“When Technology Leads to Profit”
“When Technology Leads to Profit”
-Ford Saeks
Technology and Internet Marketing Expert
E-newsletters, CRM, blogs, podcasts, You Tube, MySpace, Linked In, Social Networking…Ugh! What are you supposed to do? Whether you are a business, an entrepreneur or a salesperson, you are no doubt being bombarded with new technology terms every day. But of all the new ways to connect with prospects, what are the tools YOU should be using to make sure you get to the marketplace more often and more powerfully than your competition? And how do you know if a new sales and marketing technology will actually turn into profit?
While the answers are not easy, the first step begins with a decision by you to stop running from the confusion and start learning it. Will it take some time? Absolutely, but one thing is clear. Those that are embracing new sales and marketing technologies are finding innovative ways to find more customers, more quickly and more profitably.
While I don’t claim to be a technoprofit expert, let me share with you the benefits you will find with some of the latest techno-tools:
• E-newsletters- These are an easy way to regularly inform customers how you can help them. But here is the secret. Your e-newsletter has to add VALUE to the person receiving it. They should contain 80% valuable information and 20% sales info. Contant Contact and Aweber are two online services you should check out. Sign up, get comfortable, and before you know it, you will create loyal customers that wouldn’t dare turn to the competition.
• CRM-Okay salesperson, I know how much you hate inputting customer data into your computer. But stop fighting it! Because if you use it correctly, you will get to the right customers at the right time…while your competition is driving all over town looking for somebody to talk to.
• Blogs-This term just might go down as 2008’s most widely used word while it seems most of us are still scratching our heads wondering what the heck a BLOG is. Fear not! A blog is simply an easy way to deliver information to people who care what you think. So the trick here is to have knowledge in your head that customers actually want. Then go to a service like Bravenet.com and try to create one yourself. Even as a novice, you can be an official blogger before you know it.
• YouTube-You mean YouTube can actually be used as a business tool? Yes! In fact, there is a cool new camera out there that is called Flip ™ that you can use to quickly capture video testimonials of happy customers immediately after they purchase your product. Wouldn’t it be great to refer a potential prospect to your YouTube site where they can see and hear live customers saying how great you are?
• Podcast-A podcast is simply an audio file that somebody can download onto their iPod or MP3 player that allows them to take YOU with them. If your company has a message that needs to spread, you can create a regular informational podcast that educates the marketplace.
• MySpace, LinkedIn-Social Networking sites are all the rage and frankly, I am still figuring out how they can add value and profit to a business. If you are like me, you are probably getting invited to join one of these sites frequently. Be careful. If you find yourself responding to LinkedIn invites more than reaching out to customers everyday, then it’s time to redirect your energy.
Oh, and there is one technology I didn’t mention…the Phone. While all of these tools can be effective in finding and keeping loyal customers, they are NOT meant to replace good old fashion human contact. But with a little techno curiosity, time and effort, you will find that the above tools just might help you get more face and phone time than ever before. And if that is the case, then the technology will help you add value and more importantly, add more profit to your business.
When Technology Leads to Profit - To learn more about this author, visit Brian Sullivan's Website.
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It’s not about technology. It is about getting leverage to add value and make a profit.
-Ford Saeks
Technology and Internet Marketing Expert
E-newsletters, CRM, blogs, podcasts, You Tube, MySpace, Linked In, Social Networking…Ugh! What are you supposed to do? Whether you are a business, an entrepreneur or a salesperson, you are no doubt being bombarded with new technology terms every day. But of all the new ways to connect with prospects, what are the tools YOU should be using to make sure you get to the marketplace more often and more powerfully than your competition? And how do you know if a new sales and marketing technology will actually turn into profit?
While the answers are not easy, the first step begins with a decision by you to stop running from the confusion and start learning it. Will it take some time? Absolutely, but one thing is clear. Those that are embracing new sales and marketing technologies are finding innovative ways to find more customers, more quickly and more profitably.
