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Selling

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Questions in "Selling" Category

I run several businesses on eBay. Do I have to prepare a Schedule C for each one?
What do I need to know about Express Warranties regarding my eBay or other online auction?
What are warranty disclaimers on eBay and other auctions?
When offering items on online auctions, what should I consider when spelling out my refund and return policy in the Terms and Conditions section?
What do I need to know about Implied Warranties in relation to online auctions?
Can I sell an item on eBay if it is illegal in the United States but not in other countries?
What determines fraud and how can I avoid it with my eBay or other online auctions?
How important are the 'Terms and Conditions' that an online auction seller publishes as part of the offering experience for potential buyers?
Should I warn potential buyers that they may have to pay state use taxes on their winning online auction bid?
Do I need to include a sales tax statement in the Terms and Conditions section for an online auction item?
Can I sell 'knockoff' or counterfeit merchandise on eBay or other online auctions?
Can I use a photo someone else has taken for my advertisement on eBay or other online auction?
What are my obligations as an online seller regarding disclosing the condition of items to be sold?
When providing merchandise for an online auction, should I disclose every defect, problem, fault and flaw that I know about?
What are electronic cookies?
When considering adding a new e-commerce service, how do I evaluate it from a return-on-investment (ROI) standpoint?
What is digital authentication?
What is the best way to serve customers to maximize profit and time efficiency?
How can I manage the flow of various engagements I have with clients, so I can better understand the status of each one?
What are the various credit evaluating and reporting organizations?
Why is it so hard to earn customer loyalty?
Why is customer loyalty so important?
Is it normal to be frightened at the reality of projected operating losses for my start-up?
What is a testimonial in business?
Why is it important to understand conversion costs in a management or manufacturing process?
What is the purpose of cross-selling?
What is the definition of "wholesale price"?
What is the definition of "demand curve"?
What is the definition of "conversion cost"?
What is the definition of "consumer goods"?
What is the definition of "marginal cost"?
What is the definition of "customer base"?
What is the definition of a "customer"?
What is the definition of "cross-sell"?
What is the definition of "competition"?
What is the definition of "zero-sum"?
What is the definition of "win-win negotiating strategy"?
How can I start offering my product to customers in other countries?
What's the most effective way to build a client base for a new business?
What are some effective ways to show our customers we appreciate them?
Is there a link between our corporate culture and the quality of our customer care?
What's the best way to build customer relationships that fosters loyalty?
What is the best way to do business in a foreign country?
What is the definition of "implied warranty"?
What is the definition of "adhesion contract"?
What is an account statement?
How valuable is it to establish a blanket order with one of my customers?
What is the definition of "break-even pricing"?
What is the definition of "blanket order"?
What is the definition of "bill of sale"?
Why do people join networking groups?
What are some good ways to develop social capital?
What are some effective advertising techniques for creating a print ad?
How do we balance an aggressive sales strategy with making sales that don't fall apart before delivery?
How can we raise prices to pass on cost increases without having customers think we're overcharging?
How should I contact prospects who will be attending a trade show, before the event?
What factors should be considered when determining what to charge a client for services, such as consulting?
What is the best way to handle an irate customer?
How can I differentiate my business from the competition with customer service?
How do I measure and improve customer service?
What is the definition of "express warranty"?
What is the definition of "bad debt"?
What is the definition of "after market"?
What is the definition of "active listening"?
What does the term "advertising clutter" mean?
How can I avoid letting my nervousness give a bad impression, when making calls?
How long should the copy be for an ad or direct marketing piece?
How do I manage my consulting business to avoid the swings from too much business to not enough?
How can I put my image-improvement plan into practice?
What is a sales promotion?
What is a money-back guarantee?
How can I avoid difficult business customers?
How should I handle a very difficult client?
How should I prepare for a first-time meeting with a prospective customer introduced by a referral from my network?
What does "sell up by selling down" mean?
How can a virtual assistant help me make more money in my business?
What is the primary objective of a direct marketing campaign?
How do I ensure that my emails won't get deleted before being read?
What does the term "deluxe edition" mean?
What is an early-bird offer?
What are some examples of direct marketing offers?
What does the term "bounce-back" mean in marketing?
What’s the best way to find customers for direct marketing?
What is a brand promise and how is it used in a small business?
What is online procurement?
Can a small business compete against big companies by using e-commerce?
How can my company benefit from e-commerce?
