markwaynebailey.com

Keeping the tide of customers

2011-09-16T16:31:00.000-05:00

Relationships are never constant

2011-07-22T13:02:00.001-05:00

The relationships we have with others are vital. They are vital not only for our heath and well being but also for our profession as sales people. A sincere desire to connect to others with an attitude of service rather than a selfish motive will strengthen your relationships.

"Relationships are never constant. Relationships are either growing closer together in mutual trust or they are moving further apart."

So how do we develop such a relationship? With a sincere desire to;

- Listen with compassion and understanding
- Serve without selfishness
- Do what we say we will
- Stay in touch

Communication is key. And listening is a very important part of communication. Listen and have the patience to paraphrase what the other parties concerns or needs are and seek agreement from them as to what they exactly need, want or desire. Listen more than talk. Get details. Paint a picture. Stop thinking about what the next thing is that your going to say. Step out of your comfort zone in critical conversations that may be difficult for you to address.

Love people. Have sympathy and compassion for what their situation or problem is. When they know you can be trusted and your not seeking to satisfy your own selfishness they will begin to trust you. Be humble. People can see right through self centered arrogant people. If you are self centered then do some inner reflection on your significance in the universe and grand scheme of things. The problem is that most self centered people are too busy thinking about themselves to do such reflection. They are blind to their own selfishness.

Be careful what you commit. If you say you will do something make sure that you do everything possible to do it. If for some reason it is not possible make sure you take the time to explain early. Don't forget what you said you would do. Write it down. Set a reminder. Say what you do and do what you say!

Stay in touch because you care about them and not for any specific reason except because you love people and you value their relationship.

Internet Half Truths

2011-01-29T14:36:00.000-06:00

The problem with half truths is you don't know which half you have a hold of. And the world appears to be full of them. Especially on the internet. Here are just 7 of many.

1) Internet Experts
Many on the internet are now an expert and they have reinvented themselves into something or someone they would like to be without paying the price. Who is the person behind the picture. What is their background?

2) Internet Marketing to Get Rich
Get rich schemes on the internet are some of the biggest half truths. You can easily tell when they show you their bank account growing but they never show their expenses. I don't care how much is coming in. I want to see the bottom line. How much did you spend on Google Ad-words to drive that income.

3) Friend Requests
Social media friend requests when the truth is they don't have time to be your friend or build a relationship. They have something to sell. Why do they call them friend requests? Why would I trust any of your recommendations? I don't even know you. Facebook needs a "Net-worker Request"

4) Automated Twitter Replies
Automated adds and replies from a Twitter account in order to build traffic. I find Twitter very useful to find useful links to useful information quickly. Information that I may not have found by myself. So as soon as I find out the other half of the truth about the person and get spammed then I remove them.

5) Dating Profiles
Dating site profiles. Of course who is going to mention that they are really a slob or they are rude to waiters and an arrogant, self centered, controlling jerk, on their profile. And you can bet that the pictures are the best shots ever taken and may even be dated. Remember the vacation brochure that set your expectations? Now remember the vacation? Don't get me wrong. I know many honest people that put up honest profiles.

6) Authors
Everyone is an author now. This is the information age. I am very careful what I read unless it is fiction. It could be a book full of Half Truths!

7) Salespeople are Liars
The misconception that every Salesperson is just trying to sell you something and that they only tell Half Truths.

So what? We all do it. All sales and marketing and advertising is a Half Truth. You have to entice in order to even get a chance to tell "The Rest of the Story".

No you don't. And what I have learned in my 35 years in Sales and Marketing is that if you are representing a product or service that you cannot lay out all the facts then maybe you should find another product or service to sell.

Many companies advertise ethically. But the world is changing into a world where ethics do not matter. Many individuals and companies do not have a foundation of right or wrong and only care about themselves. They may act like they are listening to your needs but are really thinking about the next thing to do or say to persuade you to buy what they are selling.

This hurts us all. And in the long run means less business. Everyone is chasing viral marketing. Referrals come from meeting the needs of the customer. We can disclose all the facts and still show the customer how the product will meet needs.

Your customer will appreciate you for it. Will be pleased with their purchase. And may even tell their friends or give you a referral.

Personal Branding

2011-01-24T10:44:00.000-06:00

A common mistake made by personal branding agencies is the attempt of transforming people into something they can not identify 100%. The goal in choosing our personal brand is always to discover the strongest and most appealing aspect of our character and then promote that part of us until we become the embodiment of that trait. And there has never been more ways to promote that part of us than nowadays - especially online.

When you decide to promote your brand identity there is one golden rule: You must never try to be something you are not, something you do not represent or have interest in. Your personal branding must always be a true reflection of who you really are. If you do not believe in yourself and your plan the others will not believe it either.

What really amazes me is that we now have a term, "Personal Branding" for a way that we should be anyway. Otherwise we are plastic and phony and liars. This evolved from re-inventing yourself without putting in the effort to do so. Re-inventing oneself is a whole separate subject of its own.

Should I wait for the iPad 2 ?

2011-01-22T11:22:00.000-06:00

The iPad 2. With the successful release of the iPad last year, it is rumored that a new version is coming out in 2011. iPad 2 will have more features and capabilities. I even heard there will be 3 versions of the product.

Business Should Focus on Social Media The Chris Voss Show

2009-11-18T19:49:00.000-06:00

Geo Targeting or Social Media Marketing ?

2009-11-18T18:47:00.000-06:00

In today's world where your customer seldom picks up and or opens a yellow page directory to find your business it is very important to be found on-line. And to be found first. So SEO Search Engine Optimization is important but so is Marketing via Social Media.

You want your customers to become fans of your business and to promote it to all their friends and family. With the research tool of the internet people no longer trust advertising. People have DVR Digital Video Recorder that allow them to skip commercials when they watch TV or are watching TV on their laptop. Just like many have read consumer reports before making a purchase people can now get reviews on just about anything on-line. The business with the old Web 1.0 Stagnant Website that just sits like a billboard and does not allow interaction with customers may be trying to hide something.

Proudly display your Company and allow feedback that will allow improvements to your product and service and make fans that will become trusted advisors and promote your business virally.

So both Geo Targeting and Social Media Marketing are important as they are different advertising means. Social media will draw prospects to your website and into your business over a time frame where Geo Targeting is to attract the buyer who is ready to buy today and may be driving by doing a search on a mobile phone. Make sure you have budgeted for both means. Just like in the old days you budgeted for print, and other forms of media advertising like radio or TV.

Please comment about your success with either Geo Targeting or Social Media Marketing.

Why do you utilize Social Media Marketing ?

2009-11-02T13:26:00.000-06:00

Definition of Geo Targeting

2009-11-02T08:30:00.000-06:00

Geo targeting
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Geo targeting in geomarketing and internet marketing is the method of determining the geolocation (the physical location) of a website visitor and delivering different content to that visitor based on his or her location, such as country, region/state, city, metro code/zip code, organization, Internet Protocol (IP) address, ISP or other criteria.

Geo Targeting Marketing Technology

2009-11-01T18:37:00.000-06:00

Small to medium businesses have to stay abreast of the latest marketing trends in order to grow their business. In the age where potential customers no longer use yellow pages to find them it becomes more important not just to have an internet presence. But to be on the first page of a Google Search when a potential buyer enters any keywords that would refer to their business.

Small business can afford to compete with the big companies now that spend millions to be on that first page on a local basis with the latest geo-targeted technologies. This gives him local buyers in a 5, 10, 20, 50 or 100 mile radius of their business. Many of these buyers are ready to buy and using Google Searches on their cell phones as they drive by looking for you.