Bob Doruma Journal

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Writing Fact Sheets For Your Business

Many businesses are looking for ways to differentiate themselves from their competitors.If you look around there are hundreds of competitors to your business just in your local area.So why should people buy from you and not your competition?

You could choose to compete on price ...but that is self-limiting as often you end up in a price spiral and cut dramatically into your profits.You could choose to compete on range ...but this means you are caught up in additional costs for stock or administration.

One of the most effective competition means is through service and one of the hallmarks of exceptional service is sharing your knowledge and expertise to make your customer's life easier.

If you have talented staff, they can personally share this knowledge with customers.But they can only serve one customer at a time.The more effective method is to capture this knowledge and to share it with multiple customers.That way, you are extending your service and reputation beyond just one person at a time (and beyond just one salesperson).

One way to do this is through creating a series of Fact Sheets for your business.

Fact Sheets can address:


* frequently asked questions,
* little known but useful facts about your product or service,
* instructions on how to best use the product or service,
* general information about your company and its ethos.




So how do you go about writing Fact Sheets for your business?Here are my top 10 tips:


1.

Work out the basics first.Are they going to be electronic or hard copy?If hard copy how big are they going to be A4, brochure style or DL?

All your company Fact Sheets should look and feel the same to give a professional image and to reinforce your brand.Having an eye to design and layout also means you will know if you need 150, 250 or 500 words for your fact sheet.

2.Work out your intent.For each Fact Sheet you are writing, you need to work out why you are writing it.What feeling are you trying to share with your customer?What difference are you trying to make?

3.Brainstorm the key points.Every Fact Sheet has key messages, facts or information that need to be included.It helps to brainstorm the most important pieces of information so that you don't miss anything when you write.Ask your top salesman what are the most important features of the product or service, and jot down their replies.

4.Brainstorm the benefits.Once you have a list of dot points, go back and work out the benefits of each of the main features.So if you have an automatic outdoor umbrella that opens by pushing a remote control (feature) one benefit could be that you can quickly close the umbrella as soon as you see an approaching storm from the safety of your home.

5.Brainstorm the actions.Work out what you want the customer to do with the information once they have read it.Make sure you jot down a call to action, this could be as simple as "To order, call the office on XXXX-XXXX".

6.Write the content.Next, convert your dot points into smoothly flowing sentences taking into account all of your intentions, key points, features and benefits.It is great to break up the paragraphs with bullet points to help improve the readability of your document.

7.Remove the jargon.Ensure you go back over your content to remove jargon and complex language.Aim for about a Grade 6 reading level.

8.Add in headlines.Headlines and sub headlines make a difference.They help to keep people reading, grab attention and reinforce key points.Make sure each headline is as powerful as you can make it.

9.Get someone else to read it!It is easy to miss spelling mistakes, typos and places where you are not as clear as you could be.By getting someone else to read over your document they can help identify areas for clarification and improvement.

10.Distribute widely.When you have a content-rich, powerful and persuasive Fact Sheet for your business, be sure to share it with people.Include a copy on your website, send a copy with quotes or invoices, include it in your business magazine as a feature article, hand it to customers with their purchases and have them available at trade shows.The more widely you distribute your Fact Sheets, the more powerful your marketing becomes.


About the Author

Ingrid Cliff is a freelance writer and the Chief Word Wizard of Heart Harmony - a writing services studio that helps put your business into words.

For a free copy of the "7 Secrets of Compelling Copy & Powerful Words" visit her website http://www.heartharmony.com.au "> www.heartharmony.com.au .

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Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Basic Home Business Startup Costs

The advantage of working from home is that you liberate yourself from the daily routine of a 9 to 5 job.You save commute time and cost, you set your own schedule, and you work for yourself.The flipside, however, is that the entire burden of paying the new business expenses will fall on your shoulders.However, after weighing the pros and cons, you will discover that working from home is far more profitable in the long run.

Generally, you cannot start an online home business for free but you can minimize your start-up costs.Once the business is up and running and you are producing sales, you want to invest more money into it by paying for advertising, updating your website, or purchasing a new computer program.But with careful planning, starting up a home business can lead to great success rather than immediate loss of income.

Here are some basic startup costs that should be considered when starting a home based business:


1.

Office space and supplies - running a home based business allows you to set up an office in any corner of your home without having to pay additional rent or utilities.This one aspect makes running a home based business much cheaper than working outside the home.But you may need to spend some money on organizational items to make your business run smoothly.

2.Computer - even if you work in direct sales, having a computer is a necessity to keep track of your orders and keep in touch with your clients.If your desktop has older software, consider updating the software or investing in a laptop that will only house your business records instead of the kids' computer games.

3.Internet connection - it's virtually impossible to run a successful home business with a dial up connection, so investigate the cost of getting a DSL or cable based internet connection.

4.marketing materials - even online businesses need marketing materials such as business cards, a website, and a professional logo.Invest in these staple materials and you can always expand or improve them as your sales and income increase.

5.Miscellaneous costs - clothing, gas, catalogs, and postage costs are most often found when working in direct sales or with selling at auctions.These sometimes little charges can add up very quickly if you don't plan for them.