How should we deal with resistance to price increases from our own sales people?
Can a warranty program benefit my small business?
How can we minimize our sales staff’s time to assist in collecting customer accounts?
What are the most important financial facts I need to know to be a successful small business owner?
Is it acceptable to charge two clients differently for similar work?
When am I required to collect sales taxes from online sales?
How much time should I set aside for marketing my small business?
How often should I make cold calls?
Is there any kind of an outline or track to run on when conducting a sales cold call?
What are some ways that I can make good first impressions with my clients?
Networking is not easy for me. How can I become more comfortable with this?
What is the definition of ISO as it relates to quality?
How do I develop and explain my ideal clients to help others develop referrals for me?
What can I do to encourage my clients to refer me to others?
What is the most important step in pricing products in mailings?
What is the most important element in a direct mail package?
What is the goal when writing copy for an ad?
Should I value the "pass along" distribution numbers that the magazines give me to estimate a larger circulation?
Are there any negatives to using teaser copy on the envelop of my direct mail campaign?
Should I use envelope teaser copy with my direct mail marketing campaign?
How can I estimate the break-even point for a direct mail campaign?
What is a good response rate to a direct mail campaign?
What is the definition of standard cost?
What is e-commerce?
What are the benefits of using an email application service provider to send my email marketing campaigns?
What’s a good open rate by recipients for an email marketing campaign?
As I am developing an email marketing campaign, I've found something called an "open rate." What is that?
Should a small business accept credit cards?
What is the difference between using a mark-up percentage for pricing my products and using a gross profit margin.
What is the definition of mark-up?
What is the definition of gross profit?
What is the definition of gross profit margin?
How can I write a great subject line for my email promotions?
What does confirm opt-in mean?
How can I grow my email list that I send my email newsletter to?
What are the advantages of using permission-based email lists?
How are email newsletters used?
What is a permission-based email list?
What is email marketing?
What is the best way to deal with high-maintenance customers?
How do I make sure my business model will succeed?
What are a few simple ways to improve my business web site?
How can I learn more about finding customers outside the United States?
How do I motivate customers and prospects to make needed changes?
How do you approach a consulting prospect who needs help and pitch your services without offending them?
When is the best time to make contact with new prospects?
What's the most important element in successful prospecting?
What's the best way to increase sales quickly in my recently expanded market area?
How can introverts make the most of networking events?
I am shy and introverted. I wonder how I would do in a sales career?
What are the most reliable and least expensive ways to increase retail sales?
How do I handle a shopper in my retail store who's also been shopping on the Internet?
What are some positive and effective tips for sales managers?
Is it okay to use email addresses I find in the CC: field of other people’s messages to promote my business?
Is there some kind of a checklist for how to prepare for a networking event?
What should I do when a prospect chooses another vendor over my company?
How do I decide whether to exhibit my business at a trade show?
How do I choose which networking events to attend?
How often should I be attending networking events?
How can I motivate myself to network at times when I don't feel like it?
How do I get out of a conversation during networking events without appearing to be rude and inconsiderate?
What can I do or say to get conversations going at a networking event?
What are different ways a salesperson can increase retail sales?
How do you handle the "I'm Just Looking" customer?
How do I deal with objections?
What are the basic kinds of sales objections?
What skill sets do sales people typically need training for?
When should a salesperson be quiet?
How do I know if I am doing a good job of brand development and management?
How do you create a logo that's easily recognizable?
What's the best way to communicate my brand?
How important is the volume of my voice in effective communication?
How important is the setting when giving a speech?
When giving a speech, how can I feel in control of what I'm saying?
How can I best get the major points of my message across to my audience?
How can I better convey how I truly feel about what I'm saying?
How can I not only catch my audience's attention, but also maintain it?
What voice technique should I use when trying to speak with authority?
What steps should I take in order to give a successful speech?
Are some words more important to use than others when I'm talking to someone else?
Is it possible to talk too much when making a presentation to a customer or prospect?
How can I make the transition from small talk to selling my product?
Is there a standard type of business card that I should have?
I've heard the term, "corporate values." What does it mean?
What is "pay-per-click" advertising?
Should I hire a market research firm to determine if my product or service will sell?
How can I maximize my marketing budget?
How is it possible to use demographic data to spot trends and know what products to sell?
What can I do when the CEO commits to a big order but delegates to a lieutenant who wants to kill the deal?
How can I help my listeners - customers, networkers, etc. - understand and retain what I've said?
