Selasa, 30 April 2013

Creating a Corporate Image


For any corporation it is very important to create a distinct image in the market. This is known as Corporate Image which distinguishes the corporation from its competitors and provides a picture of it to the general public. It depicts the principles, beliefs, productivity of the company. This image is responsible for increasing the sales of the product and to achieve brand equity. Corporate image creation is a strenuous and time consuming process and is carried out by experts qualifying in perception management. Basically, the creation involves marketing experts who used various kinds of promotion methods and public relations. Since this image is targeted to attract the customers it should be highly appealing. Besides the marketing experts critics play an important role too.

The name of the corporation and its catch line should reflect its belief like Wal-Mart, which says that it sells for less. A logo should also be designed accordingly. Like the corporation FedEx has an arrow incorporated in its logo which depicts its fast and efficient service. Once the image is created by the corporation the next step is advertising and product distribution in the market. Like if the corporation creates luxury products, they should rope in big names in the advertising experts and the models to be featured in these ads should be super stars. Likewise, they should not distribute their products to every other store; instead they should target more hi-fi malls. Time to time, advertising and branding budget should be reviewed to cut down on cost and to be in-sync with the technology. This also helps in revamping the corporate image according to the fast changing demands of the consumer. 

Testimonies of news papers, magazines, and labor union can deteriorate a well-created corporate image. Simplest of controversies can be exaggerated by the media and spoil the name of the company. Controversies are born by the interference of organizations related to environment, religion, crime, politics, education and charity. Government, too, is another powerful and influential organization by itself.

Once the corporate image is created, it should be retained. It should not be like here today and gone tomorrow. This image should be reflected in all the brands and product line of the corporation. Even if one of the products isn't up to the mark, it will lead to confusion among the consumers and will hit the sales of the company. Like recently there was controversy about a particular contact lens solution of a company. It was supposed to be infecting the users with a rare disease. This not only affected the sales revenue of that particular product but also made the customers think and raise question about the authenticity of other products of that particular company.

Another company's products had hidden non-vegetarian ingredient in a vegetarian product. This led to the decrease of trust among the customers. In such a case the company should either advertise itself as a company selling non-vegetarian food or it should invest in promoting the company as vegetarian by introducing more vegetarian products. So the image of each individual product of the company makes up for the complete image of the corporation. And last but not the least, the image should be very realistic, truly representing its values and should leave a personal touch with the consumers.
 

Attributes of a Successful Selling Strategy


The first attribute of a successful selling strategy is a website that provides information about the products and the service they are providing. The advantage of that is we can sell those products and services online. Selling is a talent to be cultivated. It requires a lot of understanding to find what the customer is looking for and then fulfilling his needs.

It is very important to get the complete attention of reader. The content of the message should be make reader think. This can be achieved by using power words, along with color and visuals. Once the attention is grabbed, it should be retained till the end of the message. The customer should be prompted to take some action and their involvement should be sought. They can be made to sign up for newsletters or can be made to take the survey by visiting the company's website.

The consumer should be convinced to buy the product. All the features of the company should be specified, with the more relevant ones on the top. They should be explained logically through these points how the products will fulfill their needs or solve their problems.  It does only by convincing the customer about this will motivate them to buy the product. They should be made to understand what wonders the product can do to him. Strong emotional words should be included in the sentence. The customer should either fear the loss of the product if he doesn't buy it in time or he should be given the greed of the advantages the product can provide. These reasons will create an emotional impulse and will make them think that they have no other option to buy it. They will have a logical reason to make the purchase. The emotions of the buyer should be manipulated with words.

Something like 'limited edition' or 'limited period offer' will create a sense of urgency. The customer thinks that he should get this product somehow. It's nice to have sales often, especially to clear out old inventory in the name of some offer. The products which have an obvious damage should be sold out at a special price. But the damage should be mentioned to the customer. If it's not mentioned, the first time the customer will be tricked into buying something, but he will loose trust and won't come back again.

Always hold seasonal sales and offers. Since all the competitors will be giving out different offers to attract customers, it's a good point to have one, too. But it should be remembered to not to imitate anyone. Only a unique offer will make the customers not go to the competitors'. Once in a while offer free shipping offer also works. A condition like if a customer spends particular amount of money, all items will be shipped for free. This is another attractive deal which will surely tempt the customer. Thanks to search engines and online stores anything can be purchased from the comfort of the home. Give away free sample to the customers or keep a pre-sale price for introductory products. The customers won't think twice to spend a little money to try something new. 

