Wise Woman Shining » Selling for Small Business

2 Key Questions to Ask Your Customers

caseydawes — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 17:32:40 +0000

Let’s face it. The economy is still shaky. Here are two tips to help you through by improving your referral business.

Spend your marketing dollar wisely. In order to do that, you need to know what marketing channels (places where you’re spending time or money to promote you company, products and services) are being most [...]

Good Customer Service Is Part of Your Brand

caseydawes — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 15:08:57 +0000

My husband and I visited Nevada City for their Victorian Christmas this weekend. While we were there, we went into one of our favorite shops, The Tanglewood Forest.

When we got to the shop, there was a line in front of the door. While some people passed by, most of us were willing to [...]

How to Pick a Shopping Cart

caseydawes — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 00:05:57 +0000

I’d like to introduce Wendy Wise, woman entrepreneur and owner of Naughty Niceties. She sells, well….naughty products! (Kind of like my friend, Chrystal, who owns Bliss Connection.)

Recently Wendy’s been getting a lot of email requests from Testy, North Carolina. (The name of the town has been changed to protect the randy folks who live [...]

Your Small Business e-Commerce Solution

caseydawes — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 15:00:37 +0000

Many of my clients want to have some type of e-commerce solution on their website, whether they’re selling a few info-products or setting up an e-commerce store. Understanding how e-commerce works and all its pieceparts can be difficult. What’s the best shopping cart for my small business? Why do I need a gateway? Should I [...]

How to Sell So Price Doesn’t Matter — Part Two

caseydawes — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 15:00:16 +0000

Here’s the continuation of “Five Ways to Sell So Price Doesn’t Matter.”

3. Listen for your prospect’s true objection. Listen, price is an easy way to object to being sold something. Have you ever been accosted by one of those kiosk salespeople in malls? I’ve gotten sucked in a few times because the item is [...]

Five Ways to Sell So Price Doesn’t Matter – Part One

caseydawes — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 15:00:58 +0000

In the current business climate, price has become the ultimate differentiator. It sometimes feels like it’s the only thing that matters to our potential clients and customers. The global economy has impacted both product prices and services. Want a cheap knee replacement? Go to Asia. Ditto if you want your website updated or your book [...]

Finding the Gold in a Pile of Business Cards

caseydawes — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 16:26:31 +0000

Do you have piles of business cards from other people? Maybe they are neatly arranged in a Rolodex, cardboard box or business card case or in small piles around your office, in your briefcase or in the pocket of the suit you wore to the last event. You may have hundreds of them stuffed in [...]

Should You Barter?

caseydawes — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 22:30:22 +0000

While attending a meeting of the Women’s Initiative last week, I had the opportunity to briefly mentor some new entrepreneurs. The subject of barter came up as a strategy to get new customers and clients. I had to advise against overuse of the strategy, no matter how tempting it seems when you’re first starting out.

[...]

The First Step in the Sales Process

caseydawes — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 21:14:09 +0000

I recently came across an excellent article about the sales process on Women Entrepreneur entitled, “Stop Closing and Start Selling.”

One thing this article did not mention, however, was what I consider the most critical part of selling–research.

Once you have an idea that someone is a prospect, it’s a good idea to qualify them. [...]

Business Alliances Matter for Women Entrepreneurs

caseydawes — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 14:04:11 +0000

I’ve got two business alliances in the works in two different segments of my business. In this economy, business alliances are going to need to be vital components of your business development strategy.

Why?

Because they help you expand your marketing and credibility reach. By working with another business owner, whether woman or man, you [...]