beautiful Baby Dior outfit that Aunt Edna gave as a shower gift. The best clothes for these day to day needs are simple body suits with snaps at the crotch. Onesies are a brand name of these items, but the term has pretty much entered the language to mean any such article designed this way. You’ll probably want anywhere between five and ten of these on hand.
Baby Sleepwear
Clothing for sleeping should meet some of the same specifications as the baby daywear in terms of comfort and accessibility. Obviously if you live in a colder region or it is the middle of December you’ll want heavier articles than if you live in Phoenix and its July. Babies can still be messy when they sleep, but are usually nowhere near as messy as when they’re up and around. In warm enough climates the same style of Onesies that are used for baby’s daytime activities can double as sleepwear, but if the temperature is cooler you’ll want heavier knit PJs or similar sleepwear.
Dressing up Baby
The outdoor baby wear is where the parents really get to shine. Here is where you can utilize the cute and adorable stuff that was given as shower gifts or that you just couldn’t resist picking up during a routine trip to Wal-Mart. These items should still be examined for practicality, making sure that straps, snaps, bows and such do not interfere with diaper changing or cause discomfort to the infant, but you’re a little freer to show off. After all, everyone wants to coo over an adorable baby. When the adorable baby is adorably dressed, the cooing is that much sweeter.
Kirsten Hawkins is a baby and parenting expert specializing new mothers and single parent issues. Visit www.babyhelp411.com/ for more information on how to raising healthy, happy children.
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