Top 10 sales mistakes and how to avoid them – part 1

Posted on April 4, 2018 by Marie

I’ve just spent some time looking around various websites on this topic and it seems that the following are the most common mistakes that salespeople make.

Shut up! I'm ready to buy!

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Get the most out of your meetings

Posted on March 13, 2018 by Marie

When you have a meeting, how do you handle it?  Do you research everything in advance or simply turn up and “wing it”?  I’m not just talking about new client meetings here, but any meeting.

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Being the (second) best

Posted on March 8, 2018 by Marie

The benefits of employing a “Pepsi” strategy for your small business

Go to most small business seminars, or read any motivational sales book, and there’s one theme that will be consistent – you can grow your small business to be the biggest in your market if you shoot for the stars!

I’m all for aiming high…but what if there was a proven strategy you could use to accelerate your growth and become a strong second choice for your customers in your chosen market. The number 2 coffee shop. The second busiest accountant. The number two web-based SEO consulting firm.

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Marketing power words – 14 most powerful words in marketing!

Posted on March 4, 2018 by Elite Edge

What are the most powerful and effective words in marketing?

Interestingly, “sale” isn’t one of them.

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I hear you… but I’m not listening

Posted on February 22, 2018 by Marie

Effective listening is not a passive occupation!  It requires considerable mental effort, not only to comprehend but also to sift the words for further use.  Many people think hearing is enough.  It isn’t!

Hearing does not mean listening. Hearing is only the first stage in the listening process.

Hearing does not mean listening - there is a difference!

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Three Levels of a Product or Service

Posted on February 17, 2018 by Elite Edge

Many businesses view their product or service as the tangible item the customer receives.

So you buy a new car and that’s the product.  It’s not as simple as that in marketing terms!

The product is more than what you see

Taking the car as an example the product becomes more complex than you first thought as there are three levels to this product.  The Core product, the Actual product and the Augmented product.

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Do the hardest things well

Posted on February 1, 2018 by Elite Edge

If you’re being specific and limiting your service offering to one thing, you would be wise to aim high. Why? If your business is going to be known for something then you should aim to do the hardest thing better than anyone else.

If your customers see how well you do one of the hardest things – then they’ll likely assume that you can do all the other things just as well. Continue reading →

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Customer contact points – which one could lose you the business?

Posted on January 30, 2018 by Marie

Do you know what your customer contact points are?  Receiving your business card, speaking to your receptionist, receiving an email and visiting your website are just a few.

Are they effective? It is good practice to study every point that your company makes contact with a prospect.  Think about your office or store – does it fit with your image?  Do your brochures and sales team do you justice?

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Bringing new products to the market

Posted on January 25, 2018 by Marie

Otherwise known as the idea train, an entrepreneurs’ way if thinking is her biggest strength and, if not carefully managed, could be her biggest curse.

I probably have a new idea every day. And at the time I have it, I usually get so excited that I think it’s the next best thing. In mind, at that time, I have just made Steve Jobs look like an amateur.

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9 ways to win media coverage without news

Posted on January 20, 2018 by Elite Edge

In a nutshell you create news!

  1. Run a survey. Choose a topic that you’d like to be associated with, that’s timely and not too controversial.  Design the questions to get you the news you want and think about your sample base (the higher the more credible but you can do 10 and still report in percentages).
  2. Publish a report. You can focus a series of aptly titled reports onto different market sectors and do maybe one a month for each sector.  It need only be a 200 word checklist for example or a gallery of specific how-to tips. Continue reading →
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