The Poetry Portal Net

No matter what the business, every company needs sales. It doesn’t matter if it’s in the business of manufacturing, services, a worldwide conglomerates or a corner grocery store. As difficult as specialized technical functions may be, with years of training and expertise, sales is equally challenging. While a salesperson could never do the job of an engineer or a programmer, they couldn’t do the job of a salesperson either. Without sales, they don’t have a job.

Every business is essentially a people business. Machines don’t buy things; although they may execute transactions, people do the buying. When sales falter, every area of the business suffers - targets aren’t met, investors lose confidence, budgets are cut, people are laid off, top talent looks elsewhere. Innovation feeds sales, and sales feeds innovation and growth.

Sales is oxygen to a company. There’s a saying that goes “sex is like air, it’s only important when you aren’t getting enough”. Sales is like that too. When orders are flowing and everybody is working to fill them and keep the customers satisfied, dealing with the logistics and problems, they might not really appreciate the contribution of the saleperson - sometimes the staff may even grumble and wish the sale had never happened, so they wouldn’t have to deal with the customer and the hassles of getting the order through!

However, the moment sales slow down for even a short time, the company feels the impact. Everyone suddenly become acutely aware of the need for sales to feed the company.

In the movie business, before you make a movie you need a script. The screenwriter is the original creative person on the project, and if the writer doesn’t write - there’s no film.

Sales is like that too. If sales people don’t sell, nobody else works for very long. It’s the engine that drives every business on the face of the earth - and if you are really good at it, you’ll go far. Many people have risen to CEO status mainly because they know how to drive sales. So, if you are in sales, be proud of your status. If you’re not, don’t forget that, without sales, there’s no work!

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Darren (English) and Serena (Italian) are happy to welcome you in the B&B “Il Gabbiano Bianco” with courtesy in a warm and friendly atmosphere.

The B&B is situated on the first floor of an elegant building of the early 20th century, only 50 mts from the station and a few steps from the historical and commercial center of Lecce called “The little Florence” due to the magnificence of its Baroque which deserves indeed to be admired.
Not to miss the visit of the Roman Amphitheatre the most prestigious evidence or Roman times in the Salentinian Peninsular;

The Castel - an imposing building with a trapezoidal plan, erected upon Charles V’s wishes is one of the best kept example of the Reinessance period.

The Church of Santa Croce and the Prefecture are surely the most evident and valuable manifestation of the Lecce Baroque.

The Prefecture is now the seat of the Archaelogical Museum Sigismondo Castromediano. In the Cathedral Square one can find a marvellous collection of baroque buldings, and not far other beautiful churches as Church of Santa Chiara, Church of San Matteo, Church of San Giovanni Battista.

Porta Napoli e Porta Rudiae will take you to the historical centre and near the Prefecture there is The Villa Comunale, an oasi with wide treelined roads.

The bedrooms in our B&B

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Follow this story….

I went to Best Buy today to get a few CDs and walked out with a new subscription to Sports Illustrated. Immediately confused, I asked myself how’d that happen? As I went through the steps that brought to that point in time, I realized I was sold on the subscription before I ever had a chance to even think about saying no. Wow! What if and I had this power? My home business would be booming to say the least. So, let me go through exactly what happened and then I’ll pull a few key points out for you.

I browsed the CD section of Best Buy for about 30 minutes and then after making my final music selections I headed to the checkout counter. I was greeted by a friendly checkout clerk who rung up my three CDs to a total cost of $43. As she was ringing me up she said “How would you like a free Subscription to Sports Illustrated or Entertainment Magazine?” Before I could answer she continued by telling me that she had already taken advantage of the offer herself and had received eight free issues of Entertainment Magazine. She continued by telling me exactly how I could unsubscribe at anytime and still get eight free issues of whichever magazine I choose. Then, even before she finished speaking, an adjacent check out clerk chimed in and said how great of a deal he thought it was and how much he enjoyed his free subscription.

Then the magic happened! No sooner did I turn my head back to the first sales clerk than did she ask me which subscription I wanted. Without thinking, I said Sports Illustrated. She replied, “that’s what the guys always choose”. She rung me up and I was out the door before I had a chance to think about what had just happened.

How great is that?

She probably made a commission and I never even saw it coming.

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Ok… So, what made this whole process work so well?

