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WEBconference applications for sales

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Problems

Nevertheless, reviewing a proposition with the client will actually save time for everybody as compared to just emailing or using rapid delivery services. Coordinating the responses to bids that involve many different resources within the company (but which are not always available) in conjunction with the deadlines that approach rapidly is, without doubt, a Herculean task. Our services give you the edge here, with the added advantage that the sales team will not be the last to know if a competitor makes a borderline maneuver.

Solution

In some cases, it is more appropriate to conduct a virtual meeting with a prospect, a client, a distributor, or a partner. Through web conference, a PowerPoint presentation, a software demonstration, or consultation of a document may be done online. Also, it is a great way to review and reinforce a proposition already sent to a client by email. Thanks to the presence indicator of the voice over IP software, Skype, other colleagues can be reunited, according to their availability, in order to produce a bid offer. Finally, an alert on the competition allows the exchange of all information related to, and needed for, the sales force.

Results

Reducing the traveling time of representatives proportionally increases their sales time, thus allowing them to focus better on the task. The level of stress that goes with answering a bid diminishes with better coordination, resulting in the improved quality of a proposal, which may be evident even to the client's eyes. Sharing of experiences among the sales team members, regarding the competition, better equips them to neutralize arguments and to go ahead successfully.

Uses of Bitumen: Since Ages

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If we look at all the chemicals that man uses for his daily living in the 20th century, we are likely to find that they are in the vast majority derived from one single substance - petroleum. This is certainly true in modern agriculture, in medicine, and in the textile industry - where both the dyes and the fibers themselves are synthetics made from various treatments of crude oil. Bitumen is one of them.

Bitumen is a generic term referring to flammable, brown or black mixtures of tar like hydrocarbons, derived naturally or by distillation from petroleum. It can be in the form of viscous oil to a brittle solid, including asphalt, tars, and natural mineral waxes. Substances containing bitumens are called bituminous. Another form of Bitumen, coal, was used as the primary energy source in the industrial revolution. In British English, 'bitumen' is often used interchangeably with both 'asphalt' and 'tar'. In American English, 'bitumen' is most commonly used in engineering jargon to explicitly include both asphalt - and tar-based materials. In Australian English, 'bitumen' is used as the generic term for road surfaces.

In the past, bitumen was used to waterproof boats, and even as a coating for buildings; it is possible, for example, that the city of Carthage was easily burnt down due to extensive use of bitumen in construction.

Bitumen is primarily used for paving roads. Its other uses are for the general waterproofing products, including the use of bitumen in the production of roofing felt and for sealing flat roofs. It is also the prime feed stock for petroleum production from tar sands currently under development in Alberta, Canada.

Many arguments has been given related to the formation of bitumen. As most geologists believe that naturally occurring deposits of bitumen are formed from the remains of ancient, microscopic algae and other once-living things. These organisms died and their remains were deposited in the mud on the bottom of the ocean or lake where they lived. Under the heat and pressure of burial deep in the earth, the remains were transformed into materials such as bitumen, kerogen, or petroleum.

A minority of geologists, proponents of the theory of abiogenic petroleum origin, believe that bitumen and other hydrocarbons heavier than methane originally derive from deep inside the mantle of the earth rather than biological detritus.

Thus, tar like substance extensively used for making roads is available in various specifications. For similar products please visit www.tekxchange.com

Easy and free unlimited file hosting service

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Maintaining and running a business takes a lot of effort and in today's competitive world, if one does not have an online presence this becomes very difficult. In order to get a website created and functioning, the owner of the business needs to invest a lot of money and time. Everything from hosting the site, to domain name costs money. But for people who are looking for free file hosting, there are many options available today. There are sites which are into offering of free storage space that will help in hosting video or music files of any size and format, mp3 or otherwise. Free web storage services are very interesting, it means the user does not have to worry about carrying the files, uploaded software on them, as everything is uploaded and can be downloaded from the web space itself.

Since the uploaded mp3 files, and video hosting files are accessible form everywhere, and that too at any time. This works very well for music file hosting and for data backup as well. Apart from the usual word, music and video files, people can even upload softwares, Adobe PDF formatted files and carry out free software hosting too. Hosting a file means having a space to put your files in, and making it visible to all who access the sit. Almost all the free file hosting services offer unlimited uploads and downloads facility as well. They do however have a policy that says files that have been hosted but not been accessed for over a month or two will get deleted. This again is not followed by all, but most leading hosting sites follow this pattern. This is just to make sure junk files are not taking up space that can be used for other purposes.

