7 Tips To Encourage Your Customers to Buy

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Sales is the lifeblood of any small business. Without sales, you have no customers — and without customers, you have no revenue. Here are 7 useful tips to help your customers buy your products or services.

1.  Use The Power of “Limited Stock”

Do not underestimate the power of the last item on the shelf! When there is limited stock, last remaining items on the shelf can be a major enticement/bribe for customers to buy them. The fear of running out of something that may be needed can encourage an undecided consumer into immediately making up their mind.

2.  Don’t Pressure Customers

When speaking to your customer or visitor, do not come out as too keen or over zealous for their business. Show them that you are prepared to walk away rather than appear over enthusiastic about them making their decision right there and then. Doing this removes the pressure and allows them to take their time and make the right choice that they will not regret later. They may even leave, reflect and return on another day to make that very same purchase.

3. Schedule Some of Your Prospecting at Off-Peak Hours

Calls that are made at 8 am or 6 pm will be received by decision-makers that are more willing to talk and have a lot more time on their hands. And never under estimate the value of leaving voice mail messages at night when everyone has left to go home. Your message will be the very first one that your prospect will be hearing in the morning, thereby increasing the odds of them returning it.

4. Always Ask the Right Questions

If you want to recommend thee most appropriate products and services that your prospects will value and will meet their needs, you have to ASK the right questions. If you ask the right questions, your prospect will let you what they are looking for and how they need to be sold.  Prepare a list of questions that will help you determine what is better for the client. Use a checklist or survey to help guide you in the prospecting process.

5. Follow Up and Follow Through

Follow-up and follow-through are two of the most important predecessors of prospecting success. Just like gardening, if you don’t water the seeds, the garden will not grow or flourish. And so it is with prospecting, if you don’t remain in contact, you will never turn the lead into a sale.

6. Set Priorities

When you delegate a task, always give a due date and a relative priority, in relation to the things already on the task list. Use a task manager to help you prioritize the tasks you need to complete during the day.

7. Believe in Yourself

Finally and most importantly, remember to believe in yourself. Why should anyone buy anything a person who doesn’t believe in what h/she is selling? There’s a reason why confident salespeople are more successful. Make sure your one of them. Click here to read about the mysterious mind of a sales manager.

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5 Productivity Hacks for Successful Sales Managers

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Need to help to become more efficient at work? Do you have enough time to get all your tasks done? Here are 5 productivity hacks all successful sales managers should consider:

 

1. Turn Off Alerts

It’s extremely easy to be diverted from your important tasks by phone alerts from social media channels, emails, text messages and the like. It is a wise idea to shut those notifications off while you are at work and focus on the critical tasks at hand. Your productivity will skyrocket once you tell your phone you are not interested in what it has to display.

 

2. Drink Water

The majority of us do not drink water as much as we should be. Our bodies prosper on drinking water – it gives us more energy, keeps us hydrated and gives us an excuse to get up and take a break from the chair we’ve been sitting on all day.

 

3. Make the Most of Lost Hours

Talking on the phone while driving is illegal in many parts of the world, so we would never suggest this to anyone. What we do suggest is to download industry-related podcasts on to a tablet or phone and listen to them on the way to work and on the way back home. Waiting at the doctor’s office for your turn? Maybe catch up on industry news and blogs.

 

4. Allot times for emails

Checking and responding to email is one of the biggest time-sucks. If you don’t believe us, try to monitor your email usage for one whole day and add up all the minutes you spent on this task. A new study by McKinsey & Company found that workers spend 28% of their day reading and answering emails; the second most time consuming activity in a work day. Resist the urge to answer every ping you get. Set times throughout the day in which you will check emails and resolve issues.

 

5. Have a Day Plan in Place

If you’ve ever come home at the end of the day with that sinking feeling of “I didn’t get anything done today,” this productivity tip is for you. It’s easy to get bogged down in the cycle of responding to situations, people, and other emergencies. But rather than letting others dictate the course of your day, have a plan (task management) in place for proactively completing projects and tasks.

