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Category: Uncategorized
By admin, January 4, 2009 Does the idea of putting your business online frighten the hell out of you? Do you look at the internet and not understand anything about it?
The key to selling on the Internet is not about how to use the technology, is not about knowing how to build your site from scratch.
The basic principles of selling on the internet are the same keys to any successful marketing, selling and relationship building campaign, whether they exist in the physical word or on the Internet. The main difference is in how you apply them.
It really isn’t the technology that counts. It is the strategy which is applied.
What strategy am I talking about? These three basic points will ensure that your internet selling experience will be a positive one, highlighted by a Marketing Genuis, Jay Abrahams.
So what are they?
1. Offer a high-quality products and/or service that your visitors want.
2. Create a great website that sells effectively.
3. Generate high-quality, qualified traffic to your site cost effectively.
Sounds to easy doesn’t it!
What is good service? Well this is a topic on its own; however the important thing here is that you need to go beyond the customer expectations. I always believe if you treat the client how you would like to be treated and then double the effort you are probably almost there. You obviously have a great product that you want to sell on the internet, so how do you create a Great Website…
The single most important thing about a great website is the passion behind it. You have a great product so tell people about it and be passionate about it. The culture of the Internet is such that if you don’t believe in your product people will be able to tell and you will become invisible in the Internet world.
So how do you avoid being invisible, with a great site?
The most important aspect is the headline. This must not be your company name, it has to be a compelling, powerful headline that targets your market and provides a statement of a specific benefit to your visitors just for visiting your site.
Your headline and the first few paragraphs should also contain your key words. If you are uncertain about your key words then think about what words would you use to search for your product? Enter these into Google or Yahoo! and look at what your competitor’s sites are using as their keywords. Evaluate what words your competitors are using in their headlines and on their front page.
You will probably find that most sites will use the plural word instead of the single i.e. ‘Restaurants’ instead of ‘restaurant’ and the single word will not get picked up by search engines.
Again the topic of key words deserves more time, but do a little research on your own on keywords and the importance they have in getting better rankings in Search Engines. Try looking at NETrageous www.netrageousresults.com or Search Engine Watch www.searchenginewatch.com for some more information.
The third point is probably the most important. I have written a lot about defining and targeting your market, the key is to understand who they are, what makes they tick. This is important to any marketing campaign; however it is more important on the internet. Look for special interest discussion groups and forums, relevant to your product or service.
Use the forums and e-zines to submit articles, information, and ads to get your message to your target market. You can use the same information in weekly emails to your database, to keep them informed and encourage them to use your site more frequently.
Your website needs to be you in the internet world. What makes you and your business stand out from the crowd?
The more information you provide on the internet about your business the more successful you will become.
What do you need to do now…?
Research, both what your business will represent on the internet, and more importantly get to know the internet world. It is a completely different culture and you really need to have a solid understanding of it before you begin.
The internet can be a source of so much information and it is only in its infancy.
Start to understand the basics of the internet and you will be surprised how quickly you will gain momentum. Remember… You don’t have to understand the technical nitty gritty about the internet, but you do need to understand the culture.
Start looking at sites relevant to your industry today!
Rachel Wadsworth
By admin, January 4, 2009 Does the idea of putting your business online frighten the hell out of you? Do you look at the internet and not understand anything about it?
The key to selling on the Internet is not about how to use the technology, is not about knowing how to build your site from scratch.
The basic principles of selling on the internet are the same keys to any successful marketing, selling and relationship building campaign, whether they exist in the physical word or on the Internet. The main difference is in how you apply them.
It really isn’t the technology that counts. It is the strategy which is applied.
What strategy am I talking about? These three basic points will ensure that your internet selling experience will be a positive one, highlighted by Jay Abrahams.
So what are they?
1. Offer a high-quality products and/or service that your visitors want.
2. Create a great website that sells effectively.
3. Generate high-quality, qualified traffic to your site cost effectively.
Sounds to easy doesn’t it!
What is good service? Well this is a topic on its own; however the important thing here is that you need to go beyond the customer expectations. I always believe if you treat the client how you would like to be treated and then double the effort you are probably almost there. You obviously have a great product that you want to sell on the internet, so how do you create a Great Website…
The single most important thing about a great website is the passion behind it. You have a great product so tell people about it and be passionate about it. The culture of the Internet is such that if you don’t believe in your product people will be able to tell and you will become invisible in the Internet world.
So how do you avoid being invisible, with a great site?
The most important aspect is the headline. This must not be your company name, it has to be a compelling, powerful headline that targets your market and provides a statement of a specific benefit to your visitors just for visiting your site.
