Sign post the way ahead.
By Henry Winter, Copyright 2006
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Training or sales it's the same.

To get the best results "tell them what you are going to tell them, then tell them again".

Not everyone, but most people, like some structure.

Structure helps retention, structure helps people feel safe.
Making people feel safe makes them trust you.

Yet I see training sessions that shoot all over the place and sales presentations too.

They just confuse and unsettle the mental framework.

That costs you sales.

As a copywriter and marketer my best projects work well when I
"Start with the end in mind".
They flow better, take less time to do and yield better results.

If I start the way I used too, without detailed thinking at the outset,
they take longer, don't flow as well, and would sometimes fail
to deliver the message as well as I wanted.

As you start thinking about your sales or training presentations, start
with a clear "end in mind". It will help you know where you are heading,
give you a more structured presentation or phone call with a clear goal.

That alone will often highlight where the obstacles may be and how to over come them.

One of which may even be your sales team.

Sales teams often dislike "structure" - "Won't work in my market",
"My propsects are different".......yeah, mine too!....but you know what,
if you dissect what you do, dissect how your targets react, think about the
best way to get your message across, whilst also sign posting where you are going,
you would be amazed how a little structure produces much better results.

That should appeal to them as it means they will earn more money - you too!

Try it and see what happens.

Henry Winter
Founder - Writer - Marketer - Author - Adviser - Livewirebusiness.com

If you are having difficulty structuring any of your sales presentations and want some
help, drop an email to webmaster@livewirebusiness.com

Following on from my last post "What's in a name"
here is a short article from my friend Sandi Hunter on web design:
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By Sandi Hunter: Date Created: 09-Mar-06

Make sure your site offers complete follow-up details, prominently positioned,
so that your prospects have everything they need to connect with you and can easily do so!

You'd think that every website owner would make it easy
for their prospects and customers to connect with them, wouldn't you?

However, a recent survey found that more than 50 percent
of websites do not include complete follow-up details --
including contact name,business name, business address, phone (with area code),
email, etc.

What's more, many which do have this information bury it on the site
or otherwise make it difficult to find. That kills business!

Worldprofit Design Services Can Help You Maximize Your Website Results
Our job is making sure your website is designed for maximum results.
For a free consultation, talk to a real person!
Contact Sandi HunterDirector of Website DevelopmentWorldprofit.com780-444-7477 ext 223 (Mon - Fri: 8:30 am - 4:30 MT)sandi@worldprofit.com
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or, of course you can email me about your design issues, lead gathering and more:
Henry Winter, webmaster@livewirebusiness.com

What's in a name?
By Henry Winter. Copyright 2006
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Money, that is what's in a name. Good old fashioned money.

I am not talking about "Brand" here but a persons name.

If you capture a name in the right way it can be worth oodles.

As a copywriter and marketer I come across all sorts of problems when I visit clients.

When I am asked to do my "bit" I try to concentrate on the areas
I am asked to work on and get paid for.

But, no .......

You see I have an affliction - it's called "The Curiosity Gene".

And I got it bad.

You see, like fellow great copywriters and marketers I am not really happy until
I have looked under the bonnet to see the overall picture,
to make sure my client has a cohesive strategy that my work is to be part of.

Otherwise I can produce the best lead gatherer, the
best sales appointment generator, the best conversion tool, ever -
but if the overall context it appears in does not "fly" it can mean
even my best work won't help.

And when looking at many a clients web site, the most common error I see,
time after time, relates to names. Or, to be precise:

The lack of them.

What do I mean? Here is an example:

I have a friend. He has just changed his web hosting, and his web company.

He sells products that create great mood lifts and different room atmospheres.
From starlit ceilings to flashing carpets, romatic moods to party time.

And he has been working it hard to be successful.

I asked him how his new advisers were working out.

He was full of praise for the changes they were making.

I thought "Great, at last!". My friend had the type of support
he so badly needed, a well known web firm to help him with his web site.

So I had a look. Yep, the look and feel was better.

Yep, the products were displayed better.

Yep, I could now download a catalogue of the products and a newsletter.

BUT, and a big but if you are selling ANYTHING, I could download it
without him gathering my name or any details about me. Mega Mistake.

Not gathering any information is a mistake. As we know many people "browse".

Some may be in buying mode when they come across his site
but many will be in the "just NOT now mode".
If he cannot communicate with them after their visit he is wasting an awful
lot of time and money on driving traffic for no gain whatsoever.

He has a fantatic personality, he has subject matter knowledge deeper than the
Grand Canyon, he has brilliant products, yet without the name he cannot
communicate all these great attributes about how his business is great for his visitors.

I say, "Hell and damnation" on his web company for missing such
an obvious and immediate improvement to the sales cycle.

My friend works really hard, has limited time and money and
needed to have spent just a few pennies on a contact form to
make a difference, not the £000's for no difference whatsoever.

I am glad to say, after months of trying, he is taking some advice from me.

Have another look at your web site and make sure while others are looking at it too
you are gathering their email address. It can make a massive difference.

What's more it is a simple to do yet devastatingly effective in later sales.

Until next time,

Henry Winter,
Founder - Writer - Marketer - Adviser - Livewirebusiness.com