Make the Sale - Tips for Closing

So many times I've heard people say that when you're in sales, you have to "ask for the sale" or "ask for the order", but sometimes that's not so easy. How, exactly, do you go about "asking" for the sale?

Well, the first thing you want to do is to find out what your prospect is the most interested in. What do you have that would be of the greatest value to this person? You may have to give your prospect a brief overview of what you have to offer to get some idea of what they may be interested in. If you have a catalog, you can leave them a copy and check back with them at a later time to see if there is anything they are interested in. Once you know what products/services interests your prospect the most, place the greatest emphasis on that product or service. Give them more information about it if you need to.

Secondly, make sure that any questions your prospect may have are answered. Don't try to hide additional costs or intentionally leave out information...you want this person to buy from you again, or to refer others to you.

If the person is hesitant to make the purchase, make sure that they are aware of options (like additional colors, plans, ect., ect.), and point out the value and benefits of the product or service. Don't be pushy about it or anything, just say something positive about what you're offering, ask a question, or make a suggestion. For instance, you could say, "oh, did I tell you that it's also available in other colors?" or "we also have a similar product that doesn't cost as much."

When the person starts asking questions about payment options, delivery, and the like, it is your cue to try and close the sale. Answer the question as clearly as possible, and then "ask for the sale." For example, when they ask, "do you take credit cards?" you can say, "yes, I do. Would you like to go ahead and order this today?" Other closing cues can be less obvious, or non-verbal. When the prospect starts to lean in to listen to what you are saying, nodding in agreement, examining the product or catalog closer, and so on, it may be the time to ask if they are interested in making a purchase.

If a purchase is not made, don't despair. It often takes more than one attempt at a sale. If your prospect is not interested at the time, ask if you could check back with them in a few weeks. Then make sure that you do. They may change their mind after they've had time to think more about it :).

For more tips, go to: http://www.allbusiness.com/sales/selling-techniques-closing-sales/450-1.html

HB Comparison

You know the drill...you're looking for a good home based business, and half the stuff you find doesn't say exactly what it is until you give out your contact info, or you can't find anything anywhere that states how much it costs to start the business. This website gives a list of a ton of home based businesses, and it tells you what the company is, how much it costs, and if there are any additional fees.

http://www.directsalesmoms.com/company_profiles

Together We Can Change the World

While I strive to provide information on this blog that would be useful for any business, I normally don't say a whole lot about the business that I work with. Today, however, I am so exited about everything that this business is doing to change lives and change the world that I just have to talk about it!

You see, I am an independent contractor for My Power Mall, a company that is owned by Together We Can Change the World, Inc. Since the time that I started with this business I have seen how much the company does to help others. Every month the company sponsors a child who needs help, by offering a portion of company profits, and that is just one of the many exiting things that the company does to try and make a difference!

In addition, the business opportunity with My Power Mall is free; therefore helping people to generate an income for themeselves everyday while shopping at home and helping others in the process.

Just this week, the company launched the Together We Can Change the World website so that people can see everything that's going on!

To learn more about Together We Can Change the World, Inc., you can visit this website:
http://www.togetherwecanchangetheworld.com

Then, if you are interested, I encourage you to visit my MPM website to learn about how you can get your own online mall for free!
http://www.mypowermall.com/biz/home/92348

* Be sure to follow the link provided above to visit my site (if you go to the corporate site I won't get credit for it, and wouldn't be able to assist you as your sponsor)

I am sure that some may think ill of me for posting this here, but my objective for this blog is to help people, and I can't think of any better way to do that than to introduce people to My Power Mall and Together We Can Change the World! This is an exiting business, and great things are happening every day!

Starting a Business-What's Your Plan?

If you are thinking about starting your own brick and morter business, there is a lot of planning involved. Everyone says that you need a business plan, but not everyone knows where to start, or what to include in the plan. You need to figure out what products or services to offer, what type of office or building you need, what to do for marketing, how to get financing...and the list goes on and on.

Businesstown.com has a section that is dedicated to just this subject. It will not tell you absolutely everything you need to know, but it does offer a good starting point and may help you to weed through some of the confusion.

I will continue to look for more resources on this subject, but in the meantime, read through businesstown's section on developing a business plan here:

http://www.businesstown.com/planning/creating.asp

Your Home Biz and Taxes

It is tax season, and if you have a home based business, you may be wondering what qualifies for tax deductions. Some basics include: office supplies, advertising expenses, your internet service (if it’s required for your business and you can prove it), a portion of your phone bill...the list goes on and on.

You’ll be able to claim more deductions if you have a separate office in your home, than if your office is also your living room. But, even if your office is your living room (mine is), then there are still things that you can claim as tax deductions. The reason for this is that the IRS considers a home office as one that is used only for your business. Therefore, if your home office is also used as a family living space, you won’t be able to claim quite as many deductions, but you can probably still claim some.

Though I have a degree in accounting, I’m not a tax professional. But I can offer one piece of advice here, keep receipts on everything related to your business!

Since, as I said, I’m not a tax pro, that’s as far as I’ll go on advice; however, I did find a few websites that can help you to determine what qualifies as a business expense/tax deduction, and what doesn’t. Check these sites out before you do your taxes!

http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/biz/tax/20011022a.asp

http://www.at-homeworks.com/taxes.htm

What's Your USP?

Right now, you may be wondering, "what's a USP?" USP is short for unique selling proposition.

Basically, what do you have to offer that no one else does? For example, if you offer unique gift items that can't be found in stores or anywhere else, your unique selling proposition could be:
"Unique gifts you won't find anywhere else"

That may be a weak example, but you catch my drift...

Think about what you offer that no one else does, and then use that message on all of your marketing, advertising, and promotions. Your USP should be consistent across all of your marketing communications, and it will help you to create consumer awareness about your company.

Single Mom Resource

I just ran across a single mom resource site that seems to have some really good articles, information, and ways to network with other moms. I won't go into deep detail, but if you're a single mom, check this site out. It seems to have a lot of really useful stuff!

http://www.singlemom.com/