Your headline and the first few paragraphs should also contain your key words. If you are uncertain about your key words then think about what words would you use to search for your product? Enter these into Google or Yahoo! and look at what your competitor’s sites are using as their keywords. Evaluate what words your competitors are using in their headlines and on their front page.
You will probably find that most sites will use the plural word instead of the single i.e. ‘Restaurants’ instead of ‘restaurant’ and the single word will not get picked up by search engines.
Again the topic of key words deserves more time, but do a little research on your own on keywords and the importance they have in getting better rankings in Search Engines. Try looking at NETrageous www.netrageousresults.com or Search Engine Watch www.searchenginewatch.com for some more information.
The third point is probably the most important. I have written a lot about defining and targeting your market, the key is to understand who they are, what makes they tick. This is important to any marketing campaign; however it is more important on the internet. Look for special interest discussion groups and forums, relevant to your product or service.
Use the forums and e-zines to submit articles, information, and ads to get your message to your target market. You can use the same information in weekly emails to your database, to keep them informed and encourage them to use your site more frequently.
Your website needs to be you in the internet world. What makes you and your business stand out from the crowd?
The more information you provide on the internet about your business the more successful you will become.
What do you need to do now…?
Research, both what your business will represent on the internet, and more importantly get to know the internet world. It is a completely different culture and you really need to have a solid understanding of it before you begin.
The internet can be a source of so much information and it is only in its infancy.
Start to understand the basics of the internet and you will be surprised how quickly you will gain momentum. Remember… You don’t have to understand the technical nitty gritty about the internet, but you do need to understand the culture.
Start looking at sites relevant to your industry today!
Rachel Wadsworth
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Phone – +61 0409011175
Skype – RachelWadsworth
By admin, January 4, 2009 Everytime I have a great cup of coffee, or a beautiful experience at a Day Spa I tell atleast 10 people.
Why? Not because a want to boast, but because I want them to have the opportunity to experience something special to.
In todays society, all to often you do get a bad coffee or a horrid spa experience, so when you experience something great you really do want to tell the world.
The question is how do you encourage your clients to tell the world?
It is really quite simple..
Everytime you provide your clients have contact with you ask them for a referral. So when you are serving coffee, have just finished a facial or given them a radical new hair cut as for a referral.
The first step in approaching them is to paint a picture…Lets use a client at a hair salon as an example.
That hair cut looks amazing on you, it has been such a joy to do your hair. I am sure you will find it really easy to manage also, but if you have any trouble at all, please just give me a call. By the way Next month we have a special offer for friends or family to recieve a complementary session with out style consultant for Free. So if you have someone special that you think might enjoy a new look just give them our card and we will be happy to help them out. Plus as a valued client we will give you 10% off your next colour and your friend also when you come together.
Just imagine how happy you would be if your hair dresser had given you such a confidence.. Knowing that if you had any trouble to give them a call, that they are valued as a customer, and that you will take special care of their friends and family.
Why do you want referrals?
You want referrals because it is the most cost effective, low risk and maximum leverage of any way to access new clients.
So how do you create a referral system for your business?
Firstly, Identify which clients are of most benefit to your business, the ones who you would like to have more of. For a cafe it might be a family of big eaters who always have main and dessert or for a Day Spa it might be a client that has the works (nails, massage, waxing etc)
Secondly, What does this client want or need? What do you offer them that makes a difference in their daily lives. For the family of big eaters it might be have a great meal that no-one had to prepare (i.e. Mum), or the client that likes the works it might be the fact that she feels beautiful everyday, and the convenience of being able to go to one Day Spa for everything she needs.
Third, What are your competitors doing that you could be doing better? Perhaps you offer healther meal options for the family, or maybe it is the privacy your offer your Day Spa customers, or the special signature treatment that takes years off.
Fourthly, What is the result of the benefits that you provide? Perhaps for your Day Spa client it is the confidence of knowing that you will always be discret and that they will always be treated as a special client.
Finally, What is your ideal clients biggest problem that you can help them find the solution to? It may be that you offer your Day Spa clients such a special experience that they leave feeling like they have had a mini holiday. It could be the extra scalp and shoulder massage that you provide when you are washing their hair or the complimentary take home products to help them keep that just been to the Spa feeling at home.
Whatever you point of difference is. What ever makes you stand out from the crowd. You owe it to yourself and your business to tell the world about it.
Your existing clients already know how special you make them feel, so help them tell the world.
What do you do to make your clients feel special?
Rachel Wadsworth
Phone – +61 0409011175
Skype – RachelWadsworth
By admin, December 28, 2008 Do you know the secret to McDonalds Success?
It’s their ability to up sell to each individual client that walks through the door. The end result is that they offer their clients a better end result.
