This is just personal experience.
1. Newspaper didn't work well for online services
2. Online ads are often clicked by competitors and yield no results
3. Sales Reps, very hard to find a motivated one and someone who actual KNOWS how to sell it. I have a IT partner who has his own business, even he doesn't know as much as I do in terms of selling online services and eventually they get exhausted.
4. Pre-making the product/services is pretty counterproductive. The time and cost associate with it will not make it worthwhile. Even IF you have a great product, when will it begin to obsolete? The answer - the second you made it!
5. Email & Cold Calling comes off cheap image and often gets lack of interest EVEN when the business owners KNOW they need that service. Just the approach makes them don't want YOUR service. They are busy at work dealing with B.S people and you surprise them by throwing sales pitches like the rest of phone calls they get every day.
6. Lumpy mailing worked the best as businesses still EXPECTS to get mail everyday even if it's not from you. They can open the mail on their free time (respect their time) and will actually read through it if it is relevant to solving their problems. Direct mail doesn't work if you send generic sales pitches and corporate sales letter. It works best if write it as if you were writing to a dear friend and just wants to help them out. You will be surprise by its conversion. But copywriting skills are KEY in this success and perfect for you shy and don't want to get out of the house people.
7. Skype - I don't know any business owner will stay on their Skype or cell phone while at work, do you? So why is this even here? If they are constantly on Skype, do they even have a job?
8. Video marketing, unless they surf online all day and watches YouTube, chances are it's unlikely they will spend hours a day looking for topics on online marketing and pick a guru from there. I can see it work if the video was made and THEN send them the link RELEVANT to solving a problem that plagues them every morning.
The bottom line is, all those are just channels to get to your prospects and any one of them are fine. What I don't see much here on BHW and every where else is teaching people how to speak to business owners and solve their problems. Honestly, they can give a rats ass to what you do online or even HOW you do it, they just don't want to be seen as a loser to their friends, employee, etc. They don't want to appear less of their competitors. They don't want to lose sales. They don't want people to steal their stuff. And on and on.
Even I am sick and tired of the internet marketers throwing me generic sales pitches like 'I can increase your online presence, exposure and sales...blah blah blah, call me.' Oh really, did your dumb ass not know you just emailed an Internet Marketing Company that does exactly that? If you can increase my sales, why don't you increase your's and show me something? You see where this becomes stupid?
I just want to say that people should stop thinking about the next gadget, next sales pitch, next software that'll get you somewhere. It's just a freaking tool. The business owner who'll give you cash won't understand it and DON'T care! Think in the lines of this..weather you're going to cold call, email, direct mail or even walk ins..
Dear business owner,
I know you are busy so I'll be quick. I understand you have [list of issues and problems that keeps them up at night]. I also know [add more pain by providing proof such as their competitors are doing better, etc]. This must cost you [how it hurt them emotionally, financially, etc.]
I'm really here to provide you a quick and simple solution. Do your brief explanation here.
Wait for...How much will it cost? Then be creative about the pricing. You can offer them to pay per month or lump sums or X numbers of payments, etc. But the result from your service will make their money back in X months or something foreseeable if you are selling business services. It must be able to translate back into $$$.
See it they want to go further into this deal. Offer them a limited spot and time so they can act soon.
Say.. thank you for taking the time to speak with me on your busy day! This shows that you at less respect and acknowledge their valuable time and you are thankful for them to invest those times with you. (This generation is the less thankful I know so you'll stand out just by being polite.)
Take the check and start working. Follow up once a week so you'll appear to still exist with their money and working hard for them.
As long as your mind set is customer focused, the rest is just noise and extra baggage.
) and sent the report along with the invoice once meeting the contract golas. most payed immediately, 2 payed after getting another letter from "my lawyer". That was good before everyone knew about fake likes and views... oh the innocent times...
