Consumer Data Farm Leads

Training Manual

How to Find New Customers and Increase

Sales

How to better understand your target audience, generate new sales leads, and

focusing on getting more revenue from existing clientele.

In a perfect world, you would have an unlimited budget to market your business in

order to find new customers and increase sales. You could buy lots of online and

offline advertising, run promotions to build traffic in store and online, and launch a

proactive public relations campaign to increase your product or brand’s visibility and

awareness. But this isn't a perfect world. Realistically, most small businesses and even

many mid-sized firms have more great ideas on how to peddle their wares than

available resources.

So where do you start if you are looking for more customers? Learning to generate

new sales leads is an essential skill for an entrepreneur. Even if you don't consider

yourself a salesperson in the classic sense you need to understand that the possibilities

for finding new customers range from cold calling names from the phone book to

buying lists of potential customers to using newer Internet techniques like search

engine optimization to drive new business to your website.

The following pages will delve into how to conduct market research to understand

your target audience and their needs, how to determine which lead generation

techniques are best to broaden your sales horizons, and how to increase sales by

following several strategies to sell additional products and/or services to existing

customers.

How to Find New Customers and Increase Sales: Understand Your Target

Audience

Before you can find new customers and increase sales, you need to understand who

your customer is, what value proposition you offer to customers, and what your

competition is currently offering in the market and where there are gaps for a new

entrant. In other words, you need to do some market research -- whether that means

hiring an outside firm to do the legwork or trying to do it yourself. There's an

underlying disconnect between your motivation to increase sales and your customer's

motivation to solve their problems.

"Attracting more customers is really about listening to their needs, not being a

solution looking for a problem. "There are many existing problems out there that need

to be solved that customers are willing to pay for today."

Dig Deeper: Getting to Know Your Frequent Customers

How to Find New Customers and Increase Sales: Find Out Who Your Current

Customers Are

In order to develop a marketing plan to reach new customers, you need to better

understand who you're already selling to. "If I'm trying to expand sales, I have to find

out who my existing customers are. What are their demographics? What do they look

like?" says Jerry Osteryoung, director of outreach for the Jim Moran Institute for

Global Entrepreneurship at Florida State University. "That means doing market

research."

Market research runs the gamut from very simple qualitative research to in-depth

quantitative analysis. It can be done very quickly and inexpensively by sending

surveys to your existing customers using one of the many online survey tools, such as

SurveyMonkey or Zoomerang. You can also get to know the target audience by looking at

existing sources of information -- from the U.S. Census Bureau or other government

agencies, from trade associations, or from third-party research firms. But depending

on the questions you are trying to answer and your research budget, your market

research can involve more extensive interviews with customers and qualitative studies

on how target customers feel about your business, its products and services.

Certain products and services may appeal to one audience but not to another, so

understanding the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in your target

market is critical. You can get to know your customers and segment the market any

number of ways including by:

Demographics -- statistical data on a population including income levels, age,

etc.

Psychographics -- the attitudes and tastes of a certain demographic.

Ethnographics -- examination of particular cultures.

Buying habits -- how, what and where customers purchase products and

services.

Dig Deeper: How to Conduct Market Research

How to Find New Customers and Increase Sales: Defining the Market for Your

Product

Use the information about your existing customers to develop a target audience for

your business in its drive to win new customers and increase sales. "While there are

core customers you are trying to reach, often there are other markets that are also

important to address," Arnof-Fenn says. "Make sure you know who the gatekeepers

and influencers are; they will affect the decision makers and you will most likely need

to sell to them differently than to the end user." For example, parents might be the

gatekeepers for products targeted to children or technology managers might hold

influence over a company's decision to invest in new software.

Determine which key messages, features and benefits matter to each potential market.

Tell these customers how your business can help them solve their problems. "In order

to have a customer go to your online shop, you have to find a reason why these

customers want to come to you," Osteryoung says. "The value proposition has to be

spelled out clearly."

Next, you need to figure out where to reach these customers and whether there should

be a marketing or advertising plan that goes along with that outreach.

Dig Deeper: Make 100 Phone Calls to Find Your Target Audience

How to Find New Customers and Increase Sales: Generating Sales Leads

There are a variety of age-old staple techniques and newer tools you can use to find

new customers and increase sales. It's best to understand the range of choices you

have in order to determine which may best help your business reach new customers.