First: The Element of surprise…

I had no idea what hit me.

Second: A free trial offer…

She offered me something that was very low risk to me. I didn’t really want a subscription to Sports Illustrated, but hey it was FREE so why not?

Third: Smooth transition into her testimonial…

Once she said that the subscription was something that she personally took advantage of herself I let guard went down. From that point on, I wasn’t being sold on something I didn’t want, but instead I was just getting a friendly recommendation.

Fourth: Smooth transition into how easy it was to back out at anytime…

At this point, not only was I just getting a friendly recommendation, but she told me how easy it would be to back out of the deal at any time. Not only that, but I was given explicit directions as to how to end my subscription. Hey, if I didn’t want the subscription I now felt even less pressure because I knew exactly how to end it.

Fifth: Additional Testimonials…

Bang… Before I had a chance to think about whether or not I want a free subscription to Sports Illustrated bad enough to go through the future hassle of canceling it I’m hit with another testimonial about how great of an offer this deal really is from ANOTHER person that’s taken advantage of it. So, now I start to feel a little like I’m the one left out. Everyone else is doing it… why not me?

Sixth: The Close!

I loved the close! It was so sneaky. She never asked me whether or not I wanted a subscription, she just asked if I wanted Sports Illustrated or Entertainment Magazine. I NEVER had the option to think about whether or not I wanted the subscription or not. She simply ASSUMED the sale and at that point just asked me what subscription I wanted. She never gave me a chance to tell her NO!

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Now that I’ve given you six simple steps that you must follow to get the sale every time it’s just a matter of you figuring out how to use this in your own home business. So, stop and read this again if you have to. Just let it soak in. It’s an extremely powerful process if mastered. Personally, I left that Best Buy not knowing what happened to me. It was like I was brainwashed!

Wouldn’t you like to brainwash your customers into buying your products or services or joining your home based business opportunity?

If done right the customer will never know what hit them!!!

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Another year is upon us and if you are like most people you have hit the floor running without planning a clear objective for the upcoming year. However, top performing sales people make the time to establish clear targets. Setting goals is not a complicated process nor does it take a lot of time. Use the techniques outlined in this article to help you achieve your targets.

Ensure each of your goals follows the SMART concept: Specific, Motivational, Action-oriented, Relevant to your situation, and Time-bound. For example, “I will increase my sales by 15% compared to last year.” Be as specific about your goal as possible. “I will start my own catering business” is a lot stronger than “I want to go into business for myself.” Challenging goals are motivating. Set goals that will push beyond what you usually think you can accomplish. Remember to set a deadline. A goal without a deadline is simply a dream. Attach a realistic yet challenging deadline for accomplishment and post this where you can review it regularly. Phrase your goal in the present tense and assume success. Don’t say, “I want to.” Say, “I will.” This subtle technique tells your subconscious that you have already achieved your goal which means it will go work at helping the goal become a reality. It will attract the people, places, and situations you need to achieve that goal. Put them in writing. This simple act helps you clarify your goals and will allow you to visualize them more effectively. I recommend that you record each goal on a separate index card and review them twice a day - once in the morning (when you first wake up) and again before you go to bed. This process reinforces your goals, acts as a reminder and drives your goals deep into your subconscious. In fact, this is one of the most powerful strategies you can use to achieve your targets. List the benefits you intend to receive by achieving each goal. This will keep you focused and strong particularly when you face the inevitable roadblocks and barriers. Years ago, when I chose to quit smoking, I listed 75 benefits and when I felt the urge for a cigarette I would review this list to help me get past that craving. The more benefits you can list for your goals, the more motivating those goals will become. As you review your goals each morning and evening, picture yourself achieving each of them. The more you can “see” success in your mind’s eye, the more likely you can translate this into reality. Create a perfect picture in your mind and replay it frequently. Developing a picture board can help with this. This is a very effective tool that allows you to see the visual impact of achieving your goals. When my wife and I bought our first house we clipped photographs and pictures of what we wanted our house to have and pasted them on to a large sheet of poster board. We hung this near the front door of our apartment so we could see it every time we left or entered the apartment. We also created a thermometer of “down-payment savings” to help us track our progress. We had a clear deadline and were able to surpass this deadline by almost 30 days. I now keep track of my annual revenues, speaking engagements and book sales in the same manner. I post these sheets on my office wall where I can see them everyday and they allow me to track my progress with a quick glance. Anticipate the challenges you will encounter and plan how you will overcome them. This will prepare you for them and help you overcome the obstacles easier and with less stress. In fact, the simple act of planning for obstacles will often prevent many of them from occurring. Surround yourself with successful, motivated people who also set challenging goals. I share my goals with several friends and associates. When we get together, we motivate each other by talking about our success, our challenges, and our goals. A word of caution: Be careful who you share your goals with. People who are not goal-oriented will not support you, and in many cases, will actually try to dissuade you from your goals. Use affirmations. If you plan to quit smoking repeat statement such as, “I enjoy the lifestyle of a non-smoker,” “I’m glad I’m a non-smoker,” “I enjoy the taste of food more as a non-smoker.” Stating affirmations aloud reinforces your goal to your mind and will help you achieve your goal much faster. Take action. Don’t procrastinate. All the planning in the world will not help you achieve your goals. You MUST take action. Once you have determined a goal for yourself, take action within 24 hours. This will set the wheels in motion and create the necessary momentum you need. I once heard a speaker state, “We are either moving toward or away from our goals.” Develop the habit of taking action on a daily basis. Achieving greatness and a higher level of success is not that difficult. However, it does require discipline, focus and a clear idea of what you want to accomplish. Follow these steps and have your best year ever! © 2005 Kelley Robertson, All rights reserved