When an individual customer walks into McDonalds, mostly they will look at the menu board and decide on a particular item. Let say a Big Mac, when they get to the counter to order the sales staff as what they would like to order… A Big Mac…then they ask… Would you like fries with that? Would you like a drink with your order? Or can I suggest a Big Mac Meal deal which includes an Apple Pie.
What they are doing is up selling, they are combining basic purchases together to increase the level of satisfaction for the client.
Think about the end result that the client desires. They want to have a full stomach, and quench their thirst.
How can you apply the same McDonalds principles to increase your average value per table?
Train your staff with a dialogue…
Introduction – Good Evening, Would you like to order a drink before dinner. Tonight we have a 2 course special for $45.00; you can choose any entrée and main or main and dessert combination. Perhaps some bread to begin with.
When Taking The Order – Would you like to order another glass of wine with your dinner? Can I suggest a fresh salad to go with your meal?
When clearing the plates – Can I get you another glass of wine?
After you have cleared the plates – Can I tempt you with dessert, tonight we have a special Plum Pudding Ice-cream with warm brandy custard or a Chocolate Indulgence, layers of wafer biscuits with chocolate mousse, topped with a hot chocolate sauce and topped with double cream. Would you like a dessert wine or port with your dessert?
Once you have cleared dessert – Would you like a coffee or night cap?
Every time you talk to your client you have the opportunity to help them reach their ultimate goal. To enjoy great food, great wine and great company. People dine out for the experience as much as the food.
It is important to remember that people eat out so that they don’t have to think about cooking. You don’t want the same experience you can have at home.
What can you do to make it a special experience for your clients, how can you up sell so that they reach their end result?
Rachel Wadsworth
Phone – +61 0409011175
Skype – RachelWadsworth
By admin, December 28, 2008
www.iwantgreatcopy.com
www.rachelwadsworth.com
Email – rachelwadsworth@bigpond.com
Phone – +61 0409011175
Skype – RachelWadsworth
It’s the time of year when everyone celebrates with friends and family, the time of year when your restaurant should be full!
Was Your Restaurant Full?
If Yes…
Congratulations!
If No…
You have to ask yourself why. Did your advertising have the right appeal?
Your advertisement should be built around appetite appeal; you want to reach people on an intimate level. You know yourself the advertisements that work… They are the ones you remember, the ones you think about when you are really hungry.
Let’s think about an Italian Restaurant… Imagine if you were reading an article about how to make the perfect Carbonara Sauce, and it had a picture of the dish. It would begin to make you hungry would it?
Think about the last time you looked in a cook book for inspiration, just the thought of some of the dishes would make your mouth start to water. So use this to your advantage, make people want to come in for your devil chocolate pie made with 3 cups of dark couverture chocolate, topped with a chocolate ganache, and served with a Kahula chocolate sauce…
Yes, I am trying to make you hungry to get my point across.
You need to have the right appeal for your prospective clients. If I had described the devil chocolate pie as; a chocolate pie with fresh cream it wouldn’t have the same appeal.
Think about the appeal the Chocolate Pie would have if you had included a colour photo with the recipe included to the side of the image. As the saying goes an image says a thousand words.
For Christmas what could your appeal have been? What does Christmas mean to your clients? Probably thoughts of turkey, cranberries, pudding, eggnog or seafood (depending on where you are). How could you have included these ideas into your copy to focus on appetite appeal?
What would make your clients want to leave the house for a mouth watering meal in your restaurant? What is it that your target clients want the most?
Answer these questions and reach their stomach’s with the right appeal and you will win them over every time.
Rachel Wadsworth
By admin, December 21, 2008
In these tough economic times it is more important than ever to stand out from the crowd! If you don’t do this people will have no motivation to do business with you.
So what makes you unique? What is it about your business that makes you different from every other café or restaurant?
Obviously, it is imperative that you have great food, but is it that you specialize in Italian with Grandma’s special Napoli recipe? Or perhaps you have a café that offers a great Italian coffee that has been hand picked at a specific time of the year and treated or dried a certain way that makes it amazing.
Your USP ‘Unique Selling Proposition’ is what sets you apart from the other 10 restaurants in your street.
I see heaps of restaurants make the mistake of assuming that people will walk in the door if they have a good position and great food. This simply is not enough; you need to be offering more.
It wouldn’t matter if you have the best Italian sauce in the country if you don’t tell people about it.
It is imperative that you find what is your USP and stand out from the crowd.
Once you have found your USP you need to implement it into every aspect of your business. You need to think it, say it, demonstrate it, live it and breath it. Do whatever it takes to ensure that this is what you at all times portray to the market place.