Newspaper readers may not be moved by Internet-based sales techniques. Similarly,

business people who are accustomed with hiring only people they know may be better

swayed by meeting you at a chamber of commerce meeting than accepting a blind

invitation to connect on LinkedIn or Facebook.

"It starts with good people," says Peter Handal, chairman and CEO of Dale Carnegie Training,

the sales and leadership training organization. "If you're a one-man shop, it's one

thing. But if sales people are really important, you need to hire and motivate good

people and you want to give them an upside, such as sales on commission. The

motivation is not just money it's also helping them overcome the fear of prospecting."

Here is a rundown on the techniques available:

Cold calling. This is telemarketing without the call center. It's a blind contact

with a potential customer who isn't expecting a pitch. Customer leads can be

picked up through scouring newspaper articles or items, lists of leads that are

culled by a third-party, or paying attention to people or businesses moving into

your turf. "People are always hesitant about cold calling or talking to someone

they don't know," says Handal. "We coach people to give themselves a pep talk

to get them in the mood. We suggest that they set a goal -- this is how many

new people they will talk to this week."

Networking. This can be done the old-fashioned way, by getting involved in

community organizations, such as the chamber of commerce, or attending

business functions, such as trade shows. Social functions -- dinner invitations,

book clubs, etc. -- can also lead to potential business. "All of those kinds of

things are important ways to network to find new customers," Handal says.

Networking has also taken a 21st Century twist on the Internet, with the rise in

popularity of such websites as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Plaxo. Many businesses find

that this type of networking, making contacts through friends or former

colleagues, can lead to new customers.

Develop champions of your products. Use business contacts who have been

happy with your products to help generate references and referrals. Once you

have sold to them, customers can help you sell to others by offering positive

testimonials and leveraging a refer-a-friend campaign created by your business.

This technique also employs word-of-mouth marketing. Help customers help

you by giving them the ammunition they need to tell your story to others.

"Don't be afraid to ask, 'Is there someone else I can talk to and also help?"

Handal says.

Affiliate marketing. Look at non-competitive products or services that are

reaching out to the same audiences to see if there are ways you can collaborate

through shared outreach efforts such as newsletters, mailings (online and

offline) or co-branding opportunities. You probably can uncover a handful of

like-minded products or services that are talking to your customers, Arnof-Fenn

says. Suggest to these business owners ways your businesses can support each

other. Your customers will see joint efforts as a value-added opportunity to

reinforce their choice of brands.

Leverage your website. There are all sorts of tools these days through which

you can drive potential new customers to your website. Search engine

optimization (SEO) -- using keywords and other techniques to make your site

appear on the first page of listings on search engines -- has become an art form.

There are websites, such as Search Engine Watch, that will keep you updated about

SEO techniques. In addition, there are a growing number of paid SEO

consultants who can help you use all the tricks and techniques to improve your

search results. You can also use a variety of blogs, chat rooms, podcasts, and

webinars to generate awareness for your website and company. A website is a

dynamic tool not a one-time experience. The top search engines are constantly

updating their algorithms, so you must monitor your website on a regular basis

to make sure your keywords are leading customers to you. Make sure you are

keeping your website up to date with fresh content so your customers come

back often for more.

Advertising. Typically businesses are encouraged to spend 3 to 5 percent of

their revenue on advertising, but a small business needs to make sure that

advertising is effective, Osteryoung says. One way to do this is to ask your

customers where they heard about you so that you can measure what is

effective. In addition, you also have to carefully pick your markets for

advertising to make sure you're reaching your target audience. If you're

targeting an older audience, newspaper ads might be the way to go. But if it's

Gen X or Y you're after, then you may be better off advertising online or on

TV, Osteryoung says. "You've got to define your demographics before you

develop your advertising or marketing plan."

Dig Deeper: Converting Web Traffic into Sales Leads

How to Find New Customers and Increase Sales: Sell More to Existing

Customers

In order to increase sales, many businesses believe the only way is to find new

customers, but a number of experts say that this strategy leaves out an obvious

potential source of new sales. It's much easier to get an existing customer to buy from

you than to convince a new customer to take the plunge. "They're forgetting about low

hanging fruit -- their existing customer base," says Osteryoung. "If I want to expand

sales, the number one place to go is the existing customer base. They already trust

you."

