Sales Sells The First One, Service Sells The Rest
No business is just a buy-and-sell business in todays competition driven world. Customer service and superior after-sales have emerged as the two critical success-oriented techniques and the core drivers of competitive advantage.
Excellent after sales support can help improve customer retention, streamline service process, maximize efficiency and reduce overhead costs. But there are still a lot to it- customers of a business can be new ones, or current ones returning to buy more. The significance of good customer service can be seen in the fact that it costs 5 times as much to win a new customer than it is to retain the current one. This particularly goes well with short-term growth as the cost of acquiring new customers is typically much greater than the cost of retaining existing ones. With excellent after sales the repeat business is generally much cheaper for the company as their sales process is usually less intense. This is how the dictum goes Sales sells the first one, Service sells the rest. Let us understand this better with the help of an example. A mobile phone manufacturer may be a market leader, but if it has poor customer service, the customers may switch to its rivals. To stay ahead of the competition, he has to provide exceedingly good after-sales support that could bring back the customers- repeat customers we say them.
This repeat business can become much cheaper for the mobile manufacturer as its sales process would now be less intense and become more of an “order” taker effort. In contrast, poor after sales support could have made the sales process much more intensive. This would have required the sales function to overcome that poor after-sales support with more sales techniques like demos, sales calls, presentations, etc., which inculcate a higher cost.
On the flip side, happy servicing brings in loyal customers, and loyal customers are free advertising as they will not only tell others of the great service they have received, but also come back to buy again.
Why Companies are Unable to Provide Quality After-Sales Support
Many companies are unable to provide the high degree of after-sales support because they consider customer service as a cost and investment, and not a profit center. It does not make good sense as spending few bucks for keeping your customers happy would not only make them your regular customers, but would also act as revenue stream for you. Effective customer management with the help of Service Management Software and other service automation tools can actually be bundled into the original sales offer.
There can never be more opportunity to invest in sales and foster valuable connections by delivering excellent customer service and support.
Direct Sales Is One Of The Best Ways To Make Big Money
There are many ways to make big money on the Internet. I personally have found direct sales to be one of the best ways to make money online and make alot of it. Why do I say that?
1. Higher commissions. Companies are willing to compensate you for your efforts at a higher commission rate than you can make in other ways.
For example, Primo Vacations is a big ticket direct sale opportunity. You earn $500 on every $697 sale you make. This works out to over a %70 commission rate.
Some companies will cut checks directly to you. In the Primo Vacations example you are your own business owner and the money is paid directly to you on a completed sale.
There are examples of high commission rates in other business models such as affiliate marketing. In many ways selling other people’s products as an affiliate marketer is a direct sales approach.
ClickBank is an example of an affiliate program where you can earn up to 75% commissions selling ebooks. The downside to this is these are not really big ticket items, so you have to make more sales to really make big money.
2. You are in control. People who want to have control over their income love direct sales opportunities.
When you go to work your boss tells you how much are going to make. Generally every Friday you get a paycheck and you know exactly what it is going to be.
In direct sales the more you sell the more you are going to earn. For people who are self-motivated this is an excellent way to make a lot of money.
Unlike other business models such as network marketing, you are not relying on a downline to earn you money. This is why so many people fail in network marketing.
Unless you are in an MLM program that offers products that pay a high commission, many times people never make enough money to justify staying in business. Therefore they quit.
3. Easy to focus. This is one of my favorite things about direct sales.
Your focus is strictly on selling your product. You may need to do marketing on the Internet to drive traffic to your website.
You might need to follow up with people via phone or email to answer questions. However, your focus is on generating leads and selling your product.
You are not worried about blogging every day. You are not worried about adding new web pages. If you can get focused on selling direct sales is the way to go.
There is no doubt the direct sales is one of the best ways to make big money if you promote the right product. Look for big ticket items that will pay you commissions of $500 or more and you can make a lot of money.
[Top]Different Types Of Wine Brand
Many wine collectors and buyers look at the brand of wines. They are particular on the brand of wines when they buy them for their collections. For most brands of wine, you may notice the labels and packages to be presentable and attractive for the buyers. Most wineries have the advantage of applying creativity on their packaging, labeling, and bottle designs.
