When someone comes up to us at a networking event we can become so focused on making sure that they know what we do that we forget everything else.

I have had 20 minute conversations with people and had them walk away and I don’t even know their name. This is because they are so focused on telling me what they do and how they can help me and what kind of referrals they are looking for that I am pretty sure they forget to tell me the most simple thing… their name.

Here is another common thing that happens…

I am at a networking event and someone comes up to me. They say hello and tell em their name. I tell them my name and then before another sentence is said they launch into their pitch.

They tell me how they have been in business for over a year and they quickly ask if I have a website. I barely say yes when they move on. They go on to tell me all about how they can help me “optimize” my website and get me to the first page of Google. They can get me in all the online “yellow pages” sites and have customers banging down my door to do business with me and coming to my shop and buying my products and services and my phones will be ringing off the hook. All for ONLY $____ a month.

I generally listen politely because I always find this pitch amusing. (Sadly I have heard it a ton of times ).

After a few minutes they tend to run out of pitch. So I politely ask them a couple of questions, for my own curiosity. Things like “What sites will you add me to?” And “Do YOU do the work?”.

They, seeing a possible sale, rush to assure me that I will be on dozens of sites and that they don’t actually do the work “they have people” that do.

They then ask “So do you want to set up a meeting and get started?”

This is where I have to break their hearts. Mind you we are now about 10-20 minutes into this exchange. And now they are going to discover they have completely wasted their time, and mine to be honest, but they seem so desperate I don’t have the heart to stop them.

I explain to them that I don’t have a store front. I explain to them that I don’t particularly care if my phone rings since I am an internet based business. I explain to them that I am already on the first page in Google, in fact I can tell them I am #1-20 on Google depending on how you search. I explain to them that I know how to get on everyone of the sites they “get me on” for free. And then the last one…

I explain to them what I do in my business and how it, in this example, kind of matches what they do. This is usually when they politely thank me, sometimes not so politely, and wander off in search of their next victim.

I say victim kind of tongue in cheek, but sometimes unfortunately this is how these people make you feel.

If they had taken 2 minutes to ask a couple of questions about me, my business, my business model, etc. They would have saved themselves and me a ton of time. They would have saved themselves the heartache and frustration of doing their entire pitch only to discover that it was in vain.

1. Social Factors

Social factors also impact the buying behavior of consumers. The important social factors are: reference groups, family, role and status.

• Reference Groups

Reference groups have potential in forming a person attitude or behavior. The impact of reference groups varies across products and brands. For example if the product is visible such as dress, shoes, car etc then the influence of reference groups will be high. Reference groups also include opinion leader (a person who influences other because of his special skill, knowledge or other characteristics).

• Family

Buyer behavior is strongly influenced by the member of a family. Therefore marketers are trying to find the roles and influence of the husband, wife and children. If the buying decision of a particular product is influenced by wife then the marketers will try to target the women in their advertisement. Here we should note that buying roles change with change in consumer lifestyles.

• Roles and Status

Each person possesses different roles and status in the society depending upon the groups, clubs, family, organization etc. to which he belongs. For example a woman is working in an organization as finance manager. Now she is playing two roles, one of finance manager and other of mother. Therefore her buying decisions will be influenced by her role and status.

2. Cultural Factors

Consumer behavior is deeply influenced by cultural factors such as: buyer culture, subculture, and social class.

• Culture

Basically, culture is the part of every society and is the important cause of person wants and behavior. The influence of culture on buying behavior varies from country to country therefore marketers have to be very careful in analyzing the culture of different groups, regions or even countries.

• Subculture

Each culture contains different subcultures such as religions, nationalities, geographic regions, racial groups etc. Marketers can use these groups by segmenting the market into various small portions. For example marketers can design products according to the needs of a particular geographic group.

