This blog includes posts on lead generation, eMarketing, Web Marketing, SEO and other leading edge marketing techniques.
-Alan Blume
Archive for the 'Home Office Business' Category
Sell More & Work Less: Web Selling Techniques Everyone Should Use – Now Available
Posted on January 2nd, 2012 by Alan Blume
Sell More & Work Less - Now at Amazon
The second book is finally complete and available on Amazon. Well – at least the paper based version is available with the Kindle version to follow in the next few weeks. This book was written and published faster than my first book, Your Virtual Success, leveraging some of the new web publishing techniques now available to authors.
Sell More & Work Less is a web selling tips book revolving around my 4-Phase Sales Process which helps business professionals quickly learn and apply many new web sales tips and techniques to improve their sales effectiveness. Simply said, allowing them to sell more and work less. The 4-Phase Virtual Sales Process facilitates the transition to a web based sales model and the greater profit potential, improved methods of selling and more flexible business and personal lifestyle this affords many salespeople and businesses, aspiring entrepreneurs and existing sole proprietors. Readers can replicate the 4-Phase Virtual Sales Process to create their own tailored sales process using the techniques explained in this web selling tips and techniques book. I was fortunate to be assisted by three “in the trenches” coauthors, Mike Lauducci, John Scranton and Andrew Blume in the writing of this web selling tips book.
Sell More & Work Less is now available on Amazon, the Kindle version is expected later in January. http://www.amazon.com/Sell-More-Work-Less-Techniques/dp/ …
For B2B Web Marketing go to www.StartMarketingTech. For Insurance Agency Marketing go to www.StartUpSelling.com.
New Year Resolutions or New Year Goals
Posted on December 30th, 2011 by Alan Blume
Last year I published an article about New Year resolutions, or my version of this tradition which I call my New Year Goals List. For more than twenty years I’ve written annual goals, usually a set of 5 to 10 which I hope to accomplish in the ensuing year. This ritual occurs in December, often around the holidays, but always before January 1st. These goals are written on a small piece of paper, added to prior annual goals, neatly folded and placed in a bedside drawer. From time to time I review these goals, usually once or twice during the year. I often flip back to prior years to ponder where my priorities might have been at that time, if they have evolved in any meaningful way, and if I missed something from years past which should reappear in the future. Granted my goals may seem modest to some and perhaps challenging to others. Regardless of exogenous perspective, the annual goal list seems to work for me, and may work for others too.
Typically my goals include some mix of personal, business, health, family and charitable. Last year, some of my goals included:
- Write a second business book
- Take 3 interesting vacations with family
- Spend at least two weeks in a warm climate
- Publish at least 25 articles – 15 on Agency Marketing
- Wake up weight of 180
As the New Year is upon us, I decided to review my goals for the year, and ponder priorities for 2012. My second business book was completed with the help of three colleagues. It is called Sell More & Work Less and will finally ship in January. This sales and marketing tips book was fun to write and moved along at a faster clip than my first book. I was able to take four trips this year, including Sweden/Denmark, Newport Beach, CA, Naples, FL and Seattle, WA, in part because StartUpSelling, Inc. is a completely virtual business allowing for the time and flexibility to travel.
I published 35 articles (20 related to agency marketing), safely eclipsing my goal, gaining momentum and motivation as I neared and subsequently surpassed the 100 article notch from efforts over the last three years, hardly Hemingway, but my attempt at providing some interesting content for others to consume. Which brings us to the final goal on the list, a seemingly simple yet illusory target. Repeating a similar performance to last year, the scale read 183 on this the 30th of December. Granted, some extra effort over the next 48 hours and a disciplined two day diet regimen might put this goal within reach. Unfortunately, as we all know, the holidays tend to be a better time to gain than shed. The former sentence sounds good as I write it, though the latter seems an obvious rationalization and a meager attempt to excuse this near miss again.
And what are some of the goals on my 2012 New Years Goals List?
