Did you know that credit card merchant account services could possibly multiply your sales receipts within a matter of weeks or months? Of course, other factors will play a role in the overall success of this strategy, but many company owners claim that the simple step of accepting credit card payments increased their income dramatically in a relatively short amount of time. That is why you need to know more about the benefits of credit card merchant services.
Basically, the premise of using credit card merchant account services works like this. You find a trusted lender with experience in merchant accounts. You might even want to check with customers at some of the lending institutions to see if they are satisfied with their merchant account services. You also can find online testimonials, although these may be biased when situated at the Websites of various lenders. You could visit chat rooms devoted to topics like this one that are sure to be discussed among entrepreneurs or start-up business owners. After getting objective feedback on several possible lenders, you can choose the one that seems like the best bet for your company.
It is a simple process to apply for credit card merchant account services. After reducing your possible underwriters to three or four after searching the Internet or checking with colleagues, it then becomes a matter of comparing and contrasting benefits with fees. Some companies are so well known that they can afford to charge more for their merchant account services. Others have recently added this option, so they might reduce, avoid, or omit certain fees in order to get your business. However, you may have to pay these fees after the first year or another type of trial period. Read all the terms carefully so that you understand how the account works, how much it costs, and what the potential glitches might be. Contact the lender with any questions or uncertainties before applying for an account. Then, when approved, you should feel confident that you have made a good investment.
Obtaining credit card merchant account services will let you accept credit card payments from your customers in a variety of ways. If you own or operate a store, for example, they can pay onsite with a credit card processor that you can plug into a wall outlet. But if you deliver goods or services to homes or businesses, you may want to take along a wireless credit card processor. Depending on how your customers like to pay and the level of involvement you want to pursue, you can add a pager and an e-check or debit processor right away or later on, depending on equipment cost and your need.
Being approved for a merchant services account will help you expand the way you do business. Many consumers prefer to pay by credit card, so accepting payments via this method will attract that segment of buyers and increase your volume of sales. Soon your profit margins should increase as well. Start thinking now about adding credit card merchant account services to your business.
Wednesday, 31 March 2010
Tuesday, 30 March 2010
Credit - Over the Limit
Imagine you had a credit card was a $500 limit, and in the run-up to Christmas, you nearly maxed out your card. Before taking that last shopping trip of the season, you went online to check your balance and saw that you had $19 of available credit. "No matter," you say to yourself, "I'll pay the balance in full when I get my Christmas bonus from the office." The only other charge you made was for a couple of mochachinos at the local coffee house, but two days later you were shocked to learn that you somehow went over your credit limit! Worse yet, your card company hit you with a $29 fee! The Mochachino That Broke the Camel's Back
This can happen a lot easier than you might expect. In the above example, you may have recently "paid at the pump." Oftentimes a gas station charges your card only $1 at the point-of-purchase and applies the remainder of the charge to your card later that day (or the next day). Let's say you had $17 in gas that you forgot about. That would reduce your available credit to $3 ($19 - $17 + $1 for the refunding of the temporary charge). Then when you bought two $2.50 drinks, you pushed your balance to $502, exceeding your credit limit by $2, and receiving a whopping $29 fine. It happens all the time.
The real question should be, "Why do credit card companies let this happen?" After all, couldn't they just reject your card at the coffeehouse? The gas station reserves the funds on your card even before it charges them, so shouldn't you not be able to buy the coffee and go over your credit limit? It depends. Some people would find this embarrassing fate more horrible than the $29 over-limit fee, particularly if the second coffee was for a romantic interest or client. But the reality is that credit card companies exist in the world to make money. There's nothing wrong with that, but you need to be aware of the fees and expenses associated with your card and do your best to avoid them. Tips for Avoiding Over-Limit Fees
1. Use a separate card for your gas purchases. Since "pay at the pump" can distort your true balance, it is wise to use one card exclusively for gas. This can be an actual gas card or just a regular card card that you designate as your own gas card. It might be okay to have some recurring charges (cable bill, subscription charges, etc.) also on the card, but don't use it to make "discretionary" purchases. If you have $200 of recurring charges on your card and you typically spend $80 a month on gas, this means you'll only need a card with a $300 limit. Then again, $500 would be better for a little cushion in case you spend more on gas - either because you take a trip or because gas prices to through the roof!
