Business Development 2.0
Posts tagged making money
Social Media Marketing 101: Using HARO For Free PR
May 3rd
Help A Reporter Out (HARO) is definitely my favorite tool on the web right now. It is a free system that provides nearly 200 opportunities each day for free press and public relations. Their slogan is that “Everyone is an expert at something;” this is your opportunity to share that with people.
Help A Reporter Out was created 2007 by Peter Shankman as a Facebook group. Now, the service has nearly 30,000 writers/bloggers/journalists/ etc. submitting about 200 queries each day to over 100,000 sources.
For most users, HARO is an email list subscription that provides 3 emails (morning, afternoon, evening) Monday through Friday. By registering for this service users will get opportunities to respond to REAL journalists and bloggers about their questions, and (hopefully) get chosen as a source for upcoming articles. There are a few simple rules and regulations on using HARO, but they ultimately come down to digital respect and using the site for professional purposes.
HARO queries are (usually) simple and direct; most of which also indicate that responses should be the same. Queries range from broad and general human targets like, “ever been poisoned by a bad burger?” to Very specific niche questions like, “Do You Work for or Know of a Company that has Thinly Veiled Gender Targets?” Each query comes with whom is being targeted and a question to be answered.
In 2009 Wired.com submitted a query to the (then) 80,000 sources; it read, ““How has this service worked for you? I welcome any feedback about how this service has or has not been effective.” In the 5.5 hours between publication and “deadline” the query generated 174 separate responses; 86% responded positively, 11% neutral, and only 3% had negative comments.
If you plan on joining or are already using this service please watch this video from the creator, Peter Shankman about responding to HARO queries. The video provides some clear information about how users should be interacting to maximize the likelihood of generating some serious recognition. HARO responses should be quick, timely, relevant, and accurate as those submitting queries are looking for experts rather than those simply promoting their business.
Using HARO can generate more eyes on your company’s website, establish you as a leading and credible source of information, and promote your personal and professional brand; all of these things increase your possibility to increase your Internet real estate and increase your visibility on the web. The slogan at HARO is that “Everyone is an expert at something,” and this is your opportunity to share that with people that want to promote you.
How To Use Sales Assessments Effectively To Maximize Results
Mar 25th
There are so many good assessments and evaluations available to help business owners and managers successfully generate a quality in-depth view of their sales team and its
members; often these can be used inappropriately, which will definitely compromise the validity and integrity of the results.
Personality tests are great to determine how people get along with one another and develop interpersonal relationships. Behavioral styles evaluations can assist in determining ‘best practices’ in managing individuals and their behaviors. The problem with these is not in the assessments themselves, but when using them to determine what actions you should take in the selection and development of salespeople. A leading assessment company at one time even claimed that there is no direct correlation between behavioral styles and successful sales performance. Using the information that these can generate may be a great tool to maximize your sales force as long as the information is kept in context.
What you need is great tool that will help you learn what makes a successful salesperson, if and how a salesperson can improve, where improvements are necessary to your sales team, and more. You need a tool that determines what obstacles may be preventing successful sales, how much realistic improvement you can expect, action plans for improvement. Do you want to predict which candidates will succeed in your sales position with 95% certainty? This can be done, and it is through approaching sales positions and sales with a direct and objective view on the science of sales. Use a sales assessment that effectively profiles your company and the potential candidates, critically evaluates potential talent, and maximizes the results for your company consistently. Smeester and Associates specializes in using tools like what’s been described above to help maximize sales for companies. If you want assistance in finding a tool for you that can effectively increase the performance of your sales team, then contact us;
Hiring Sales People – Why Place SO Much Value On Industry Experience?
Mar 23rd
Companies looking to expand their sales force often consider “industry experience” as a must-have for their candidates; a smart business would quickly eliminate this practice, and place more value on the quality of the salesperson and their history in selling.
A great salesperson is great regardless of the industry! Any savvy professional in sales should agree that performance history, adaptability, comfort, confidence, and passion are infinitely more valuable qualities and skills than years of experience in any particular niche. Making sure that your next sales hire can demonstrate sales core competencies leaves them open and available to focus their energy on learning about your company, business, and products. A person who already understands the science of sales and the ability to relate with your potential clients will definitely be trainable in your particular market, and educating that person will be incalculably less expensive than hiring another sales dud who already has spent 10 years in your field.
Industry Experience is not nearly as valuable as salesmanship and a proven history of sales.
In the ever-changing world that we live in, it would be wise to focus on those that already know today’s sales/marketing scene, and have the know-how to continuously evolve with the market around them. Finding sales stars can make any business grow tremendously, and a real sales all-star will always shine no matter what they are selling. Next time you are looking to grow your sales force, don’t limit yourself to people who have been in your field of business.
Ultimately, it should be infinitely more cost effective and fun to train somebody in your market, products, and services, than teaching them about selling. You absolutely can hire great salespeople, and the first step is changing your approach. The science of sales is proven to work, so leave the selling to the sales force and make yourself more available to continue making the best business you can.
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Social Media Marketing 101: Don’t Get Caught Up In Just Selling
Mar 19th
Social Media Marketing (SMM) is an incredibly powerful tool, but so many businesses stepping in to this world get too immersed in the SELLING aspect and lose track of the SOCIAL aspect.
Stay on target with Social Media Marketing
The internet has become the next “great conversation” of history; millions of people every day log in to a number of sites to read, post, respond, and develop new digital communities. Recent studies indicate that nearly 60% of Americans engage in social media (Facebook, Twitter, linkedin, etc.), which makes Social Media Marketing a wonderful opportunity to get your business’ message out to an incredible amount of people for very little (if any) cost to you. However, too many new businesses step into this digital world with the intent to only sell, and don’t seem to know that in this arena PARTICIPATION leads to sales. Only 25% of social media users (roughly 46.3 million Americans) “want to be sold to”, which leaves the remaining 75% of users looking to simply engage and participate.
The expectation now is that you, as a business, interact with the scene and not just post frequently about your products and your services. Develop a personality on the web, share your thoughts, promote interesting other people, and sell yourself. Even if you have the absolute BEST product and service in the industry right now, YOU still have to sell it and most consumers are more likely to buy from a person they can relate to. The opportunity will arise for you to sell as long you stay involved with potential customers.
Mikal Belicove, an author and Social Media Adviser, has stated, “It’s called Social Media, not Social SELLING.” Remembering that media is a crucial part of the whole equation will aid you greatly as you begin and continue your company’s growth in Social Media Marketing. Above all, the expanding realm of using social media as a sales tool is about developing a RELATIONSHIP and sharing your voice with a vast amount of potential new customers.
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