tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57578359850644502132012-02-16T15:58:38.308-08:00Revenue, and Profit, through sales are absolutly critical to any business. Alloy CRM will help your company realise it's SALES POTENTIAL using both on-line and off-line strategies. Alloy CRM - Helping You Keep Your Customers Away From The CompetitionAlloy CRMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12104731923794317308noreply@blogger.comBlogger78125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757835985064450213.post-42074974810444786332012-02-13T03:22:00.001-08:002012-02-13T03:24:58.637-08:002012-02-13T03:24:58.637-08:00

Some of you may know that I have an interest in older large BMW's. Once they are over 10 years old their value plummets and they are fantastic, super luxury value. Not without issues of course as some repairs can be un-viable. There has always been debate on the BMW forums about green issues with these cars as yes, they do drink a lot of fuel. But the discussion is much deeper on 'built to last'

Alloy CRMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12104731923794317308noreply@blogger.com0http://realworldsalesstrategy.blogspot.com/2012/02/are-we-really-green.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757835985064450213.post-86699618822308276492011-08-10T07:03:00.000-07:002011-08-10T07:03:36.372-07:002011-08-10T07:03:36.372-07:00

Lots of talk about disenfranchised kids, no job prospects and increased tuition fees. All used as an excuse for appalling anti-social behaviour against what is really their own community. Where has it all gone wrong? My personal perception is that of a change in culture generally to one of 'mine by right' rather than the one I grew up in which was more 'work hard to achieve what you want'. Our

Alloy CRMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12104731923794317308noreply@blogger.com1http://realworldsalesstrategy.blogspot.com/2011/08/riotous-thoughts.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757835985064450213.post-45883748202548620002011-02-16T03:42:00.000-08:002011-02-16T03:42:37.526-08:002011-02-16T03:42:37.526-08:00

Are you complacent about your business and your customers? A recent new venture of mine has highlighted that many businesses do just that. I identified a niche - that Holy Grail of business ideas. The niche was created when one business, that had gone part way to fulfilling that niche, ceased on the death of the owner. For 12 months I looked at the void that was left and fully expected one of

Alloy CRMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12104731923794317308noreply@blogger.com0http://realworldsalesstrategy.blogspot.com/2011/02/are-you-complacent-about-your-business.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757835985064450213.post-68738720047955478632011-01-14T06:12:00.000-08:002011-01-14T06:13:04.348-08:002011-01-14T06:13:04.348-08:00

We live in an age of instant response. If we want something, we want it NOW - not next week. My work with Customer Relationship Management (CRM) over the last 15 years has taught me the importance of a fast response to enquiries to ensure that prospects turn into customers. I'm the first to hold up my hands and say that I don't always do it right, but I try my best! I remember, back in 2000,

Alloy CRMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12104731923794317308noreply@blogger.com0http://realworldsalesstrategy.blogspot.com/2011/01/we-live-in-age-of-instant-response-if.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757835985064450213.post-5270701181060513052010-11-11T02:01:00.000-08:002010-11-11T02:01:44.368-08:002010-11-11T02:01:44.368-08:00

There has been an email going around the last few days scaremongering that Google has radically changed it's natural listing ranking format by including 'Google Places Pages'. Google Places Pages are what we have know for a long time as Google Business Listings. They have been a useful long term SEO tactic for local businesses such as trades and B2B suppliers. Not many people had latched on to

Alloy CRMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12104731923794317308noreply@blogger.com0http://realworldsalesstrategy.blogspot.com/2010/11/has-google-changed-way-it-ranks.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757835985064450213.post-87532331749018641012010-11-04T07:10:00.000-07:002010-11-04T07:10:51.233-07:002010-11-04T07:10:51.233-07:00

One of my FaceBook friends re-posted this article today (you can click past the popup advert). It's important that everyone with a website should read it and follow the results as they unfold. Creating content for your website MUST be from you and your business, not pinched from someone else's site. That's an infringement of copyright. The Internet is NOT in a copyright free bubble and writers

