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More on Ratings: Four Ways to Sell More Services
Tweet Share on Facebook December 30, 2008 Comment (1)So far, we've looked at how ratings can help sales and how reviews sell more product. Now it's time for service businesses. Here are four ways to use ratings to sell more of your services.
1. Use a five-star rating.Think of hotel or restaurant ratings. Can you adapt a star rating scale, or something similar, to your services? We're not all five-star service providers, with all the luxuries and a high price. Some of us are two- or three-star, comfortable and capable at a terrific price. Can you creatively convey that with a rating?
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To Sell More, Tell More
Tweet Share on Facebook December 19, 2008 CommentHave you ever compared two items from an online store, where one has a much longer description? Do you tend to favor the item with more information?
How many times have you stood in front of a product display, with no real idea which item to buy?
How much have you come to rely on online reviews or advice from friends?
The lesson from these questions is that if your business isn't offering detailed descriptions and reviews of products, start! Yes, it takes work, but this is one of those business basics. You'll have to tell more if you want to sell more.
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How to Learn From the Detroit Big Three and Influence Policy
Tweet Share on Facebook December 16, 2008 Comment (13)Whatever your opinion of Bob Nardelli, Alan Mulally, and Rick Wagoner, you have to admit that it must be nice to be able to ask lawmakers for whatever your business needs. Most microbusiness owners don't realize that they can do precisely that. So, here are five tips for turning yourself into a microbusiness policy mover and shaker:
- Develop relationships with legislative office staff. Your first point of entry into your congressional representative's office will be through his or her staff. The staff is the group you will work with and they are valuable contacts. Don't turn your nose up at them and demand to see the boss.
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Poor Sales This Holiday Season? Use Product Ratings
Tweet Share on Facebook December 12, 2008 CommentRatings help your customers decide what, how much, and even whether to, buy.
This works on any type of product-based business. Whether it's performance auto parts, musical instruments, or stuffed animals, you're probably bringing together products from many different manufacturers. Each has completely different label information, and there is no standardization across brands. It's up to you to make it simple for customers, and ratings help.
Rating scales like 1-10, or 1-100 are common for wine and cigar ratings but could apply to any products. You might also use school-style letter grades, (A, B, C). Even a simple "good, better, best" comparison makes it easier for customers to make choices.
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Will Healthcare Reform Happen Next Year?
Tweet Share on Facebook December 12, 2008 CommentThe Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has released the results of a survey showing that making healthcare more affordable is a major concern of small-business owners and a primary issue facing their business.
According to the survey of 400 small businesses that pay for at least some of their employees' health benefits, 42 percent said making healthcare more affordable should be a top priority for the incoming administration.
Healthcare reform has broad popular support and was one of President-elect Obama's major campaign issues. Business groups and small business associations like the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) and others are also strong proponents of healthcare reform.
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4 Tips for Starting Your Consulting Business
Tweet Share on Facebook December 10, 2008 Comment (7)Thinking of starting as a consultant? Even in these tough times? Maybe you've always wanted to. Maybe some things just went wrong for you, so you have no choice; you have to.
I can help. I did consulting for Business International in the 1970s, for Creative Strategies in the 1980s, for McKinsey Management Consulting for one brief period, and for myself and my family, on my own, through most of the 1980s and early 1990s. Eventually, that became Palo Alto Software, but it was consulting first. And I learned a few things that might help you if that's where you're heading. Here's my list:
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The Sky Is Not Falling: Your Job Is Probably Safe
Tweet Share on Facebook December 9, 2008 Comment (1)Hey, have you heard? The sky is falling.
We of the media have a responsibility to let you, the general public, know that the economy is a train wreck.
But when you are constantly bombarded with television, radio, and Internet news and information sources, all reporting the same dire story over and over and over again . . . after a while, if you're not in a complete panic, then you're wondering if maybe you ought to be.
So, let's take a few minutes to get a collective grip, shall we?
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A Growing Small-Business Trend: Personal Service Businesses
Tweet Share on Facebook December 5, 2008 Comment (2)One of the small-business trends I find really interesting is the growth of small personal services companies. These are firms that have created niche businesses by providing life support services to increasingly harried, time-constrained consumers. Basically, these folks are paid to do things we used to do on our own, or did without.
In our community, there are many small personal service businesses. We have the traditional services like gardening, house cleaning, pool cleaning, shopping services, nannies, etc.
We also have career coaches, college admission counselors, retirement counselors, massage therapists, dog walkers, and others who help us with various life tasks. And we have a surprising number of kid-oriented small businesses that teach sports, music, arts, theater, and academics.
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Innovative Ways to Share Testimonials for Your Business
Tweet Share on Facebook December 4, 2008 Comment (2)Last week, we discussed ideas to capture testimonials. Once you have testimonials, they do you no good if you don't share them.
Let's brainstorm some innovative ways to share them. Huge online retailers have raised sharing customer comments to a high art, with reviews, tagging, customer lists, and so on. Your small business can't generate the huge user base, but you can make up for that by actively sharing the customer testimonials you collect.
On your website, match up testimonials with the products or services they relate to. Have a physical store? Post testimonials right with the product displays.
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3 Dangerous Myths About Sales Forecasting
Tweet Share on Facebook December 3, 2008 Comment (8)Sales forecasting: It's hard enough to get it right without all the ways we get it wrong. It was on my mind over the long holiday weekend, and in this case, it wasn't a particularly cheery back-of-the-mind thought. My company's recent sales reflect the economic downturn.
Not cheery, perhaps, but now more than ever, managing your sales forecast is really important and very much misunderstood. Most people fear forecasting. They think some expert should do it. Visions of econometric models and weighted moving averages dance, devilishly, in their heads.
So why do people hate forecasting? It's mostly because of myths and misunderstandings. Such as, among others, these three:
