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Please show the enthusiasm and altruism you are known for!

by Tony Soprano Calling
7 replies
Im truly excited and endlessly happy for finding out about this whole new world of business.
Im a student in Croatia, a country that doesnt really provide too many opportunities for work and life is not really peachy in general.
Here is the upside - internet is ubiquitous. Everyone uses it and everyone loves it. Only 12% of businesses are set up with on online identity at the moment. That offers a lot of room for expansion as the trend is bound to change. Ive set up a small business with my friends and we are ready to offer high-quality websites and other web-related services to potential clients. We will not be charging too much, about $250-300 for a website because the standard is rather low and we still lack experience.
We intend to place some ads, use Facebook a bit, perhaps even send "personalized spam" via email.
However, our main promotional tool might turn out to be telemarketing. I am very eager to work and put a lot of effort in but I am also fully aware of my current lack of knowledge on the issue.
I am begging you kind and intelligent people to help me out through these eary stages.
Perhaps you could just share some links and topics which you recommend?
Here are just some basic questions that come to mind:

How about Skype: Is it a good solution? Can you have one account for several callers? Quality? Specific headphones?

The pitch: How long should it last? How to start?

Success rate: How many people out of 100 should show interest? How many should I close the deal with?

What else can I offer, what other methods could prove useful?

Wow, Im just extremely excited about the prospect of running my own business in these difficult economic times. I am really looking forward to any replies from you guys and in the meantime I will be browsing the forum in an attempt to gather some info myself.

PLEEEEAAAASSEEE HELP!! )

Thank you!
#altruism #enthusiasm #help a newbie #show
  • Profile picture of the author Dr Dan
    Originally Posted by Tony Soprano Calling View Post

    Im truly excited and endlessly happy for finding out about this whole new world of business.
    Im a student in Croatia, a country that doesnt really provide too many opportunities for work and life is not really peachy in general.
    Here is the upside - internet is ubiquitous. Everyone uses it and everyone loves it. Only 12% of businesses are set up with on online identity at the moment. That offers a lot of room for expansion as the trend is bound to change. Ive set up a small business with my friends and we are ready to offer high-quality websites and other web-related services to potential clients. We will not be charging too much, about $250-300 for a website because the standard is rather low and we still lack experience.
    We intend to place some ads, use Facebook a bit, perhaps even send "personalized spam" via email.
    However, our main promotional tool might turn out to be telemarketing. I am very eager to work and put a lot of effort in but I am also fully aware of my current lack of knowledge on the issue.
    I am begging you kind and intelligent people to help me out through these eary stages.
    Perhaps you could just share some links and topics which you recommend?
    Here are just some basic questions that come to mind:

    How about Skype: Is it a good solution? Can you have one account for several callers? Quality? Specific headphones?

    The pitch: How long should it last? How to start?

    Success rate: How many people out of 100 should show interest? How many should I close the deal with?

    What else can I offer, what other methods could prove useful?

    Wow, Im just extremely excited about the prospect of running my own business in these difficult economic times. I am really looking forward to any replies from you guys and in the meantime I will be browsing the forum in an attempt to gather some info myself.

    PLEEEEAAAASSEEE HELP!! )

    Thank you!
    Congrats on your new business venture and welcome to the forum.

    I use skype alot for calls and it works great. They do have a business option but I have not looked into it. I just use the skype out unlimited and it works great. Almost any headset should do. I actually use my built in mac mic and it works fine for calls and just use regular headphones so there is no echo.

    Instead of telemarketing or spam emails. Why dont you just search craigslist for people looking for web designers or web design services. There is a thread here where someone just landed a client using this method and made a $9,500 off of them.

    Here is the thread: http://www.warriorforum.com/offline-...me-9500-a.html

    Be a RockStar In Your Business,
    & In Your Life!
    Dr. Dan
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    • Profile picture of the author Tony Soprano Calling
      thank you for taking the time reply, I really appreciate any feedback I can get..
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      • Profile picture of the author Dr Dan
        Originally Posted by Tony Soprano Calling View Post

        thank you for taking the time reply, I really appreciate any feedback I can get..
        Your welcome brother.

