This blog includes posts on lead generation, eMarketing, Web Marketing, SEO and other leading edge marketing techniques.
-Alan Blume
All posts with the tag 'Your Virtual Success'
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.
US Postal Service posts $3 billion loss – warns of default
Posted on August 8th, 2011 by Alan Blume
A few days ago Emily Stephenson of Reuters reported that, “The U.S. Postal Service posted a net loss of $3.1 billion in its third quarter and warned again it would default on payments to the federal government if Congress did not step in.” No surprise here, just look back to my blog on May 27th, 2010 http://startupselling.com/blogs/alanblume/tuesday%E2%80%99s-mail-%E2%80%93-should-your-tax-dollars-subsidize-direct-mail/, or May 19th of this year http://startupselling.com/blogs/alanblume/us-postal-service-reports-quarterly-loss-of-more-than-2-billion-snail-mail-issues/ where I made the easy prediction of a continuing and worsening USPS debt crisis.
Mail volume continues to drop, almost 3% from the same period last year, and will almost certainly continue to drop. Though the post office doesn’t use tax payer funds, guess what is likely to happen if the USPS defaults. If Congress does not intervene, USPS is unlikely to make their next multibillion payment (sound familiar?). So why are we still delivering mail 6 days a week? Surely 3 or 4 times a week would suffice. Even if the decision represents a slow payback, think of the fuel savings and positive impact on oil imports and the environment.
As was evidenced in the debt debacle, the government has been slow to move on these obvious issues, something all voters, both Republicans and Democrats can likely agree upon. But the USPS is painfully obvious. So here is a simple action plan to help resolve the USPS crisis:
Action items:
- Cut delivery to 4 days a week
- Stop advertising on TV, etc.
- Charge more for junk mail – you’re the only one delivering it (after all it is “junk mail” and environmentally irresponsible)
According to eHow, the average American receives 41 pounds of junk mail per year, of which almost half of the junk mail received annually ends up in a landfill. It costs almosts $320 million in local tax money to dispose of junk mail: http://www.ehow.com/how_5072539_stop-usps-junk-mail.html#ixzz1URp3Z0Kr. I liken the current USPS, 6 day per week delivery with junk mail as a primary cargo to the days of the Pony Express. The time has come and gone for delivery by pony, and the same holds true for the current delivery program. And, the USPS actually offeres a complimentary webinar training program to help small business learn about direct mail advertising, encouraging them to send more direct mail. Perhaps the thought here, is that even though they’re losing money, they can make it up in volume.
This three step plan would be a good start – and before anyone says this program will actually cause more problems or cost more in the short term – the short term pain will result in long term gain – and simply has to be done. Perhaps the day will come where mail will only be delivered once a week, as all government checks go electronic, most payments move to online venues and junk mail becomes a thing of the past.
Microsoft Is Up In The Cloud With Office 365
Posted on June 30th, 2011 by Alan Blume
Microsoft Moves to The Cloud
Microsoft has further embraced the cloud and will offer it’s hugely popular Microsoft Office solution as a cloud based application. This is a major admission by Microsoft, showing an understanding that it needs to address Google Apps which has a small but growing marketing share. Considering the billions of dollars in sales of MS Office, Microsoft is hoping that their cloud based Office 365 won’t cannibalize desktop Office sales, which seems like a reasonable guess, at least in the short term. The pricing currently listed on Microsoft’s website is $6 per month with a guarantee of 99.9% up time.
With progressively more work taking place in the cloud, this is a bet that Microsoft needs to make. Other than Office, everything this blogger, writer and businessman uses is in the cloud, certainly not anomalous to many people and businesses today. The market seemed to respond favorably to this announcement with strong gain for the week, the largest Microsoft has seen in some time. Only time will tell if this is a bet Microsoft will win. So much time has elapsed with cloud computing developments that Microsoft’s progress reminds me of a Joni Mitchell song:
From up and down, and still somehow
It’s cloud illusions I recall
I really don’t know clouds at all
Coupons – The Next Big Internet Business
Posted on June 1st, 2011 by Alan Blume
Internet Coupon Marketing
Notable today on Mashable was an article by Ben Parr that “Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt has announced that the search giant will launch its Groupon competitor on Wednesday, starting with Portland.” It’s not surprising that Google announced a Groupon competitive product, after all, Groupon is expected to IPO at a multibillion valuation, which some say could be as high as $25 billion.
It was reported that Google will offer daily deals and coupon discounts from thousands of merchants. At the D9 Conference in Palos Verdes, Google demonstrated the company’s new product, highlighting a deal for $10 worth of Floyd’s coffee for only $3. Of course the only real surprise would have been if this announcement came as a surprise to anyone in the industry. Google attempted to acquire Groupon for a reported $6 billion last year.