Popular wine brands like Robert Mondavi, Barefoot, Mariposa, Kendall-Jackson, Chteau Ste Michelle and other top wine brands know the importance of their labeling. They know it can provide the success or failure of the wine.
If you have visited wine shops, you may see their displays from the lifeless approach to the most colorful and flamboyant designs of the bottles. Countries like the United States and Canada apply this kind of approach in labeling wine brands.
However, it is very important for most wineries and wine shops to sell and produce quality fine wines. If you’re just starting out on learning wines, you may find yourself confused with those intimidating labels and bottle designs. Here are some tips on how to choose the right brand, labels, and types of wines you want to purchase.
1.Try to find the wine shops that have trained and experienced staff that will help and guide customers on what brand they want to buy.
2.Find good recommendations in the newspapers and on the Internet where you can find online wine experts.
3.Purchase fine wine in stores that are known in taking proper care on their inventories. They should have accessories and cooling systems that can sustain the needed temperature and shielding of the bottles from sunlight and humidity swings. Don’t buy from shops that don’t take proper care of their wines.
4.Before going to the wine shop, make sure that you have a list of the wine brands that are widely known by wine experts and collectors. Some wine shops offer wine tasting to ensure customers that they buying quality fine wine.
5.If you are already sure of the brand of wine you would like to buy, consider buying by bulk and by cases of 12. You may be offered discounts when you get more than two bottles.
Top brands of wines are produced and exported all over the world. The recognition of good quality of popular wine brands show the increase of sales and expansion in the market. In fact, wine sales in the United States have immensely expanded from 40 million cases of wine to 60 million cases sold in 2005.
[Top]POS system and its advantages and disadvantages
If you are considering starting a business – whether it be a small or big one – you may consider about getting a point of sale system or POS system for you to use.
What is a point of sale system anyway?
Well, apparently to make things easier and for you to not get too worked up in your business, systems have been devised and invented to do so. There are different kinds of point of sale systems that exists nowadays; it is pretty much useful when it comes to terms of inventory while some point of sale systems are useful when it comes to terms of salary.
As amazing as point of sale systems sounds and before you go rush to the store that sells one – you should at least consider a few things first before doing anything; like knowing the different advantages and disadvantages for example:
Advantages
The main or primary advantage of getting a point of sale system would be the fact that everything will surely be smooth and not to mention organized when it comes to your business.
There are systems of POS that can be used for inventory and you can be assured that everything from your stocks that have huge value or low value will surely be listed. Also, you won’t have a problem with salary or what is due to your employees, since POS systems have a version or kind of system that is dedicated to make things easier for you – the employer – in terms of payment.
Disadvantages
On the other hand, when it comes to disadvantages – the only thing that business owners can say about POS systems is that it needs to be maintained from time to time and not to mention updated, for that matter.
To add, the one who should operate the point of sale system should be one that has been trained to do so – imagine what would happen to it in the hands of someone who does not know what to do much less know what he is doing?
There are quite a lot of companies that offer point of sale systems – like the Fedelta Point of Sale systems for example. Why don’t you check out their website – fedeltapos.com – and weigh the advantages and disadvantages in getting a point of sale system for your business! I just hope whatever the decision is, it could greatly improve your business as a whole. Even more you will not regret about it.
[Top]F32 Trojan Boat Legacy
The buyer arrives at his preferred choice by one of several methods.
But once a choice is made, they are usually immutable, as with most product loyal customers. This seed may have been planted years back during a memorable afternoon on an uncle’s boat . Or perhaps it was a good boat review that made such an impression that the buyer looks for just one particular make in the boating classifieds.
Trojan certainly has its loyal owners. The F32 series, in particular, broke all sales records. Over a period of nearly 20 years, some 2,700 rolled off a line at that Lancaster, P.A., plant – more than any other production boat in its size range. And the F32 has maintained that desirability.