So how do you know what your USP should be? Identify which needs are going unfulfilled within your region. This could be as simple as a family friendly environment, a place where you don’t have to worry about the kids making a noise and you can get more than chicken nuggets and chips for them to eat. Or perhaps it’s great table service (which is rare any where these days).
Whatever it is the best thing to do is write a one-paragraph statement on your USP. Write whatever comes into your mind and then edit the generalities. The key is to focus on a crisp, clear statement that promises the most you could possibly offer.
So what is your USP?
Rachel Wadsworth
www.iwantgreatcopy.com
www.rachelwadsworth.com
Email – rachelwadsworth@bigpond.com
Phone – +61 0409011175
Skype – RachelWadsworth
By admin, December 21, 2008 Is a client just a one off business deal for you?
Have you ever stopped to think what a single client means to your business?
Do you know the lifetime value of your clients?
Think of one of your regular clients, perhaps a family that eats in your restaurant once a week and have done so for several years. Each week they spend around $100.00 and you would expect them to be a client (as long as they are happy) for a period of lets say 5 years.
Therefore $100.00 x 52 weeks x 5 years = $26,000.00 of sales to your restaurant LESS your advertising expenses, marketing, and product expenses, and you have your clients Net Worth.
Now consider the dollar value of your client and what strategies would you implement in order to lower the barrier of entry for a potential new client.
How much value to you put into building a relationship with every customer that walk through the door?
The majority of business in today’s market make it far to hard to do business with them, and a common mistake of many is that they expect to open the doors and people will come.
Perhaps this strategy is ok, if you are in a prime position, in the middle of the city, however what is going to make them keep coming back.
You need to value your clients and build a relationship with them. By eliminating the hurdle in starting a relationship, far more people will begin one with you.
By making it easier for a client to walk in the door, making them welcome and providing a great product you are proud of, they will keep coming back again and again.
That is not to say you don’t have to work at the relationship. You need to always to there to support nurture and have their best interest in mind. That is what building a relationship is all about.
If you treat every customer like you would your best friend, you will find people will be loyal to your business.
What are you offering your clients that will make them return again and again?
Do you know the value of your clients?
Rachel Wadsworth
www.iwantgreatcopy.com
www.e4g.com.au
www.rachelwadsworth.com
Email – rachelwadsworth@bigpond.com
Phone – +61 0409011175
Skype – RachelWadsworth
By admin, December 21, 2008 Are your clients your life long friends?
Do you go out of your way to take responsibility for their well-being?
Do you put their interest ahead of your own?
The question is do you love your clients?
What am I talking about…
Imagine that the next person who walks into your restaurant is your best friend. How would you great them?
Perhaps you would ask them how their day was, and then you might suggest that they sit down and you would get them a drink. After a little small talk you might get them something to nibble on while they decide what they would like for dinner. After a while they begin to think about dinner. They ask you what they should have and you suggest that the Calamari and Chorizo in a Napoli Sauce with a hint of chilli is a great dish that the chef has been working on.
Over dinner you might chat with them about what is going on in their life, work, family. They mention to you that their daughter has a 21 birthday coming up and they are worried about catering. You ask them about the birthday and over the conversation you suggest that you could cater the birthday, and that you will deliver the food in the afternoon, so all they have to do is heat and serve it.
Think about this for a moment if this was your friend you would be more than happy to do whatever it took to help them, so that they didn’t have to worry.
Could you treated all your clients this way?
What if all your clients were your friends.
You would give a friend more than you realize, wouldn’t you. The key is to communicate to your clients as you would your friends. Show them that they matter to you.
One of the most important things in business is to recognize that you have an impact on people’s lives on a daily basis.
Think of each person who walks into your restaurant as a friend. Think about what do you have to give? What benefit do you have for your clients? The more value you give others the more value you will generate.
The most valuable lesson you can learn in business is to exceed your client’s expectations, and you can achieve this by treating them as a friend.
Friendships can last a lifetime, so remember the next time you think of recommending the most expensive dish on the menu and offer the most expensive wine. Is this what you would recommend to a friend?
Have you fallen in love with your clients?
Rachel Wadsworth
www.iwantgreatcopy.com
www.rachelwadsworth.com
Email – Rachel.wadsworth@bigpond.com
Phone – + 61 0409011175
Skype – RachelWadsworth
By admin, December 14, 2008 Are you like 90% of the population that throw out junk mail before it is even opened?
We are such a busy society that unless the envelope catches the reader’s attention it will probably land in the waste paper basket.
How do you make your sales letter stand out?How do you catch the reader’s attention? What is going to be in your Sales Letter that will catch the reader’s interest?