Everyone is of course different in the way that they set up their day. We’ve shared  with you an infographic that explores the hacks LinkedIn Influencers use to save time and increase their daily productivity.

Productivity Hacks from LinkedIn Influencers

 

Source: LinkedIn

Download your CRM Software free trial today. We’ll help you become proactive and productive in no time.

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Mobilegeddon: How Mobile Friendly Is Your Site?

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This week, Google unveiled the Mobilegeddon update which is expected to change the way the search engine will recommend websites on smartphones and tablets. This shift is a;sp expected to sway millions of people and how they shop, eat and find information.

Websites that don’t fit the criteria will be deranked from Google’s search results, while those meeting the criteria will be more likely to appear at the first pages of Google- a goal that can translate into more conversions and sales.

Aaron Brindle, a spokesperson for Google, stated that they are making available a number of tools to help small businesses know if they’re mobile friendly or not, and how to make the switch. Brindle also stated that if a page with high quality content is not mobile friendly, it could still rank high if it strongly relates to the search query. You can find such tools on Google Webmaster Tools.

The statistics support the change. In a study done in 2014 by Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield and Byers called Internet Trends Report, the mobile market is growing exponentially and is over taking the number of desktop computers inside homes. Internet advertising has risen from $62 billion to $116 billion from 2008 to 2014. At least 30 per cent of Internet visits are from mobile phones. Industry experts also argue that by 2016 mobile phones will account for more than half of all Internet traffic.

The fear of being “dethroned” by the Mobilegeddon encouraged thousands of webmasters to take action and make their sites mobile accessible. Upon the unveiling of Mobilegeddon on Tuesday, Google reported an uptick of 4.7% of sites that are now mobile friendly compared to two months ago. I was a bit shocked to learn that the number was only 4.7%, but I guess Google’s index of web pages is pretty large. There is also probably a huge number of web pages that are not being maintained, but currently are in the process of being resolved.

InfoFlo, a leader in the CRM Software industry, has embraced the changes Google unveiled this week is in full compliance. In the Fall of 2014, it redesigned it’s website and ensured that it is accessible to mobile browsers and mobile audiences. To download a free trial of Customer Relationship Management software click here. If you would like to learn more information about Mobilegeddon, do not hesitate to contact us.

 

 

 

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The Mysterious Mind of a Sales Manager

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What makes a great sales manager great? Maybe you can identify one when you meet them or perhaps when you get the chance to work with one. The formula of what it takes to get a lead or transaction can be a bit “gray” for the majority of us. In fact, the accomplishments of sales managers can be almost always impossible to pinpoint. What happens in their minds when they approach a prospect and how do they go from lead to sale? Success is not that daunting, if you understand how the mind of a sales manager works.

We would like to share with you an infographic that delves into the mysterious mind of a sales manager. MindMaster.com has identified 9 qualities that distinguish the best ones from the rest very well:

 

Vital-Sales-Training-Tips

One of the most overlooked aspects of sales management is the CRM Software tool.  In today’s globalizing society and ultra-competitive business world, it’s not enough to have your sales process mapped out on paper.  You also need to ensure it’s being recorded in a way that is easy to follow and allows everyone to buy into. Your sales process will be of most value when it’s used to measure and track opportunities in a measurable ($$$) manner. Without such insights, you will be dependent on guesswork.

To help with your sales management, you need access to a powerful tool that will enable you to measure and maintain your sales pipeline management and the individual sales reps that use it. You need a tool that will allow you to quickly calculate such things as Number of Leads, The Average Cost Per Conversion and Drop Off/Win Rate. That’s InfoFlo.

 

About InfoFlo

InfoFlo – is a central management system specifically designed to combat one of the biggest technical challenges facing any professional organization, how to efficiently organize, archive, filter and search the vital information that bombards our desktops on a daily basis. Our infrastructure allows all office activities to coexist together under one umbrella, making all critical information readily available at your fingertips.

