Lead Generation

By Robert Noad

It appears that what every entrepreneur aims for is an increase in sales. Boosting sales figures is widely seen as the key to increased profitability! Can I assume that if I get more customers who buy my products I would be more profitable? Not necessarily! There are other factors that need to be taken into account too!

How then do you increase profits? You get more customers, or you resell to existing customer base right? It would be incorrect to take a narrow view by examining just one aspect of business. You might have 3000 customers which once bought a product or used a service before and never again. How else can you grow your business? Here are some factors I think you need to consider in sales:

1. Leads
The quantity of leads refers to the quantity of people you, or your staff, talk to in an effort to make sales. Leads can be people who contact you in response to a marketing campaign or perhaps your sales force has established contact with them. Qualified leads are always better to save time and money. Good quality leads are people with money who are looking for your product or service and are ready to buy. Someone once told me that you should know what people want and then give them what they want. People love to buy, but hate being sold to! People enjoy having their problems solved and a lead is likely to be the person that has a problem or a need! Your product or service must be the solution to that leads problem. More leads can be increased by using creative ideas where people can see the picture and the want be turned into needs and must haves! A security fence becomes a need when someone else has been robbed, or hi-jacked.

2. Conversion ratio
This is a skill that only a few can master effectively! Building quality relationships with clients will increase your conversion ratio. For you to be able to determine your conversion rate it is important to record the quantity of leads versus the quantity of sales turned over from such leads. This is the quantity of leads that turn into actual sales, expressed as a percentage. If, for example, you try to sell 10 people a product or service, but only 1 person buy, your conversion ratio would be 10%. If you don’t record your leads versus closing the deal you will not be able to determine your conversion ratio.

3. Repurchase
To get you current customer base to re-use your products or services is ideal. Satisfied customers who have a good relationship with you or your company is that factor that will bring them back to repurchase.

4. Reducing overheads
You can increase profitability by reducing your overheads. More money would be available to invest in those areas that increase sales like training of staff to increase productivity.

5. Margin
To sell goods or services without making a profit on transaction would be pointless. The percentage mark-up on goods sold constitutes the gross margin. Costing plays a vital role in fair and profitable margins. Your competition could deliver a similar product at a better price if you are not fairly priced. Here too information recorded is of utmost importance! What you cannot measure you cannot analyze properly. Figures speak volumes and a good business owner must be able to analyze the figures so he can take corrective action.

6. Productivity
Having the correct people at your work place who wants to be there and make a difference is what we all strive for, but unfortunately some people is just at work! The ideal is to get people who are willing to do more than what is required from them and then reward their ideas and efforts as they make a meaningful contribution increasing profitability!

Robert Noad

URL: http://www.mbimarketing.co.za

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robert_Noad http://EzineArticles.com/?How-Do-I-Create-Growth-in-My-Business?&id=2591363

In This Week’s Issue…

* Quote of the Day
* Feature Article: How to Write and Sell an e-book
* Kitty Cat Postscripts

Words4Money.com the Online Newsletter on
Writing, Marketing, Speaking & Publishing
for Independent Professionals
from JOAN CLOUT-KRUSE
Low-Cost Marketing & Writing Consultant

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QUOTE OF THE DAY
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“Great works are performed not by strength, but by perseverance.” –Samuel Johnson

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Feature Article: How to Write an e-Book and
Sell an e-Book in 6 Easy Steps
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This is a good day for me to write an e-book or e-zine—it’s freezing cold outside and raining here in Silicon Valley.  It’s 60 degrees! I can hear you mid-Westerners and Easterners laughing right now. “This gal doesn’t know what cold really is!” you are saying. That’s okay with me—60 degrees is cold enough.

Let’s write an e-book. I’ll show you the e-book elements and steps you need to write an e-book.

6 Easy Steps to Write and Sell an e-Book.

1.  The idea. The Vision. We need a good idea for our readers and prospective clients. You notice, I didn’t say a good idea that I like—instead my idea must be something of value to my reader. It must be something that will motivate them to click on the link to buy and download my e-book.

