High Cost Effects of Spam on Businesses

What is Spam?

Spam can be generalized and defined as unsolicited emailing that’s usually sent out to several email addresses in bulk. Spam emailers have created their own “gated” community within the Internet; they’ve separated themselves from all politics and rules pertaining to the Internet and have constructed their own methods. This is being produced by all sorts of individuals and organizations in order to reach a wide set of audience, as they use this method to send endless amounts of emails and advertisements that flood your mailboxes on a daily basis.

Effects on Businesses

It isn’t a secret that many businesses heavily rely on the Internet, thus allowing them to grow and expand as time progresses. However if a business’s backbone is the Internet then in return bandwidth is the Internets back bone and support as well. When a message is sent to a network this action takes up bandwidth. Depending on the size of the message and the quantity depends on the amount of bandwidth utilized. A larger than usual message or mass quantities of messages will normally take up a great deal of bandwidth, which consequently will slow down a business’s network and Internet.

There have been studies that suspect spam for accounting as much as 50% of some businesses networks, this means that these businesses are only using about 50% of their resources, thus in return possibly hindering their growth and increasing unnecessary expenditure. It is a mission at times to reduce or even eliminate spam, however obtaining the right spam filter is the solution. Spam filters rely on a set of rules, regulations and if I may say so “politics” in order to catch and filter out the impractical emails. Determining your businesses needs and assessing the budget is one of the first steps in order to gain control of the unwanted emails.

These are the negative effects, there aren’t any known positives in receiving spam except for the sender as they take advantage and overwhelm your mailbox. Protect yourself and your business from spam today and invest in a suitable spam filter. Along with the high rate of unproductive costs, and bandwidth usage there are potential security risks as well. If you were to mistakenly open a spam email containing a virus, Trojan horse, or spyware it could infect your computer and consequently spread throughout your entire network. Assess the risk of affording spam to enter your mailbox, and take part in filtering out unwanted & unsolicited emails.

Good Day. :)

Via emailtalk.org

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Sorry Kids, First Time Entrepreneurs Don't Usually Get Funding

"I thought getting funded would be as simple as pitching my idea to a smart VC and getting a check based on the magnitude of the idea."

Two different first time entrepreneurs in their early twenties both made some version of this comment to me in the last month. I like and respect both entrepreneurs and they were confiding in me that the fundraising process has been very disappointing and were seeking advice on how to close on some capital.

The fact is that raising money is really hard unless you've built a successful business before. Of course, that actually makes some sense given that building a company is really hard and most venture-backed companies don't return capital to investors. The likelihood that an investor will fund a first time entrepreneur simply based on an interesting idea is exceptionally small. Consider that the entrepreneur has an tremendous amount of conviction about the concept. However, the investor has never heard the concept before and is likely hearing it (or at least this version of a theme) for the first time and is quite unlikely to share the depth of conviction that the entrepreneur holds. In fact, a typical investor is regularly hearing credible ideas and cannot possibly fund them all. Even if the investor is enthusiastic about the concept, she is likely meeting the entrepreneur for the first time and hasn't yet established the trust and confidence needed to believe the entrepreneur has what it takes to execute the idea and be one of the few to succeed.

So what can a first time entrepreneur do to overcome the odds and get funding? Here are a few tricks that I’ve seen work well:

Figure out who in the world you know that can afford to put some money into the company and believes in you without caring much about the idea. Even if it is a small amount of money, this can be used to create more evidence that you're building a fundable business. The value of such trust networks is actually way more effective for raising money than the idea itself. If the people you know that have the means to bet on you aren't willing to fund you, why should you expect someone that you don't know to fund you?

Find experts related to your business, preferably ones who have built a successful company in the same space, and sell them on your idea. The more you can sell that person, and the more credible that person is, the better. If that person signs up as an advisor, that's helpful, but a director is better; signing up as an investor is much better and taking a leadership position on the team is the best.

The most important thing an entrepreneur can do prior to raising money is to keep building the business regardless of the funding situation. Continue to validate the market opportunity and try to prove out that the founder’s convictions are right. Build the team with people who will work for sweat equity. Create some early product and show market traction. It is very hard to know when you will have enough evidence to convince investors, but an entrepreneur that can continuously show progress has a good shot of convincing investors that he is scrappy and capable. When an investor is trying to figure out if an entrepreneur has what it takes, that ability to keep building the business is great evidence. Certainly the entrepreneur should not sit around and wait for a check in order to really start building the business. At some point if the company is showing meaningful signs of living up to the founder’s beliefs, it becomes very hard for investors to ignore.

At what point does an entrepreneur hit the wall and cannot live on ramen noodles alone? This is a very personal decision and the reason that most successful entrepreneurs have inspiring stories of perseverance. It's a question of objectively assessing the depth of the entrepreneur's conviction, how much struggle he can endure, and how much progress he can make without capital. First time entrepreneurs rarely get a benefit of the doubt from investors and getting funded is rarely easy.

