BUSINESS ERA

If you are searching for a good multilevel marketing opportunity to be a part of and succeed in it, make sure that the next ten points are in order.

1. Are you happy with the product that you will have to sell with this mlm opportunity? If not, there is no reason you should get going with it.

2. Are you convinced of their business plan? Most importantly, have you understood it completely and will you be able to tell it to others in the same way your business representative does it for you? If the business plan is difficult or if you think you will not be able to explain it to others, you can give this one a miss.

3. Do they demand some unreasonable membership fee? Most network marketing businesses are low investment opportunities. If you have to spend more than $200 to be a part of the activity, drop it.

4. You need to get a whole kit when you join. It should contain a detailed iguide and a manual about the product you will beoffering. It should have several things that can aid you promote the product such as stickers, buttons and pins, etc.

5. How are your immediate upline members? Your mentor, the one who explains the business to you when you join, must be friendly and even charismatic. He or she must be able to help you at first in convincing people to join.

6. Does the business hold meeting to sign up more people frequently? Remember that without such contact programs, it will become problematic to bring more members to the network. The person to person approach is unbeatable. Also, leaders must be present at these seminars to speak to the people and convince them.

7. Does the business have an internet presence? Without that, you can give all hopes of earning good money. The optimum way to bring in more people is through the Internet. The business should use these opportunities to the maximum extent.

8. Do you have abundant people to back you and support you, at least initially? Are you a social person? Such things help in getting the newest members. It is a good idea to speak to some people in your closest circle to find out whether they will support you by joining the network themselves.

9. Do you have time for the activity? Remember that a business venture is not a get-lots-of-money scheme. You have to put in effort. If you cannot, no such activity will work for you.

10. What is the position of the company? This is important. The products will be sold quicker if the company has some reputation. It is not easy to join newbie companies that no one has heard of, unless they have some highly attractive products that people would love to interest themselves in.

Source:marketing.about.com

You can provide human interaction to potential Internet clients and customers so that you are able to move that client or customer through a successful sales process, but how?

You do this by following a five step process in your Internet marketing strategy that continually builds trust and confidence by meeting the psychological marketing needs of that visitor and potential customer while escorting that visitor through the selection and purchasing process.

Creating a successful online sales process can be accomplished by making sure that you represent and court your visitor through the five levels of the sales process on your site.

Anyone who has studied any marketing at all knows that there are psychological needs that must be met in order for a person to be persuaded to purchase a product or service.

If it’s a product you are selling are you representing that product to solve a specific problem or meet a specific need? If you are selling a service are you getting in touch with the pain of your potential client to draw their interest into what you are offering?

There are steps that you can take to effectively do that and in response witness the successful sales process over and over in the virtual world that is why an Internet marketing strategy is a necessity not an option.

The five levels of the sales process build on one another in many ways. An Internet Marketing Strategy that is done correctly will clearly define all five levels of the process and how they are represented through your site. The strategy will then assist you in setting realistic and attainable Internet marketing goals. It will also assist you in using each step to build and influence the others so that the process continually moves toward the successful close of the sale.

These five levels of the sales process are the core components that will move your website viewer from visitor to customer or client. By representing each level that is mentioned below and courting your potential client or customer through those levels you will have the power to move your site from failure to success.

• Marketing/Prospecting to your Target Market and Audience
• Build Credibility and Trust - (Your viewer needs this to move forward)
• Escort and Court the Buyer through the Process - (Meet their Needs 7 out of 10 want to buy!)
• Present the Product or Service that meets their needs
• Successfully Close the Sale

Let’s explore each phase in depth, so that you have a greater understanding of how you can put these princples to work for your business.

Level 1: Marketing/Prospecting

Prospecting is the result of your marketing. It's the delivery of targeted qualified traffic to your virtual storefront. This can be achieved by search engine optimization, pay per clicks, or advertisements that draw people to your site. Once they are there it is your job and responsibility to deliver your Unique Selling Proposition. Not sure what your USP is? Ask yourself the following questions:

• What is the obvious void in the marketplace that your product or service fills?
• What makes your business stand out as distinct and appealing that sets your business apart from the rest?

Level 2: Build Credibility and Trust

In a brick and mortar business trust is built by human interaction. Greeting a person when they walk in the door or physically helping them find something that they are looking for, so how can you build that same trust and credibility virtually?