What's the most valuable nonverbal forms of communication?
How do I make sure I maintain great eye contact when speaking to customers or other groups?
How can I become better at remembering names?
What is the biggest mistake of communicating?
Which organization should I use to certify my woman-owned business?
Why should I go to the trouble to certify my woman-owned business?
What can I do to increase my chances of keeping my best customers?
What should I do once I complete a project for a customer?
Before beginning work on a professional service project, do my client and I need to sign a formal contract?
How can I get the members of my networking group to refer me more leads?
Is it okay for a consultant to have more than one unique selling proposition (USP)?
What are some ways to improving basic customer service skills?
What are some ways to personally connect with customers?
Are there proper phrase choices when communicating with clients?
When talking with customers, are there words that diminish impressions of my service and committment to them?
How much do consultants make?
Do consultants mainly help clients by offering expert advice, or are they expected to produce results?
Is the role of a consultant mainly to solve problems for clients?
How do I connect sales commissions to my business plan?
What is the best way to compensate sales reps who work on commission?
What's the best way to learn salesmanship skills?
How do I determine why sales are down?
What are the most important statistics in retail sales?
What are the biggest mistakes women make in business?
How can I know that a career in sales might be right for me?
How do I handle my pets during working hours in my home-based business?
Should I expect people to negotiate a lower price just because I am home-based?
What's the best way to price the services I deliver from my home-based business?
How can I get more business during slow periods?
Should I let clients or prospects come to my home office?
How do I become a successful networker?
How do I find the proper firms that provide credit information for my prospective customers?
Should I get a credit report on potential clients?
How do I proceed when providing clients with customized sample work.
What do you say when the client asks for a sample before they decide to hire you?
Does it diminish a consultant's value to offer services for free?
As a new service provider, what is the formula for setting my fees?
How can I sell products from my Website?
How do we get large companies interested in our products?
How do I develop effective pricing strategies for a small manufacturing business?
Where can I find help to increase my sales and profit?
How do I start my own translation business?
How do I get business prospect contact information?
How can I tell if I'm doing a good job with customers?
After I've received a referral by one of my customers, how long should I wait before making the first contact?
If my business gets plenty of referrals, do I still need to sell?
How can I put my networking circle to work for me?
Is word-of-mouth advertising effective?
What is the best way to contact a prospect after they've been referred to my by someone in my network?
What should be the focus of a first-time customer contact?
Is there such a thing as a bad networking style?
How can I attract the highest quality of referrals possible?
What are the different levels of quality for referrals?
How long is a non-competition clause valid?
What does it mean when someone wants to place their products in my store on consignment?
Why do brands win over products?
Why is it important to think about self-branding?
What is a business' soft power?
What is the best way to get potential buyers or licensees for my inventions?
What is the definition of marketing?
If a letter is so strong in direct mail, do I need a brochure?
What is the biggest mistake you can make with a direct mail campaign?
What's the most critical of all direct mail elements?
What is the most effective and inexpensive campaign in direct marketing?
Where can I buy a mailing list?
How do I network to get business referrals?
Where can we find information about "exclusive distribution" contracts before we establish one with a foreign manufacturer?
What are the essential elements of an effective business proposal?
How do I develop a commissioned pay structure for my sales staff?
Is it okay to ask for an advance from a client at the beginning of a project?
Why am I having trouble growing my business, even though I'm working hard?
What help is available to business owners who want to sell overseas?
What is the most important element in offering credit terms to customers?
What are the first steps to estimate sales progress for my start-up?
With tight cash flow, what should a small company focus on in order to grow?
How can I use commission plans to accomplish my revenue and profit goals?
Where can I find information about compensation and commission plans for people who sell a service?
What is the simplest way to leverage my marketing plan and business model?
How do I respond to customers who think my prices for a service should be lower because I'm home-based?
How do I price my home-based business services?
What's the most common mistake of first-time self-publishers?
Is it wise to sell to libraries, or will that hurt sales?
How can I turn my book into a valuable resource?
How can small businesses grow in markets where big companies dominate the media?
How do I keep my customers loyal?
How does pay-per-click Internet advertising work?
How does pay-per-view Internet advertising work?
How can I find out how much it costs to advertise my business?
How should sales commission plans be structured?
If I don't like networking, how can I make it easier to talk to strangers?
Are pay-per-click ads on Web sites a good advertising strategy?
What should I bring with me when I go to a networking event?