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Clever Headlines Usually Flop! Are You Being Too Clever For Your Own Good?
Copywriters that try to be clever, humorous, abstract, or use double entendre with their headlines and ads will normally find that they flop and are thus a waste of both time and money. Many of the Super Bowl ads fall in this category. While they are often funny to watch, most people don't remember what company the ad was promoting. Ted Nicholas tells the story of how a book that he had written was not selling very well. He had titled it, "How Not To Drown In A Sea Of Debt." One day he stopped by a bookstore and looked for the book in the personal finance and self help sections but could not find it. So he went to the information counter and asked if they carried the book. He was told yes they had it in stock, and it was located in the swimming section! Ted subsequently changed the title to 'How To Get Out Of Debt' and the book sold well from that point on. If you are trying to promote something, keep your titles clear and simple. Leave clever and humorous to the entertainers. Headlines that are too abstract are often unclear to the reader and do not clearly identify to the reader why they should be interested in the information contained in the follow on copy. Make your headlines clear. Id

developed with Graybar through Graybar’s local branch. Universal is an electrical contracting company and Graybar is a distributor of electrical supplies.

Entrepreneurs: Benefits vs. Features-Know the Difference!
Entrepreneurs know their business. They know their product, their service. Many of them write creative Web sites. But, one thing they are not as adept at is promotional copy.It's not the book, it's the hook! It's not the beautiful Web site, it's the one with benefit-driven headlines that lead your visitor straight to your sales message. What you say outside the book covers matters. What you say about your service on your site must be so much more powerful than your pleasing personality or mission statement.Always promote with benefits over features. Benefits show the value of your products. They solve your particular audience's problem! They tell your clients and customers what they will gain--and what they will lose from your product or service. Some common benefits include: more money, less trouble, more time, less stress, desirable relationships, less drama and trauma, and more zest and energy, less fatigue.Apply this Essential "Hot-Selling Point" Before you Write:1. Write down a list of 5-10 benefits of each product and service. Think about your number one benefit your book or service solves. For example, your clients and customers don't want to know only how to get their book written, they want to know why

There are basically three levels of buyer/seller relationships. The first and most common relationship level is Adversarial. This is the traditional win-relinquish relationship where you, the buyer, squeeze your supplier for the very last bit of a discount. You are determined to get the last drop! You are not focused on the cost of doing business with one another, just what you believe to be the lowest cost. This is a transactional only relationship.

Next is the Barometric relationship. In a Barometric buyer/seller relationship you are always checking the atmospheric pressure. This relationship is still being monitored and measured closely. Generally you have not yet developed a high level of trust with one another. It could be a single source relationship, but with a short length contract. While this relationship can grow and flourish, it can also sour quickly. Few people thrive with others constantly peaking over their shoulder. In this type of relationship, each side must still engage in CYA (cover your assets).

The highest-level buyer/seller relationship is Complementary. This level is where true integral Partnering takes place. At this level the visions and values of each overlap with one another. There is a true alignment of values in place. Each understands the needs of their alliance partner and works hard to help their partner get what they need while likewise serving their own organization.

Value-based purchasing,

Sole-source relationships,

Vendor Managed Inventorying (VMI),

Just-in-time (JIT) shipments are made successful through trust and

Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) at this relationship level.

Complementary Contractor/Distributor Relationship

An example of Complementary buyer/seller Partnering is the relationship Universal Systems developed with Graybar through Graybar’s local branch. Universal is an electrical contracting company and Graybar is a distributor of electrical supplies.

American Idol Syndrome
I like Simon, one of three judges on American Idol. I find his feedback refreshingly honest. And while his words startle me with their ego wounding potential, the traditional feel-good, let-you-down-easy, sugar-coated feedback is not much of a gift. It’s hard to tell someone they’re not good enough and their dreams are not going to happen, at least in this venue. But not telling them is no gift either. Some contestants rise to the challenges he throws at them. Some don’t. And, some can’t. Which one are you?The people who influenced me most in my career were those who gave me the hardest critiques. Stricken with a bruised-ego for days, or on occasion for months, inevitably their feedback helped me make the right life choices to improve, change direction, or stay the course with intensity. In fact, the boss who was the hardest on me is the one I thank the most. Good was not good enough if I was capable of better, and she was quick to point out when that was. No sugar coating from her. And the funny thing? When I was honest with myself, I knew she was right.Being honest with yourself is one of the challenges to winning at working. We all have talents and abilities, but they’re not always in the areas we pursue at work. Too many p

Value-based purchasing,

Sole-source relationships,

Vendor Managed Inventorying (VMI),

Just-in-time (JIT) shipments are made successful through trust and

Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) at this relationship level.

Complementary Contractor/Distributor Relationship

Customer Service for Dumb Dumbs
Customer Service is not as simple as students may surmise. But that does not mean that any business cannot at least improve upon their customer service. I suppose there is a book called; Customer Service for Dummies. And if you want to improve your customer service skills and you think you are a dumb dumb then let me offer a few tips on things you can do to make your current customer service even better.1.) Talk to your customers ask them what they like or do not like. Ask them how you can improve. After all your customers know what they want in good customer service so why not ask them?2.) Implement a Secret Shopper program and have a friend or acquaintance be a pretend shopper and then have them assess your business when you are not there and fill out a questionnaire.3.) Put yourself in your customers shoes and consider what they are seeing when they do business with you. Imagine their frustrations and then work to mitigate such aggravation.4.) Tell all employees to smile at customers and be polite and answer their questions without making excuses. Then tell them to say thank you, like the mean it to every customer and tell your employees without that customer, you will no longer have a job, because

antly peaking over their shoulder. In this type of relationship, each side must still engage in CYA (cover your assets).