Via businessinsider.com

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5 Ways to Change From a Sales Failure Mindset to Sales Success Mindset

Sales can be one of the most difficult aspects of business. It can also be one of the most exciting and interesting parts. Many companies struggle with sale after sale resulting in failure. This only yields more difficulty and discouragement in sales. If you are one of the people who have experienced failure in sales, it's time to change your mindset! After reading this article you will have learned 5 ways to change from a sales failure mindset to a sales success mindset.

Before we discuss how to improve your mindset, let's review a few of the most important aspects to having successful sales in general. First, you need to correctly target your buyers. When doing any kind of sales, you'll get much better results if the people or companies you're selling to are actually interested in your product. Doing a small amount of research before trying to sell your product can greatly improve your success rate. Next, you need to be sure that your product is a quality product that people will actually use. Doing research on this aspect of sales is also imperative. Next, you need an awesome sales team. If you don't already have one, look to hire sales reps that are adaptable, articulate, energetic, confident, and self-reliant. Your sales reps can make all the difference in your rate of success. And finally, you must continue training your sales team to ensure the best possible sales.

Now onto the five was to change from a sales failure mindset to a sales success mindset:

1. Have vision and focus. People who are successful are in the habit of looking forward to the future-to ask themselves what innovations might help improve their current state. A creative mind can see beyond the present and see the vision of possibilities that failure often clouds.

2. Take calculated risks. We've all heard stories of people who made giant leaps of faith and landed on successful terrain. Successful people are not afraid of risks. They view them as probabilities that could result in some very profitable outcomes. Just remember that we're talking about calculated risks. This means you should know the possible benefits and disadvantages of your risk before you jump into it.

3. Don't blame others. Successful people don't waste time blaming others for what went wrong. You can try and blame your sales reps for taking too calculated of a risk, or your manufacturing coordinator for not creating a quality product, but it will never do you any good. Instead, roll up your sleeves and do something about it. Take responsibility for the action. Make decisions that will help correct the problem, don't just sit and gripe about it.

4. Learn to network. Success oriented people recognize the value of a social network. People can often be your greatest asset. If you've been struggling with sales failure after failure, perhaps it is time that you look to other successful people for some help. Everyone needs a helping hand once in a while. And creating a network of people that have the knowledge and talent that you may be lacking at this moment in time can help change your mindset to one of success.

5. Start small. Sometimes one of the best ways to improve your mindset is to start out small. So maybe you've been suffering from some set-backs. Move on. Pick something that you're relatively sure will succeed. Think small. And then market that product with all your heart. Once you've proudly achieved a small success with that product, move onto something a bit more complicated. Continue this process until you've regained a sales success mindset.

Via ezinearticles.com

Good Day. :)

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Excel Your Sales Career: How to Overcome Fear, Beat Your Competition and Achieve Higher Sales

Even sales professionals with tremendous track records have fear, but excelling in sales is about going where no others will go. Here’s how to overcome fears & excel your sales career.

As a sale professional, what would you do in this situation?

Your new client just signed an agreement putting you way ahead of the previous year. Not only would it catapult you in your organization and the industry, your personal income was about to reach new heights. Then, the following week, the person who signed the contract is replaced and in walks a new decision maker.

His first order of business is to cancel all new contracts because of a strategic change in the company's direction. There is no real logic to this cancellation and it can absolutely change the game. On top of that, the new guy brought all of his old relationships including your largest competitor.

How would you react? How would you handle your fears?

1. After receiving the news you go home crushed by the days events. You spend considerable time pondering how it will affect your future. You consider the ramifications of finishing the quarter at the low end of the sales rankings. Your concern grows as you review your monthly bills. Alternative strategies aren't even a consideration. You do nothing but ponder the damage to your career that has just taken place. You feel hopeless.

2. You go home and after a few minutes alone in the mental fetal position, you question your entire identity, purpose, and career path. Although brief, self doubt rules the moment. A short time later you emerge out. You hunker down and develop your best strategy to win back the client using all of the tools available. Additionally, you identify where you are going to replace that revenue should you fail. You explore and create options. You become stronger because you know the fight is just getting good.

As you can see both options have aspects of fear. But only one option (choice 2) will help you overcome your fear and help you excel in sales. The other option (choice 1) will polarize you and your business

How Fear Can Polarize You and Your Business.

- Fear can cause target fixation as we impose our will and try to force unnatural outcomes.
- Fear can cause us to refuse to develop alternative plans because we struggle with clouded thinking.
- Fear can cause us to replace logic with unsubstantiated emotion.
- Fear can make us hostages to our nagging thoughts that create an escalated feeling of doom and gloom.
- Fear usually keeps us conservative. As a result our business lives go void of any risk taking.