While I don’t claim to be a technoprofit expert, let me share with you the benefits you will find with some of the latest techno-tools:
• E-newsletters- These are an easy way to regularly inform customers how you can help them. But here is the secret. Your e-newsletter has to add VALUE to the person receiving it. They should contain 80% valuable information and 20% sales info. Contant Contact and Aweber are two online services you should check out. Sign up, get comfortable, and before you know it, you will create loyal customers that wouldn’t dare turn to the competition.
• CRM-Okay salesperson, I know how much you hate inputting customer data into your computer. But stop fighting it! Because if you use it correctly, you will get to the right customers at the right time…while your competition is driving all over town looking for somebody to talk to.
• Blogs-This term just might go down as 2008’s most widely used word while it seems most of us are still scratching our heads wondering what the heck a BLOG is. Fear not! A blog is simply an easy way to deliver information to people who care what you think. So the trick here is to have knowledge in your head that customers actually want. Then go to a service like Bravenet.com and try to create one yourself. Even as a novice, you can be an official blogger before you know it.
• YouTube-You mean YouTube can actually be used as a business tool? Yes! In fact, there is a cool new camera out there that is called Flip ™ that you can use to quickly capture video testimonials of happy customers immediately after they purchase your product. Wouldn’t it be great to refer a potential prospect to your YouTube site where they can see and hear live customers saying how great you are?
• Podcast-A podcast is simply an audio file that somebody can download onto their iPod or MP3 player that allows them to take YOU with them. If your company has a message that needs to spread, you can create a regular informational podcast that educates the marketplace.
• MySpace, LinkedIn-Social Networking sites are all the rage and frankly, I am still figuring out how they can add value and profit to a business. If you are like me, you are probably getting invited to join one of these sites frequently. Be careful. If you find yourself responding to LinkedIn invites more than reaching out to customers everyday, then it’s time to redirect your energy.
Oh, and there is one technology I didn’t mention…the Phone. While all of these tools can be effective in finding and keeping loyal customers, they are NOT meant to replace good old fashion human contact. But with a little techno curiosity, time and effort, you will find that the above tools just might help you get more face and phone time than ever before. And if that is the case, then the technology will help you add value and more importantly, add more profit to your business.
When Technology Leads to Profit - To learn more about this author, visit Brian Sullivan's Website.
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Anne BarrAnne Barr has over 26 years experience in sales and marketing, six years as a franchisee. She has assisted over 367 business owners and purchasers to achieve their goals in career change, transition and exit strategy. She holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive from the International Franchise Association, Certified Business Intermediary from the International Business Brokers Association and Board Certified Broker from the Texas Association of Business Brokers. Anne is active in professional organizations, networking groups and volunteers for non-profit entities. As owner/operator of four successful businesses, Anne has proven people skills and enjoys helping clients find the right "fit" in business ownership. Visit www.FranchiseOpportunitySpecialist.com for more information about me and my company. - Visit Anne Barr's Website |
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John BrennanJohn Brennan Ed.D. Dr. Brennan is President of Interpersonal Development, LLC, a training and development firm. Interpersonal Development has provided sales training and coaching to more than 3,000 sales reps from over 100 companies. A native of Australia, Dr. Brennan received his doctorate from the University of Rochester. His dissertation researched the effectiveness of Behavioral Modeling Technology in training people in interpersonal skills. While he has spent most of his career designing or delivering training, he was also a Vice-President of Sales of a training and development franchise with operations in 25 markets. Dr. Brennan has designed and delivered sales training in North America, Asia, Europe, Australia and the Middle East. He has been a guest speaker at numerous national and regional professional conferences. When Microsoft wanted Best Practices articles on sales for their web site, they called Dr. Brennan. The results are at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/FX011387391033.aspx His firm’s clients have included Volvo, The Prudential, Merrill Lynch, Eastman Kodak, Gannett, Equifax Europe, the Economist Group and countless small businesses. - Visit John Brennan's Website |
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