Value-based purchasing,

Sole-source relationships,

Vendor Managed Inventorying (VMI),

Just-in-time (JIT) shipments are made successful through trust and

Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) at this relationship level.

Complementary Contractor/Distributor Relationship

Adjust Your Expectations
You've all heard some business owners whine about employees: "my staff members are always coming to work late", "my employees' children are always getting sick", "I have high employee turnover". Why do some owners not whine? Maybe they have looked at their employees and adjusted to the obvious. If the owner is habitually late, your employees will be, too. If your employees are mostly young parents, yes their children will be sick. Look at your employment package and then work with your employees to see how you can customize it within your company's budget. This attention may help solve the retention problem.A small CPA firm in a rural Midwest town was always losing accountants after a short tenure, and with tax season was just around the corner and he was short staffed, again. He complained that he just didn't understand what to do. While talking about his dilemma, he discovered the employees he lost were paid well but they were typically female, in their twenties and thirties. Often these young women would marry and become pregnant. Soon they wanted family leave which was given and then when that was done, the often wanted to work part-time.He expressed that these were great employees; they just didn't want to work

hat they need while likewise serving their own organization.

Value-based purchasing,

Sole-source relationships,

Vendor Managed Inventorying (VMI),

Just-in-time (JIT) shipments are made successful through trust and

Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) at this relationship level.

Complementary Contractor/Distributor Relationship

Are You A Victim Of Sales Cycles
Many products and services have different sales cycles – from the first prospect meeting to the close of the sale. Some cycles can be several months to a few years. Some can be just a few days.Many salespeople believe that they are not in control of the sales cycle. They put the buying control into the hands of the prospect. Of course, you cannot sell something to someone before they are ready, but you can discover the sense of urgency or attempt to create it.Keep in mind that people buy when they are ready to buy, not when you need to sell.This week, let’s focus on these arbitrary sales cycles. First of all, remember that you do not change the prospect’s buying needs, timetable, readiness or urgency – you discover it or them. If your prospect has just signed a three year contract with a competitor, guess what? This is not a prospect for you until the time when he begins to consider renewing or changing suppliers.Most sales cycles are not etched in stone. They are a function of your ability to get to the real issues, needs, pain, problems, etc. If you fail to identify these accurately, you will most likely never develop the interest or desire necessary to cause a buying decision. However, if your questioning sk

developed with Graybar through Graybar’s local branch. Universal is an electrical contracting company and Graybar is a distributor of electrical supplies.

In 1996, Gene Dennis, President at Universal Systems realized his company had a problem. His supply inventory was out of control. Through the assistance of Parviz (Perry) Daneshgari, Dennis set out to make a change. Daneshgari is president at MCA, (an implementation company in Michigan), an adjunct professor of automotive engineering science at the University of Michigan-Dearborn and Oakland University’s School of Management and the author of The Chase, (1998, Black Forest Press, San Diego, CA) a business novel about process implementation. Dennis decided he wanted to be a construction company without owning and handling any material. This was a lofty goal as traditionally the stocking of electrical supplies was a cornerstone of the business.

He needed a supply partner. His choices were a local supplier and Graybar, a national supplier with a branch in his community. He leaned toward the local supplier until he showed up at their place of business unannounced. “We were held hostage,” said Dennis (Electrical Contractor Magazine, July 1998). The problem was that the president was not in and the employees didn’t know what to do so they put Dennis and his team in a conference room. In contract, when he showed up at Graybar unannounced and the branch manager was out, all the employees knew about Universal looking for a supply partner. The staff at Graybar showed him and his team around at once. Upon closer inspection, Dennis learned that Graybar’s on-time deliveries had been 29 percent higher than their competitor. Graybar was selected for the sole-source arrangement.

Graybar agreed to take ownership of Universal’s existing in-site inventory. An on-site inventory was maintained and orders were placed via Graybar’s EDI system and invoices were generated from Graybar’s St Louis headquarters monthly. Universal realized approximately $60,000 the first year through eliminating delivery trucks, inventorying and other personnel savings. Graybar offered additional benefits as the relationship progressed. Before the partnership, Universal had to pay extra for shipping their frequent emergency ord

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As the Grants Committee Chair on the Board of an Educational Foundation that gives small grants to teachers, I have participated in two grant review sessions. There, I learned more than I could have in two years of simply writing grants. Reading grants was like interviewing candidates to invest the money we spent all year fundraising and taught me the no grant will be funded if it appears financially risky. Here are some tips on creating a budget that will attract funders, rather than scare them off.

How often do you use lectures as your sole training technique? Do you rely on this format because of its effectiveness or your comfort level? Here we discuss problems with the lecture format and why you should consider other alternatives.

Too many meetings, too little time. When the true cost of holding just one meeting is accurately calculated, it should provide sufficient motivation for us to want to ensure that all of our meetings are meaningful, necessary and can be justified.

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