The mp3, video and flash files uploaded could be up to 100mb in size, which means even the largest file can be accommodated. They also allow fast web hosting thanks to the bandwidth allotted to the sites, through which the users can access and download the files in no time. For people who are not very comfortable with the computer, they can get a professional or someone they know to do free upload files and store all their movies and images on the web.

Earlier, people used to go in search of Floppy disks and CD's to store their favorite songs and movies, but today thanks to such free hosting facilities, life has become far easier. A person just needs to either remember the site's address or have it mailed to their own account and can access the data from anywhere in the world. They can simultaneously upload multiple files, which means they save time on upload and download. These also give them the flexibility to multi - task and complete numerous tasks within the shortest period of time. Thus, the free and unlimited web hosting services helps out not only businesses but also individuals who have tones of data and other files.

How to Communicate Clearly and Professionally Online

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Some people enjoy writing. Some, like me, are even driven to write. Others hate it. They hate words. They hate writing them down, and they hate typing them. Some people even hate reading them. Regardless, the written word is a necessary part of our daily lives, particularly in a world that has become less face-to-face and more virtual. We communicate not only through the Web but through our e-mail communications, instant messengers and online chat. As a result, the words and images we use must be carefully chosen to not only convey our meaning but our tone as well.

Here are some tips to help you put your best foot forward in your online communications:

• “Internet speak” (LOL, b4, np, ty, etc.) is fine for casual communications with friends, but it should not be used on your company Web site or in any other professional communications. Words should not have to be deciphered to be understood.

• Always use appropriate punctuation and grammar – these tried and true rules will never go out of style. Need a refresher course? Pick up a resource guide the next time you visit Amazon.com or your local bookstore. I like Punctuation Simplified and Applied by Geraldine Woods (Webster’s New World, 2006).

• For those who didn’t get the memo yet, PLEASE don’t use ALL CAPS to convey a message. This is akin to shouting in the online world.

•  Befriend the “spell check” tool and buy a good dictionary and thesaurus. Spelling errors create the perception that a person is too busy to proofread his own work or to pay attention to little details.

•  To present content that is easily understood, write in clear, simple language. The benchmark is to write for an audience of 10th graders.

•  When possible, add descriptive modifiers (i.e., adjectives) to convey degree and tone. Compare these two ideas:  1) “With our experience, our Web design team can create Web pages quickly.” 2) With more than 50 years of combined Web design experience, our creative team can develop an attractive, functional page design within 72 hours.” Sentence 2 shares the same idea, but is much clearer.

•  Always proofread and edit your work to be sure it is error free and easily understood. For larger projects with a long-term impact, like Web copy, consider hiring a professional writer or editor to be sure your story gets told in a way that adequately shares the value of your company with others.

By following these basic guidelines, you can ensure that you communicate clearly and professionally with your customers and prospective clients.

Getting Credit Where Credit Is Due

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What is credit?  Do you really know and understand that credit is a business, and that if you are not a good business risk, you will not able to get credit?  If you have ever had credit, then you  understand that getting it and maintaining it are essential to your financial success.

Credit, by  definition, is the extension of financial resources to you by a third party, under a contract, that dictates that you will repay the amount of the credit you use (with interest).  Credit can be acquired with security or without (on your good name).  Acquiring credit of itself does not create the debt.  You become indebted when you actually use the credit.  For example, when an investor extends credit to you in the amount of $10,000.00 (the amount is insignificant) and you use all $10,000.00, you have created a debt position with the investor for the $10,000.00.  However, if you only use $1.00, you only pay back $1.00.

There are various types of credit for different purposes.  The lending agreement sets the amount of credit to be extended and the terms for repayment.  It is fundamental that you comprehensively understand the terms and conditions of every contract you agree to whether it's for credit, or for some other legal matter.  This is probably one of the greatest areas of misunderstanding for consumers and corporations alike.