        You will find lots of great strategies being offered here.
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  • Profile picture of the author Headfirst
    Congrats on the new business venture. You wont get any good data asking how many people should convert. It all depends on the message to market match. Go buy 200 stamps, a few boxes of envelopes, an ink cartridge and a ream of paper.

    Start sending letters and making phone calls. Track your pitch, your offer and the objections you receive and how you overcome them.

    It's all about message to market match. You may have the best product in the world and the best pitch, but in front of the wrong person its worthless.
    Signature
    Golf Outing Sponsor Signs, Banners and Flags||Plymouth, MI Marketing || Plymouth Dentist
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    • Profile picture of the author Tony Soprano Calling
      Originally Posted by Headfirst View Post

      Congrats on the new business venture. You wont get any good data asking how many people should convert. It all depends on the message to market match. Go buy 200 stamps, a few boxes of envelopes, an ink cartridge and a ream of paper.

      Start sending letters and making phone calls. Track your pitch, your offer and the objections you receive and how you overcome them.

      It's all about message to market match. You may have the best product in the world and the best pitch, but in front of the wrong person its worthless.

      Thank you! I didnt intend to send out letters, but I will do that as well. How should they be designed? What should they include? Im sorry if my questions sound silly - I really am in phase 1, the proccess of learning basics.

      Could anyone by any chance recommend a thread useful to someone in my position (a total freshman)? Or numerous threads?
      Ive been reading around, but just in case - perhaps you could give me a great pointer I havent yet discovered.

      I hope people will not perceive me as a leech. Obviously I am just starting to gather knowledge but Ive always been a strong believer of the reciprocity principle. Hopefully within a year I will be able to give useful advice to other enthustiastic newcomers and even some veteran forum members.
      I can understand that you must not disclose all your secrets and methods, but in its core this is still - a forum!
      Most def the best forum Ive ever run across, but still its basically a platform where people exchange knowledge, experiences and ideas.
      It is natural that there are different levels of understanding attributed to different individuals and the free exchange of info should still be the basis a forum is built on. Obv I will not invest a couple of thousand dollars within the first week of trying to organize a business. But the more Im sucked in by helpful advice, the more benefit there is bound to be for everyone in the long run - because I believe in the principle of a mutually beneficial forum flowing with the wealth of knowledge. I also believe in my own ability to succeed. I will learn and I promise to return the favour one day.

      Hope to here even more from you guys!
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      • Profile picture of the author Headfirst
        Originally Posted by Tony Soprano Calling View Post

        Thank you! I didnt intend to send out letters, but I will do that as well. How should they be designed? What should they include? Im sorry if my questions sound silly - I really am in phase 1, the proccess of learning basics.
        Well, I'm always quick to recommend direct mail because it's what works for me. I like it because its fast and easy to test. If you don't want to try direct mail your other options could be:
        • Cold Calling
        • Seminars
        • Networking
        • Paid Online Traffic
        • SEO
        Pick something to go with and become an expert. They all work so don't try one thing and then move on to the next when it doesnt work. If something doesn't work, its usually not the technique, but you.

        If its not working experiment with your offer, your pricing, your marketing and who is getting you pieces? The same applies for all of the methods listed above.
        Signature
        Golf Outing Sponsor Signs, Banners and Flags||Plymouth, MI Marketing || Plymouth Dentist
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        • Profile picture of the author Tony Soprano Calling
          Originally Posted by Headfirst View Post

          Well, I'm always quick to recommend direct mail because it's what works for me. I like it because its fast and easy to test. If you don't want to try direct mail your other options could be:
          • Cold Calling
          • Seminars
          • Networking
          • Paid Online Traffic
          • SEO
          Pick something to go with and become an expert. They all work so don't try one thing and then move on to the next when it doesnt work. If something doesn't work, its usually not the technique, but you.

          If its not working experiment with your offer, your pricing, your marketing and who is getting you pieces? The same applies for all of the methods listed above.
          I will give this promotional method a try. However, lots of questions come to mind...
          Lets say I want to start sending out letters as soon as next week.
          What should be included in the letter? Whats the best way to promote and describe my services? How much colored ink should be used (this is potentially costly)?
          Any images?
          How do you envelope the letter?
          What contact method should I emphasize for future communication?
          How can I best summarize my offer and grab targets' interest?
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