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Are you searching for new and innovative ways of sales lead generation? Are you lacking in sources of good quality leads? Are you tired and bored using the same methods for generating sales leads?

If you answered No to these questions you’re either satisfied with the income you’re earning - or you’re not interested in earning a 6-figure income in sales. Please stop reading this article.

If you answered Yes, then you’re going to be very excited to read not only this article but the rest of the series I’ve written on sales lead generation.

Here are the 11 most profitable methods I’ve found for sales lead generation that have turned hundreds of sales people into 6-figure sales people.

Sphere of Influence

Create a list of at least 100 people you know. Send out an introductory letter telling them about your product or service. Talk with each person at least every three months. Send them information of interest at planned intervals throughout the year. Consistently ask for and receive quality referrals. Remember, if each person you know also knows 100 people, well you get the idea.

Cold calling

Using cold calling effectively for sales lead generation requires five key ingredients. Target the market you are going to call. Know your objective (get an appointment, get a name). Have a memorized script. Smile. Be prepared for rejection. Have fun!

Knocking on doors

This method is much the same as cold calling. I used this very effectively in real estate. I used to knock on doors year round. Do you think people would remember someone who knocked on their door in the middle of winter?

Farming

This is another technique that is used effectively in real estate and can be adapted to any product or service. Pick a market of 200 homes or businesses and become the only person they think of in regards to your product or service.

Seminars

Seminars are great for sales lead generation. People who attend your seminar have an interest in the information you are presenting and a need for your product or service.

Mass mailing

Also known as direct marketing. Successful used of this method requires mailing a well written sales letter to a targeted mailing list.

Newspapers

Pay attention to the local news, business and announcements sections. Look for the people who get promoted, have babies, buy and sell homes and start up new businesses. There may be leads here for your product or service.

Email publications

Getting email addresses of past and current clients, your sphere of influence and any one else you come in contact with is a great way to keep in touch.

Hairstylist

Most everyone has a barber or hairstylist they use on a regular basis. When ever I’m in the chair the conversation covers a variety of topics.

Offer them a $1 for every card they pass out or motivate them even more by offering a percentage of the sale that result from their referral.

I’ve even picked up business myself while getting my haircut. Keep your ears and eyes open at all times.

Daily Contacts

Every day when you leave the house take twenty business cards with you and make it a point to give them away. That’s twenty cards times five work days. If you’re really ambitious, do it on Saturday and Sunday also.

When you’re looking to generate lots of quality sales leads the more lines you have in the water the more fish you’re apt to catch.

These are all effective methods of sales lead generation and should be used regularly.

The title says 11 methods of sales lead generation, however, if you count there are only ten. That’s because I gave the best and most effective lead generation method its own page. If you effectively work this method you will soon find you have more business than you can handle.