On the other hand, you can use credit to prove yourself financially trustworthy.  Credit is an industry unto itself, and you have to realize that if you manage credit well, you will get more of it.  The more you demonstrate that you are able to adhere to and execute the terms of the contract, the more exposure the investor will be willing to take with you.  Essentially, it's comparable to gambling.  The investor basically stakes (based on certain calculated risk factors) how much you will be able repay.  To the investor, this "gamble" is considered an investment.  Why?  Because the amount of the original advance will be repaid with interest.  Investors loan you money and you pay them to do it.

A very simple definition for interest is this:  Interest is money made by the lender on money they loaned to you.  For example, if you borrow $100,000.00 and have to pay back $110,000.00 according to the terms of the contract, you are paying $10,000.00 in interest.  The investor, whether private party, corporation or bank, made $10,000.00 on that deal.

The most important thing you can do for yourself in order to build and maintain an excellent credit record is to learn what investor's look for in potential "investments".  Lenders do not look at you as a human being.  When you consider purchasing anything on credit, including houses and cars, you have to understand that your life is literally reduced to numbers.  This is the sad truth about how the credit reporting system works.  The system is not designed to serve you as the person needing the loan.  The system is designed to protect the investors who lend the money.  It is a business and the business has nothing to do with you.  It is not subjective which is human nature, it is relentlessly objective.  Every dollar of credit extended has to be paid back with interest in order the business to make sense.  In order to master the system, it is necessary that you educate yourself what lenders (investors) look for, and become strong in those areas.  Credit is not personal, it's business.

Do not ever let anyone judge you as a person based  on your credit report.  You are not defined by your credit.  Credit is a financial tool, not a relationship-building tool.  If you intentionally abuse the credit system, that's one thing.  But, if you simply do not understand the system or, have just had various circumstances beyond your control knock you out of the game, don't be discouraged.  Educate yourself, master the system, and get back in the game.

7 Ways to Cut Loose from Old Sales Thinking

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Regardless of what product or service you’re selling, you should be able to relate to her dilemma.

Outdated sales skills fail to address the core issue of how we think about selling and unless we get to that core and change it once and for all, we’ll go on struggling with the same counterproductive sales behaviors.

And we’ll continue believing that we’re always just one new sales technique away from the breakthrough we’re looking for.

New Thinking = New Results

Maybe it’s time to take a different approach. Maybe we need to analyze our thinking and identify why we’re not making more sales.

Take a look at the table below and think about your current selling mindset.

How would your selling behaviors change if you changed your sales thinking?

Old Sales Mindset Vs New Sales Mindset

1. Always start out with a strong sales pitch Vs Stop the sales pitch. Start a conversation.

2. Your goal is always to close the sale Vs Your goal is always to discover whether you and your prospect are a good fit.

3. When you lose a sale, it's usually at the end of the sales process. Vs When you lose a sale, it's usually at the beginning of the sales process.

4. Rejection is a normal part of selling, so get used to it. Vs Hidden sales pressure causes rejection. Eliminate sales pressure, and you’ll never experience rejection.

5. Keep chasing prospects until you get a yes or no. Vs Never chase prospects. Instead, get to the truth of whether there’s a fit or not.

6. When prospects offer objections, challenge and/or counter them. Vs When prospects offer objections, validate them and reopen the conversation.

7. If prospects challenge the value of your product or service, defend yourself and explain its value. Vs Never defend yourself or what you have to offer. This only creates more sales pressure.

Let's take a closer look at these concepts so you can begin to open up your current sales thinking and become more effective in your selling efforts.

1. Stop the sales pitch. Start a conversation.

When you call someone, never start out with a mini-presentation about yourself, your company, and what you have to offer.

Instead, start with a conversational phrase that focuses on a specific problem that your product or service solves. For example, you might say, "I'm just calling to see if you are open to some different ideas related to preventng downtime accross your computer network?"

Notice that you are not pitching your solution with this opening phrase. Instead, you're addressing a problem that, based on your experience in your field, you believe they might be having. (If you don't know what problems your product or service solves, do a little research by asking your current customers why they purchased your solution.)

2. Your goal is always to discover whether you and your prospect are a good fit.

If you let go of trying to close the sale or get the appointment, you’ll discover that you don't have to take responsibility for moving the sales process forward.

By simply focusing your conversation on problems that you can help prospects solve, and by not jumping the gun by trying to move the sales process forward, you’ll discover that prospects will give you the direction you need.

3. When you lose a sale, it's usually at the beginning of the sales process.

If you think you’re losing sales due to mistakes you make at the end of the process, review how you began the relationship. Did you start with a pitch?