• Social Class

Every society possesses some form of social class which is important to the marketers because the buying behavior of people in a given social class is similar. In this way marketing activities could be tailored according to different social classes. Here we should note that social class is not only determined by income but there are various other factors as well such as: wealth, education, occupation etc.

There are several different approaches to keep consumers returning to your business. Perhaps one of the greatest ways is sending your shoppers out the door with a reason to return again. Seeing as they have already shopped with you, you know that they’re to some degree interested in what you have to provide and supplying them with the incentive they will need to return.

This is one reason why many stores do so well. Lots of stores have found that offering promotional merchandise as incentives to purchase more, can help to enhance sales and traffic to their company. Sending patrons away with a marketing product that helps to remind them of your company is an exceptional launch.

Quite a few businesses send consumers away with a flyer about an upcoming sale or function or perhaps an extra coupon or discount that will help them save at that business when they visit again in the future. Doing this makes it possible for them to generate thoughts for that patron about the next time they come in, before they even leave the shop.

One fun marketing idea is to present an advertising shopping bag to consumers when they shop with you, then providing them a discount when they bring that bag back with them to shop again. For example, you can even have your shopping bags imprinted with the discount onto them. Some companies like to do a 5 or 10 percent discount on anything that they are able to fit into their shopping bag on their next visit. This not only encourages them to come back and shop with you at some point in the future and helps to encourage repeat business, but also gets them to hang onto that shopping bag which isn’t just an earth friendly thing to do but also an excellent way to get them to do some additional marketing for you as well.

There are a lot of different ways in which to advertise your company using repeat purchaser rewards and spending incentives. Promotional products can truly help to boost these aspects of your company and help encourage customers not only to visit your store but to keep coming back for additional rewards. The best overall companies are those that present customers incentives to select their store over others located in the same region. Kohl’s is just one example of a store that makes use of incentives to keep the cash flowing and their strategies work very well in holding the store in the black all year round.

This involves a specialized focus using trigger words that are based on a wide body of research. Words such as family, profit, and bankrupt snap right into the old brain and pull us in. They are words that have an instant connection to WIFM.

Prospect Profiling, on the other hand, is personalized and focused on individuals. Also based on scientific study, prospect profiling uses a series of specially formulated questions to define the values, the tendencies, and the frustrations of your unique prospects. Each solopreneur has his own distinct results and his own prospects. Each prospect’s word list that will draw him in like magic because it was formulated to target his exact needs.

For example, you might be sitting at an airport totally zoned out while the loud speaker blares and never consciously hear a word. Then suddenly your name comes out loud and clear, and you instantly come to attention. Prospect Profiling uses words that will bring your prospects to attention in just that way. Their word lists speak to them and bring them to attention. That’s when you can tell them exactly what they need to hear, so their WIFM filter gives them a nod, their yes switch flips, and they pull out their credit cards.

Can neuromarketing and Prospect Profiling work together? Absolutely. Using neuromarketing tactics, the unique word lists from Prospect Profiling become more powerful. Using Prospect Profiling, neuromarketing goes from broad research to laser-focused results that ramp up your marketing results.

Neuromarketing scientists call the fight-or-flight portion of our brains the “old brain” or the “lizard brain” because it was the first part to develop. This is the decision-making area that asks one eternal question: “What’s in it for me?” or WIFM. That’s the question every person in the universe asks when flipping the yes-no switch in the brain. The old brain is the survival center, the security system that blocks out everything that’s risky and confusing and opting in favor of the safe, delightful, and satisfying.

We’ve all felt the old brain kick in when walking through a store, seeing a great sale, and feeling an irresistible compulsion to pick up as many of the sale item as we can and head for the checkout. In that case WIFM would be both saving money and the promise of satisfaction, a double whammy. We know the item is good. We like it, so it’s safe. The price is right and that makes it delightful, and we’re looking forward to the satisfaction of using it when we get home. Or (in the case of ice cream bars) when we get to the car.

Thomas J. Watson, Sr.

