Imagine this: you've worked for hours putting together the proposal that your prospective client requested and are finally ready to hit the send button. You envision the recipient checking e-mail immediately and contacting you within a few hours to seal the deal. You have a mental picture of yourself signing the contract and depositing a nice check into your account
What you don't know is that your prospect doesn't check e-mail everyday. You failed to ask what form of communication this person prefers. Sadly for you, your competitor was on the ball and asked, "How would you like to receive this information?" By the time your e-mail proposal is opened and read, the deal is done, but not with you.
Maybe you called the prospect, who was not in, so you left the information on voice mail and waited all day for a response. As it turns out, this person only checks voice mail at the end of the day. Once again, your competitor knew this.
We are absolutely overwhelmed with ways to transmit information. Current studies indicate that e-mail is the business communication tool of choice. However, many people still prefer the telephone which has been an office staple since Alexander Graham Bell spoke to Mr. Watson from another room. That device is no longer fixed to the wall nor does it reside only on the desk. We can have our cell phones with us wherever we go and use them whenever we feel like it. Some people live by their cell phones so you can forget the office line.
The phone, whichever type it is, comes with all sorts of features and options including voice mail, caller ID and calling waiting. An added bonus to cell phones is text messaging. There are people rarely speak directly to others. They just send or leave messages.
There is the fax machine, which only a short time ago was absolutely revolutionary. Many fax machines only gather dust these days as a result of e-mail, but for some people, fax is more convenient for transmitting certain information. For a few souls, snail or old-fashioned postal mail continues to serve a useful purpose. They like originals.
We all have our preferred means of communication. If you want to be successful, grow your business and develop good client relationships, find out how your clients want to communicate. Just because you think that e-mail is the most efficient tool doesn't mean that your clients and prospects like to sit in front of a computer all day. Some may prefer to use the phone so that they can discuss issues and gauge reactions - something that is hard to do with e-mail. Others may be more comfortable getting your proposal in person.
Respecting your client's communication preferences is not just a courtesy, it's good business. It's not about you; it's about your client.
(c) 2007, Lydia Ramsey. All rights reserved. Reprint rights granted so long as article and by-line are published intact and with all links made live.
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Why would someone want to purchase from you rather than your competition over at site x?
If you don't know, you need to find out!
Start by having a look at what you have to offer and compare it with the competition. Is yours as good, are their improvements that can be made? Maybe your product is similar to another but by asking the consumer how it could be improved you could do better, make changes, be in the forefront rather than lagging behind.
Amazingly enough, many products online (and off) no matter what they are sell better only for the fact that they have a few more features, more benefits, seem bigger, have more information, a few extra testimonials.
Does this mean that the consumer really needs all these extra items, in many cases the answer is no! But the consumer ?thinks? they are more valuable only for the fact that they are getting ?more? even if the price is higher.
If you are selling a service, how do you do it differently and better than any other? This may not always be additional add-on products or services that come with you main service, it may be an intangible benefit, a philosophy or way of doing business.
What do you as the owner of the business bring to your business? What uniqueness of ?you? does your business have that others are lacking, can not or are not willing to bring to their own businesses?
Once you know what makes your business stand out from the crowd, your ?unique selling proposition?, you then need to advertise this to your clients. Your ?unique selling proposition? is at least one benefit but can be more.
So how do you know what your ?unique selling proposition? actually is or could be?
For most people it comes from ?current knowledge? and or a ?gut feeling? (intuition).
Have you looked at your own product or service and you ?know? intuitively that it could be much better?
Have you looked competitor's sites and picked a whole heap of problems but you know your own site could also be so much better?
Have you seen a ?need? in your industry that isn't being filled but haven't acted on it?
Maybe you already have a ?unique selling proposition? (which you could not be aware of) but you're just not advertising the fact which if done, would result in higher profits?
And then there's this last one which is more common then you think especially if you are a solopreneur trying to start online. You know that something, a product or service could be done so much better or differently to what it's being done now but up to this point you haven't had the confidence to step out and start it your self?
People really underestimate this online. Now if you are reading this and you already have a successful business, online or off it may not matter to you so much. However if you are new to business, been working for someone else on a average wage, there is a confidence barrier you will need to eventually break through.
I personally know as I have seen many marketers hit this wall myself included.
Once I decided that I was going to present my business in my own unique way, or utilize my own ?unique selling proposition?, that's when things started happening.
So with that being said, what is your "USP" and get promoting it today!
Both Lydia Ramsey & Chris Taylor are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Chris Taylor has sinced written about articles on various topics from Blogging, Make Money Online and The Internet. Chris Taylor ? helping web based business achieve unique distinction & maximum growth by building "life-time, client based relationships?.Visit one of my online resources and I will show you how to increase your business profits and clients quickly and ea. Chris Taylor's top article generates over 18100 views. to your Favourites.
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