2. Check your balance on a daily basis. If you maximize the benefits of your credit cards by nearly maxing them out each month and then paying off the balance in full, then you need to spend a little more time making sure managing your cards. Check your balance online every day and look at the itemized charges. Sometimes charges don't show up right away, so be on the lookout for anything that's missing. And if you do use your card for gas, make sure you keep your gas receipts so you know how much you really spent when your statement still says "$1."
The Real Cost of Exceeding Your Limit
No one likes paying $29 extra for a couple of coffees, but the even greater cost of going over your credit limit is the damage it does to your credit. Many card companies begin charging you the maximum interest after just one overage - and not the card you went over on. An entirely unrelated company might also jack up your interest rate, even though you've always paid your bills on time with them, so do everything you can to avoid going over.
Credit cards are wonderful tools, but they come with serious responsibilities. You should be using a credit card to your advantage - whether that means getting an interest-free loan every month by paying your balance off in full, or just the simple security and satisfaction that having extra buying power at your fingertips can bring. But when you start paying $29 fees and higher interest, you are letting the powerful tool wield itself against you. Be a smart consumer, but also check the over-limit fees and practices of cards before you sign up for them. No one intends on exceeding their credit limit, but it does happen to most people, so be aware!
Sincerely,
James
This can happen a lot easier than you might expect. In the above example, you may have recently "paid at the pump." Oftentimes a gas station charges your card only $1 at the point-of-purchase and applies the remainder of the charge to your card later that day (or the next day). Let's say you had $17 in gas that you forgot about. That would reduce your available credit to $3 ($19 - $17 + $1 for the refunding of the temporary charge). Then when you bought two $2.50 drinks, you pushed your balance to $502, exceeding your credit limit by $2, and receiving a whopping $29 fine. It happens all the time.
The real question should be, "Why do credit card companies let this happen?" After all, couldn't they just reject your card at the coffeehouse? The gas station reserves the funds on your card even before it charges them, so shouldn't you not be able to buy the coffee and go over your credit limit? It depends. Some people would find this embarrassing fate more horrible than the $29 over-limit fee, particularly if the second coffee was for a romantic interest or client. But the reality is that credit card companies exist in the world to make money. There's nothing wrong with that, but you need to be aware of the fees and expenses associated with your card and do your best to avoid them. Tips for Avoiding Over-Limit Fees
1. Use a separate card for your gas purchases. Since "pay at the pump" can distort your true balance, it is wise to use one card exclusively for gas. This can be an actual gas card or just a regular card card that you designate as your own gas card. It might be okay to have some recurring charges (cable bill, subscription charges, etc.) also on the card, but don't use it to make "discretionary" purchases. If you have $200 of recurring charges on your card and you typically spend $80 a month on gas, this means you'll only need a card with a $300 limit. Then again, $500 would be better for a little cushion in case you spend more on gas - either because you take a trip or because gas prices to through the roof!
2. Check your balance on a daily basis. If you maximize the benefits of your credit cards by nearly maxing them out each month and then paying off the balance in full, then you need to spend a little more time making sure managing your cards. Check your balance online every day and look at the itemized charges. Sometimes charges don't show up right away, so be on the lookout for anything that's missing. And if you do use your card for gas, make sure you keep your gas receipts so you know how much you really spent when your statement still says "$1."
The Real Cost of Exceeding Your Limit
No one likes paying $29 extra for a couple of coffees, but the even greater cost of going over your credit limit is the damage it does to your credit. Many card companies begin charging you the maximum interest after just one overage - and not the card you went over on. An entirely unrelated company might also jack up your interest rate, even though you've always paid your bills on time with them, so do everything you can to avoid going over.
Credit cards are wonderful tools, but they come with serious responsibilities. You should be using a credit card to your advantage - whether that means getting an interest-free loan every month by paying your balance off in full, or just the simple security and satisfaction that having extra buying power at your fingertips can bring. But when you start paying $29 fees and higher interest, you are letting the powerful tool wield itself against you. Be a smart consumer, but also check the over-limit fees and practices of cards before you sign up for them. No one intends on exceeding their credit limit, but it does happen to most people, so be aware!