Alloy CRMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12104731923794317308noreply@blogger.com0http://realworldsalesstrategy.blogspot.com/2010/11/be-careful-with-your-web-content.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757835985064450213.post-86811945838838958882010-11-04T06:39:00.000-07:002010-11-04T07:22:08.928-07:002010-11-04T07:22:08.928-07:00

The bloke in front of me in the gastro pub queue that we go to most weeks, to meet up with our daughter, came back and moaned that his wine was short measured. It was one of those multi size glasses with lines to show 125ml and 175ml. He didn't do it politely, he was positively aggressive. It was pointed out to him that it was small wine (125ml) and that's what he'd been charged for but he

Alloy CRMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12104731923794317308noreply@blogger.com1http://realworldsalesstrategy.blogspot.com/2010/11/what-makes-some-people-so-obnoxious.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757835985064450213.post-10341955598890517002010-10-06T02:40:00.000-07:002010-10-06T02:40:55.528-07:002010-10-06T02:40:55.528-07:00

A meeting with a sizable Norfolk based business during the week reminded me of an analogy I have used in the past when running sales and marketing workshops. Making your product or service appeal to a much wider audience can be a challenge for many, and even seem unnecessary to others. Niche is king and specialising can be the route to fame and fortune. But does making that product 'one size

Alloy CRMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12104731923794317308noreply@blogger.com0http://realworldsalesstrategy.blogspot.com/2010/10/is-your-product-or-service-one-size.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757835985064450213.post-62660569209885005052010-09-20T04:38:00.000-07:002010-09-20T04:38:37.024-07:002010-09-20T04:38:37.024-07:00

Here's a damn good reason why you should have a clear sign on your business premises. I have used a local computer parts reseller in Great Yarmouth recently and they were very helpful and friendly. Looking for an external USB sound card for my laptop to improve the sound quality, I thought I would give them a call to see if they had what I needed to avoid a longer trip into Norwich. But I

Alloy CRMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12104731923794317308noreply@blogger.com0http://realworldsalesstrategy.blogspot.com/2010/09/get-yourself-found-on-google-but.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757835985064450213.post-26015696737249105952010-09-02T03:18:00.000-07:002010-09-02T03:18:39.438-07:002010-09-02T03:18:39.438-07:00

Am I to be the next James Bond? A deviation from my normal business based blogs today - but interesting. We all dream but most are forgotten within moments of waking. The vivid one I had last night hasn't gone away (perhaps it was one from the film 'Inception'). I'm sitting in the doorway of an aircraft. A bit like the large sliding door of a rescue helicopter but at 10,000 feet and at

Alloy CRMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12104731923794317308noreply@blogger.com1http://realworldsalesstrategy.blogspot.com/2010/09/am-i-to-be-next-james-bond.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757835985064450213.post-42384416268270768902010-08-18T08:54:00.000-07:002010-08-19T00:39:08.075-07:002010-08-19T00:39:08.075-07:00

As I work my way through my 60th year (blimey that's scary) I reflect on the changes I've seen in that time. Has this last half century and a bit seen the greatest change in the way the human race lives and works? When I think back to my very early years, and starting at infants school as it was known then, I was part of a family that had a car and telephone - not because we were rich - simply

Alloy CRMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12104731923794317308noreply@blogger.com0http://realworldsalesstrategy.blogspot.com/2010/08/relecting-on-life-of-change.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757835985064450213.post-65437387765064529502010-08-13T08:14:00.000-07:002010-08-13T08:14:07.678-07:002010-08-13T08:14:07.678-07:00

Why? Because I spoke to a lady today who knows she is to be made redundant after many years in the public sector and is planning to start her own business when that happens in a few months. But why should I feel jealous about that? Most of us in business work on the 'just in time' model. Sometimes we come up with new ideas, products or directions and they need to be actioned NOW. Maybe

Alloy CRMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12104731923794317308noreply@blogger.com0http://realworldsalesstrategy.blogspot.com/2010/08/i-feel-jealous.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757835985064450213.post-76615622226891951932010-08-11T09:45:00.000-07:002010-08-11T10:57:39.137-07:002010-08-11T10:57:39.137-07:00

