Are You a Salesperson or a Consultant? Any forward-thinking entrepreneur or successful business leader would agree that a Web site is an essential sales and marketing tool that no business can afford to be without. So then how do you explain prospects that are unwilling to even take a look at what a Web site can do for their business? For some, it could be a simple fear of technology; for others, it may be a previous negative experience with owning a site. However, in many instances, the biggest obstacle to selling Web sites is overcoming the prospect's attitude toward salespeople in general. Think about your natural reaction when a salesperson calls you on the phone, approaches you in a store, or sends you an unsolicited e-mail. Like most people, you're automatically not interested. You probably don't even hear what the salesperson has to offer, and you just say "No thanks, I'm not interested" and hang up the phone, walk away, or delete the e-mail. For many of your prospects, they may see you as just another person trying to sell them something. So how can you get past this resistance to salespeople? How can you convince them that you're not "just another salesperson?" One of the most effective ways is to avoid behavior and attitudes that negatively stereotype you as a "typical" salesperson. Simply change the way you approach and interact with prospects, and you will change the way prospects perceive you. So what does that mean? Stop thinking and acting like a Web site salesperson, and start thinking and acting more like an Internet business consultant. Here are a few examples… The salesperson pushes an unwanted product or service; the consultant is a knowledgeable professional who offers valuable advice and services. The salesperson is too busy trying to impress prospects with his/her knowledge to hear what is important; the consultant listens to prospects and understands their problems first. The salesperson tries to persuade prospects into doing what he/she wants; the consultant educates prospects and helps them make an informed decision that is in their best interest. The salesperson focuses on closing the deal; the consultant focuses on solving problems and building mutually beneficial relationships. The salesperson is finished with prospects after he/she has made the sale; the consultant is always available for his/her customers, even after the deal is closed. If you do not see yourself as a valuable professional resource for small business owners, how can you expect them to? If you try to push prospects into something they don't want or even understand, how can you expect them to treat you any differently than a telemarketer? The end goal of selling a Web site remains the same, but a change in your approach and attitude can make a huge difference in how prospects perceive you and your business. Negative stereotypes of salespeople can make it tough to sell Web sites, so it is even more important to distinguish yourself from all the other salespeople targeting small business owners. Taking a professional, consultative approach to selling Web sites earns more trust and respect from prospects, and it can dramatically influence the way prospects respond and relate to you.                 Did you know that during the first month a Web site appears on the first page of Google's search results, traffic increases 337%? And during the second month in Google's top 10, traffic increases another 627%! SOURCE: ONEUPWEB 2/3/05   .               Do you have any questions about selling Web sites? Online marketing? Tools or features in the software? Do you have any tips or tricks you'd like to share with other WebCenter owners? If there is anything we can do to help make your business more successful, please e-mail us at newsletter@mawebcenters.com.   .

Introducing Family Websites A few weeks ago, we launched one of the most innovative products our software development and marketing teams have ever created…The Family Website. This unique product combines some of the most popular technologies on the Internet—like blogs, online photo galleries, family trees, character animation studios, and virtual filing cabinets—into a new way for families to interact and connect like never before! Your WebCenter already gives you the power to make tremendous profits selling Web sites to businesses, but now with the addition of Family Websites, you can start selling sites to every single person you meet! All of your friends, relatives, neighbors, co-workers, and associates will spend hours enjoying fun tools and features like: o Character Studio - Create cartoon versions of family members o Theme Parks - Choose from a variety of Flash-animated backgrounds o Photo Album - Share pictures with friends and family all across the world using the Flash-based online photo gallery o Blog - Post thoughts, opinions, and experiences in the online Web journal o Family Tree - Trace back generations of ancestors and share discoveries with relatives o Calendar - Keep track of birthdays, soccer games, dance recitals, events, and appointments in one central location o File Cabinet - Upload files for personal use or to share with friends o Domain Name - FREE domain name with every Family Website o E-mail Accounts - Personalized e-mail accounts using the new domain name (john@the-smith-family.com) o Portal link - Take visitors from the Family Website directly to the Market America Portal in just a matter of seconds o Coming soon - Upcoming features include an online scrapbook, a list tool, e-cards and e-vites, a poll feature, a recipe center, and a mad lib generator Family Web sites are one of the hottest things on the Internet, and we are the first company in the world to offer all these tools and features in a single product! If you still haven't had a chance to check out this exclusive new product, just log in to the Admin section of your WebCenter, and build a free sample Family Website for yourself today!       Ranking Your Prospects One of the most common mistakes new or inexperienced WebCenter owners make is investing an equal amount of time and effort into all of their prospects. Although every business owner has the potential to become a paying customer, not all of them will be prospects that deserve or require your ongoing attention. Remember, there are way too many businesses out there that really want a Web site for you to waste time chasing prospects that won't even agree to a walkthrough appointment. An easy way to maximize the time you spend with prospects who are serious about improving their business with the addition of a Web site (and minimize the time you spend with the ones who aren't) is to rank all of your potential customers. As you meet business owners and find new prospects, evaluate each one based on: · How much interest they express in setting up a Web site · How willing they are to commit to a walkthrough appointment · How likely they are to actually buy a Web site Here's one possible way you could rank your prospects: A - Highly interested, very motivated, almost certain to buy a Web site B - Interested in establishing an online presence, wants to learn more about the Web site software, good chance of buying a site C - Not really interested in getting a Web site, reluctant to commit to a firm time for a walkthrough appointment, low probability of buying a Web site D - Seems uninterested or irritated, unwilling to agree to a walkthrough appointment, very unlikely to buy a Web site Alternatively, you could try using a numbering system, or even categorize prospects as "hot," "warm," or "cold." Whatever method or system you employ, the important thing is to come up with a way that lets you prioritize your prospects and focus on the ones that are most likely to buy a site. A majority of your sales will come from your top-tier prospects (the "hot" / "A" or B" prospects), so try to spend most of your time doing walkthroughs and follow ups with these prospects. The second-tier prospects—the ones that would be classified as "warm" or maybe a "C"—still have the potential to develop into good, qualified prospects. These business owners do not represent the most constructive or efficient use of your immediate time; you don't want to spend too much effort trying to get them to agree to a walkthrough appointment. Get back to them after you've finished selling Web sites to your "hot" prospects. The "cold" or "D" prospects have not given you any reason to believe that they are interested in a Web site in the least bit, but that doesn't mean you should write them off completely. There's always the possibility that you just caught them on the wrong day or at the wrong time, and their attitude or situation could change at some point in the future. Think of these business owners as "long-term" prospects that you may approach one last time a month or two down the road. Trying to sell a Web site to prospects who don't want one is very difficult and frustrating, and even worse, it hurts your ability to concentrate on the business owners that may actually buy a site. Selling Web sites is a completely different experience when you actively control your sales pipeline and decide to work primarily with good, qualified prospects that are interested in working with you. By ranking and prioritizing all the business owners you meet, you can increase your productivity and profits by focusing most of your attention on "A" and "B" prospects, and spending less time chasing "C" and "D" prospects.