Here's how to increase sales with your existing customer base:

Bundle products. You can "bundle" a few products or services together for a

special price to try to get an existing customer to try some of your other

offerings.

Try the "upsell." Convince your sales staff to go back to existing customers

and try to sell those clients related products or services. A common example is

a warranty, Osteryoung says. Think of how many times you've purchased

electronics and a sales person has tried to sell you on an extended service plan.

Customers sometimes take the bait.

Offer inside information. If a customer is eyeing a product but about to put it

back on the shelf, make sure you let them know that the product is going on

sale the following week. If you monitor your website's online shopping cart,

you may email an existing customer who didn't complete a sale and offer them

a discount to complete the purchase.

Think about customer rewards. Like the airlines have done with frequent

fliers, there is no reason a small business can't reward good customers with a

loyalty program. Offer a discount on their birthday or for every 10 purchases

give them one for free.

Give free samples. Offering freebies isn't necessarily going to cost you an arm

and a leg, but it can increase sales by engendering good feelings among

existing customers, convincing them to pass on the sample to a friend or family

member, and/or convince them to buy your latest hand cream or ice cream

flavor.

Dig Deeper: Tips on Creating a Customer Loyalty Program

"There's a lot you can do that doesn't require much more work," Osteryoung says.

"You want to make sure you have saturation but obviously you never want to alienate

the customer…. You never want to make the customer feel like you are hard selling

them."

What is a Real Estate Short Sales Definition?

Don't be embarrassed if you don't know what a short sale is. This article will explain what a short

sale is and whether you are a good

candidate for one or not.

If you owe more than your house is

worth, you may need to do a real estate

short sale.

A short sale means that you sell the

property. But you get a lower price than

what you owe. Then you go to your

lender or both lenders if you have two

loans. You get them to approve the sale

of your house.

So there are two parts to a real estate

short sale:

Sell the house much like you would any

other house

Get the lender to approve the sale

Selling the real estate

short sale

Selling a short sale property is like

selling any other property. Except you

are not trying to get a certain price. You

are trying to sell quickly.

Getting a real estate short

sale approved

The lender now has to approve the sale. The buyer is waiting to close. Now it's time to go to work

and negotiate the short sale with the lender. Or with both lenders if you have two (occasionally even

three.)

This is where it gets tricky. You want to have things like:

A hardship letter

Proof of your financial situation

The offer

A brokers' price opinion on the property showing that the offer isn't too outlandishly

low

Pictures and information on the property including work that may need to be done to

fix it up

The purpose of this is to convince the lender to approve the real estate short sale.

How a short sale settles at closing

When the property is sold, the lender then has to approve the short sale. At that point it is ready to

close. The buyer brings funds into the escrow or lawyer's office. And the funds are paid out to your

real estate agent, your lawyer or short sale expert who helped negotiate the short sale, and various

closing costs. The remainder of the funds are paid to your first mortgage and if you have two

mortgages, some goes to the second mortgage.

You do not see any of the funds. All the money goes to pay closing costs and to the lenders.

Hopefully, you have negotiated so you are released from further liability, and so that your credit is

okay and you can move on with your life.

What is a "Pre-NOD

Lead, Anyway?

Pre-NOD leads are property owners that are either 30 - 60 -90 or 120 days late on their mortgages. The data is reported by the credit reporting agencies, and is delivered on a monthly basis (We get them every 3 weeks). This list is so awesome because the information is not public record (yet), which gives you a "leg-up" on your competition because you have access to information

that is not otherwise available to the public.

The Pre-NOD leads is released every 3 weeks, with updated and accurate information. This is one of the ultimately HOTTEST marketing lists that Realtors and Real Estate Investors are using in this buyer's market right now!

The information is so hot, it's almost "classified"!!

How does this compare to other marketing lists that are available? Well, for one, not everyone can get their hands on the Pre-NOD list. This list is not free (like the information is once the foreclosure becomes "public". Therefore, not alot of people use it. Most real estate agents get stuck in their lazy and unproductive ways of using "FREE" leads, and leave these types untouched.

That's why you can come in and clean house by taking the extra leap of faith.