This is very true in our everyday lives but it especially rings true in the internet marketing world. The people who are making the money are the ones who are willing to fail. So many have such great expectations when they start working on the internet, yet so many can’t handle the failure that comes with the territory.

Can you make money on the net? Yes. Are you going to have failures? Yes The question is are you going to fight back when those failures happen. So many get discouraged so fast. Maybe the unrealistic expectations have something to do with it. Dollar signs put wild fantasies in so many minds.

Most everyone who is successful on the internet today has had their times of failure. In fact there are going to be a lot of disappointments along the road to success. This is like any other business, it takes time and effort to make ones dream come true.

The old adage of learn from your mistakes is very true on the road to being successful in the internet marketing world. The only way to learn is to get your feet wet and see what it’s like. You can watch and learn, you can study and learn but experience is still the best teacher.

So many get discouraged and give up the idea of working on the internet. The fact is that it is not going to be easy but if you have the drive and the willingness to learn, you can be successful. You must go in knowing that you are not going to be rich tomorrow. You must realize that failure will be a part of becoming successful.

The answer to becoming a success in the marketing world is pretty much the same as everywhere else. You must be willing to work and you must not let failure get you down. Failure is a temporary situation, learn from it.

The 21st century boasts of technological advancements, making all printing needs much easier to avail. This is indeed the digital age. Without a doubt, digital printing has helped a lot in a much easier short run printing process. It is now possible to print five hundred or just fifty copies of catalogs or brochures in full color when you need them. Short run digital printing has opened countless ways of economical pressure-sensitive printing options that were not previously available. Imagine the quality of lithography and the economy of flexography combined in the efficiency of digital printing. You can save time and money by sending your files directly to printers avoiding the conventional steps of film and plates for affordable, easy and fast digital short run printing.

Additionally, color printing is the craze today. Black and white prints are no longer the way to attract customers. Obviously, people would be more captivated by flashy flyers, brochures or posters. That is why most business owners are opting for color printing. And once again digital printing has offered a lot of faster, more affordable choices when it comes to color printing. On top of this, digital printing allows a faster way for you to reach your customers, with your message and ideas reaching then sooner. Digital printing is just simple as having it printed today and handing it out to your customers the next day.

For your print jobs to run smoothly and timely, it is essential that you make sure that your files and documents are properly prepared. Hence, when you are able to get the right short run digital printing service, earning profits is as easy as having your prints jobs done in a day.

Calendars make great gifts for friends and loved ones. As much as electronic organizers help in managing your everyday affairs, when you want to present a product or stir a memory you would turn to the old fashioned calendar printing. Modern printing technology has made calendar printing easier and more affordable than before. Aside from the usual paper calendar, there are a lot of choices nowadays when it comes to design and color. Now that full color printing is common, calendar printing has become more fascinating and attention-grabbing. This printing technique has been an important advancement in the printing industry as it increases the appeal of any printed work.

Custom calendars are also a good way to attract customers, promote your business and track appointments. When you want to customize your calendar you can choose your own photo or images to include in the print. Likewise, customized calendar can help you keep track with meetings or due dates that standard store calendars don’t have. Putting your logo in the calendar and adding special event in it is a good marketing strategy. You can easily hand it out to your customers and prospects.

To achieve a good calendar printing you have to carefully consider the design and layout, the photos that you will use, and the printing technique. Choose the size and style of text carefully and use the right colors. You have a lot of choices when it comes to color but it is essential to use a design that does not detract from your images. When choosing the photos to use, make sure that they do not contrast your theme. Choose pictures that have plenty of color and interest. Remember that the photos will be displayed for a whole month so choose those that suit the season and your theme. If possible you can compile the images in a folder as you make your final choices for ease in editing and putting together the final product. And when you are already happy with your design, save it and print it.

Different printing shops have different ways of printing a calendar. You can ask their help if you are unsure of how to design your own calendar. Just remember to create a calendar that is really personal and unique.

