Ask the Right Questions

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Posted on 28th June 2011 by Tony in Business Advice

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Back when I was at University I somehow got sucked into selling Amway Products (don’t judge me!) and while I do regret having to sell R56 tubes of toothpaste, I do cherish the learning experiences. One thing can certainly be said about the networks that operate within Amway, it’s that their sales-training is phenomenal. If you can make your way through the training you could sell Ice to an Eskimo (or Inuit/First People if you want to be PC).

One of the major things I learnt with my time at Amway is to Ask the Right Questions.

In any sales environment, asking the Right Questions can lead to a sale. Asking the wrong questions will lead to constant rejection. It’s therefore worth your while to sit down and write out 4 or 5 questions that you want to ask a prospective client that will help you in making the sale.

I spent a session with my Action Coach on creating my questions and have found it helps phenomenally in controlling the conversation. The person who is asking the Questions, controls the conversation.

Even more so when you’re working with an online business or online marketing strategy: What Questions are you asking your prospective clients? Are you leading them to a position where they are interested in making a purchase?

Here are a few questions I like to ask:

Tell me about the kind of marketing you’re doing for your business?

What would your ideal client be?

What is your average closure rate for your current leads?

The trick is to try and keep the questions open. You don’t want people to answer “yes” and “no” because then it’ll feel like an interrogation and not a conversation.

Asking the Right Questions could lead to heaps more sales and heaps more cash-flow for your business. So take out 10 minutes and write down the questions you would ask a prospective client … and use them!

Popularity: 5% [?]


Sterkinekor mess up their new website.

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Posted on 24th June 2011 by Tony in Business Advice

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It’s not often that I come out an criticize a company’s website, but today I’m going to make an exception. Sterkinekor has finally dumped their old, useless, slow and confusing website … for something worse.

I had heard the rumours a while ago about a new design on it’s way (having bitterly complained in the past to the sterkinekor guys on twitter) and was eagerly awaiting a site that was simple, easy to use and easy to navigate. So, today I go to the site, suprised to see the new one up … IN FLASH! Let’s be honest – and leave flash websites to the Noughties (2000 – 2009 is apparently the noughties), I cannot stand the fact that I have to WAIT for the site to download … counting slowly from 0% to 100% … and I’m on a 4MB line! I cannot even begin to imagine the frustration for someone who is on 384K or dialup!

There is absolutely no reason in 2011 to be using flash. Besides the slow rate, it’s a nightmare for SEO, doesn’t work on iOS (so every iPad and iPhone in the country won’t be able to view it) and it’s confusing to navigate. I don’t care if your buttons go bleep or dance on the screen … I just want to book a movie. And another really irritating feature is the site now tells me where it thinks I should go … in my case, Cavendish (about 30km away) where Bayside is only 2.5km away … now how much did Sterkinekor pay the developers for that useless feature?

If any execs from Sterkinekor happen to cross my blog: Whatever you’ve paid for your new site, you’ve paid too much. It’s ugly, useless and cumbersome … and what’s with the adverts on the top? Why do you think you need extra advertising revenue?

Isn’t R38 for a coke and popcorn enough?

Popularity: 5% [?]


Are Referral Commissions now illegal?

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Posted on 31st May 2011 by Tony in Business Advice

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I had a very interesting conversation last week with someone about the effects the new Consumer Protection Act has with regards to Referral Commission – apparently it’s now illegal.

Basically, referral commission is a small fee you get paid for when you refer someone to a company. For example if you know a friend is looking for a house, and you give this person’s details to an estate-agent, the Agent will pay you a referral commission if that friend buys a place (it’s usually something like R1000.00 or so).

Now, I know many businesses that use the Referral Commission model as part of growing a business and client acquisition – we’ll pay you RX.XX if you refer us a client.

In 2010 the US passed a law requiring everyone to declare their interest in referring you – and this makes sense. A person is more likely to refer you to a company that pays the best commission, rather than the company that provides the best service.

But I think to make Referral Commissions now completely illegal is taking things too far. I know the premise of the CPA is to look after a society that is simply too stupid to think for themselves (yes, I will admit, I am anti-CPA or anything Nanny-State-like) but this is yet another move to make it more and more difficult for business in South Africa to actually do business.

As a small business owner, I’m expected to spend a fortune on legal-fees to ensure all my documentation is now in order for this crazy CPA and now they tell me I can’t pay for business referrals? Good heavens! (Actually I don’t use a referral model system, but I should have the right to choose one).

What are your thoughts on Referral Commissions and the CPA?

Popularity: 6% [?]



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