Sincerely,
James
Monday, 29 March 2010
Creative Ways to Make Money Fast Online
If you've been online any length of time, you probably realize there are a million and one ways to make money fast on the Web. The Internet provides an amazing opportunity to start a home based business with minimal investment while setting your own schedule and enjoying time with your family more than ever. Let's explore some creative ways to make money online and build a solid stream of income.
Use Your Skills to Create a Service
If you have a special skill that can benefit others, turn this skill into a home business. You can make money at home doing what you do best, whether it's motivational speaking, consulting, marketing, writing, making crafts, sewing, painting, cooking, or parenting. You can develop your own niche product and promote it online through your own website, affiliate marketing, and even online auctions.
You might ask, "How do you do this quickly?" You can start a website fast as long as the site doesn't require complicated programming and ordering systems. You can set up small, one-page or five-page websites in a matter of hours with some software programs. Once your website is ready to sell, you'll need to promote it through free and paid search engines, content marketing, press releases, online ads, e-newsletter ads, and perhaps even off-line avenues. While you're building your business, you can still sell items or services through online auctions to get immediate exposure.
MLM and Network Marketing
Another way to make money fast is to sign on with an MLM (multi-level marketing) company and begin networking with others. This type of business opportunity works really well online because you can enter a proven system and promote the program without leaving your home. It's easier than ever to promote these types of programs online. The good thing about these programs is you can learn from experienced members that are already making money. It allows you to make money now using their knowledge instead of waiting to learn it all on your own.
Help Others Start a Business Online
You can also make fast money by helping others start an online home business. You can sell products, e-books, and software to help others learn how to get started. There are thousands of people every day looking for that perfect business online. They are seeking ways to make money on the Net - just like you! When you provide services to help them realize their dreams, you will earn a profit in the process. And this type of business can be very rewarding as you see others succeed.
Some software programs that are popular in this field are affiliate software, e-mail follow-up software, motivational CDs, e-books about making money, home business tips, website creation software, and so forth.
Make Money with Your Computer through Freelance Bid Sites
If you're happy with a home business in which you work a set number of hours or complete projects for others, you can easily make money at home through freelance bid sites. There are thousands of companies looking for skilled persons in fields such as data entry, medical billing or transcription, coding, writing, web design, graphic design, and accounting. You can use your skills to earn a living from home while still being your own boss as a freelancer.
With any new home business, expect to work hard if you want to make money fast. Every business requires careful study and a daily effort to make it work. Use these simple, but lucrative ideas to make money fast with an online business today!
Use Your Skills to Create a Service
If you have a special skill that can benefit others, turn this skill into a home business. You can make money at home doing what you do best, whether it's motivational speaking, consulting, marketing, writing, making crafts, sewing, painting, cooking, or parenting. You can develop your own niche product and promote it online through your own website, affiliate marketing, and even online auctions.
You might ask, "How do you do this quickly?" You can start a website fast as long as the site doesn't require complicated programming and ordering systems. You can set up small, one-page or five-page websites in a matter of hours with some software programs. Once your website is ready to sell, you'll need to promote it through free and paid search engines, content marketing, press releases, online ads, e-newsletter ads, and perhaps even off-line avenues. While you're building your business, you can still sell items or services through online auctions to get immediate exposure.
MLM and Network Marketing
Another way to make money fast is to sign on with an MLM (multi-level marketing) company and begin networking with others. This type of business opportunity works really well online because you can enter a proven system and promote the program without leaving your home. It's easier than ever to promote these types of programs online. The good thing about these programs is you can learn from experienced members that are already making money. It allows you to make money now using their knowledge instead of waiting to learn it all on your own.
Help Others Start a Business Online
You can also make fast money by helping others start an online home business. You can sell products, e-books, and software to help others learn how to get started. There are thousands of people every day looking for that perfect business online. They are seeking ways to make money on the Net - just like you! When you provide services to help them realize their dreams, you will earn a profit in the process. And this type of business can be very rewarding as you see others succeed.