How to Find Short Sale Leads

"Pre" Notice of Default There is a process of foreclosure in every state. They're not all the same, either. It's your responsibility to find out the system in your state and know the laws. There are certain things that do occur before any property is sold at the foreclosure steps. Do you know what it is? It's easy! The homeowner starts to get behind on their payments.

You Can Get a List of People Who Are Behind on their Mortgage Payments

This is called the PRE notice of default. It's a list that is generated from the credit bureaus each

month…HomeBased Realty has that list. The information that is delivered to you on these lists are

accurate and an excellent way to generate some short sale leads. I don't want you to mistake the

Pre NOD list with a "pre foreclosure" list. They're not the same thing. A pre-foreclosure list is a list of

people who have already had legal action taken against them by the bank. Once that happens, it

becomes public record and everyone knows about it. It's an even battle field at that point. Pre-NOD

leads are NOT public record. In fact, they are people who have only started to get behind on their

mortgage payments. Wouldn't you like to get your hands on people like this? You can start to build

a relationship with them and you will be their problem solver when the time comes.

Where does this information come from? This information is reported by the credit bureaus. They report the status of the loans every 3

weeks.

What To Do With the List of Leads When you pair the pre-nod leads up with a high response marketing plan, you're business will sky

rocket instantly. Real estate entrepreneurs are constantly looking for new ways to generate leads.

By using a proven and effective method for generating leads, there's literally no way to lose.

How To Get The Most Accurate Pre NOD Leads

HomeBased Realty offers the highest qualified leads of people who are late on their

mortgages. 30, 60, and 90 days late reported to you exclusively once a month.

Door Knocking by far is the most effective in today’s Market Place If you are serious about making some good money in today’s market place, you can make a

fortune by knocking on the doors of people who are behind on their payments and facing

foreclosure. While I admit it can be a little intimidating to think about knocking on someone's

door and discussing a somewhat "touchy" area, you'll be surprised to find that they're happy

to see someone at their door with solutions. It's also hard to say "No" to someone in person.

‘Short Sale’ Cold Calling Script

Opening Statement

Hi________ (state their name)?

(Prospect: Yes.)

(Your name)___________ here from _____________(Company name). Do you have a quick minute?

Great! ________, I'm sure you are a busy and want to respect your time, so I'll be brief. The reason for my call is this. I

specialize in distressed property sales i.e. short sales (no equity) and/or pre-foreclosure. Our records indicate your home at

(Property Address) is upside down and qualifies for our assistance. Have you thought about selling your home now or in the

near future?

(If yes) As a local agent committed to maintaining values and assisting the people in need in our community, I wanted you

to know that I can help you. Please keep in mind that there are two types of agents in today’s market place, those who

understand the complexities of short sales and those who do not. Do you know what I mean? (Wait for their feedback)

(If no) Do you know someone who is upside down or someone who has questions or just needs sound advice I am here to

assist them.

Summarize and Confirm:

1. "For my own understanding, what you are truly saying is...

(Recap what the homeowner shared with you; their problems, challenges, and objectives.) Is that accurate/correct?

2. Would it be safe to say that if there was a way for you to:

· Restate biggest obstacle. (Example: Overcome the challenge/obstacle/problem of..)

· Restate their most important goal or objective they shared with you.

It would be worth exploring/discussing in more detail?

3. Schedule Next Step:

"Then let’s get together for (state timeline. Ex: twenty minutes) to see if there's a fit. I will answer your questions, share

with you several options as well as demonstrate how our product/service will specifically address your challenges/objectives.

Mr./Mrs.________, do you have your calendar handy? What day would be good for you, towards the beginning or the end of

the week?

"Do mornings or afternoons work better for you?"

Once you determine the meeting time, continue with:

Fantastic! I'm looking forward to meeting with you on ____at ____.

(Confirm all decision makers.)

Thanks. Have a great day!

Wealth Code

Median Income 52.4 (in thousands of dollars)

Wealth Rating Median Income

9 101.8+

8 101.7 to 85.0

7 84.9 to 73.5

6 73.4 to 64.9

5 64.8 to 57.8

4 57.7 to 51.2

3 51.1 to 44.8

2 44.7 to 38.0

1 37.9 to 30.4

0 30.3 to 0