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As a professional service provider you face special challenges promoting yourself to potential clients. You may have certain restrictions on how you market or advertise. You may feel overwhelmed by the demands of being both owner and employee. You might not have a strong base of effective selling & marketing skills. In addition, you may believe that self promotion is somehow unprofessional and pushy or even unnecessary. Very often, professionals “open up shop” and expect, much like in the Field of Dreams, “if you build it, they will come.”

I don’t deny that there is some validity to this approach; for instance, if you rent space in a strategic location and let your colleagues know you’re there then you are likely to get referrals - eventually. This is fine if you’re willing to wait months or years to create a thriving business. The bottom line is that you must let people know who you are and what you can do if you want to be successful in selling your services now.

This does not mean that you adopt a persona that doesn’t suit you or that you try all the marketing and sales techniques you can find while desperately seeking one that works. Instead, I’d like to offer you the 7 “C” approach to successfully selling your professional service.

Clarity. This refers to spending time to craft a clear, compelling and memorable message. It involves being very clear about the benefits of your service and finding a way to “speak the language” of your potential customers. Very often, professionals resort to phrases like, “I help my clients reach their goals.” “I do tax returns.” “I give massages”. Is there anything particularly compelling or memorable about any of these statements? Not really. Instead, how about these: “I help my clients reach their goals of working 51% less and making 52% more.” Or “My clients legally pay fewer taxes” Or “I provide a special type of massage which can permanently reduce the pain from old injuries.” Do you see how each of these statements provides more clarity and gives the potential customer more information about benefits? The power of clarity is that you know, right away, if your potential client will buy from you. At the very least you’ve provided the potential client a memorable way to remember you-so s/he can refer friends.

Caring. This point might go without saying, but, just in case this is a new idea you want to be sure you care about your customers. Marketing is most effective (and easiest) when you have a passion for your service and absolutely know that it’s effective. You really want people to experience your service because you care, for instance, that they work less and make more, that they save money on tax day or that they are pain-free. If you can’t think of anything in your service that you care about deeply, passionately and vocally keep looking until you do. Finding this aspect is like unlocking a treasure chest!

Congruency. Another aspect to consider in marketing yourself is that of congruency. Congruency is the match between what you say and what you do. This “match” between inner and outer helps potential clients understand you and remember you. For example, if you say that you’re a financial services advisor, specializing in accounts over $500k, make sure you “look” and “act” the part. This means that you will behave much like your ideal clients. You will dress the same, read the same magazines, spend time in the same restaurants or belong to the same professional groups. Your ideal clients will be attracted to you if you are congruent between what you say and what you do. Build your credibility by cultivating this ‘match’ within yourself.

Competency. The best marketing in the world will not save a professional who is not competent and skilled at his or her trade. Although you are probably extraordinarily competent already make sure to maintain this “edge” by continuous learning. To continue being extremely skilled upgrade your education and training whenever needed. The highly skilled professional commands higher fees and find it easier to attract and retain high quality clients.

Charisma. Charisma is the skill of leading and developing a devoted following. You can increase your charisma and should make every effort to do so. Be aware of your “silent” language. Do you look interested? Are you listening? Do you ask good questions? Do you provide the prospect an opportunity to ask questions or get more information? Do you have resources to recommend to this client if it turns out she or he is not a match for your business?

Consistency. The most effective marketing strategy ever is consistency. Day in and day out, you must commit to marketing yourself and your professional services. It is too easy to forgo marketing when business picks up which may leave you scrambling for business during a downturn. Instead, commit fully to daily marketing actions and then take them.

Let’s say that you’re ready to put these 6 C’s in place but you’d like someone to help you move forward. Consider, then, a 7th “C”- Coaching. If you’re a person who is open to new approaches, willing to take action and believe that support, guidance, and accountability would benefit you, consider working with a Certified Sales Coach. These specially trained professionals can help you develop the skills you need to build your ideal business in record time.

(c) 2003. Dr. Rachna D. Jain. All Rights in All Media Reserved.

About The Author

Dr. Rachna D. Jain is Director of Operations for Sales Coach Training a division of Comprehensive Coaching U. If you’d like to learn more about working with a Certified Sales Coach, please visit http://www.salescoachtraining.com/meet.html.

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A lot of effort is put into getting new clients. We all know our client base will change. Previous clients can move to a new area, sell their business, close down, or change their priorities. So finding new business is always important - but so is keeping your previous clients. Here are nine ways to keep previous clients coming back for more!