Some software programs that are popular in this field are affiliate software, e-mail follow-up software, motivational CDs, e-books about making money, home business tips, website creation software, and so forth.
Make Money with Your Computer through Freelance Bid Sites
If you're happy with a home business in which you work a set number of hours or complete projects for others, you can easily make money at home through freelance bid sites. There are thousands of companies looking for skilled persons in fields such as data entry, medical billing or transcription, coding, writing, web design, graphic design, and accounting. You can use your skills to earn a living from home while still being your own boss as a freelancer.
With any new home business, expect to work hard if you want to make money fast. Every business requires careful study and a daily effort to make it work. Use these simple, but lucrative ideas to make money fast with an online business today!
Sunday, 28 March 2010
Creative Business Opportunity Ideas for Work-at-Home Moms
More and more people are finding ways to earn money and work at home. There are many moms who would love to stay home to work and have their own income. Most homes have personal computers, which opens the door to many business opportunities for moms. It is estimated that there are more than three million people working at home now. You too can realize your dream of independence and success.
The mom who wants to make money at home has the ability to set her own schedule and work as much as she wants. If you are only interested in part-time work, then you can regulate the time spent on your home business. If you want to quit an outside job and work full-time at home, the option is your choice.
Find a Business Opportunity
There are numerous business opportunities for someone who wants to work at home. Some work-at-home moms choose an enterprise based on their own interests. Others choose to work for someone else and provide services needed. There are directories on the Internet to help you find the right company for you.
There are many companies that need help with clerical and computer work. You can also make money at home by doing phone polls, processing insurance claims and doing background checks. There are many companies that need products assembled at home, which could help you to get started in a home business of your own. Also, check with "work-at-home mom" websites for great tips, job resources, and helpful advice.
Be Your Own Boss
If you have a unique product or service to offer, you can open your own business web page. There are websites on the Internet to help you get started and many are free. This is an excellent business opportunity to get your products where the public will find them. With a website, you can still be your own boss and put as much time into the business as you want.
Some moms do not have the time or desire to promote their own products or services. Many have tried MLM and network marketing ventures and come away disillusioned. They may not want to sell products and deal with customers. In these cases, finding a good company that will train and support you is very important. Also, there are companies now that do the selling for you. They provide a phone staff to answer sales calls and close the sales. Some companies will even help you promote the business.
Benefit from Your Home Business
Instead of investing a large sum of your money in a business opportunity, find a company that allows you to enter at various levels where you can work up to higher levels. Instead of you having the burden of making all the sales and doing the support work, it is to your advantage to work with a company that helps you in your business. Doing so will allow you to keep a healthy balance between work and home life.
If you don't want high pressure and stressful goals, find a business opportunity that suits your interests and objectives. If you want to make money to live on or need something to do to fill your time, start looking now for the home business that will fulfill your hopes and dreams.
The mom who wants to make money at home has the ability to set her own schedule and work as much as she wants. If you are only interested in part-time work, then you can regulate the time spent on your home business. If you want to quit an outside job and work full-time at home, the option is your choice.
Find a Business Opportunity
There are numerous business opportunities for someone who wants to work at home. Some work-at-home moms choose an enterprise based on their own interests. Others choose to work for someone else and provide services needed. There are directories on the Internet to help you find the right company for you.
There are many companies that need help with clerical and computer work. You can also make money at home by doing phone polls, processing insurance claims and doing background checks. There are many companies that need products assembled at home, which could help you to get started in a home business of your own. Also, check with "work-at-home mom" websites for great tips, job resources, and helpful advice.
Be Your Own Boss
If you have a unique product or service to offer, you can open your own business web page. There are websites on the Internet to help you get started and many are free. This is an excellent business opportunity to get your products where the public will find them. With a website, you can still be your own boss and put as much time into the business as you want.
Some moms do not have the time or desire to promote their own products or services. Many have tried MLM and network marketing ventures and come away disillusioned. They may not want to sell products and deal with customers. In these cases, finding a good company that will train and support you is very important. Also, there are companies now that do the selling for you. They provide a phone staff to answer sales calls and close the sales. Some companies will even help you promote the business.