Who would have thought internet based coupons would become such a big business. Then again, as the days of newspaper clipping coupons come to an end, this new spin on an old business does seem to make perfect sense. I signed up for Groupon recently, and though I have yet to actually use a coupon, I know many who have taken the plunge. Is Google the innovator now becoming Google the imitator? The Groupon concept seems like a good fit for Google, their sheer size should help them capitalize on some reasonable portion of the market. Regardless, coupons look like they are here to stay, another new internet spin on an old fashioned idea.
Insuring the Success of New Salespeople
Posted on May 26th, 2011 by Alan Blume
About 18 months ago I wrote a blog (and subsequent article) which was viewed by over a thousand people. I guess the subject is on the minds of many, from CEOs to salespeople, from VP of Sales to entrepreneurs. From time to time, I check back on older blogs and articles to see if they are still germane today or if they need an update. After a cursory review, the content below is just as accurate today as it was back then, though I would add a social media marketing element. Today, every salesperson should have a presence on LinkedIn and Facebook. They should understand how to use these tools to further their reach, to glean key prospect data, to help establish a viable internet presence.
With this modest but important addition, the January 8th blog is still an excellent path to ensure the success of new salespeople. Notable were several comments about my title and the use of the word “Insure”. This was done on purpose as a play on words since many of our clients work in the insurance industry. A good idea for the vertical, though perhaps a tad annoying for those outside that industry!
B2B Web Marketing
How To “Insure” The Success of New Salespeople
A month ago I hired a sales contractor who we’ll call “Joe”. Joe has three years of sales experience in business insurance, but found the 60 hour work weeks and mundane nuances of insurance to be less than 100% fulfilling. He sought a better balance for his working schedule, greater income opportunities and the opportunity to create his own business. Most organizations fail to create a winning game plan for new hires. Too often I hear of companies that hire two new salespeople, “put them in a room and throw the Yellow Pages at them” to borrow a quote from a recent client of mine.
On Joe’s first day, we created a target prospect list, set up an eMarketing campaign to 3,000 companies, created a custom call script, set up a web seminar on a topic of interest (Integrated Marketing for Insurance Agencies) and scheduled an emailing for the next day. On day two, the emailing was sent and Joe was already responding to inquiries, calling on click through and web seminar respondents. On day three, Joe has already set up web meetings with prospects (Joe set up 4 meetings in his first week). By the end of week #2, Joe had closed his first client, and then closed another one week later.
Granted, there are longer sales cycle solutions than lead generation and marketing services engagements, but I’ve seen this Virtual Sales and Marketing approach (the 4-Phase Virtual Sales Process) work with essentially every B2B business product, service or solution. So when you hire a new sales agent, contractor or employee, make sure you have a virtual game plan and start them off with some well rehearsed plays. If you get an early lead – you’ll win the game.
Blogging Is Both An Art And A Science
Posted on May 23rd, 2011 by Alan Blume
Blogging is both an art and a science. With regards to the latter, we recommend at least two blogs per week, and if possible, multiple blogs per organization. The art of blogging revolves around the ability to offer relevant content of interest to your target audience. If it is a business blog, the entries don’t always have to be about insurance for example, other diverse topics can be of interest too. However, be wary of political topics which can often be polarizing. Blogging once a day, if you have something of value to share, can help in many ways including longtail keyword utilization, SEO rankings, refining keyword density, and as the basis for ePublishing. Of course I’d be remiss if I didn’t highlight the importance of Vlogs (Video Blogs). Video, podcasts, Skype recordings, and vlogs are becoming increasingly more important to insurance agent blogging. Video dramatically increases time spent on websites and can be uploaded to YouTube to improve web presence and as mentioned previously, insurance agency SEO. For more information about insurance agent blogging: http://startupselling.com/blogs/alanblume/5-simple-steps-to-start-an-insurance-agency-blog/ or for vlogging: http://startupselling.com/blogs/mikelauducci/a-blog-about-vlogs/. By the way, if you’re doing a quality job with your blogs – you should be able to answer a question by suggesting someone reads a detailed blog on that subject.
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).
LinkedIn Tops 100 Million Mark
Posted on March 25th, 2011 by Alan Blume
On March 22nd LinkedIn reached a major milestone, eclipsing 100 million members worldwide. That’s a pretty significant number, one which according to LinkedIn is now growing at “roughly one million new LinkedIn members every week, the equivalent of a professional joining the site at faster than one member per second.”
LinkedIn sent me an email, noting that I was member number 356,048, an early adopter according to their email. I’m sure many of you reading this blog joined even earlier. The lesson here is about change, a roller coaster of change. Sometimes it takes a while for the coaster to make it up that big first hill, and then, it comes speeding down the track, weaving and winding its way toward a final destination. Of course on a coaster it is a known destination while on the internet, the horizon remains a vague blur. In both cases we can anticipate many unexpected (and sometimes thrilling) turns along the way. LinkedIn is now speeding down the track, and like any other roller coaster, and internet related things in general, don’t expect things to be in the same place very long. The internet is changing our lives and doing so quickly.