Our goal is to continue building powerful, intuitive and affordable solutions to meet the needs and requirements for all small and medium size businesses. InfoFlo has been sold across the globe to over 5,000 businesses.

Download your free trial today.

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How to Establish a Routine with CRM Software

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routine tasksOne key thing that successful enterprises have in common is an established routine. In every job and industry, there are things that must be done. Some of these tasks can be done daily or weekly, while others can be completed monthly or annually. Nonetheless, they must be done.

The best way to ensure that they are done is to create what I call a “wheel” that all employees and managers follow, including you. And set up a little procedure to help you manage them.

For example, if you have a list of website you must be checking every morning, it could be helpful to bookmark them in the bookmark folder of your browser. When you click on the folder, all the websites open up and you can easily go through them one by one.

Unfortunately not all procedures are website based and cannot be easily bookmarked like websites. So it is definitely a good idea to make a list. A good Task Manager in a CRM Software will help you do that. With the task manager you will never forget what you are supposed to do because you will get reminders before and after the time the tasks were scheduled to be completed.

While taking note of the routine tasks you need to complete, it’s also important to learn to delegate. Making these lists will help you manage staff and delegate tasks you do not have time to complete, and in the process, make your office a productive and more streamlined one.

One of Carmel Vision’s InfoFlo Software features is the task manager. The Task Management feature allows you to create and manage tasks with ease, attach files and set email and pop up reminders. You can also share tasks, set priority levels and tag by type or status. Try it for free by clicking on this link.

 

Unnecessary Routine Tasks

Unable to get through the day without constant interruptions? We found this very useful Entrepreneur Magazine article that highlights 9 Routine Tasks you should eliminate from your workday.

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How To Retain More Customers with Customer Relationship Management

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Customer Relationship (CRM) management is the strongest and the most proactive approach to attaining and maintaining relationships with all clients. It is not only the heart of your business, but it ideates strong personal bonding within people as well. Development of this type of customer relationships drives the business to new levels of success.

Once this linkage is attained, it is very easy for any enterprise to identify the actual needs of customer and help them to serve them in a more proactive way. It is our belief that the more strategies involved in implementing the customer relationship management, the stronger and more fruitful is the business and its relationships.

Sales department is one of the biggest benefactors of Customer Relationship Management. Forward-thinking sales people who utilize the tools available to them are able to monitor and analyze their team activities and forecast sales in order to plan ahead with ease.

The marketing department is another benefactor of Customer Relationship Management. They use CRM to identify and target their best customers by offering discounts, deals appreciation letters and the like at the most appropriate times and through channels they know customers listen through. This helps the enterprise improve all aspects of business operation by using more streamlined processes. CRM is also advantageous to marketing managers in that it helps them manage campaigns with clearer objectives and goals.

In today’s commercial world, practice of dealing with existing customers and thriving business by getting more customers into loop is predominant and is mere a dilemma. Installing a CRM system can definitely improve the situation and help in challenging the new ways of marketing and business in an efficient manner. Hence in the era of business every organization should be recommended to have a full-fledged CRM system to cope up with all the business needs.

Many organizations have dedicated world class tools for incorporating CRM systems into their workplace. Some of those tools cost thousands of dollars to purchase and retain. CRM does not have to be perceived as a burden or an expense that drains your business’ cash flow. There are several solutions, such as InfoFlo, that offer businesses a flat fee and free upgrades for life.

Contact us to purchase our InfoFlo CRM Tool for just $99.

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5 Reasons to Switch to a PBX Phone System

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PBX phone systems are changing the way we do business. The reason for its prevalence is that it gives considerable benefits compared to the old-school phone systems. The key benefits are as follows:

 

1. Cheaper phone service

PBX phone systems cost only a tenth of your old phone system and have twice the number of features. Many of our customers who made the switch report savings of as little as $50 per month.