1) Provide exceptional service. Sounds obvious, but is very hard to do consistently. If clients believe they can’t do better elsewhere, they won’t succumb to the temptation of trying another provider.

2) Maintain your database. This can be as simple or complex as you like. Just make sure it meets the needs of your business. You must have suitable contact details, and preferably some measure of sales value. For example, I use email extensively with my clients, so having current email addresses is paramount. But I have clients who must use regular postal mail to communicate with their clients, as their clients do not widely use email. So postal address details are critical in their situation.

3) Use direct mail. This is your pipeline to future sales. Create regular opportunities to communicate directly with your previous clients, especially if your service has a long sales cycle. Keep in touch between purchase decisions.

4) Make special offers. Find ways to encourage previous clients to buy from you. Examples may be: package offers; time sensitive deals; introducing new services; pre-releasing information or products to current clients before the general public.

5) Run special events. Offer a free (or low cost) seminar to your clients on current issues. Invite complementary businesses, local business people, or celebrities to present new ideas. Use breakfast meetings, lunchtime executive briefings, or evening functions. The key here is to add value for your clients, outside of their usual dealings with you.

6) Write a note. Get a pen and write a personal message. This could be triggered by seasonal activities, birthdays, business events, or personal circumstances. Let your clients know you are still thinking of them.

7) Ring them up. Where possible get on the phone to previous clients and have a chat. Make it brief but meaningful. Keep posted on their current projects and priorities. Seek out ways you can help.

Promote your business. Demonstrate the value you can provide. If you have recently written a useful report, or presented a topic at a conference, or issued a press release, or conducted some research, or completed an interesting project, tell your clients about it. Don’t keep your hard work a secret.

9) Send reminders. Many businesses have the opportunity to offer ongoing services for previous clients. Send a reminder about servicing, maintenance, periodic reviews, or changes to relevant regulatory requirements.

(c) 2004 Stuart Ayling

Stuart Ayling runs Marketing Nous, an Australasian marketing consultancy that specialises in marketing for service businesses. He helps clients to improve their marketing tactics, attract more clients, and increase revenue. For additional marketing resources, including Stuart’s popular monthly newsletter, visit his web site at www.marketingnous.com.au

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offer as free bonus or part of a product for sale as long
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Psychological Tricks in Selling

By Stephen Bucaro

In this article, I’m revealing six powerful secret
psychological tricks that you can use to increase the
effectiveness of your advertising and marketing. What if
you don’t sell anything? Should you ignore this information?

You ARE selling something. Whether you are a Real Estate
agent selling multi-million dollar homes, or a worker trying
to sell your boss on the idea that you are a valuable
employee, everybody is selling something. So it would be
wise to learn these secret tricks and use them to achieve
your own personal success.

The secret psychological tricks that I am going to reveal
are not really secret. They have been used by shrewed
salesman for millenium. Their existence was revealed back
in 1984 by Dr. Robert Cialdini in his book “Influence : The
Psychology of Persuasion”.

You will recognize these tricks being used everywhere in
advertising today. Now you will be able to put them to use
to enhance your own personal success.

Psychological Selling Trick Number 1: Reciprocity

Reciprocity works like this: you give someone something of
value for free. That individual feels an obligation to
return the favor. Reciprocity is a very powerful principle.

To use reciprocity as a marketing tool, you give people
something of value for free, they reciprocate by purchasing
your product or service. But you would be surprised how
many advertisers totally blow it. Either they don’t
understand the concept of “free”, or they don’t have total
faith in the principle of reciprocity.

For example, consider the offer “get a free camera when you
subscribe to our magazine for two years.” That’s not free.
Or, “free installation with a one year commitment.” That’s
not free. The customer is paying with an obligation. No sale.

Consider the offer,”receive the latest issue of our
magazine absolutely free. No bill will be sent.” If the
prospective customer finds the magazine to be of value,
they feel an obligation to subscribe. Or, “one month of
free Internet service. No credit card required.” If the
Internet service performs well, the prospective customer
feels an obligation to sign up.

The trick is to create something that has high perceived
value to a prospective customer, but costs you little or
nothing to produce. Free information is a good example.
Here again many advertisers totally blow it. The free
information turns out to be nothing more than blatant
advertising.