Benefit from Your Home Business
Instead of investing a large sum of your money in a business opportunity, find a company that allows you to enter at various levels where you can work up to higher levels. Instead of you having the burden of making all the sales and doing the support work, it is to your advantage to work with a company that helps you in your business. Doing so will allow you to keep a healthy balance between work and home life.
If you don't want high pressure and stressful goals, find a business opportunity that suits your interests and objectives. If you want to make money to live on or need something to do to fill your time, start looking now for the home business that will fulfill your hopes and dreams.
Saturday, 27 March 2010
Creating the Ultimate Cover Letter
Cover letters are a very important part of your presentation, whether you're a student in college or a candidate applying for a job. While there is virtually no limit to the different designs you can use with your cover letter, there are some general guidelines you will want to apply to make sure it is professional. It is first important to make sure your cover letter has an excellent appearance. The paper size used for cover letters is generally 8 and 1/2 by 11 inches.
While the color white is almost always used, other acceptable colors include light beige. The cover letter should always be typed on a high quality typewriter, and if you are using a computer, it should be printed out on a printer which is laser based. Using an old typewriter or dot matrix printer will reduce the quality of your resume, even if it is well written. It is also important to make sure your cover letters are never produced in mass. Each one should be unique, and should target the specific company to which you are applying for employment.
It is also important to make sure you use the correct format. For most tasks, the best format is the business correspondence cover letter. If you're not sure what it looks like, you can go online to look at different examples. These examples can give you ideas for how you want your cover letters to be designed. When you send your cover letter to a potential employee, if it is impersonal, it will likely be thrown in the trash. Anyone can mass produce a cover letter or resume. Taking the time to tailor you work towards a specific individual will impress them, and they will be much more likely to look over your resume.
Make sure you learn the name of the person or organization that you're sending your cover letter to. The name must always be spelled correctly. If you have had a good interview with a company, and you send a follow up letter with incorrect spelling, it can ruin your chances of getting hired. When you write your letter, explain how you learned of the company and why you are interested in working for them. You should also explain what type of position you're interested in.
The next thing you want to do is to demonstrate your qualifications for the job. It is best to write two powerful sentences explaining why you have the necessary skills to perform the job you're interested in. After this you will want to let the potential employer know that your resume is enclosed. It is also important to make sure you don't end the letter incorrectly. Many people make the mistake of providing their number and asking the potential employer to call them if they're interested.
A better way to end the letter is by giving the potential employer your number and informing them that you will be calling them. What this does is tell the employer you are persistent, and will take the initiative. It says you will continue contacting them until you get a response. This is the type of impression you want to make.
While the color white is almost always used, other acceptable colors include light beige. The cover letter should always be typed on a high quality typewriter, and if you are using a computer, it should be printed out on a printer which is laser based. Using an old typewriter or dot matrix printer will reduce the quality of your resume, even if it is well written. It is also important to make sure your cover letters are never produced in mass. Each one should be unique, and should target the specific company to which you are applying for employment.
It is also important to make sure you use the correct format. For most tasks, the best format is the business correspondence cover letter. If you're not sure what it looks like, you can go online to look at different examples. These examples can give you ideas for how you want your cover letters to be designed. When you send your cover letter to a potential employee, if it is impersonal, it will likely be thrown in the trash. Anyone can mass produce a cover letter or resume. Taking the time to tailor you work towards a specific individual will impress them, and they will be much more likely to look over your resume.
Make sure you learn the name of the person or organization that you're sending your cover letter to. The name must always be spelled correctly. If you have had a good interview with a company, and you send a follow up letter with incorrect spelling, it can ruin your chances of getting hired. When you write your letter, explain how you learned of the company and why you are interested in working for them. You should also explain what type of position you're interested in.
The next thing you want to do is to demonstrate your qualifications for the job. It is best to write two powerful sentences explaining why you have the necessary skills to perform the job you're interested in. After this you will want to let the potential employer know that your resume is enclosed. It is also important to make sure you don't end the letter incorrectly. Many people make the mistake of providing their number and asking the potential employer to call them if they're interested.