 

2. Affordable International Calls

If you use an office phone system or PBX phone system, your international call rates will be slashed in half, in comparison to your old system. Very often, international calls cost just a couple of cents per minute. If you live in Canada, you know how important affordable international calls are. Calling someone within the same province or metropolis could cost you an arm and a leg….but not with PBX phone system.

 

3. Free Features

A PBX system is loaded with free features. Among them are voicemail, call conferences, call waiting, caller ID, call forwarding, and tons of others. Office phone system users can have their voice messages emailed to them to access them anywhere. On the old system, these features will cost at least $5 each.

 

4. Convenience

The best thing about a PBX phone system is its convenience. When customers call, they can choose who they want to speak to from a number of touch tone options, which is otherwise impossible without an office phone system. Plus, a PBX phone system is active 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, because it’s online.

 

5. Mobile

The old phone system assigns a phone number with a dedicated line, so you will not be able to move your home phone to another place if you want to use the same phone number. It is way too much of a problem to call the phone company and ask for a phone number update when moving to a new building. However, the PBX phone system affords businesses with mobility: The phone device can use the same number virtually everywhere as long as it has proper internet connection. Many business people today bring their VoIP phones with them when traveling and use the same numbers everywhere.

 

So there you have it: the top five reasons to switch to a PBX Phone system. The system is becoming increasingly common throughout North America and the world. It’s only a matter of time before it is used in ever office. Make it easier on yourself by switching over to a phone system for small business now and staying in the loop. Once you do, you won’t regret it.

 

Tie Your Phone & CRM Software Together!

Combine the two most important aspects of your business to have one fully integrated office solution that comprises both phone & CRM. With this powerful combination all phone communication will automatically get logged in InfoFlo CRM allowing you to focus on closing more sales. Click here for more information.

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6 Proven Ways To Double Social Media Conversions

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As Seth Godin explains so entertainingly in his Purple Cow analogy, consumers are attracted to anything that is special and unique. In order to be unique, think about a limited edition of how you present your brand.

Every business owner wants traffic – relevant, targeted traffic that converts. Social media is able to provide that; however, there are some tasks that you will need to complete before you become successful at social media marketing. Here are 6 ways you can double your web traffic and conversions through social media:

 

 

1. Set Goals

To start things of, you need to see conversions on social media differently from other channels. This isn’t the same as your other marketing efforts where you are bound to promote your product non-stop. Instead your goals can be about interacting with customers, creating relationships and getting your name across. So if your social media goals are about interaction and engagement, you will soon have some success to measure.

 

2. Consider Sharing Infographics with Statistics

Even if you are not able to design an engaging infographic about or relevant to your business, you can simply search for good infographics and repost those. All you need to do is promote them in a unique way. You can add some unique content above the infographic and thus tweak it to fit your own business needs.

 

3. Refrain From Spamming

Anything that seems to be spam is not accepted in te world of digital marketing or any form of marketing for that matter. Hence, it’s important to ensure you don’t take any such actions that make your account seem like it’s garbage. If you continue to share or post too much, your target audience will eventually tend to ignore your updates and unfollow or unlike you. Make sure you consider your followers’ tastes and preferences since the posts are meant for them, not for you.

 

4. Use More Videos

Not so long ago, images were king on Facebook. Image-based posts were the best way for brands to reach their fans. They are still the most common type of posts and the most frequently promoted because they were the long-dominated post type. However, the real growth today in organic reach on Facebook is video posts. According to SocialBakers, video posts have an average organic reach of 8.7, while image posts have only 3.7%.

 

5. Link To Other Bloggers

One of the biggest mistakes marketers make is never linking out on their blogs. Link out to others in your posts and they will notice it, most of them will tweet about your post or share it on Facebook. Some of them will even link back to you (ping). This is a easy and free way to bring quality traffic. Just don’t forget about your readers and make sure that the backlinks are relevant.