Free samples of your product or service is another good
example. Again, many businesses blow it. They either
produce a cheaper version of their product to use as free
samples, or they use the free sample campaign as a means
to dump reject product.

The largest Internet Service Provider is well known for
giving away hundreds of hours of service for free. No
credit card required. The largest cookie company is famous
for giving away free cookies. Reciprocity is a very powerful
marketing strategy.

Psychological Selling Trick Number 2: Scarcity

Scarcity works like this: There is a limited amount of the
item available. After those are gone, the item will not be
available. “urgency” implies Scarcity. For example, “this
offer will be honored only for a limited time”.

The effectiveness of the scarcity principle is well
demonstrated by the large segment of the population involved
in pursuing antiques, collectibles, and memorabilia simply
because these items are scarce. Scarcity is often contrived,
as when a company produces a “limited edition”.

For example, when Disney releases a limit edition of one of
its classic stories - yes, limited to a production of more
copies than they could ever possibly sell - then it goes in
the “vault”. And how fortunate we’ll be a few years from
now when they decide to do us the favor of taking it back
out of the vault.

Note: Manufactured items, especially DVDs and CD-ROMs,
cannot be “scarce”. It’s a simple matter to put the
manufacturing dies back into production. All scarcities of
manufactured items are contrived.

One popular incarnation of scarcity is the “going out of
business sale”. Customers somehow don’t pick up on the
fact that the mark-downs are not that great, or that the
store has new merchandise coming in the back door to take
advantage of the increase in traffic.

Scarcity is a very powerful marketing tool. There are many
ways to contrive scarcity. You can create a limited edition,
or for items like information products, scarcity can exist
in the form of urgency by creating a limited time offer.

Psychological Selling Trick Number 3: Commitment

Commitment involves getting a prospective customer to take
a tiny step towards a goal. For example, you might get them
to request free information, or fill out a survey. When the
prospective customer takes that first step, they have made
a commitment, however tentative, towards the goal you have
set out for them. They are likely to take another step.

One example of this process is the “two step” method used
in mail order. When a mail order marketer runs an
advertisement, they don’t even try to sell the product.
Instead, the advertisement offers free information. A
prospective customer makes that first commitment towards
purchasing the product by requesting the free information.
The free information they receive is designed to entice
them to take the next step.

Another example of using commitment as a marketing tool is
a survey. By checking a few boxes and answering a few
questions, a prospective customer takes that first step
towards a commitment. The result they receive from the
survey is designed to entice them to take the next step.

Yet another example of using commitment as a marketing tool
is a lottery. For example, people enter their name and
address on a ticket for a chance to win a new car. A
salesman uses that information to contact them. By entering
their name and address on the lottery ticket, the individual
has made a commitment to own that new car.

The most common example of the principle of commitment are
those long-winded full page advertisements in magazines.
The prospective customer invests a great deal of time
reading through the entire advertisement. That investment
of time represents a commitment. They are likely to take
the next step, responding to the advertisement.

To use the psychological power of commitment in your
advertising, don’t try to sell your product or service in
your ad. Instead, use a survey, contest, or free information
to get a prospective customer to make that first step
towards a commitment to purchase your product.

Psychological Selling Trick Number 4: Consensus

Consensus involves getting prospective customers to believe
that “everybody’s doing it”. Everybody is just waiting in
line to purchase your product. Everybody can’t be wrong, so
the product must be fantastic!

Of course you’re smart enough to know that everybody CAN be
wrong. Everybody thought that SUVs were safe vehicles (they
roll over). Everybody thought Enron was a great investment
(it went bankrupt). Everybody thought Iraq had weapons of
mass destruction (well maybe not everybody). You’re an
independent thinker.

Here are some examples of headlines using the consensus
principle: “It’s the new sensation crossing the country”,
“People are signing up in droves”, “People just can’t get
enough of them”, “Record sales”, “Unbelievable response!”
and “Join millions of smart consumers”. Combine this with
a stock photograph of a large group of people, a long line
of people, or a crowd of people, and you have a powerful
consensus message.

Note: Many people don’t think they’re having fun unless
they’re in a large, noisy crowd. Unfortunately, every
large crowd contains a few lunatics. When things go wrong,
the crowd stampedes and people get hurt, or killed. When I
see a large crowd, I head the other way.

