Front Page BizFace

Does Your Web Site Have Trustability and Credibility? by Maria Marsala Summary: Want someone to purchase your terrific product or service? In addition to the quality of what you sell, offer them a trustworthy web site, too. Have you ever visited a web site and been attacked by screaming pop-up ads, gotten lost in a clutter of banner ads, had things flash and go boom? And have you ever visited a site that was informative, easy to navigate and generally pleasant to peruse? Which site gained your trust? Which site would you revisit? The more user-friendly building tools you use on your site, the more trust will be developed with your viewers. With this in mind, here are expert tips for making your online store trustworthy…

• Purchase an appropriate domain name Paying for your own domain name builds trust and is professional looking. Your own domain name will be – free of all advertisements (except products you sell or recommend). You want to sell your visitors on the content of your site – not the products of other advertisers.
• Use your domain name email addresses When searching for a host for your site, look for packages that include POP3 accounts and NOT alias accounts. This will enable you to send email from your site (you@yourbusiness.com), which looks much more professional than you@freeemailaccount.com. It is easier to trust someone who has evidently made an investment in his or her business.
• Include contact information Provide phone numbers, hours of operation (including time zone), a business mailing address and an email address. PO Boxes are not considered addresses. Many companies won’t deliver to PO Boxes, and many visitors won’t purchase from you if you use one. Work from home? Add a suite or building number to your home/apartment. Or use a mail forwarding service for a real address.
• Add contact links Place at least one way for your visitors to contact you on each page and place your Webm ...

Cold Calling if you must do it...

Cold-calling a client is often regarded as the equivalent of clutching at straws in terms of generating business - and research has shown that out of all prospecting methods, cold-calling is the least effective. The perceived wisdom against cold-calling states that it's effectiveness disappeared when society moved into the Information Age and many sales gurus will state that cold-calling has not only become obsolete, inefficient, and ineffective it is actually counter-productive. Generating high levels of sales resistance as it often offends qualified prospects who may have otherwise bought had they been approached in a more professional manner.

For sure cold-calling is not for every sales team or every product or service, but for certain services, cold-calling is very effective in finding prospects willing and able to purchase and is an extremely effective prospecting tool. Because cold-calling, making an unsolicited business approach, either door stepping or by phoning, just like spamming, is surprisingly successful if done well and above all is targeted and qualified.
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Ten Tips For Crossing Cultures:

[LIST=1] LEARN and OBSERVE — Spend time preparing and learning about the country or culture you plan to enter so that a mental foundation is laid. Any good student would study the subject matter before an exam or presentation, and the same principle applies in the realm of international travel. Also, be culturally aware. Observe cultural similarities and differences and use them to understand the behavior of your international counterpart. Adopting an analytical perspective on cultural norms and values is central to crossing cultures. SOCIAL STRUCTURE — Expect that the notion of “equality” is not a universal one. Men and women are not treated equally across the world, and likewise, people of differing ethnicity, religious, linguistic and status are often not treated equally either. Learn to suspend judgment in order to function within the host country, and be sure to learn how to distinguish between gender, cultural, ethnic, linguistic, religious or status differences. Often these factors function in tandem with one another, while being distinct. Understanding the social structure of a country will often help in parsing how the structural elements contribute to the social and cultural distinctions. SUSPEND VALUES — Whatever personal values (see #2 in regard to the value of equality) may be held at home, it is very likely that they will not easily translate into other cultures and contexts. The famed anthropologist, Clifford Geertz, reminds us that if we expect to find “home truths” in other parts of the world, we might as well stay home. Patience, flexibility and tolerance are, thus, requisite qualities for all travelers. Respectfully adhere to cultural norms, even if you do not agree with them, and try not to take offense to habits and customs with which you may not be familiar. Try to function “within” the host country’s culture and social system rather than approaching it antagonistically. In this regard, the o ...