If you follow these 7 simple steps you will be on the right track to success.
Step 1
Think about how the reader will perceive the arrival of your sales letter. Will it stand out? Does it look exactly like junk mail? What do you do when you receive a flyer for a restaurant in town? You are more than likely going to throw it straight into the waste bin.
The following is a list of a few strategies that will help to make your letter stand out. The key to this is making the letter appear personal. So try the following;
• Stamps instead of meter Indices
• Hand Written Envelopes
• Use superior quality envelopes and paper.
• Be Unique In Your Delivery
• What would make your letter appeal to the reader?
Step 2
If you succeed in getting your readers attention you have but a moment to get their interest. If you received a personal letter from a friend, you would open it. So the question then is: What did it look like? What made that envelope stand out from the rest?
Once you open it to find a letter, the question then is: What is going to keep your attention? The first thing you will read is the headline.
Some excellent Headlines are as follows:
• Warning: ______________.
• How I ________________.
• How to ______________.
• If you are __________, you can ___________.
These are just a small sample. It is worth investing some time in researching how to write Headlines that work.
Step 3
Incorporate prestige appeal in your sales letter. By choosing your words carefully you can draw the reader into the emotions you want them to feel about the product or service you are offering.
If you were promoting your restaurant to the wedding market you might use such words as; exquisite, beautiful, exclusive, superior, uncompromising, style, and glamorous.
Step 4
It is important to keep in mind the attention span of a generation that has been overloaded with information. If you can’t keep the readers interest in the first one or two sentences then you will loose them. Keep them involved in the process of reading the letter.
An example of this for our wedding market would be a clever interactive wedding planner; something the bride could work with to create her special day.
Step 5
The next step is to think about how you are putting together the material to accompany your sales letter. All to often I receive an envelope filled with the sales letter, brochures and the order form.
You need to be thinking about: What is the most important piece of paper in the envelope? What is it that you want your reader to see first?…. The Sales Letter.
Therefore a good strategy is to put your brochures, order forms and other material into a sealed envelope, enclosed in the main envelope with your Sales Letter.
Step 6
A secret that not many people use is a ‘grabber’, which refers to an attention-grabbing object, that is included in the letter. The concept behind it being that the odd shape in the envelope will intrigue the reader’s interest, and perhaps seal the deal. Again for a restaurant promoting to wedding a grabber might be an individually decorated place card, or a handmade candy.
Step 7
Finally, if you want your reader to take action you must include testimonials, people are more comfortable when they know that another client has had a wonderful experience. This is essentially word of mouth in print.
If you apply these 7 simple steps to your Sales Letter you are guaranteed to have a successful campaign.
The most important lesson of all is to imagine how you would feel receiving your letter.
Would you take action?
Rachel Wadsworth
www.iwantgreatcopy.com
www.rachelwadsworth.com
Email – rachelwadsworth@bigpond.com
Phone – +61 0409011175
Skype – RachelWadsworth
By admin, December 14, 2008 What is of profound importance to your customers?
What is it that will make the difference in getting them to take action?
In order to find the Hidden Benefit you must first truly understand the product or service you are selling.
To do this you need to use the products and services you are offering. Understand your business by trying the wine, or coffee, and eating the food you are serving. Experience the service, be a customer in your restaurant, pay attention to how your staff are communicating with customers. Talk to your customers about what they enjoy or don’t enjoy, and ensure that you try other restaurants in your area to see what the competition is offering.
Get as many ideas as you can on paper; brainstorm yourself, brainstorm with your staff, and brainstorm with a target group of clients. Ask a group of your regular clients to come in for a lunch or dinner on you and brainstorm what they love about your restaurant.
Throughout the process it is important to also acknowledge what the flaws are in your restaurant. Not only can you learn from the experience to improve your business, but also you can also perhaps use your flaws to your marketing advantage, by openly admitting the flaws, you gain a priceless credibility with your customers.
Perhaps a flaw you may have is that your wine list is small however they may be all local wines. Or maybe your clients have to drive a considerable distant to visit you, perhaps you can promote other benefits to encourage them to come for the drive.
From this experience build a list of features and benefits. The best way to do this is to write each comment or idea on a separate card. Later you will be able to move the cards around and sort out your ideas according to their importance.
Some where in your cards will be the hidden benefit it will not be your first choice, instead it will be the one that will reach your customer on a deeper level.
So what is the one thing that will be of profound importance to your customers?
Rachel Wadsworth
www.iwantgreatcopy.com
www.rachelwadsworth.com
Email – rachelwadsworth@bigpond.com
Phone – +61 0409011175
Skype – RachelWadsworth
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