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In this issue:
Marketing Article: Maintaining Your Motivation
Marketing Article: Testimonials Convert Prospects Into Buyers

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I recently spoke to a group of sales professionals at the end of their training conference. The attendees had participated in many learning sessions over a two day period - most of which were product related. I was scheduled to speak after dinner and I was somewhat concerned how attentive they would be by this time.

Fortunately, in the days preceding, the company had structured the entire program to create energy, excitement and to foster a sense of team enthusiasm. They had a theme and encouraged their vendors to incorporate the theme into each of their individual presentations. They awarded prizes for the team with the most energy and highest level of participation, and by the time dinner was served, the group was pumped. They were excited. And they were highly motivated and charged up. When I left that evening, I knew that these individuals would bring a renewed energy and drive to their work place. I was also confident that the company would see a definite increase in their sales in the weeks to follow.

It reminded me how motivational a conference, training workshop or corporate gathering can be. It reinforced the importance of participating in sessions like these on a regular basis, if for no other reason, but to ignite our own personal motivation.

Running a business is tiring, stressful and challenging. Small business owners are required to wear many hats, often at the same time, while executives of large organizations often have more problems and politics to manage on a daily basis. It is not uncommon for the business to drain our energy and motivation, regardless of how much we enjoy the business. If you do not take time to recharge your batteries and refresh your perspective it is easy to find yourself frustrated with your business.

That is why it is imperative to have a personal motivation plan in place. This means taking advantage of opportunities that will help you maintain your motivation. Here are few suggestions to help get you started.

Attend a personal development workshop. Identify an area in your business or personal live that you would like to improve. At the beginning of each year, I determine what types of programs I want to attend and begin looking for them. I find that these sessions give me a short break from the daily grind of my business and help me see things from a different perspective. Training programs, night courses, or weekend seminars that focus on a specific topic can give you a much needed boost in your energy.

Join a Master Mind group. Meeting with other like-minded people can help you see your business from a different perspective. An effective group will have between six and eight members from a variety of industries and will usually meet several times a year. If you have the right chemistry between members, these meetings will not only help you improve your business, they will also motivate you to try new approaches and market your business differently.

Exercise. I am an avid runner and have completed two marathons and several half marathons. I occasionally find myself in a position when I cannot run for a period of time due to illness, injury, or the demands of work. Without fail, I notice a decrease in my personal motivation during these times. Regular exercise helps your body work more effectively and efficiently. Although I usually catch myself thinking about work related issues during my runs, I often notice that I develop more creative solutions when I am exercising.

Read or listen to motivational material. Instead of reading the daily newspaper with breakfast or coffee in the morning, try reading inspirational material instead. A well-written book that offers sound advice is more motivating than reading about the latest market declines. Listening to motivational tapes or CD's in your car for one hour everyday can actually give you the equivalent of a university degree in a few years time.

Take time off. It is not a badge of honor to state, "I'm too busy to take time off." In today's fast-paced business world, it is critical to take time off for vacation and rest and relaxation. Even a long weekend away from your business can be restful. A true vacation also means completely avoiding email and voicemail. Yes, you will have hundreds of messages to deal with when you return, but you will have a renewed focus and energy to do this.

Lastly, associate with positive people. I have made it a point in the latter part of my career to distance myself from negative individuals. They drain your energy, will not support your goals and desires, and do little to motivate you. On the other hand, positive and optimistic people will uplift your spirits and help you through challenging times.

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Kelley Robertson, President of the Robertson Training Group, works with businesses to help them increase their sales and motivate their employees. For information on his programs, visit his website at www.RobertsonTrainingGroup.com . Receive a FREE copy of "100 Ways to Increase Your Sales" by subscribing to his 59-Second Tip, a free weekly e-zine .

Big businesses get instant credibility with their well-known company name or brand name. But small companies have to create their own credibility. One of most powerful tools you can use for this is customer testimonials.

Here are 5 tips to help you get persuasive testimonials ...and use them to convert prospects into buyers.

1. Continuously Collect Testimonials

Start by setting up a file to store the positive comments you get from customers. Many good testimonials are hidden in the casual comments customers make during normal communications.

Don't overlook the positive comments you get by phone or in person. Write them down and add them to your file.

Next, look for some ways you can stimulate customers to give you testimonials. For example, send a postcard or email message to recent customers asking what they liked best about your product or service. You'll be surprised at some of the glowing comments you get.

You don't need a lot of testimonials before you can start using them. Three is normally enough unless your sales message is unusually long.

2. Try to Get Varied Testimonials

All of your prospects and customers are not exactly the same. Different aspects of your products and services are likely to appeal to different prospects.

Try to get testimonials that mention a variety of results achieved by your customers. The more benefits you can reveal with customer testimonials, the more business they will generate for you.

3. Some Testimonials Are Better Than Others

Avoid using testimonials that are not specific. For example, "I really liked your service a lot", is nice for you to know. But it won't stimulate many prospects to buy.

Instead, look for testimonials that describe specific results. For example, "In just 2 weeks I lost 9 pounds, feel years younger and still continue to enjoy my favorite foods." That testimonial will motivate anybody who wants to lose weight to get your program fast.

4. Get Permission to Use Testimonials

Always get your customer's permission before using their testimonial. And tell them how they will be identified with the testimonial. For example, I usually include at least my customer's name, city and state (or country).

If you sell to businesses instead of to individuals you may want to include some other things about each customer with their testimonial. For example, your customer's title, the company name, the type of industry or anything else that would appeal to other customers like them.

5. Highlight Testimonials When You Use Them

You can group all testimonials together in your sales letter or web page ...especially if the message is short. Or you can scatter them strategically throughout your message ...especially if the message is long. But always highlight testimonials so they stand out from the rest of your message.

For example, display them in italic letters enclosed in quote marks. On web pages you can further highlight them in yellow or some other color that contrasts with the background color of the page.

The 5 tips in this article revealed how you can get persuasive testimonials - and use them with maximum impact. Start applying these tips now in your business and you will quickly start converting more prospects into buyers.

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Bob Leduc spent 20 years helping businesses like yours find new customers and increase sales. He just released a New Edition of his manual, How To Build Your Small Business Fast With Simple Postcards ...and launched *BizTips from Bob*, a newsletter to help small businesses grow and prosper. You'll find his low-cost marketing methods at: http://BobLeduc.com or call: 702-658-1707 After 10 AM Pacific Time/Las Vegas, NV