A better way to end the letter is by giving the potential employer your number and informing them that you will be calling them. What this does is tell the employer you are persistent, and will take the initiative. It says you will continue contacting them until you get a response. This is the type of impression you want to make.
Friday, 26 March 2010
Creating Professional Proposals
< p >Whether you are pitching your product or service to a multi-national firm or to the start-up down the street, a professional image can make all the difference. In this article, we look at how you can use the formatting features within Microsoft Office to create professional proposals and quotes that put your best foot forward. Using Microsoft Word, we& rsquo; ll walk through some of the formatting tips and tricks used by designers to give documents a professional layout and appearance (and you can do it all yourself for a fraction of the price a designer would charge.) </ p > < b >Begin with the content </ b > < p >To start, we need to look at what makes a proposal stand out. The content of your proposal should clearly state who you are, give a brief summary of your company& rsquo; s experience and detail the products or services you plan to provide, as well as the cost of these products or services. </ p > < p >Once you have decided on your proposal& rsquo; s content, you will want to create a new Word document and start creating your proposal. One of the easiest ways to make your proposal stand out is to make the formatting and style consistent throughout the entire document. Microsoft Word has built-in styles that can be applied to text in your document.</ p > < p >< b >Hint: </ b >If you are unsure of what content you should put into your proposal, you may want to check out the templates that are available on the Office Template Gallery for examples of proposals for different types of product offerings and services.</ p > < b >Create a consistent document style </ b > < p >When working with fonts and sizes within Word, you may have noticed another drop-down list to the left of the font menu. This menu shows all of the available styles within your document. To apply a style to a section of text, highlight the text and use the drop-down list to select a style. The font and font size, character formatting, etc. of the style will be applied to the text you have selected.</ p > < p >By default, Word has a & ldquo; Normal& rdquo; style which is the default for the text in your document, but there are also styles for headings (i.e. Heading 1, Heading 2, etc.) that are especially helpful when creating a document with multiple sections.</ p > < p >You can use these styles to apply formatting to the different sections of your proposal (ie. & ldquo; About Us& rdquo; , & ldquo; Products& rdquo; , & ldquo; Pricing& rdquo; ) etc. to maintain a consistent look-and-feel to your document.</ p > < p >An added bonus is that by applying these styles to the different sections of your proposal, you can also quickly create a table of contents for your proposal by going to the first page of your document and selecting < b >Insert & gt; Reference & gt; Index</ b > and < b >Tables</ b > and then clicking on the < b >Table of Contents</ b > tab. You can then click < b >OK</ b > to add a table of contents to your proposal& mdash; it& rsquo; s that easy!</ p > < p >You can also add or modify the styles in use by selecting < b >Format & gt; Styles and Formatting</ b > to open the < b >Styles and Formatting</ b > side menu, that will appear to the right of your document. </ p > < p >You can use the drop-down list on each of the styles to modify the style, changing the font face, size, format, etc. Any changes you make to a style will be made to all of the text that has that style applied.</ p > < b >Add colour and images </ b > < p >In addition to a consistent look and feel, another easy way to make your presentation stand out is to follow some of the basic design principles. To start, you should limit your use of colour. It may be fun to change the text to be orange with purple headings, but in the end you are trying to create a professional image and convince the reader to buy your products or services. </ p > < p >As a general rule of thumb, the main body of your proposal should always be printed in black text, but you can use colour selectively to highlight text or make headings stand out.</ p > < p >Another way to tighten up your proposals is to limit the use of clipart and images. If you do choose to use graphics in your proposal, they should be relevant to the section of the proposal where they appear. For example, if you have a picture of the product you are selling, it is perfectly acceptable to include that image in the section where you are describing the product.</ p > < p >On the other hand, if you have found some interesting clipart and scatter it through your proposal, you will leave your clients wondering what the clipart has to do with the proposal you have presented. When working with clipart or images, less is definitely more.</ p > < b >Include headers and footers </ b > < p >The final touch to creating a professional image is to add some headers and footers to your document. The header and footer of a document are the place where you can put the title of your proposal, the date as well as your company name and page numbers. </ p > < p >To create a new header or footer, select < b >View & gt; Header and Footer</ b >, which will allow you to edit the header and footer directly on your page and type text in the space allowed. To insert a page number, click the < b >Page Number</ b > icon on the < b >Header and Footer</ b > toolbar. </ p > < p >If your proposal has a title page, you may not want the header and footer to appear. On the same toolbar there is a < b >Page Setup</ b > icon which will open up a < b >Layout</ b > property page. </ p > < p >Click the < b >Different First Page</ b > option so that you can create a header/footer for the rest of your document, without it appearing on the first page. When you are done editing your header/footer, click the < b >Close</ b > button to return to your document.</ p > < b >Check spelling and print</ b > < p >And finally, it goes without saying that you should proofread and spell check your proposal before you send it out (< b >Tools & gt; Spelling and Grammar</ b >). If you are sending a printed copy to the customer, you may want to have the proposal bound or put into a presentation folder.</ p >
Thursday, 25 March 2010
Creating Customer Value In Your Proposals
Read any book on sales or proposal writing. Go on a sales training course. One of the first topics that will be covered is features, advantages and benefits. Ultimately, any proposal whether verbal or written down has to persuade someone to take an action and this is done by demonstrating the benefits of taking that course of action.