Cost is a major consideration in any business enterprise.It is common for people to get into a venture and start spending before the business has actually taken off.Although there are basic items you need to purchase, track these expenditures right from the start.

The most important thing while starting a home business is to make a financial plan of costs and expenditures.It is very important to prioritize your expenditures.Figure out where money should be invested first and act accordingly.If you are not well informed and cautious regarding your income and expenses then the business could lead to loss.

Be careful with the expenditure but also allow space for your business to grow steadily.Business costs can be reduced by using articles and appliances that are already present in your home.Your current computer, printer and fax machine can become your key business equipment until you are in a position to buy new ones.Try to be innovative instead of hasty and careless and you will find yourself saving a lot of money.

Starting a home based business is very easy with all the resources available online.But it still takes careful planning and organization to make your home based business a success.


About the Author

Chris Simpson is dedicated to helping people find honest and legitimate work from home opportunities and home based business ideas.

Find legitimate work at home jobs and other great opportunities to make money at home today at: www.HomeNetPro.com


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Friday, August 29, 2008

The Dental Marketing Ripple Effect

Sometimes the smallest, simplest ideas or actions can end result in great breakthroughs. This couldnt be truer in a dental maneuvers. You may furthermore grasp it as The Ripple Outcome.

I did two countless bits and pieces in the month of July that I solicit to talk near to, which you can immediately do rapid than I for the bulk of the textbook is achieved and all thats disappeared is implementation - the No. 1 factor that keeps broke recruits broke and I advocate finalize-heartedly you in reality do each other.

A lot of of whatever we do has a long-lasting, ripple outcome. The ultimate outcome, if measured indulge in initial "impact," can be marvelous.

Lets stock patient referrals - We all solicit additional of one another correctly Theyre the recommended bighearted of patients we can get. You send a patient newsletter, accurately Correct. Thats step 1.

I needful to hold this a step extra as people fail to remember and... At every chance you skill, you should strike a chord them to remark

These days though, I have noted that my clients suffer not been taking ample reward of stimulating a captive eavesdropper in their practices. I vicious, here they taste a patient sedentary in their chair for a absolute hour or two or further, accurately What beliefs, different than "Im in soreness," "my butt and back slighted," and "I cant wait to get out of here," can we get into their heads

This is indispensable period to let your internal, direct-of-procurement commercial do its fixation Lead of purchase is a retail period that SHOULD be acting its way into the dental planet.

Retailers are suitable at doing what on earth Getting our awareness each time we are pouring by means of, by or in to a reserves, accurately Wal-Mart is the grasp of take-of-procurement displays. Forever walk in the entrance come on now, admit it, youve been there too and gotten bombarded plus great deals on stuff thats on either neighboring of you, instantly following you grasp that cart That is show-of-purchase trading, as I realize it.

Make a remark: Understanding you constantly run the math on attaining an further 50 benefit each day cherish the trading of a couple assorted items If you are open 4 existence a week, thats an added 200 per week or 800 per month. Can you say "Mercedes Charter fee" for doing Naught additional recipes and Nothing extra chair occasion That adds up rapid

Now, back to that patient inactive on their bum in your chair. Heres anything I experience noted: In the drills of one of my customers, there are these tender wooden tables in each operatory. They tolerate magazines on one another. Yes, novel month and year, and yours should be too, if you undergo each other laying with reference to. Heres my notification - Instead of granting people look at a publication, they should look at my customers marketing warning

So, I had my assistant create a cool little framed, antiqued-paper suspicion that says in adventurous at the top:

"Your friends, relations & colleagues are steadily welcome here at our place of business."

At that time, less than that, in slightly lesser lettering, it says:

"The best compliment you can have a say us, as your dental homeopathic provider, is to talk about your friends, nuclear family and colleagues. We analyze each and every human being who graces our doors and constantly submit to space for further certainly love you. It device the world to us every time you carry era to point out us to those handy to you and how youve been restricted here in our place of business. Thank you in proposes"

Let alone my assistants occasion, frames and paper, I put near to 50 in this transaction. We put one in each operatory, one in the reception location and one in the... BATHROOM Why not be exchanging in the can, too Theres a famous saying, "ABC = For all time Be Winding up."

Guess whatever Inside 1 week of effecting these evidences all higher than my clientele exercises, he had 2 additional referrals, over and higher than what on earth we may well taste differently had, for the patients that referred referrenced the hint phrase, "I didnt appreciate you were probing for spare patients"

ARGH. Ugh. Hmmm. What do YOUR patients wonder

So, what is the Peculiar thrilling tips that can add to referrals You really requested to comprehend Are you essentially going to put in force it Okay, heres the tips:

Send out a patient-certainly newsletter. AND, carries with it a few referral cards a.k.a. interest cards that your innovative patients can hand out to their friends, family unit, and colleagues. As well, brand assured theres an drive. This is vastly elemental. Have a say your patients a justification to conversation to staff around you and hand out your cards, resembling a prearranged dollar-measure toward a dental system for each referral that they send your way. Still superior, throw in the referred patient an motivation as anyways. Meet up with a new patient confer printed appropriately on your referral card. This goes Do it. Do all of it


As regards to the Inventor

James Erickson is the President of

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