Did you use traditional sales language ("We have a solution that you really need" or "Others in your industry have bought our solution, you should consider it as well")?

Traditional sales language leads prospects to label you with the negative stereotype of "salesperson." This makes it almost impossible for them to relate to you with trust or to have an honest, open conversation about problems they're trying to solve and how you might be able to help them.

4. Hidden sales pressure causes rejection. Eliminate sales pressure, and you’ll never experience rejection.

Prospects don’t trigger rejection. You do -- when something you say, and it could be very subtle, triggers a defensive reaction from your prospect.

Yes, something you say.

You can eliminate rejection forever simply by giving up the hidden agenda of hoping to make a sale. Instead, be sure that everything you say and do stems from the basic mindset that you’re there to help prospects identify and solve their issues.

5. Never chase prospects. Instead, get to the truth of whether there’s a fit or not.

Chasing prospects has always been considered normal and necessary, but it’s rooted in the macho selling image that "If you don’t keep chasing, you’re giving up, which means you’re a failure." This is dead wrong.

Instead, ask your prospects if they’d be open to connecting again at a certain time and date so you can both avoid the phone tag game.

6. When prospects offer objections, validate them and reopen the conversation.

Most traditional sales programs spend a lot of time focusing on "overcoming" objections, but these tactics only create more sales pressure.

They also keep you from exploring or learning the truth behind what your prospects are saying.

You know that "We don't have the budget," "Send me information," or "Call me back in a few months," are polite evasions designed to get you off the phone. Stop trying to counter objections. Instead, shift to uncovering the truth by replying, "That's not a problem." No matter what the objection, use gentle, dignified language that invites prospects to tell you the truth about their situation without feeling you’ll use it to press for a sale.

7. Never defend yourself or what you have to offer. This only creates more sales pressure.

When prospects say, "Why should I choose you over your competition?," your instinctive reaction is to defend your product or service because you believe that you are the best choice, and you want to convince them of that. But what goes through their minds at that point?

Something like, "This ‘salesperson’ is trying to sell me, and I hate feeling as if I'm being sold."

Stop defending yourself. In fact, come right out and tell them that you aren’t going to try to convince them of anything because that only creates sales pressure. Instead, ask them again about key problems they’re trying to solve.

Then explore how your product or service might solve those problems. Give up trying to persuade. Let prospects feel they can choose you without feeling sold.

The sooner you can let go of the traditional sales beliefs that we’ve all been exposed to, the more quickly you’ll feel good about selling again, and start seeing better results.

Making a Blog Network and Promoting Affiliate Products

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It is very important for you to choose the right programs. There are just thousands and thousands of products out there that choosing may be a bit difficult. You may be considering using Contextual Affiliate Products, these affiliate programs include companies include Adsense. When you choose to use contextual affiliate programs you want to make sure that the products you choose are perfect for your site. Being a blog, it could have a few different categories, so the possibilities are endless when it comes to choose products. Keep in mind when choosing these ads is to stay on topic, if you have a blog about cars then don’t out an affiliate program for cats on there. You won’t make any money.

Ask yourself why people are coming to your blog, seek out the strengths and weaknesses of the blog and choose programs according to the strengths. Try to figure out what the intention is of the people who are coming to your blog. Do they come to read and post or do they just browse and leave. Choose products that are fun and interesting. If they are boring, no one is going to buy anything. Make sure the programs are practical. If you have a blog on pets, they use affiliate programs on pet toys or pet food, pet owners always are in need of food and toys.

Placement of the affiliate programs is very important. If your blog gets more readers in a certain area then place the ads there. Place them where the bloggers are going to see them. Try to keep the affiliate programs visible to all readers. This may have to be done by trail and error. If you see that the programs are not working in some places but are working well in others then you may have to do some rearranging. If you see that ads are not doing so well, then it may be time to change them. You are not committed to keep the same products, if something isn’t working then change it around. It can only help you in the end.

7 Ways to keep Customers Coming Back to Your Site

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You've built a website. Wonderful! The next question to ask is this: Once you get a visitor's attention, how can you bring them back?

Of course, you don't want every visitor returning, but rather customers and potential customers. Articles and other content published on your site should be relevant, interesting and well written. Unique content will give your site a better chance of reaching targeted visitors through search engines.