I think you will be surprised to find out that you build that same trust and credibility by the elements that surround the design and the development of your website. Your viewer is unconsciously judging your credibility by mentally asking themselves the following questions:

• Does this feel and look professional like a legitimate company?
• Is this site reliable?
• How fast is it downloading and are there broken images or links?
• Can I find my way through the site with the navigation that is provided, or are these virtual isles cluttered?
• How is the copy on this site?
• Is it powerful, does it draw me in or is obvious that there was no time taken to write it?
• Are there spelling and grammatical errors?
• Do the images draw me in or are they distracting and irrelevant?
• Can I find the companies assurances and privacy policies easily?
• What about customer support? Is it easily found?
• Can I access support and information that I need easily or is it hidden?

Take a look at your site and ask yourself the questions above. Are you guiding your viewers or are you leaving them in the dark. Your site should work as a personal shopper, a live virtual assistant that knows the needs that your visitor has and makes the solutions for those needs easily accessible.

Level 3: Escort and Court the Buyer

A person who visits your site has been targeted if you followed the first steps in prospecting, so now it's time to qualify the visitor. How do you do this? It's actually very easy. A person happens on your site because they are looking for a solution to a problem. That solution can be a product or a service. Internet marketing studies show that 7 out of 10 visitors to a site are ready to buy. Take the time to escort and court them to what they need.

• When you look at your current site are you helping your visitors to identify and find the best solution for that problem?
• Are you guiding them to find what they need to solve the problem that they have?

Your navigation should be structured to help those that know exactly what it is that they are looking for, those who know what they want in general but aren't sure about the specifics, and those that are browsing and need you to give them some direction.

Level 4: Present the Product/Service

The presentation process is how you are presenting your products or services to your visitors as you guide them through the selection process after you have escorted them and found out what their needs are in the previous stage. It's important to remember that each level ofthe process overlaps. As you present your products or services to your visitor, be sure that you are continually keeping their attention and interest by motivating them to continue with the sale.

Level 5: Close the Sale

Does your site close the sale effectively? Take a look at each product that you offer, are you providing enough information about the product are you giving them assurance policies and/or guarantees regarding their purchase? Are your product descriptions enticing? Does your description answer common questions that visitors might have? Consider adding testimonials for each product or service to build added credibility. One thing that many e-commerce sites forget to do is provide payment information. Do you take credit cards, if so which ones? Can I pay you by electronic check? What if I want to mail my check to you, can I do that? Take the guess work out of the purchase. Another vital part of the close that is often missed is clearly communicating your guarantee and assurance that you will stand behind the product or service.

If you represent each level that is mentioned above and effectively court your potential client or customer through the five levels you will have the power to move your website from failure to success.

source:marketing.about.com

Let's think about thisquestion for a moment. Without marketing you would not have prospects orleads to follow up with, but yet without a good sales technique and strategy your closing rate may depress you.

Marketing is everything that you do to reach and persuade prospects. The sales process is everything that you do to close the sale and get a signed agreement or contract. Both are necessities to the success of a business. You cannot do without either process. By strategically combining both efforts you will experience a successful amount of business growth. However, by the same token if the efforts are unbalanced it candetour your growth.

Your marketing will consists of the measures you use to reach and persuade your prospects that you are the company for them. It's the message that prepares the prospect for the sales. It consists of advertising, public relations, brand marketing, viral marketing, and direct mail.

The sales process consists of interpersonal interaction. It is often done by a one-on-one meeting, cold calls, and networking. It's anything that engages you with the prospect or customer on a personal level rather than at a distance.

Your marketing efforts begin the process of the eight contacts that studies show it takes to move a prospect or potential client to the close of the sale. If marketing is done effectively you can begin to move that prospect from a cold to a warm lead. When the prospect hitsthe"warm" level it's much easier for the sales professional to close the sale.

Do you see the cycle?

As you see in my explanation above it takes multiple contacts using both sales and marketing to move the prospect from one level to the next. That is why it is import that you develop a process that combines both sales and marketing. This will enable you to reach prospects at all three levels; cold, warm, and hot. It's all about balance.

Are you unsure of how to integrate your marketing and sales?

Try this. Take a few moments and divide your prospect lists and database into categories of cold, warm, and hot leads. Then sit down and identify a strategy on how to proceed with each individual group.

For example you could try the following methods of contact:

• Cold Lead Strategy - Send out a direct mailing or offer them a special promotion
• Warm Lead Strategy - Try a follow-up call, send out a sales letter, or schedule a special seminar or training session to get all of your warm leads together.

Once you've moved your prospect to the "warm" level it's time to proceed in closing the sale. This will be easier to do if you somehow engage the prospect. You can do this by conducting a one-on-one call, make a presentation, or present a proposal, estimate, or contract.

What if you are uncomfortable with the sales or marketing process?

An alternative that often proves successful is to partner with someone that possess the talents that you feel you lack in. You can do this by creating a partnership, subcontracting, or hiring in that talent.