 

6. Monitor the Results

Just like you do with your other marketing campaigns, you need to monitor the results thoroughly. You should watch out for several factors such as an increase or decrease in the post activities, if there is any negative feedback from your audience, or if your target audience is losing interest in any one piece of content.

 

With all these steps, complemented by sharing interesting, though-provoking content, you are sure to double your traffic from social media. So, what are you waiting for? Jump right in and bring more traffic to your blog or website.

social media funnel

The following social media funnel will help shape and guide how you’re going to bring those qualified leads and sales to your business. Source

 

InfoFlo’s CRM Software Social Media Plugin allows you  to view a live feed of your Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook accounts. Now you can post to those accounts and view all of the information with ease. Download free trial today.

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How To Win Back Lost Customers in 4 Steps

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Everyone knows that retaining current customers is much less expansive than signing up a new one. It would make sense to go an extra mile to ensure your current roster of clients is happy. Unfortunately, that is not always the case and many entrepreneurs don’t have a clue as to how to win them back when lost. If you happen to be one of them, here are a few suggestions:

 

1. Find out Why

There is always a reason why a customer is unhappy and walks away. The only way you can find out why they are unhappy is to conduct a SWOT (Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis in order to identify why your product or service is no longer perceived as having the best value.

 

2. Create a Plan

The plan of attack must be written. Lay out the benchmarks and timeliness for when to check in with clients. Don’t take too long to check in and don’t check in too often. Many companies make the mistake of waiting closer to renewal or a year and half after the deal was signed to reconnect. Big mistake! Keep communication lines open. Send happy birthday emails, holiday gifts, thank you cards etc. Anything to show the customer how much they mean to you.

 

3. Take baby steps

Don’t set your sights on completely winning over the client and their business. It almost never works. Rather, do it gradually and take baby steps to edge them back. Maybe offer an entirely different product or try to promote a smaller piece of the puzzle rather the entire one.

 

4. Request an interview

Try to set up a meeting where the client can debrief you on the current status of the relationship. What factors influenced their decision? Use those factors to create a new proposal that is customized and particular to what the client is now looking for. The important thing to remember is to not be defensive and take responsibility when the time comes.

InfoFlo, an affordable and customizable Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software, is designed to help you improve your customer service offerings and increase your retention rates. Download your free trial today. No credit cards needed!

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The 4 Musts of Social Media Customer Service

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If you’re using social media for simply promotional or marketing purposes, you’re not fully taking advantage of all the features it has to offer. In recent years, social media networks have become well-known channels for customer service. Unfortunately, there is still a disconnect between what customers expect and what businesses are actually delivering. Here are 4 important aspects of social media customer service you must not forget to implement into your day to day business operations:

 

1. Don’t Ignore Consumers

Social media customer service matters and should not be ignored. All customer feedback on social media channels is public and visible to anyone and everyone. Your brand’s reputation may take a beating if you let things go without resolution. That said, it’s also important to make it easy for them to reach you. That means having a presence on all social media channels you know your consumers are browsing through.

 

2. Understand Customer Expectations

If someone is complaining about your products or services, most likely they expect you to see it and react to it. Quickly! A recent study done by The Edison Research found that 42% of consumers expect a response within an hour. The sooner, the better!

 

3. Monitor feedback

There are many tools that can help you monitor customer feedback and mentions on social media and search engines. Monitoring feedback will help you react whenever someone asks questions, needs help or leaves concerns. Ignoring your pages or not having them at all will only do more harm than good.

 

4. Have a Protocol in Place for Responding

Not always is there an answer to every mention or feedback. Often it’s better just to listen. Once you’ve made the decision to step in, think of the best way to do so. Should the response be done publicly or privately? I believe that in the majority of the cases, the responses should be done publicly. It allows for other followers to see that you care.

 

InfoFlo Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool lets you view a live feed of your Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook accounts. Now you can post to those accounts and view all of the information within InfoFlo. Download your free trial today.

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