Here are seven ways to keep customers coming back to your website:

1. Run short-term specials.  Internet users love a bargain, and sales are a sure way to capture attention. Use short sales periods to motivate people to act — giving them three months to make a decision will just help them avoid making the decision to buy. Let users know that the items on offer are always changing to encourage them to visit your site regularly. And get creative with your specials. For example, consider giving away a free gift rather than just cutting the price.

2. Make your site topical.  Internet users often look online to learn more about interesting topics in the news. Creating a link between your business and a hot news story can be a great way to attract visitors to your site. This is a common tactic used by public relations firms to get media coverage, and could work equally well for you.

3. Update information regularly.  Why would a user want to return to a website that rarely changes? Keeping your information up-to-date sends a message to visitors that your company is current and serious about doing business.

4. Hold a competition.  This is a great way to get visitors excited about your website and what you do. Consider asking users for feedback, so that it doubles as a market research tool. Prizes don't need to be extravagant, but should be fun and appropriate for your target market.

5. Send out an e-mail newsletter.  This popular promotional tactic is an effective one. Don't expect to build a list of thousands of subscribers, but focus instead on building a high quality list of targeted readers. When sending a newsletter, keep it short and informative. Promotions are expected, but don't overdo it.

6. Join niche e-mail groups.  If you have the time, participating in a targeted e-mail list is a great way to connect with potential customers and keep reminding them about your business. Participation in a group works best when your company services a niche market. For example, the owner of a pet store might join a mailing list for pet owners. By participating as an expert, the storeowner is able to promote his business to a community of prospective clients.

7. Know your customers.  An understanding of the needs and goals of your clients is the best way to ensure that your marketing efforts are effective. Statistics and tracking reports will help you gauge the interests of visitors to your website. Website usage statistics will help you understand how people come to your site, and what they do once they have arrived. Are they finding what they want, or do certain pages on your site trigger them to leave? Was the contest you ran successful? This understanding will help you hone your online marketing efforts.

5 Tips for Becoming a Successful Home Worker

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There are a variety of reasons why people consider becoming a home worker. In some cases, people who are retired need some extra income. In other instances, a stay-at-home mom might need money to supplement the family income. Sometimes, a person decides to launch a home based business in order to achieve a specific financial goal, such as a family vacation or home repairs. Other times, people simply get tired of the grind of commuting, answering to a boss, and working predetermined hours.

There's no doubt that a home based business opportunity can provide extra income for retired people, money for moms, and the extra cash for a family vacation. It can even replace a primary income so that a person can quit his or her day job and make his or her own hours. Unfortunately, though, making the decision to become a home worker is only the first - and the easiest - step. The next step is succeeding in your home based business. Here are five tips to help ensure you succeed in your quest to become a home based worker:

1. Set aside time each day for your home based business. Although there are many home based opportunities that will earn revenue with a minimal amount of work, the more time you put into your business, the greater your financial rewards will be. Designating a certain number of hours per day (or per week) will help keep you on track.

2. Minimize distractions while working. If the kids are running around, your friends are calling, or you keep getting up to do laundry or other household chores, it will be difficult to sustain your home business. Create ground rules to minimize distractions, and have the discipline to stick to them.

3. Have patience. Despite "get rich quick" promises, the typical home based business opportunity will not provide you with immediate income. Have patience at keep at it to reap financial rewards, but make sure you have a revenue "bridge" that will keep you going until your business begins to generate returns.

4. Diversify your revenue streams. The successful home worker generally has several - if not many - revenue streams. This way, if one aspect of the business falters or has a slow period, others can fill in the gap. Take a building block approach: start with one home based business and add another when the first starts generating a steady income.

5. Make bookkeeping a priority. Oftentimes, a home worker will let bookkeeping go by the wayside. Revenues from his or her business will be intermingled with personal finances, or his or her recordkeeping will be less that pristine. The Internal Revenue Service keeps a close eye on home businesses, so it's crucial to keep your business income and expenses separate from your personal income and expenses. It's also important to keep and record all receipts for expenses. If you keep good financial records throughout the year, it will be much easier to do your taxes when April rolls around.

Being a home worker is immensely rewarding in terms of income potential, making your own hours, and doing work that interests you. Success lies in choosing the right home based business opportunity, sticking with your commitment, and keeping good records.