- Write a 3rd business book
- Start on my first novel (that will be a radical departure from business writing)
- Finalize a television show script (now completed but undergoing refinements)
- Three weeks in a warm climate (with friends and family)
- Wake up weight of 180 pounds
I find this annual goal ritual to be helpful and rewarding, motivating and humbling. It helps keep me on track and measure my results during the year and from year to year. Try it and you might find it helpful too. I’d like to wish all of my family, friends, colleagues, contractors and clients a happy and healthy New Year!
Sell More & Work Less To Be Released in November
Posted on August 17th, 2011 by Alan Blume
Our new book, Sell More & Work Less, Web Selling Techniques Everyone Should Use, is expected to be released in November and is currently at our publisher. Offering 101 Internet Sales Tips stratified across our 4-Phase Sales Process, Sell More & Work Less focuses on leveraging the web to help you sell better, faster and more efficiently.
Most sales cycles, particularly B2B sales cycles can be expressed in four distinct phases: Identify, Qualify, Present and Close. Each of these phases might have 5 or 10 steps, helping salespeople compartmentalize tasks, ensuring they are following a guide that helps them arrive at their final destination, a new client. The reason I refer to this as a “Virtual” Sales Process is that much of the work can or should be done virtually. Keep the car parked in the driveway, avoid planes and trains whenever possible, leverage Skype, GoToMeeting and other virtual selling tools.
Sell More & Work Less reviews many virtual sales tips and techniques including The Prospect Scorecard, a simple but effective pipeline qualification tool which can be used on a PC or mobile device. Sell More & Work Less will help sales people, business owners, sales managers and entrepreneurs focus on those activities which will optimize prospecting, qualifying and closing. For more information, read Your Virtual Success (www.yourvirtualsuccess.net), or in September, Sell More & Work Less.
Qualities and Skills of a Successful Salesperson
Posted on May 10th, 2011 by Alan Blume
What qualities and skills result in a successful salesperson? It seems more like a recipe than a formula, sort of a sales stew, a myriad of differing ingredients which when stirred together can culminate in a successful result. These ingredients can be used in different quantities, and can be combined using varying methods and tools, they can simmer slowly or heat quickly to a boil, and in all these instances can sometimes result in a truly successful outcome. Unlike a stew, however, it can often be very challenging to come up with the recipe that ensures a successful sales person.
Let’s differentiate qualities and sills for a moment. A quality can be defined as an inherent or distinguishing characteristic, a personal trait, especially a character trait. A skill can be defined as a proficiency, facility, or dexterity that is acquired or developed through training or experience. It can be an art, trade, technique, talent or ability. They are interrelated to a great degree for the purposes of this article, semantics aside, we’ll incorporate both as ingredients in the final recipe for success.
Beyond the qualities, or ingredients as discussed in the preceding analogy, there are also many exogenous factors impacting the final result. Company culture, market timing, product relevancy, service or solution delivery, management efficacy and economic climate can also impact the likelihood of sales success, determining if a sales person will be successful. These types of factors can transcend great qualities and skills, dooming even the best sales qualities to failed attempts. However, in normal circumstances, individuals possessing some of the key qualities below, can and will become successful sales people, predicated upon the application of these qualities and skills.
Here is a list of 25 important sales qualities and skills, many of which are truly important contributors to sales success. Are some more important than others? This writer thinks so, in fact, there is one which I would deem preeminent. Which one you ask? I’m glad you asked, because I think the most important skill is listening, which goes hand in hand with asking good questions to clearly identify the prospect’s needs. Listening skills and probing questions are extremely important to ensure sales success. That said, there are many others:
- Assertiveness
- Charisma
- Caring
- Communication Skills (Verbal & Written)
- Competitiveness
- Confidence
- Creativity
- Curiosity
- Drive
- Empathy
- Enthusiasm
- Focus
- Humor
- Integrity
- Intelligence
- Interrogative Skills
- Knowledgeable
- Listening Skills
- Organization (Sales Process)
- Passion
- Perseverance
- Presentation Skills
- Qualification Skills
- Resourcefulness
- Succinct
Does a successful salesperson need to have all of these to be achieve top results? Arguably no, perhaps a handful of these will suffice for some, and even if someone has all 25, it doesn’t necessitate success. And it’s likely you can come up with another 25 qualities and skills to add to this list. And herein lies the paradox, it’s often the unique blend of these qualities and skills which result in the successful outcome for any given individual. It’s also the application or individual’s use of this blend which offers such varying results. For example, a successful yacht sales person may have a significantly different set of qualities and skills than an enterprise software salesperson. Someone selling house painting to homeowners may require different ingredients than someone selling cars from a retail showroom. Nonetheless a healthy helping of good listening skills and perseverance, stir in some confidence and knowledge, a dash of empathy and enthusiasm, and you’ll likely have a winning recipe.
