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Marketing Lessons Learned

My daughter Melanie is a virtual assistant and Internet marketer. I don't know how she does it, with two toddlers underfoot, but she manages to have a netbook on her lap and make it part of her day.  The following article is one of hers that I thought would be good to share with all of you.
 
"One of the hardest things for me to learn as I was fumbling my way through learning an online business, was proper marketing. I am not a seller by nature. I remember sitting many a times outside before a job interview trying to go over what I would say when they asked me why they should hire me. I am the type of person who can show you what I can do, not tell you how good I can do it. 
 
When you want to be a successful business owner online, you need to learn how to hone your marketing skills. Whether you do pay per click, classifieds, email marketing, forum chats, article marketing, or any other form of advertising you choose, you need to grab your readers attention in the first few seconds or they are gone. You need to know the right set of words to use to get your selling points across to convince your reader that what you are offering will truly help them and not waste their time or their money. 
 
It is great being able to run an online business because your customer base extends to around the world but there is also so much more competition. If you do not have a unique product or service with an original pitch, your visitors will pass on to one of your competitors who do. 
 
It does not matter what niche you are in, or what service you are offering. You want to get the most out of your marketing efforts. Build up your contacts wherever you go, build your list of possible buyers, and always remember proper customer service procedures. The most crucial part of getting people to buy off of you is the ability to presell to your prospects without chasing them away with blatant sales hype forced down their throats. 
 
If you want something from them, you need to give them something that they would like. Give away free reports, give away free services, coupons/discounts, or any other little tidbit you can to show them that you are not all about money. You should never try to sell something you do not believe in. If you have not tried the product or service, you can not give an honest recommendation or be prepared to answer any question that may come up. 
 
Building a business that will last takes time. You can either push for a quick buck and never see the person again, or you can build up a relationship, enjoy yourself, and just let the money come to you as it will. If you can not afford to do that and need a constant immediate paycheck, you should think about keeping your day job in the outside world. 
 
Most online businesses do not start seeing a profit or an income they can support a family with until the second or thrid year. There are exceptions to the rule, especially if you are doing affiliate marketing and have money to invest in pay per click but for the most part you need to be prepared. 

 Take care now. 
 
Melanie 
 
p.s. feel free to visit my other site http://melaniebremner.com for more internet marketing tips. There are tons of posts that will help you learn and grow." 

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