They were certainly popular because of their space and price, says broker Joan Kelly of McMichael Yacht Sales in Mamaroneck, N.Y.
When one comes on the market now, if it’s in good shape and has low hours, it will not last long. There arent too many flybridges in a certain price range – such as the Trojan F32 or the Silverton 34. They had a nice traditional look, good space, and you can still buy them reasonably.
Dollars & Cents
When introduced in 1973, the F32 Sedan sold for $29,000. Five years later, the base price of the F32 sadan was up to $40,600. Equipped with the standard 225 Chryslers and later the F32 was equipped with 350 Crusaders V-8s, the F32 had a cruising speed between 15 and 22 mph (2500-3000 rpm), with a top speed of 32.3 mph (4,ooo rpm).
After 1983, standard tankage was increased to 220 gallons. Today’s buyer considering a used to Trojan may find a range of $44,800 to $51,500 for a 1988 F32 Sedan. A 1974 recently appeared on the Web for $29,500 – roughly its original price. In Massachusetts, a 1977 with 250s was
offered at $39,500.
History 101
The F32 was among Trojans first ventures into fiberglass construction. From 1949 to 1964, Trojan built exclusively in wood, developing a momentum and reputation for affordable craftsmanship.
But with the 1960 introduction of fiberglass as a building material, Trojan would not be the only boat-builder to make the switch to fiberglass. Trojan president James R. McQueen wanted to make sure fiberglass construction was going to hold up under marine conditions before committing to what would be a major capital transition costs for molds, methods and tooling, recalls Jim Ressler, Trojan’s chief engineer from 1970 to 1977.
Jim McLean was very much a wood advocate and reluctant to make the switch, says Ressler. But he was cognizant that much of the industry was going to fiberglass, whether he liked it or not.
The F-series was introduced in 1970 – with the F denoting fiberglass construction. The F32s that you see today first appeared in the summer of 1972 with teak on the foredecks and cockpit – a short-lived design feature . The last F32 was built in 1992.
Of the three models offered, the F32 Sedan (model # 321) was by far the most popular than the F32 Express (model #320) or the F32 Sports Fisherman ( model #322). Only about 20 percent were ordered with the long cockpit and diminished house area of the Express. And only two-or three dozen of the F32 Sports fishermen (model #322) were sold, according to Ressler.
Right Time, Right Place
The birthplace of the Trojan F32s was just east of Lancaster, P.A., about 70 miles west of Philadelphia. Built in the 1960s on about 55 acres, the Trojan plant
had around 300 employees working two shifts on three assembly lines – at one point all of them building F32s, recalls Ressler.
At its peak, production volume was between 8 and 10 boats a week, he says – more than 400 a year. Although today’s literature says 2,700 were built Ressler estimates the total number of F32s at closer to 3,000. The ride eventually ended with the late 80s implosion of the boat building industry: bankruptcy and asset buyout. The molds for the F32’s were cut into pieces with a chainsaw, but not the F32 legacy. Jay Crumlish of Chester, Md., sold Trojan’s for almost 18 years. His father, the late John Joseph J. J. Crumlisch Jr., was Trojan’s regional sales manager for the mid-Atlantic and influenced his son in the direction of yacht sales. Crumlisch, too, remembers the Lancaster plant. At its peak, they were flying off a line he says. But the fit and cabinetry werent rushed.
Why was the F32 such popular boat? This was wider than most boats, says Crumlish. It had a good reputation and was economical to run. That was certainly the heyday of boat production, though.
They hit the market at the right time. The F32 layout remained largely unchanged throughout its long production run. Sedan models have a 60 square-foot cockpit, and enclosed family space of about 73 sq. ft. that includes the standard lower helm to starboard, and is simply appointed yet bright and spacious interior. Forward, a wide V- berth is flanked port and starboard by ample shelving with hanging lockers providing the privacy bulkhead. On port, the head is forward of the galley, which abuts the aft bulkhead. On the starboard, a large dinette converts to double berth.
The Express version answered a different equation: With no family room, there is more space available for the cockpit and interior.
Dennis Killian
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