Even great sales professionals with tremendous track records have fear. The difference is that the best are fearful of not being the best, or not winning. They use fear to make them more competitive. The best sales people don't let fear rule them.

Struggling salespeople are fearful of losing. They are stuck in a comfort zone. They let fear interfere with their sales careers and their personal lives.

Now, which type of sales person do you want to be?

3 Simple Steps to Overcoming Your Fears & Excelling Your Sales Career

1. Name something that you were fearful of that you absolutely didn't get through. Can't name anything can you? We get through everything.

2. Develop a plan B and take action immediately. Have plan C ready to go in case you need it.

3. Recognize what your mind and body does when fear pays a visit. Invite it in, and then invite it to leave.

Excelling in sales is about going where no others will go. Don't try to tell me there's no fear attached to that. The key is to recognize and use your fear so that it becomes your friend. Healthy fear tells us we're on the edge of breakthrough achievement. We're in the right place doing the right thing. That's a little different than letting fear own us.

Via buzzle.com

Good Day. :)

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Guide to Sales Negotiation Strategies and Techniques

You don't have to be a born salesperson to excel in the sales arena. By developing your negotiating skills, you can improve your ability to close more and better deals. Learning and implementing proven sales negotiation strategies and techniques can:

1. Improve your bottom line.
2. Build lasting customer relationships.
3. Turn difficult customers into satisfied customers.
4. Build your confidence.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Invest in your negotiating skills

Entering a sales negotiation as an untrained seller facing a trained buyer is a recipe for disaster. Make sales negotiation training part of your business plan. Attend a seminar. Read a book. Team with a mentor. Empower yourself to be the best negotiator you can be.

I recommend: Determine which skills need sharpening by taking a negotiation skills assessment test fromS.A.B. Negotiation Enterprises, which offers sales negotiation seminars taught by former Harvard instructors. Attend training seminars from reputable organizations, such as the American Management Association.

Be prepared to walk away

As the seller, your primary goal in the negotiation process should be to create a positive, long-term relationship with your customer while establishing a price and set of conditions that fit within your business needs. Negotiating a low price — just to make a sale — sets a precedent that may be difficult to follow. Before stepping into the negotiating process, know your bottom line, and be prepared to walk away if the sale isn't advantageous to you and your company.

I recommend: Establish your sales negotiation strategy using software such as Insight for Sales Strategies. Check out various pricing methods to determine what to charge for your products and services.

Ask, don't tell

Asking questions can be one of your strongest negotiating tools. Instead of trying to tell a prospect why you think he or she should purchase your product or service, ask questions to find out what their needs are and then show how your company can provide solutions for those needs.

I recommend: Ask open-ended questions, closed-ended questions and leading questions to discover what your customer needs. Learn the best questions you can ask a buyer in Sales101's Sales Questions software package or take a free peek at the top open-ended questions from JustSell.com.

Negotiating begins at "no"

Objections are a normal part of any sales negotiation. It's a good idea to anticipate obstacles you may encounter and how you'll respond to them, but you can't possibly anticipate every possible objection. Learn to use objections as an opportunity to learn more about your customer's needs and what solutions you can bring to the table.

I recommend: Learn how to handle objections during negotiations by attending seminars from Sales Training America.

Personality counts

Successful negotiations sometimes depend on personality. If you can assess your prospect's personality type, you can use the most effective techniques to show them why your service or product is right for them. For instance, if a buyer is skeptical, you may want to back up your claims with documented facts and successful case histories; if a buyer is social, you may want to emphasize the popularity of what you're offering.

I recommend: Arcadian Software offers an e-learning course that covers a variety of negotiation techniques, including how to play to a buyer's personality.

Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• Focus on building a long-term relationship with the client. A short-term sale may not be in the best interest of a long-term seller-buyer relationship.
• Sometimes, it's what you don't say that closes the deal. Remaining silent at key moments in a negotiation can work in your favor.
• Be realistic with your expectations.
• Leave your ego and emotions at the front door.
• Be flexible and willing to adjust strategies as necessary.
• Realize that the buyer may be as well trained as you are in the art of sales negotiations.
• Apply sales negotiation strategies to other situations where negotiation skills would be beneficial, such as employer-employee relationship issues.

Via Business.com

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An Introduction to Business Plans

A business plan is a written description of your business's future. That's all there is to it--a document that desribes what you plan to do and how you plan to do it. If you jot down a paragraph on the back of an envelope describing your business strategy, you've written a plan, or at least the germ of a plan.

Business plans can help perform a number of tasks for those who write and read them. They're used by investment-seeking entrepreneurs to convey their vision to potential investors. They may also be used by firms that are trying to attract key employees, prospect for new business, deal with suppliers or simply to understand how to manage their companies better.