Many industries are in the process of climbing up that first roller coaster hill. And once they hit the peak, the subsequent velocity can be truly amazing. What’s changed so far? Social networking of course, trade shows, seminars, book publishing, etailing, newspapers, news reporting, public relations, marketing, banking, auctions and telecommuting to name just a few. Next up is movies and television. We’ve already seen some significant changes here – and we’re still climbing up that first roller coaster hill. Will traditional network TV be supplemented by a vast array of online, homegrown shows, or will it be replaced. Will individual reality shows be home produced and become the norm, or will the audience still prefer to see a professionally (if I can use that term) produced reality show? Will movies change, all but the mega special effect blockbuster replaced by indie movies, once pervasive and cheap internet distribution is available? Will we soon be watching news broadcasts and TV shows predominately on our Androids and iPhones? My eyes say no, though my brain says it will someday be likely.
Marketing has already hit the top of the hill and is changing rapidly. Telemarketing is on the decline, search marketing optimization, blogging, ePublishing and social media marketing are becoming mainstream. What’s the next big change we can expect to see? There are many expected, and they will likely change our lives, and optimistically I’d like to say for the better. Congratulations to LinkedIn on achieving this significant milestone, I use it (and so do many of my colleagues) every day – and it sounds like many, many others are finding value with this new network too.
Borders Group Falls Victim To Internet Rivals
Posted on February 16th, 2011 by Alan Blume
Brick and mortar infrastructure will make it progressively more difficult for companies to compete with Internet based rivals. These days the imminent casualties are pretty easy to spot, but in the future there will be many casualties which might seem surprising today. The most recent victim is Borders Group, which is the second-largest U.S. bookstore chain. According to Reuters, Borders filed for bankruptcy protection, after years of sharp sales declines that made it impossible to manage its crushing debt load, and it plans to close nearly one-third of its stores. Borders has not been able to capture market share in the online world, making it difficult to compete with Amazon and other rivals.
I’ve posted several blogs on this topic since March 2010:
- February 5th, 2011: http://startupselling.com/blogs/alanblume/office-buildings-are-obsolete-%E2%80%93-big-box-stores-too/
- June 13, 2010: http://startupselling.com/blogs/alanblume/office-buildings-are-obsolete-and-offshore-drilling-is-the-result/
- March 26, 2010: http://startupselling.com/blogs/alanblume/vacant-government-buildings-and-your-tax-dollars-feds-need-to-go-virtual/
Was this a moment of clairvoyance, should I quit the day job and become an Internet soothsayer? These predictions are pretty simple, just look for the cheaper and better distribution system and you’ll find the winner. Think of the Eerie canal compared to transit by horse and buggy. How about steam powered ships versus sail powered vessels? The telephone as opposed to snail mail, and email as opposed to fax. And today (and in the imminent future), Internet based or leveraged businesses will continue to win over brick and mortar businesses. Where are the next battles? Blockbuster versus Netflix, BestBuy versus Amazon and traditional publishers versus ePublshing are a few obvious matchups. Perhaps less obvious might be Walmart, shopping malls and libraries. These may seem an incongruous group, but they all face Internet based challenges, their existence predicated upon the ability to compete with cheaper, swifter and digital rivals.
Last week I purchased a new Dell XPS from Dell’s website. Upon receipt of this laptop (shipping was free), I noticed that it only had HDMI output (after all – VGA is getting old) and I needed a new nine foot HDMI to DVI cable to connect my external Samsung monitor. Online at Amazon and other e-tailers, prices ranged from $10 to $20 for many of them including shipping. Upon my arrival at BestBuy, my options were to buy a six foot cable for $40, or a longer HDMI cable with DVI converter for $90. The latter was the generic BestBuy brand, if I went with the name brand it would have been $130. This isn’t a matter of price gouging or unfair retailing by BestBuy, rather it’s a cost of doing business issue. Retail infrastructure is expensive, e-tail infrastructure is much, much cheaper. Time will tell who shall be the next brick and mortar victim, but I don’t think we’ll be waiting too long.
When thinking about Insurance SEO – Classify Your Efforts Into Major Categories
Posted on February 9th, 2011 by Alan Blume
When thinking about Insurance SEO, try categorizing your search engine marketing efforts into major categories. For example, Wikipedia states that, “SEO may target different kinds of search, including image search, local search, video search and industry-specific vertical search engines.” This statement seems like a good place to start, as your company should ask the following questions:
- Is your agency leveraging images on sites like Flickr?
- Have you posted videos or vlogs to YouTube?
- Have you submitted your company information to Google Places and worked on optimizing your ranking for local searches?
- Have you submitted information to reputable, vertical, search directories?
- And last but not least, have your made on page optimization changes to your insurance agency website to ensure your website it search engine friendly?
If you haven’t asked yourself or your colleagues these questions, “Carpe Diem”, the time is now to get your insurance web marketing plan in place, and SEO one of the fundamental components of that plan.