There are also people who may not be interested in actually running a business of their own, but simply want to make some extra income working for someone else. In this instant, what they may be looking for is to get a second or part-time job. Those who are serious business builders are business opportunity seekers who want to be in charge of their own fate, and be able to make their own decisions on business matters, not simply do what someone else wants or tells them to do.

There are a number of list providers on the internet that specialize in gathering information on perspective business opportunity seekers, by asking them to fill out a simple form about what type of money making venture they are looking for. The lead company then compiles this information for sale to multi-level marketers (MLM) and other types of businesses who need fresh responsive leads, not just lists that have been circulated to thousands of people.

Making calls to these people will not be a positive experience because they have already been bombarded with calls from your competition. They dont want to hear what you have to say. On the contrary, actually speaking with a true business opportunity seeker is a refreshing experience, because this person really wants to listen to you about what you have to offer. Lead companies also sell pre-qualified leads that can greatly increase your efficiency and level of success. These pre-qualified business opportunity seekers have been contacted by the lead company to verify the type of opportunity they are looking for, so that they can be matched as closely as possible for just the right fit.

Business opportunity seekers have always been the primary target for any MLM, direct sales, home based businesses. It is not always possible to continue recruiting new people from your warm market only. At some point, all multi-level marketers must search for business builders outside of their group of family, friends, and co-workers to connect with those people who are just waiting to be found. So, are you a business opportunity seeker?

A lot of times, by asking the right kind of open-ended questions, you can be very pleasantly surprised when your computer consulting contacts start discussing something that evolves into a $10,000 or $15,000 services opportunity because they all of a sudden had a lightening bolt moment.

What You May Hear

“We have this woman in Accounting who is typing the same thing in three times over and over and over again.  I wonder if there’s some way that you could set up links or do something in Access that that would eliminate that?” or “We have this crazy process where we’re still using this DOS-based 19.2 modem but we’ve heard there’s a web-based way to do this.  Can you look into it and help us implement it?” This is a golden opportunity to get more computer consulting business.

Open Ended Questions are Best

Get your customers talking. Instead of asking, “Are we doing a good job?” Which gives you a “yes” or “no” answer, you can ask questions that give you more opportunities to serve your customers. Ask them questions like:
“How are we doing?”"What else can we help you with?”"What do you like about how we’re helping?”"What do you like about how we’re servicing the account?”"What do you think we can improve on?”

Now take this information and suggest new ways of working together to benefit both of you.

Real estate, like many other enterprises, relies heavily on the leads to which it can market its product. More than any other business enterprise, however, it has taken great advantage of the virtual realm of the Internet. Many arduous tasks usually performed by real estate agents have been facilitated or taken over by the Internet. This, however, has not been such a bad thing.

One of the most beneficial benefits of the Internet to the real estate industry is the fact that instead of having clients visiting open house shows or model units, they may opt to view the real estate in the comfort of their own home. This is done through virtual tours of any real estate property. Virtual tours can be advanced enough to integrate full navigation of a virtual counterpart of the unit or property you are selling.

Given that your would-be client has complete access to information you usually would provide in person, how then can you make sure that you can still get leads out of these virtual tours? Maximize the potential of the Internet and make sure that while they are clicking away in their virtual real estate tour, they provide you with further information through which you can get in touch with them or send them other information about your venture.

Another option is to tie up your content with the information you need. This means that for them to be able to view your real estate video or take a virtual tour, they will have to provide you with an email address or the like, or sign up for your newsletter. This way, you can keep track of who’s taking your virtual tours, and moreover, keep interested those who seem interested by providing supplementary materials right to their inboxes.

After the virtual tour, you may also create a page designed especially for online referrals. Don’t hesitate to ask the visitor to enter the email addresses of friends should he or she be impressed with the virtual tour. Send these referred email addresses links to your website and to the virtual tour, and you will find your leads increasing exponentially.