Fortuately, most people are not independent thinkers. They
act like a herd of cattle. Use the consensus principle in
your advertising, and people, like lemmings headed for the
sea, will come in waves to buy your product.

Psychological Selling Trick Number 5: Authority

Authority involves getting prospective customers to believe
that someone who is knowledgeable or famous uses your
product or service. If a knowledgeable or famous person uses
your product, then it must be fantastic!

The bigger the authority, the more powerful the advertising
message will be. For example, doctors are authorities. “Most
doctors prescribe Tylenol for arthritis pain”. Large
organizations are authorities. “The National Heart
Association says - Quaker oatmeal is good for your heart.”
The Federal Government is an authority. “The U.S. Food and
Drug Administration says whole wheat bread is part of a
complete diet”. If only we could think of a way to use God
as an authority!

Here’s how to use the principle of authority in advertising:
search the Internet for any references to your product or
service. Find an article that alludes to your product being
of value. For example, let’s say you sell black T-shirts.
You find an article by the U.S. Department of Agriculture
that says “bees are attracted to bright colored clothing”.
Your copy: “The U.S. Department of Agriculture that says my
T-shirts protect you from attack by stinging insects.”

Most advertising using the authority principle is taken out
of context and exaggerated. Some advertising uses totally
fake authorities. “My dog biscuits are recommended by the
International Association of Dog Nutritionists” (an
organization I started last week). Some advertising uses a
“study” as an authority. “A recent study found that my
lemonade tastes better than any other brand” (my mother
liked it better).

I don’t recommend that you use a fake organization, a fake
study, or take information out of context or exaggerate,
but if you can locate a legitimate authority or study
related in any way to your product and quote it without
exaggeration, you will have a powerful authority message.

Psychological Selling Trick Number 6: Greed

Greed involves taking advantage of many peoples belief that
there is a secret short cut to wealth. They believe that
wealthy people didn’t earn their wealth, instead they know
a “secret”.

Note: I am not recommending that you use the principle of
greed because it is used by unethical scammers. I’m simply
informing you of it’s existence in order to make this series
of articles complete.

The simplest method of using the principle of greed is the
chain letter. You have no doubt received a chain letter at
some point. A chain letter contains a chart specifying the
massive amounts of money the recipient will get when they
follow the instructions. The first instruction is to send
money.

The multi-level or network marketing scheme works similar
to a chain letter. The prospective recruit gets a chart
showing the massive amounts of money they will receive when
they join the network. After parting with their money, the
victim is instructed to con their friends and relatives
into joining.

Another method of using the principle of greed is the
lottery or casino. The odds of winning most lotteries are
about the same whether you buy a ticket or not. A casino
allocates only a tiny portion of it’s customers money to
winnings in order to create the illusion that the odds of
winning are good. Many people don’t understand statistics.
In their mind, the phrase “win a million dollars” translates
into “get a million dollars”.

Another example of the principle of greed is the business
opportunity scam. We know it works because successful
scammers invest millions to run business opportunity
infomercials, and they make hundreds of millions in profits.
They prey on people who believe there is a secret short cut
to wealth. The scammers think people who fall for their
scam are stupid, lazy, and greedy, so they deserve to get
ripped off.

The way to use the principle of greed is to contrive a
“secret plan”. Run an ad describing how the plan requires
absolutely no work to make massive amounts of money. Include
a few bogus testimonials and a legitimate looking chart
that shows the massive amount of money the plan will bring.
Some scammers include pictures of fake checks or fake bank
statements.

Never divulge any details of the plan in the ad. The
prospective customer is required to send money to get the
plan. The typical plan instructs the purchaser to run the
same scam.

The principle of greed is very powerful. People who have
been ripped of by this scam a thousand times before will,
like hypnotized zombies, send you their money. They think
THIS TIME they will receive the REAL secret plan.

———————————————————-
Resource Box:
Copyright(C) 2004 Bucaro TecHelp. To learn how to maintain
your computer and use it more effectively to design a Web
site and make money on the Web visit bucarotechelp.com
To subscribe to Bucaro TecHelp Newsletter visit
http://bucarotechelp.com/search/000800.asp
———————————————————-

To learn how to maintain your computer and use it more effectively to design a Web site and make money on the Web visit bucarotechelp.com
To subscribe to Bucaro TecHelp Newsletter visit
http://bucarotechelp.com/search/000800.asp

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