2. Organize Your Thoughts. We must come up with at least 10 topics to include in our e-book. Or if you just want to write a short e-book of less than 10 pages then come up with a shorter number of titles.  Start writing your topic ideas then organize them in the most logical manner.  For example, if you are writing about ’10 Easy Tips To Keep Your Car Running Smoothly At All times,” your e-book will include 10 tips (10 topics).

3. Start Writing Freely. Begin writing your e-book based on your outline you created in #2. Since you are the expert in this field it should be easy to write down your ideas. Don’t worry about format, structure or grammar.  Just get your thoughts down in writing. Write freely.

4. Finalize Your e-Book. Now it’s time to put some structure in your e-book. Ask yourself, “What is the easiest way to organize this so that my readers will understand it and follow it?” Always write from your reader’s point of view. Make it easy for your reader to find information and understand your concepts and thoughts.

5. Create Final Product. Now you decide how to produce your product to make it easy for your reader to purchase it.  The most inexpensive and easiest way is to produce a PDF file.  All computers now usually come with the PDF format available to use from Adobe. On my computer I press the ‘PRINT’ button and I can choose PDF from a choice of printing options. It then will produce a PDF file for me that go to my Desktop.

I like PDF files because they look professional. Can someone copy your PDF file? Yes, if they have the Adobe software. However, unless you are creating a “Harry Potter” bestseller book, it is a good way to get started producing e-books. Most of the e-books you order are produced this way. There are other software products that state they make your ebook harder to copy, but they are cumbersome to read because they usually separate every chapter and you can’t print them out easily. They are not available for a Mac computer. I still like to read long articles on the printed page instead of online.

6. Sell your e-Book.

Website. If you have a website set up then you will want to sell the e-book on your website. If you don’t know how to do this, hire a savvy Internet student to help you set it up on your site. You need a way to collect your money. I would start out with a Paypal account because it covers International countries that might want to buy your e-book. Later when you are financially successful you can add a commercial credit card service, but Paypal let’s everyone use their credit cards now so it is easy to get started.

Digital Products Retailer. If you do not have a website then start with a digital product retailer such as Clickbank, Payloadz, and others. You store your e-book on their site and they take a small profit for every e-book that’s sold on their site.  Get the word out. What you have to do is send out e-mail messages to your list announcing your e-book and the great benefits your reader will get by buying it.  You can also ask your friends if they would send a message to their list of friends and colleagues announcing your e-book.

This is a great rainy day project: Write and sell an e-book in 6 easy steps. Now is the time to start writing and who knows by the time the rain stops you may be finished!

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GET ON THE WORDS4MONEY ACTION PLAN
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* COACHING TRACK – F.r.e.e. Writing Strategy Session

Are you ready to write a book or e-book? Would you like hands-on assistance with your writing and marketing? Joan can help you. Click below if you’d like a complimentary Writing Strategy Session: Joan@Words4Money.com

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** JUMP-START 2-WEEK WRITER’S TRACK
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Want to get a jump-start on your writing? In two weeks you can have your outline and plan on how to write your book or e-book. Joan will interview you and get your plan together for you. Includes 2 coaching calls and lots of email as needed. For more details and price contact: Joan@Words4Money.com

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** SPEAKING TRACK
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A Writing and Marketing Presentation for Your Group.

Want a dynamic speaker for your professional group? Looking for hands-on and how-to skills for attracting more clients? You’ve found her! Book Joan Clout-Kruse for a keynote talk or 1/2 day training program to your organization: Joan@Words4Money.com

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KITTY CAT POSTSCRIPTS
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Have you been following Kitty Cat’s adventures? Well, today it is rainy and cold outside and Kitty Cat hasn’t visited us at all.  That means she is in a nice warm house nearby staying dry and warm. She is no fool. So she is taking a day of rest from marketing to me. However, you notice that she is on my mind, which means she has planted a seed.  And that is what you want to do with your prospects.  Start planting seeds: send postcards as a warm and fuzzy way to keep in touch with your clients. I would send you a postcard except my newsletter signup only asks for your name and email address.  Sometime I’ll have to figure out a way for you to give me this information if you’d like to get a postcard from me.  J Happy “Kitty Cat” Marketing.

