Expenses Going Up and Commissions Staying the Same?

It’s time to start conducting part of your business over the Internet.  I don’t mean a website, I’m talking about using your computer to review and discuss business in “Real Time” over the Internet.  There is a big difference between sending your customer an email or attaching a document vs. really working together seeing, analyzing, and even changing documents together.   On Line Meetings or Webinars used to be just for large corporations but it’s not that way anymore.  It’s on the way to becoming a common practice for every business.  Envision being able to review several Real Estate listings one on one with your customer any time of the day without having to travel.  It’s all about conducting business over the Internet without have to fire that gas guzzler up at $4.00 a gallon and not spending an hour or two of your time.  What is your time worth?  We hear it every day but people seem to diminish the value of their time.  Is it worth $5.20 – $10.00 – $25.00 – $50.00 or more an hour?  OK, now you are asking “How do I sponsor an On Line meeting and most of all what’s it going to cost?”  There are several simple systems that offer a variety of services.  I have used “MeetMeNow” and have found them to be a very effective tool for helping our clients.  This particular service costs about $40.00 per month and includes free training.  The money I’m saving in gas more than pays for the service – not to mention the time I’m saving!  Extra bonus:  I don’t have to deal with near as many crazy drivers as I used to! 
We (TheDailyClassifieds.Com) will be giving free demos to “MeetMeNow” every Sat. 10-11 Central time.

Email us and sign up for a little one on one basic talk about the service. Info@TheDailyClassifieds.com

 

 

Dan & Ashley Zellars

TheDailyClassifieds.Com

Power Point Presentations- The Deadly Sins of a Bad Presentation

I threw my Power Point presentation out the window after attending a short seminar by the ethos3 company.  We had committed every conceivable presentation sin possible when preparing our presentation.  Too many statistics, too many bullet points, and enough information to choke a horse.  I realized that our Power Point was a mess and probably confused more customers than helped.  Take a few minutes and read what the experts have to say about creating a powerful presentation.

Scott Schwertly Founder of Ethos3 writes:

Below is a tip to keep in mind the next time you start preparing for a presentation.  Trust me; you’ll be considered a nonconformist just by preparing in the right way.

A winning presentation must be well thought, brewed on, and dreamed on.  It takes time.  It takes research.  It takes patience. You can’t build a memorable presentation in an instant.  Therefore, it can’t be prepared in a microwave.  A great presentation must be built in a crock pot.

All the great thinkers and presenters that have come before us spent meticulous hours crafting their masterpieces.  If you want to create a legacy, you must spend the right amount of time crafting your speech.  Our nanosecond culture, where time is our most precious asset, makes it difficult to prepare accordingly.  However, there is no quick fix.  Practice is the mother of skill.  I can’t emphasize more on the concept that title or knowledge will not save you when public speaking.  Only true preparation creates the confidence that will enable you to succeed.

To learn more about Ethos3, check out their web site at http://www.ethos3.com.

 

Dan Zellars

TheDailyClassifieds.com

Is the Price of Gas driving you crazy? Cut your gas consumption in half.

It’s headed at us like a freight train.  You can’t drive around making sales calls.  Oil is $120 per barrel as I write – $125 by the time you read this.  We have to adjust now and the best way for sales people to adjust is to start using Web Conferencing like “MeetMeNow” by Webex type programs. Work with your customers from your office (not every time, they have to see you once in a while) but stop all those unnecessary trips.  Real Estate Agents, qualify the properties via the Web first before driving your customers around all day.  Hot Tip:  Commissions are not going up, just your gasoline bill!  I know this is another one of those computer things to learn but it’s not hard and it’s worth the effort.  They offer a 14 day free trial.  Get a friend or a fellow worker and play with it.  They offer easy to understand tutorials and chat rooms.
TheDailyClassifieds.Com is offering a FREE demonstration each Saturday at 10 am for the next 4 weeks starting 5-10.The demonstration is limited to 10 people per session so sign up now at 615-673-1112.

Advertising in the face of recession: History shows it works

Written by David Bohan: ‘Marketing Matters’ column that appears twice a month in the business section of The Tennessean.”

 

“Early to bed, early to rise, work like hell and advertise.”

 

That was the marketing mantra of Cohen Williams, patriarch of Martha White Foods. In times of economic uncertainty, it is especially smart to heed this sage advice.

 

It might sound insane right now—considering the decline in consumer confidence, the perils in the financial and housing markets and the slowdown in retail spending—but this is a great time to be in marketing.

 

Historically, companies that take aggressive action during recessions win.

 

A Profit Impact of Marketing Strategy (PIMS) study found that marketers who maintained or increased advertising expenditures in a recession bounced back stronger than those who hunkered down and lowered their voices. Their market share grew three times higher than brands that cut spending, and their profits were five times stronger in the first year of economic recovery.

 

An American Association of Advertising Agencies study found that companies with even modest increases in marketing and advertising spending during the last recession saw gains in market share.

 

A tough economy is also a fertile time for innovation and for introduction of new products. An example is one that has lasted for decades, television’s venerable “soap operas.” Proctor & Gamble piloted this new entertainment medium during the Great Depression to help sell laundry detergent, hence the very name.

 

The 1974 recession lead to creation of the discount brokerage industry with Charles Schwab.

 

Cable television networks CNN and MTV were launched during double dip recessions of the early 1980s, and airlines’ now-ubiquitous frequent flier programs were a marketing tactic born of the same economic downturn.

 

Apple’s iPod was introduced at the depth of the tech-bust “dot bomb” period. While not immediately successful, the iPod’s impact on the music industry has been profound.

 

Advertising Age columnist Jack Neff offers five tips for marketers who want to survive in tough economic times.

 

First, don’t cut the marketing and advertising budget. Maintaining or even increasing spending can create opportunities in times when the overall level of spending may be dropping. Your message will more likely be heard during times of less noise.

 

Second, maintain strong new product launches. Will history repeat itself with another category-changing introduction such as the discount brokerage or the iPod?

 

Third, beware that discounting can be addictive. Did Taco Bell’s under-a-dollar value menu that was introduced in the early 1990’s forever brand it as a place for cheap food? Discounting as a tactic can be effective. Discounting as a strategy is potentially dangerous.

 

Fourth, if you have a new product or service to introduce, make sure it fits the times.  Ideally, something new in bad economic times recognizes the recession’s reality and provides a remedy to a problem. 

 

Fifth, you can’t go wrong with diversion. If times are difficult, give people something to take their minds off the current economic storm. Promotions and messages need to be upbeat.

 

So whether you are selling flour, furniture or real estate, get a good night’s sleep, and you might find some “Hot Rize” when you get up.

 

Written by David Bohan-Bohan Advertising/Marketing