Alan Blume is the author of Your Virtual Success and the CEO of StartUpSelling (and the associated StartMarketingTech.com division). He is a vocal proponent of the virtual business model. For more information on virtual business go to: http://startmarketingtech.com or read Your Virtual Success http://www.amazon.com/Your-Virtual-Success-Finding-Profitability/dp/1601631014 (Career Press).
Office Buildings Are Obsolete – Big Box Stores Too?
Posted on February 5th, 2011 by Alan Blume
Internet Marketing
Last year I wrote a blog stating that office buildings are obsolete, and this year I’m thinking the same conjecture might also apply to big box stores. I recently noticed a Yahoo post entitled, The Coming Collapse of Commercial Real Estate is Already Here, by Stacy Curtin. Stacy aptly notes that BestBuy and Target missed their expected earnings targets, and as of this writing, Wal-Mart has seen 6 consecutive quarters of negative same store sales. Further, this happened to BestBuy even though a key competitor, CircuitCity, had moved into bankruptcy. Though this has occurred in a tough economy, many of their online competitors have seen significantly better results.
Stacy’s article states that more people are buying, they are just buying online. This seems true globally and anecdotally. About a year ago, I tried to purchase a receiver from BestBuy, only a couple of miles from my home. Unfortunately the receiver was out of stock. In fact all the receivers that might have been of interest to me were out of stock. A couple of years ago, I would have driven across the street to the now defunct CircuitCity (speaking of brick and mortar retail challenges). Instead, I drove home, went online to Amazon and purchased a better receiver for less money, which was delivered a day later. Obviously, I’m not alone. Many of my friends and colleagues now make routine purchases from Amazon as progressively more consumers become comfortable with online searching and shopping.
My CPA buys all his books on his Kindle, as do I, a faster, easier and more cost effective alternative to the brick and mortar bookstore. The challenges for BestBuy, Target, Wal-Mart, Blockbuster and Barnes & Noble are obvious, perhaps most evident by the huge electronic book display in the premium retail location at the front of the Barnes & Noble stores. B&N appears to be working hard to transition to a Kindle type operation with their new Nook. Better late than never, or simply too late for the date? Only time will tell, though their extensive brick and mortar costs may result in too much ballast for them to successfully navigate from retail to e-tail.
But retail isn’t alone in the commercial real estate challenge. Traditional office buildings will face a virtual workforce shift, as progressive companies opt for less costly and more efficient work from home staffing. This is happening with small virtual companies like StartUpSelling, Inc. and giants like IBM. Working virtually has amazing advantages, from resolving the commute related issue with today’s snow storm in Boston, to using highly cost effective tools like Skype which allows multistate, multiparty video conferencing for pennies a day.
Do these changes spell the imminent destruction and removal of office buildings and big box retail? I think this is too strong a statement. There will likely be a need for many types of retail establishment, from groceries to lumber, from household items to convenience items. And there will be office based businesses that require some or perhaps many employees to congregate. That said, the changes to brick and mortar retail and offices are upon us, gaining speed every day, as the convenience and cost efficacy of virtual business and e-tail offers a more convenient path for the rapidly increasing, interconnected internet world.
Top 5 Tips When Creating A Virtual Business
Posted on February 1st, 2011 by Alan Blume
Here's to "Your Virtual Success"!