The quality (or lack of it) of cold calls I seem to be receiving lately is upsetting. Nobody really likes to receive cold calls I'm sure, so is it not vitally important to excel in that call to make sure you get the result you are looking to achieve? I had yet another Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) company call me this afternoon. Without introduction to who they were, they proudly told me

Alloy CRMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12104731923794317308noreply@blogger.com0http://realworldsalesstrategy.blogspot.com/2010/08/do-you-do-call-calling.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757835985064450213.post-3972126642374395942010-08-10T03:34:00.000-07:002010-08-10T03:35:23.670-07:002010-08-10T03:35:23.670-07:00

Tolerance levels are low. Patience is short. Not accepting that in our prospects can ruin the chances of a sale. This morning I found a great system to help people with their web marketing. Really impressed with it, I searched around the site to see if there was an affiliate program for me to recommend it onto my contacts and clients. Then I encountered - 'The Form' It was lengthy and had a

Alloy CRMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12104731923794317308noreply@blogger.com0http://realworldsalesstrategy.blogspot.com/2010/08/dont-make-it-difficult-for-your-website.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757835985064450213.post-71734361606147266652010-07-28T01:35:00.000-07:002010-07-28T01:35:35.524-07:002010-07-28T01:35:35.524-07:00

A client of mine called me today and we were chatting about how his business was doing. He'd been struggling to get enough work in for his family team over the past year. Times have been tough in the building sector. He told me that he and his wife had been out for a meal a few weeks ago and the locally owned gastro pub they chose was looking a little tired but the food was fantastic.

Alloy CRMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12104731923794317308noreply@blogger.com0http://realworldsalesstrategy.blogspot.com/2010/07/dont-switch-off.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757835985064450213.post-41460196153545318502010-06-09T00:32:00.000-07:002010-06-09T00:32:13.004-07:002010-06-09T00:32:13.004-07:00

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is critical to all businesses. Why? Here's the answer in just 4 sentences: > Turning prospects into customers doesn't happen just by accident > Attracting your target prospect into a potential customer is demanding > Losing a prospect to your competition is annoying > Losing a customer to your competition is devastating Working with a good CRM software

Alloy CRMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12104731923794317308noreply@blogger.com0http://realworldsalesstrategy.blogspot.com/2010/06/why-is-crm-important-to-your-business.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757835985064450213.post-26017092645203670802010-05-27T09:21:00.000-07:002010-05-27T09:29:46.637-07:002010-05-27T09:29:46.637-07:00

I always love to see websites that make you scream in horror! In these days of templates and easy to use web generators you can't really believe that stuff like this is still around. Anyway enjoy these www's - (woeful web wonders) http://msy.com.au/ http://www.frnz.de/ http://www.dokimos.org/ajff/ http://home.comcast.net/~computerphysicians/ http://www.arngren.net/ http://www.cwol.com/

Alloy CRMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12104731923794317308noreply@blogger.com0http://realworldsalesstrategy.blogspot.com/2010/05/some-real-website-crackers.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757835985064450213.post-47657468829935324802010-05-06T04:43:00.000-07:002010-05-06T04:44:24.197-07:002010-05-06T04:44:24.197-07:00

Those of you who know me well also know that I really get a kick out of helping others and, like most people, I feel good if someone thanks me for it too. Working in business networking circles it's just part of life that you would sincerely thank someone for giving them a referral, great advice or some old fashioned help. I wouldn't even dream of doing anything else and most of the business

Alloy CRMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12104731923794317308noreply@blogger.com1http://realworldsalesstrategy.blogspot.com/2010/05/thanks-is-always-appreciated-isnt-it.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757835985064450213.post-30980032790485078052010-05-02T03:27:00.000-07:002010-05-26T09:26:49.575-07:002010-05-26T09:26:49.575-07:00

