Research tells us that the primary reason people come onto the Internet is to get information. And if you ask them, everyone will say "sure - I want it to be free information." But let's think this through. From the early days of the World Wide Web information on the Internet was free. You could find millions of articles, free reports, etc. There were two reasons for all of these resources being free: 1. Early pioneers online could not figure out a viable way to charge for it. 2. At the end of every free article or woven into a free ebook there were "offers" for a paid product or service. As technology has advanced we've seen a growing number of free information resources - audios, teleseminars, videos. And at the end of each there is an offer. That's why I'm always amazed when someone complains that "the information was good BUT they tried to sell me something at the end of the call." Well of course they did! That's how they make their living. In fact, that's how all of us make our living. I would challenge you to find any profession that doesn't exist because of sales. From the friendly "call for a free 15- minute session" to the million dollar commercial on TV, no one works without a sale. How does this apply to your Online Success? Time and again I see smart people with a good business idea shoot themselves in the foot because they won't attend a free teleseminar. "They're just doing it to sell me something," they whine. Well of course they are! But that doesn't mean they aren't giving you priceless information in the meantime. Only a fool would give you the gems of their business ideas and strategies without charge. What you need to beware of are those free teleseminars that give you great information and ask nothing in return. Those are not savvy business people. Do you really want to follow their advice? When you do hear the pitch, listen carefully. Successful business people spend as much time working on the way they present their offer as they do gathering the information they will present. Listen for the lead in to the offer. Listen to the description. Take notes. See if they offer a reduced price for just this call. Notice whether or not they offer bonuses. If they do, what is the value of the bonuses and how many are offered? How do they create a sense of scarcity - with a time limit or a limited number of products or both? There is an entire business woven around the ability to make a good sales pitch. And whether you sell something online or you have an offline business, learning to apply that sales ability is worth more than the time you spend on the call. The idea is that you are learning from all aspects of the call. From the introduction to the close, you should be taking notes. So the next time you see "free teleseminar" or "preview teleseminar" sign up. Not only will you get some great information, but you'll also be able to apply their sales techniques to your business. Bonus: Want to hear more about the value of free information? Watch the video at http://www.techtamers.com/cmd.php?Ad=236869 Copyright 2006 Jeanette Cates |