So what's included in a business plan, and how do you put one together? Simply stated, a business plan conveys your business goals, the strategies you'll use to meet them, potential problems that may confront your business and ways to solve them, the organizational structure of your business (including titles and responsibilities), and finally, the amount of capital required to finance your venture and keep it going until it breaks even.

Sound impressive? It can be, if put together properly. A good business plan follows generally accepted guidelines for both form and content. There are three primary parts to a business plan:

• The first is the business concept, where you discuss the industry, your business structure, your particular product or service, and how you plan to make your business a success.
• The second is the marketplace section, in which you describe and analyze potential customers: who and where they are, what makes them buy and so on. Here, you also describe the competition and how you'll position yourself to beat it.
• Finally, the financial section contains your income and cash flow statement, balance sheet and other financial ratios, such as break-even analyses. This part may require help from your accountant and a good spreadsheet software program.

Breaking these three major sections down even further, a business plan consists of seven key components:

1. Executive summary
2. Business description
3. Market strategies
4. Competitive analysis
5. Design and development plan
6. Operations and management plan
7. Financial factors

In addition to these sections, a business plan should also have a cover, title page and table of contents.

How Long Should Your Business Plan Be?

Depending on what you're using it for, a useful business plan can be any length, from a scrawl on the back of an envelope to, in the case of an especially detailed plan describing a complex enterprise, more than 100 pages. A typical business plan runs 15 to 20 pages, but there's room for wide variation from that norm. Much will depend on the nature of your business. If you have a simple concept, you may be able to express it in very few words. On the other hand, if you're proposing a new kind of business or even a new industry, it may require quite a bit of explanation to get the message across.

The purpose of your plan also determines its length. If you want to use your plan to seek millions of dollars in seed capital to start a risky venture, you may have to do a lot of explaining and convincing. If you're just going to use your plan for internal purposes to manage an ongoing business, a much more abbreviated version should be fine.

Via Entrepreneur.com

Good Day. :)

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Building Your Brand with Social Media

Tapping the vast audience of the social Web is a low-cost way to catapult a small-business brand onto the global arena. Building your brand using social media allows you to develop new (and strengthen existing) relationships, which often leads to everything from brand awareness, loyalty and word-of-mouth marketing.

While perhaps initially daunting, the trick is to break the process into manageable pieces. From creating your online destinations to connecting with influencers, following these five steps will get you on your way to building your brand and boosting your business.

1. Create branded online destinations.

This is the first step to raising brand awareness and loyalty. Companies with the most successful social media branding surround consumers with online experiences that allow them to select how they interact with the brand.

Consider using popular, free options like blogs, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn,YouTube, and so on. Of course, for small-business owners without the manpower to effectively manage too many destinations, you should consider testing each of these to determine which social media service you're most likely to stick with over the long haul. This will become your core destination. All your other online destinations should link back to the core.

2. Establish entry points.

One of the most important aspects to accomplishing this with your branded online destinations is to continually publish meaningful content that adds value to the reader's experience. The goal is to publish useful information that people will want to talk about -- and then share with their own audiences. This creates additional ways for people to find your branded destinations and it can lead to higher rankings from search engines like Google.

Here's one way to think about it: If you have a website with 10 pages of content, there are 10 ways for search engines to find your site. If you attach a blog to that website and write a new post every day for a year, you will have 365 more ways for Google to find your site, and your brand.

I call this the compounding effect of blogging. You cannot buy that kind of access to a global audience.

3. Locate your target audience and bring them back with you.

Where does your target audience already spend time? You need to spend time in those places, too, and engage in the conversations happening there. Get started by conducting a Google search for keywords that consumers would be likely to use when searching for a business or products like yours. Follow the paths that those consumers would follow and you're likely to find them.

Join relevant online forums and/or blogs, and write posts, publish comments and answer questions. Once that audience understands that you're there to genuinely offer useful information and not to self-promote, you can start leading them to your own branded destinations -- particularly your core branded online destination.

4. Connect with influencers.

As you search for your target audience, you should identify online influencers in those communities and get on their respective radars. To do so, leave comments on their blogs, follow them on Twitter and retweet their content. You can even email them to introduce yourself.

The key is to make sure they know your name and understand that you add value to the online conversation. This also exposes you to their audiences.

5. Give more than you receive.

Success in social media marketing depends on being useful and developing relationships. If you spend all of your time promoting then no one will want to listen to you. It's not a short-term tactic, rather a long-term strategy that can deliver sustainable, organic growth through ongoing, consistent participation.

A good rule of thumb is to apply the 80-20 rule to your social media marketing efforts. Spend no more than 20 percent of your time in self-promotional activities and conversations, and at least 80 percent on non-self-promotional activities. In time, you'll see your business grow from your efforts. And it starts with leveraging these fundamentals.

Via Entrepreneur.com

Good Day. :)

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