Perhaps you’re considering creating a business or expanding a current business. As with many businesses, investing in inventory, product development or warehouse space might seem requisite. And perhaps this appears to be a reasonable or even logical approach, borrowing the famous quote from Field of Dreams, “if you build it, they will come.” After all, your simple business plan projects profits after only a modest startup period. My advice is to think about this again. When creating a new business, it’s highly advantageous to operate in a way that is both conducive to a flexible lifestyle while mitigating downside risk, including ramp up time or significant upfront investment.
Then again, you might be thinking that you can alleviate the risk by securing a bank loan, tapping into your home equity or even attracting venture capital. My advice, once again, is to think about another path, preferably one revolving around the golden rules above. Yes, there are a select few who can beat the traditional small business odds which are often estimated at 5 to 1, where only 20% of new businesses succeeded in the first 3 years. Venture capital odds are surely the worst, where many experts maintain the odds that you will succeed (find VC funding, maintain control of your company and enjoy a positive liquidation event) are about 5,000 to 1. How difficult are these odds? At roughly 5,000 to 1, you would odds comparable to getting struck by lightning.
Bootstrapping your virtual business should be much easier than funding a traditional brick and mortar business. Before opening a traditional storefront, or investing in a physical office, ask yourself if you can work from a home office, or if you can adjust your operations to accommodate a virtual business model. Instead of getting on a plane or train, are you sure a “face to face” Skype conference call wouldn’t suffice? At a cost of about $5 per month, you can simultaneously video conference with multiple people, regardless of their location. Instead of investing up front in capital equipment, can your new business secure orders in advance, or even deposits in advance of delivery?
- A short path to the money (limited ramp-up or development time)
- No upfront capital
- Customer deposits in advance of delivery
- Contractor based assistance for delivery
- Niche marketing opportunity (it’s much easier to target a vertical than a horizontal)
When thinking about your next venture, think about the Top 5 virtual business startup tips and if possible, find a virtual business model that leverages these for your new or existing business. Try to follow some or all of these.
The New Virtual World of PR
Posted on January 17th, 2011 by Alan Blume
The business world continues to experience a virtual evolution; some might argue it’s more akin to a virtual revolution. One of the dynamically changing elements encompasses the evolution of public relations. With inexpensive and even free PR sites available to any business; it’s fairly easy to create and implement an effective PR strategy, and carry your message to millions. And businesses can do this while simultaneously helping their SEO and Search Engine Marketing.
There are many good sites to choose from. Some of these are free, some have a modest annual fee, others charge on a per press release basis and some offer all three of these options. The big difference between the free and fee based press releases revolves around the appearance of the actual release. Free sites typically incorporate ads around the press release in a similar way to the article directories or even search engine SERPs. This is essentially a PPC strategy whereby these free press release sites derive revenue from traffic and clicks. Fee based sites eliminate the ads, create a more attractive and professional release, and derive revenue for the fees. And some sites offer a combination of both offerings.
There are many press release sites available for use. Two of the sites I have recently used include:
Both sites work well, distribute the press releases promptly and do so to a wide audience, send a confirmation email once the release is accepted and distributed and offer a link to the posted release. Of course there are a plethora of other sites available including: PR.com, 1888PressPrelease.com, TheOpenPress.com, FreePressReleaseCenter.info, Information-Online.com, OpenPR.com, PR-Inside.com, PRdb.net, PressAbout.com, PressMethod.com, PressReleasePoint.com, YourFreePressRelease.net, BusinessWire.com, MarketWire.com, PRWeb.com, eWorldWire.com, PRLeap.com, eReleases.com, PRBuzz.com andPRNewsWire.com to mention just a few of the choices your business might consider. PR sites are often measured by page rank and Alexa rank. These are relevant in so much as a higher ranked PR site theoretically packs more internet punch than a lower ranked site. That said, your results may vary based upon your industry, niche and specific PR strategy.
