12 Customer Dos & Don’ts

Posted by admin on Mar 14, 2012 in Blog, Marketing, Small Business, Social Media, Starting A Business, Startup | 0 comments

From “12 Customer Do’s and Dont’s” by Geoffrey James and Inc.com

It’s easier to sell to existing customers than to acquire new ones, so it’s good sense to keep the customers you’ve already got.

Here are some simple rules to ensure that customers continue to come back for more.

DO put connection before content. Clients don’t want you to sell to them; they want you to genuinely care about them. Take the time to build a personal connection before you start talking business.

DON’T badmouth the competition. Only people who are insecure try to build themselves up at the expense of others. Show your competitors the same respect you’d want if the positions were reversed.

DO focus on individuals, not companies. You may be selling to an organization, but you’re doing it through an individual. Remember: ABC Inc. is not going to buy your offering; but Joe might.

DON’T give a sales pitch. Pitches are a great way to shut people down and pigeonhole you as a hustler. Even when speaking to a group, make the interchange a conversation, not a lecture.

DO engage with customers as equals. The client conversation should contain a feeling of mutuality rather than talking down to or being subservient to your clients.

DON’T attempt an “end run.” Bypassing a client or customer contact who is ambivalent or hostile will create an enemy for life. That person will constantly work against you … from the inside. You don’t want that.

DO keep the conversation mutual. Your goal is to earn your client’s trust by connecting with them, thereby creating a sense of safety. You can’t do that if you’re yakking away.

More from “12 Customer Do’s and Dont’s” by Geoffrey James and Inc.com

Suzy Payne Rabb
Sage Peachtree Certified Consultant
Sage Solution Provider
Your Live, Online Guide to Sage Peachtree Success
512.892.8990

7 Unique Ways to Get Massive Exposure From Your Articles

Posted by admin on Mar 14, 2012 in Blog, Internet, Marketing, Search Engines, SEO, Small Business, Social Media, Websites | 0 comments

From “7 Unique Ways to Get Massive Exposure From Your Articles” by Jessica Swanson and Manta.com

I’m sure that, as a small business owner, you understand the value of writing articles that educate and inspire your potential clients and customers. So, you write an article and submit it to a few of the top article directories. Your article gets a few views and perhaps even a click or two back to your website. And, this is where reality sets in. You’ve just spent an hour or two writing an article with only one or two visitors to show for your efforts. It’s pretty safe to assume that you are not enjoying the process of writing articles.

But, don’t give up too quickly. If you’re going to take the time to write an article, you just need to make sure that it works overtime for you.

You want your articles generating massive exposure with the potential of bringing in hundreds of new visitors to your website.

Here are 7 unique ways for creating extra exposure from your articles:

1. Offer to write guest blog posts.
There are thousands of blogs actively looking for guest blog posts. You can either start by researching blogs in your industry through a blog directory such as Technorati or, you can join a service such as Blogger Linkup that connects blogs and guest bloggers.

2. Submit guest articles to ezines.
Start by searching for ezines that cater directly to your target market. Subscribe to them and find out which of them accept guest articles. Contact the ezine publishers with a sample article that they can use in upcoming issues.

3. Research niche article directories.
You’re probably familiar with the big article directories. However, most small business owners can find niche article directories that are specific to their target market. To find appropriate article directories within your industry perform a Google search using “your target market” + “article directory.”

4. Offer to write for associations.
There are hundreds of associations that are eager for content to offer to their members. Search for these associations through Google by typing in “your target market” + “association.”

5. Submit to document sharing sites.
Turn your article into a .pdf document and upload it to document sharing sites such as Scribd

6. Upload to ebook directories.
Take a few of your related articles and turn them into a 10-12 page eBook. Upload your eBook to e-book directories like Free-ebooks

7. Rebrand your eBook.
Rebranding your eBook is a way to help it go viral. This means that you let your readers change the affiliate-links to their own, giving them incentive to distribute your eBooks to their own network. You can use a software program such as ViralPDF

So, the next time that you write an article, make sure that it brings you massive exposure and hundreds of leads to your small business.

More from “7 Unique Ways to Get Massive Exposure From Your Articles” by Jessica Swanson and Manta.com

Suzy Payne Rabb
Sage Peachtree Certified Consultant
Sage Solution Provider
Your Live, Online Guide to Sage Peachtree Success
512.892.8990