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About This E-zine and Your Subscription
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© 2009 Joan Clout-Kruse, All rights reserved. You are free to use material from Words4Money in whole or in part, as long as you include complete attribution, including live website link. Please also notify me where the material will appear. The attribution should read:

“By Joan Clout-Kruse of CloutPower Training. Please visit Joan’s website at http://www.Words4Money.com for additional low-cost marketing, writing, publishing and speaking articles and resources for independent business professionals.” (Please make sure the link above is live.)
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Until next week, keep on going and never give up.
JOAN CLOUT-KRUSE
Low cost marketing and writing coach

I got some great marketing tips for small business from my neighbor’s cat. I call her Kitty Cat.

Kitty Cat comes to visit us several times a day. The minute we unclick the lock on our patio door this red, grey and white striped cat jumps a six–foot fence and waits for us to open it.

It was several months ago I told my hubby, ”Where are the neighborhood cats?” We haven’t seen any for 3-4 years, yet there always was one or two drifting around our complex giving us that loving greeting that only a cat can give.

It must have been the ‘Law of Attraction” because within a week there were three cats sitting on our fence—all equally spread out on their turf avoiding contact with each other with their eyes on us as we ventured out in our patio.  Two of them were what we call “scaredy cats,” afraid to approach us, except for Kitty Cat.  In time only Kitty Cat continued to greet us several times a day as we entered our patio on the way to our garage.

Kitty Cat is waiting for some love as we approach her. We can’t resist petting her and watching her enjoy every moment.  However, we know there is only one thing on her mind right now—she wants to come in our house. She looks forlornly with her Kitty Cat eyes at the patio door. When we are inside and she is out looking in that is the most emotional time for us. She wants in and waits and waits for us to let her in

However, we know she has an owner and is well fed. Our rule is don’t feed her and don’t let her in the house or she may never leave. With our busy schedules we do not have time for pets so it is nice to have a friendly visiting cat to befriend without having to make a long time commitment.

You are probably wondering why I am going on and on about our adventures with Kitty Cat and what this has to do with marketing tips for small business? It is because Kitty Cat is the perfect Marketer. She does everything she can do to persuade us to let her in our house. She is relentless.  At least four times a day she is at our patio door looking in with her green loving eyes.

Even though Kitty Cat is relentless neither my husband nor I are annoyed by her. We look forward to her visits. Isn’t that the way we must be with our customers and prospects? We should be sending loving, caring and helpful messages with tips and ideas that can help them with their business. We should keep our name in front of them and let them know we care about their business. We want to help them. Yes, we want their business because we know we can help them in exchange for their purchase.

Remember those “scaredy cats?”  They gave up and stopped visiting us after Kitty took over with her loving personality. Don’t we want to be more like Kitty Cat in our marketing ventures with our prospects?  Whether it is a book, ebook, or other products and services you are selling you need the “Kitty Cat Marketing Approach.”

Kitty Cat gives us great marketing tips for a small business to use to attract clients and get noticed.

1. Keep your name in front of your prospect through newsletters and correspondence
that provide valuable ideas to help your prospects succeed in business.
2. Give loving, friendly, helpful messages at least twice a month.
3. Be committed and stay in contact with your leads.
4. Let them go when they ask.
5. Continue to build your list. (I am sure that we are not the only contacts in Kitty Cat’s
nine lives.)

In time your prospects may want to open your “patio door” and come in to hear more about your product or service and to buy from you. Be ready to let them in.

Those are the five marketing tips for small business that I got from Kitty Cat. Oh! There she is at the patio door looking in begging me to open the door. Shall I? What do you think?

© 2009 Joan Clout-Kruse

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Joan Clout-Kruse, international Writing and Marketing Coach, is the publisher of one of the top weekly Ezine reports for small biz owners covering writing, marketing and publishing on anything words to make money and boost your business.

Find more articles and reports at www.Words4Money.com/blog

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