Which one is right for you? That depends upon your goals. Is your business trying to drive traffic to your website? Is your goal primarily SEO based as you try to move your business up on the rankings? Are you seeking to capture the attention of a highly specific audience? Is your goal to merely augment your search engine marketing strategy? Are you seeking highly tailored, branded results and wish to ensure there are no PPC ads on your releases? Do you need more advance functionality for tracking and monitoring your prior releases or scheduling upcoming releases? Predicated upon your goals, your business can determine which site(s) are most appropriate and if you need free PR, fee based PR or some combination of both. The level of marketing proficiency to submit consistent press releases for your organization is relatively low. That said the level of marketing discipline to do so often remains beyond the reach of many small businesses, usually the result of a lack of personnel, thus offering a relatively painless outsource opportunity for those companies which just can’t get the PR job done. For more information, contact StartUpSelling: http://www.startupselling.com/contact.html
Will The Majority Of The Workforce Work Virtually – The Changing Climate Of Business
Posted on December 6th, 2010 by Alan Blume
The perfect virtual storm appears to be on the horizon and the winds of change will soon transform the current business landscape, eroding traditional office based positions in favor of virtual positions. There are a plethora of compelling reasons which seemingly guarantee this change, ultimately resulting in a new working venue for the majority of the white collar work force. Of course, “white collar” is arguably an anachronistic term, since many virtual workers can include “blue collar” jobs which can be dispatched from home offices can also work virtually, saving on time, energy and overhead. Further, white collar virtual jobs may result in the demise of “white collars” per say, as virtual workers are very unlikely to don a shirt and tie, preferring their favored casual jersey or t-shirt. This virtual storm will change the working landscape and the change is happening now. Progressively larger segments of the population are going virtual, from technology consultants to computer maintenance crews, from computer programmers to auto repair technicians. This trend is accelerating due to many interrelated elements. These include:
- Cost effective or free web meeting tools GoToMeeting, Dimdim, etc.)
- Increasing costs related to energy and commuting
- Inefficient use of time caused by commuting and travel, reducing productivity
- Inexpensive or even free real time communication both real time (Skype, Instant Messaging)
- Inexpensive or free asynchronous collaboration tools
- Pervasive global internet accessibility
- Powerful and inexpensive cloud computing solutions
- Rising costs and challenges impacting travel
- Significant savings opportunities relating to overhead for employers
- Social networking tools including LinkedIn, Facebook, etc.
I believe the compelling factors above will continue to provide the climate necessary to perpetuate this storm, until such time as a majority of the workforce will work from home. Over the last several years, I migrated from a traditional land line ($50 per month), to a VoIP line ($25 per month) and I am now in the process of moving to a purely Skype based line ($3 per month). Arguably, Skype offers great reliability, a simple click of a mouse on a PC screen to make a call, and allows me to use a PC headset while on the call, providing for ease of keyboard use while in discussion. I offer this example merely as a microcosm, a small leading indicator of the migration to more virtual and more cost effective opportunities. Granted, VoIP can be accomplished in a brick and mortar environment, but it also provides a simple and cost effective way to communicate face to face with a distributed, at home work force. This is just the tip of the iceberg as the winds of change should propel us to a more virtual, less commute centric future. Does this spell the ultimate demise of office buildings and a complete metamorphosis in the urban landscape? With an expanding global population and the many jobs that still require onsite presence, there will be a need for a partially centralized and non-virtual workforce. That said, those companies which can embrace a partially or completely virtual business model will enjoy a significant competitive advantage over those which have not. It’s provided a windfall advantage for my virtual insurance marketing agency, and I’m confident the same approach will work for almost any business.
When is the Last Time You Read the US Constitution – Take the July 4th Quick Quiz
Posted on June 27th, 2010 by Alan Blume
When was the last time you read this?
