Sell an Outcome

I recently read some information about marketing that I found very interesting. It's important to market in order to grow our businesses. If we are doing the same old thing we have been doing to market our business, it becomes stagnant and our business does not grow.

The thought I found interesting was instead of selling or marketing the service, let's sell an outcome. Instead of saying "I provide administrative services", say "I save service providers time and money".

This is an important mind shift for many. Prospects and clients need to understand what outcome they can expect from using our products and services.

How do you sell an outcome?

10 Tools to Promote Your Online Event

Creating a teleclass, teleseminar and webinars online can be very effective ways to build your list and educate prospects and clients.

Once you've created your online event, how do you promote it? Here are 10 tools you can use.

1. EventBrite.com - Here you can set up an account at no charge. EventBrite provides ways to post the event on your website, send out invitations to your contacts, and follow up with reminders to those who registered.

2. Facebook - You can create an Event and invite all your friends. You can also send reminders, post links, photos and videos, and others can post comments.

3. LinkedIn- You can also post events here and invite contacts.

4. Twitter- Use Twitter to post a brief sentence about what your contacts will learn with a link to your sign up page.

5. Blog - Post a blog entry about your event, focusing on what your prospects and clients will learn.

6. Website - Post the event on your website. If you've used EventBrite, you can post a 'Register Now' button that you created at EventBrite.

7. SeminarAnnouncer.com - This is another free tool you can use to post your events.

8. CCULearning.comm - Conference Call University is one more free place to post your event.

9. EventSetter.com - Post your virtual events here at no charge.

10. Local Online Newspaper - Your local paper may have an online version where you can post events at no charge.

These are all free and easy to use. Your virtual assistant could post to all 10 of these free sites within two hours. Where will you post your next online event?

Using Twitter Effectively

Everyone is jumping on the bandwagon to use Twitter. As an online business owner, how you can use it most effectively? Here are a few simple tips:

1. Make sure your profile bio has information about what you do and include a link to your website.

2. Post tips and answer questions you've received from clients and prospects.

3. Share your blog posts on Twitter.

As with other social sites, it can be time consuming. So plan your time wisely. I'm continually learning new things about using Twitter. And yes, I have had a prospect even contact me through Twitter.

How do you use Twitter in your business?

Follow Up With Your Prospects

Follow up is important in converting prospects to clients. Too often though we are afraid to follow up too soon or too often, thinking we may turn the prospect off. However, you can stay on your prospects mind in ways that do not require them to make an immediate decision.

You may have written an article, newsletter, or blog post that would be of interest to them. Send it. If you notice they've posted something, acknowledge it. Learn more about them and their business, do some research and then send them some information you feel would benefit them in their business.

Take a sincere, personal interest in them and their needs and provide valuable information to them. They'll come knocking when they need you!