In a smaller sale, especially with products it is often easy to list benefits, but with larger proposals you will have to search harder to understand the client’s business problem and explain the benefits of your solution – that is, how effectively and efficiently your solution solves their business problem.
Your solution should demonstrate not only value in price, but in the services that you offer. Value is the balance of cost versus benefit, therefore you need to be explicit in highlighting the benefits to the client.
Often when a contract has been lost, the client will tell you that you were too expensive – but no-one ever gets told that they won because they were the cheapest. It is the best solution that usually wins, the one that offers the best benefits. This may be the most expensive solution, but it still may offer the best value.
So how do you create customer value? Firstly you need to take time to understand the customer’s needs. When you receive an Invitation to Tender, get back to the client immediately with questions. Call them. Ask for a meeting. You may have been involved with the client pre-tender and have an understanding of their business.
You must be able to demonstrate an understanding of their business need in order to demonstrate that your solution will deliver the required benefits.
When writing your proposal, use content tailored towards the client and their business problem. We all copy re-usable text, or boilerplate in proposals – but customise it to the client. Include their name, especially in the executive summary. Let them know that the proposal is about them, not about you.
Directly address your customer’s issues and offer persuasive ideas with distinct solution benefits and support your arguments with evidence. When have you delivered a similar service or solution in the past? How did that client benefit? Demonstrate your ability to deliver on your promise.
Make sure a value proposition is clearly laid out and easy to understand. Can you include a return on investment model for the client? If so do it you are showing the client you understand how to save their business money.
In a smaller sale, especially with products it is often easy to list benefits, but with larger proposals you will have to search harder to understand the client’s business problem and explain the benefits of your solution – that is, how effectively and efficiently your solution solves their business problem.
Your solution should demonstrate not only value in price, but in the services that you offer. Value is the balance of cost versus benefit, therefore you need to be explicit in highlighting the benefits to the client.
Often when a contract has been lost, the client will tell you that you were too expensive – but no-one ever gets told that they won because they were the cheapest. It is the best solution that usually wins, the one that offers the best benefits. This may be the most expensive solution, but it still may offer the best value.
So how do you create customer value? Firstly you need to take time to understand the customer’s needs. When you receive an Invitation to Tender, get back to the client immediately with questions. Call them. Ask for a meeting. You may have been involved with the client pre-tender and have an understanding of their business.
You must be able to demonstrate an understanding of their business need in order to demonstrate that your solution will deliver the required benefits.
When writing your proposal, use content tailored towards the client and their business problem. We all copy re-usable text, or boilerplate in proposals – but customise it to the client. Include their name, especially in the executive summary. Let them know that the proposal is about them, not about you.
Directly address your customer’s issues and offer persuasive ideas with distinct solution benefits and support your arguments with evidence. When have you delivered a similar service or solution in the past? How did that client benefit? Demonstrate your ability to deliver on your promise.
Make sure a value proposition is clearly laid out and easy to understand. Can you include a return on investment model for the client? If so do it you are showing the client you understand how to save their business money.
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