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What Our CAT Taught Me About Marketing!
Toby is one of our two family pets (both cats). He is quite astute, and he has learned one of the most basic tenets of selling - stick with what works! Many of Toby's days are spent perched on the top of my monitor as I work here on my computer. As a matter of fact, he's here right now as I write this article. Toby is a very personable creature. He enjoys being in the company of humans, and he knows just what buttons to push to get us to do what HE wants us to do! For example, two of his very favorite pastimes - which of course involve human interaction - are playing the "bathtub game" (don't ask - I still don't know all the rules!) and hitching a ride all over the house in the laundry basket. How does he manage to get otherwise perfectly sane, intelligent adults to drop what they're doing when he decides it's playtime? Well, I'm not really sure, but I do know one thing - he learned the secrets by trial and error. In other words, he has tested the waters and found what works - and he uses only those tactics that produce results! We can all learn something from Toby. In order to really be successful in our businesses, we need to learn what methods we're using that work best and get the most response. The only way to do that is to try different methods and analyze the results. I'm not going to go into the mechanics of coding ads to determine which are pulling better, the best web design techniques, or other technical aspects of your marketing efforts. That information is easily available. What I want you to really learn from this is that you DO have to test your methods, record the results, and STICK WITH WHAT WORKS! Toby does - and he is always successful! About The Author Cathy Bryant's newsletter, HomeBizJunction Herald, is your source for information about how to generate an income from home. Product and opportunity reviews, as well as her own original articles, are a regular feature. And you won't be distracted by outside advertising - it doesn't have any! Subscribe today at http://www.homebizjunction.com
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Just as we avoid colleagues that are unpleasant to be around, so do clients avoid contracting professionals that do not project the right attitude. Show appreciation for having the opportunity to work with a client. Send a card, nothing fancy or expensive, with a personal and original thank you message. You should try it-it works wonders. Have a genuine interest in your client's best interest. Share you insider knowledge of the industry with your client. When you can not take on a job (maybe you have enough work, or are not qualified for that particular subject matter), reach out to your network and forward the job to a colleague. You can also point clients to web sites that can handle their translation project. Clients appreciate these small acts of kindness, and they certainly do not forget about them! After completing under graduate school in Japan, I returned to Zambia briefly to help in the family business. 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