When is the last time you (or your children) read the US Constitution, or for that matter, the Declaration of Independence? With our national birthday just around the corner, thinking about the Constitution seems particularly relevant. It’s great to go watch a parade, but you might find it truly worthwhile to take a little time and read our Constitution. If memory serves me correctly, I read it back in my college days for a class I took on constitutional law. Recently, however, I read a great book on my Kindle, called The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court by Jeffrey Toobin. The Nine frequently referenced the articles and amendments of the US Constitution. So, after finishing The Nine, I decided to reread the Declaration of Independence and The US Constitution. I came away with two surprises: 1. The Constitution is a surprisingly short document considering all that it represents – those framers were clearly a brilliant group. 2. Even with the formality of the language of the times, you can really sense the pent up anger in the Declaration of Independence.
The real question is, how much do you know about the Constitution? If you’re curious, take this quick quiz (answers are below):
- How many Articles are there?
- How many Amendments are there (last one was in 1992)?
- What is Article 1 about?
- What is Article 2 about?
- What is Article 3 about?
- How many Amendments are there in the Bill of Rights?
- When was the Bill of Rights ratified?
- Which Amendment abolished slavery?
- Where would you find the famous quote, “WE hold these Truths to be self evident?
- How many states were required to ratify the Constitution?
- Bonus question: What is the Fifth Amendment about?
Some of the language in the Constitution seems crystal clear to me, other language seems cryptic. After reading through it (twice), it seems abundantly clear why the judiciary has so many perspectives of Constitutional right and wrong and the myriad of interpretational perspectives on the document. This document represents one of the most important, guiding principles of our everyday lives. When is the last time you or your children read the Declaration of Independence and The US Constitution? Answers to the quiz are below, if I made a layman’s error on these, I guess I’ll have to “plead the Fifth”. Feel free to send me comments, clarifications or corrections.
Answers: 1. (7) 2. (27) 3. (Legislative Branch) 4. (Executive Branch) 5. (Judicial Branch) 6. (10) 7. (1791) 8. (13th) 9. (Declaration of Independence) 10. (9) 11. (Shall not be compelled to be a witness against himself)
If you’re interested in reading something on a leading edge business topic, try Your Virtual Success (Career Press), my new book on web centric sales, marketing and business management. Available at all bookstores, Amazon and on the Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Your-Virtual-Success-Finding-Profitability/dp/1601631014
If Someone Hands You a Scalpel, It Doesn’t Make You a Surgeon – You Should Think of Web Marketing in the Same Way
Posted on June 19th, 2010 by Alan Blume
There are many powerful marketing tools now available, everything from eMarketing engines and Search Engine Optimization Tools to ePublishing and Web Seminar Software. Any of these tools can be very helpful to your business, but placed in the wrong hands, 
they can be extremely dangerous. Not long ago, a CEO mentioned to me that they were sending out tens of thousands of emails through their eMarketing “platform” and they could do so very inexpensively. Their platform (let’s call it an integrated web site and eMarketing system) could send out as many emails as they wanted. Their provider suggested they contact some email list brokers where they could buy tens of thousands of emails. They even had some sample emails from other companies they could use.
Unfortunately, their email “blasts” of tens of thousands of emails, purchased from a list broker, resulted in no response. Literally, nobody responded to their offer. This is a good example of placing the aforementioned scalpel in the hands of a layperson. Placing this type of technology in the hands of untrained individuals is a recipe for failure, regardless of the ease of use of the application. This example is laden with huge issues:
- The email list they purchased looked like a low quality list, with first name, middle initial and last name all merged into one field, resulting in problematic personalization.
- The company was trying to “sell” something in their email – always try to educate or enlighten
- The email was graphically rich (a definite issue for many spam filters)
- Large scale email blasts often result in your prospects blocking your email address or in some cases your domain.
- They already burned their first opportunity to make a positive impression with all of these potential prospects
So before you hit the button and blast out 10,000 or 20,000 emails, and before you decide to run some of your own webinars:
- Carefully study emails which you receive and like – why are they good – why did you open it
- Attend webinars which sound interesting and relevant to you – how long are they – did you stay
- Read a book about these new web marketing topics – read a few
- Seek advice and guidance from experts in the field – surgeons get training and so should you
Make your web marketing operation safe and successful by combining advanced tools with knowledge and training to ensure the health of your program initiatives.