That's certainly how it seems to me! I've had my forms drop through the door recently and already they're at the bottom of the pile in the hope that they will go away. Simon Clarke of HWCA , a really business focused accountant, has passed me a useful Tax Guide which takes the mystery out of those Self Assessment Tax Return forms. You can download it here: http://www.alloycrm.com/tax%20guide%

Alloy CRMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12104731923794317308noreply@blogger.com0http://realworldsalesstrategy.blogspot.com/2010/05/self-assement-tax-nightmare.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757835985064450213.post-46011428058542067042010-05-01T10:14:00.000-07:002010-05-02T03:31:18.278-07:002010-05-02T03:31:18.278-07:00

Choosing a business name always seems an exciting time and loads of ideas run around your head before you finally settle on 'The One'. But there's a few things that you should consider before those ideas run wild. 1. If the business is not going to be a global player, and potentially a household name, then including something that indicates something about what you do can help potential

Alloy CRMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12104731923794317308noreply@blogger.com0http://realworldsalesstrategy.blogspot.com/2010/05/how-did-you-choose-your-business-name.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757835985064450213.post-2843780059287745962010-04-29T01:58:00.000-07:002010-04-29T01:58:05.709-07:002010-04-29T01:58:05.709-07:00

Is selling tough for you at the moment? I guess for most of us it is, especially in the current economic climate. Being a good (great) salesperson helps and will at least keep some sales flowing in, even during hard times. But just being great isn't enough anymore really. Life, the world and your prospects have moved on and the word 'gullible' has definitely been removed from their dictionary!

Alloy CRMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12104731923794317308noreply@blogger.com2http://realworldsalesstrategy.blogspot.com/2010/04/is-selling-tough-for-you.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757835985064450213.post-64437254396089081972010-04-26T12:37:00.000-07:002010-04-26T12:40:25.577-07:002010-04-26T12:40:25.577-07:00

A meeting today with a small group of new sales guys for the cross platform (Mac/Apple & PC) contact management software I'm overseeing got me thinking. I went through with them the product and it's competitors looking at a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) for each. Looked at the potential triggers for purchase and potential problems it would solve, followed up by

Alloy CRMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12104731923794317308noreply@blogger.com1http://realworldsalesstrategy.blogspot.com/2010/04/sales-meeting-got-me-thinking.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757835985064450213.post-11350066222287759212010-04-24T14:37:00.000-07:002010-04-24T14:37:54.003-07:002010-04-24T14:37:54.003-07:00

We had a stroll around the beautiful grounds of Blickling Hall in Norfolk today. A really picturesque setting with a National Trust managed stately hall as it's setting - well worth a visit. Next to the car park is a shop called Samphire that sells excellent local food including their renowned local sausages. You can't miss that their sausages are good (and I can tell you that they are good!)

Alloy CRMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12104731923794317308noreply@blogger.com0http://realworldsalesstrategy.blogspot.com/2010/04/dont-hide-your-success-shout-about-it.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757835985064450213.post-8664801645928607022010-04-23T13:51:00.000-07:002010-04-23T14:04:04.194-07:002010-04-23T14:04:04.194-07:00

On a recent web marketing course I was running, one of the delegates said ".. so my home page is a bit like the reception area of my bricks & mortar business?"Well yes, he's probably right.Those visitors who arrive on your website after seeing your domain name in your adverts, on your business card or on your van, will most certainly land on your home page. You then have just a few seconds to

Alloy CRMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12104731923794317308noreply@blogger.com0http://realworldsalesstrategy.blogspot.com/2010/04/whats-special-about-your-home-page.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757835985064450213.post-69820222238054091382010-04-23T13:27:00.000-07:002010-04-23T13:51:03.718-07:002010-04-23T13:51:03.718-07:00

How often do you really sit down and think about who your ideal customer would be?I did this excercise with a client recently. I started off by narrowing down the size of business, then the sector and finally came up with some suggested target customers.But what really developed from this was the ability to write some compelling material for their website that would focus on the problems and

Alloy CRMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12104731923794317308noreply@blogger.com0http://realworldsalesstrategy.blogspot.com/2010/04/how-often-do-you-really-sit-down-and.html