The ending of the sales message is where most people mess it up. The whole efforts will be wasted if the customer gets a second thought. He should be convinced, by nice words, to buy the product till the very end. The content should be arranged with care. The key is to tell the customer what to do exactly after he finishes reading the matter, like 'Grab the golden opportunity now' or 'pick up the phone and dial the number right now', etc. Do not include links or short advertisement of other products or services. This will shift the focus of the reader and he might have a second thought. A list of the existing customers should be maintained and from time to time special offers should be mailed to them. So basically the whole idea is to influence the mind of the customer until he buys a product.   
 

Sabtu, 27 April 2013

Career in Numbers, The Finance Majors

If you're good with a pen, go get writing courses. If you're good with pencils, brushes, or palette, go get arts studies. And when you're good with numbers, then there are a number of courses you can take in college where you can develop your full potential. College has the sciences but basing on the smugness of your face, it is not what you want. Then this leaves us with another option where mathematically skills are quite necessary: finance majors.

That's right, a career in the finances is a career that is worth thinking about. Students with special affinity with numbers should think about exploiting their skills and enter a field were numbers will become mostly their life.

We could classify major courses in finance into three big categories: the corporate finance, investments, and banking. When we talk about corporate finance, we're talking about analyzing a company's level of profitability. It involves finding out present market values and how the company can remain afloat which means studying debts, company's equity, present earnings, among other things.

Investments, on the other hand, handle just that: investing money to improve the company's standing within its industry. Analysis on the capabilities of the company to invest in stocks, bonds, other corporations, on various properties, other businesses, etc. is a process that requires knowledge and skills to interpret present market values and utilize those values to come up with the best decision that would help make more money for the company, stabilize its status in the industry, and ensure a solid future.

Another major category of finance courses would be banking. Knowledge on banking, banking laws, intermediary financials, and other banking elements will be part of your curriculum.

Courses in college that revolves around finance include studies in accounting, business economics, and marketing. Graduating from these courses will open the road towards becoming finance career professionals. The knowledge you will gain in studying finance in college will help you learn how to access and process the financial information.

The good thing about becoming finance professionals is that employment opportunities in this field seems to be increasing and according to statistics will continue to increase in the upcoming years. One has the option to enter the field of corporate and financial management or the area of investment services.

Financial graduates will have options to enter corporations or manufacturing industries, health care services, the banking system, as well as insurance and financial intermediary companies. Even organizations and institutions like the academe require the expertise of financial major graduates.

One can also work as financial consultants giving advice on securities, stock strategies, business valuation, economic forecasts, analysis of market trends, and treasury management among other things. Or one can also be a finance manager where the management and strategies involving investment activities will be his main concert and responsibility. Both government and private entities are looking for guys like these.

There are opportunities in the area of corporate finance as well. Corporate finance will see you working in corporations and specifically looks at how the company can get money, harness it, and make it grow to improve the status of the company and plan for its future. Liquidity of assets, flexibility of funds, and the company's compliance with present laws and obligations will be part of your responsibility as an officer in corporate finance.

There are also opportunities to specialize on a field, like becoming financial trade analysts or credit analysts or money market analysts. There are numerous career paths that one can take when they graduate as finance majors in college.

About Considering a Career in Finance

A career in finance is an honorable undertaking. There are a ton of accounting and finance careers to choose from, but each path must be examined before it is pursued. Studying college courses and online course both cost time and dollars. Knowing the careers awaiting a finance major right after earning his degree is never a bad thing.

Here are well-known examples of careers in finance that are quality positions with good pay. Take note for each position is different from the other, from the skills required to the tasks faced, and not all are entry-level positions.

Accounts Assistant. A multi-faceted entry-level position, being an accounts assistant can offer ideal opportunities in gaining experience and letting you decide on what particular field to specialize in. You can learn a lot, including about car career finance insurance rate.

Payroll. Needless to say, the most important department of any company as it is responsible for salaries and wages. Difficulty rises in proportion to the complexity and size of a company’s structure. Substantial knowledge in payments and taxes is vital for anyone looking to work in this field.

Banking. One of the most popular choices, you can work either along the frontlines or in the background. This field offers a whole lot of options for any prospective financial employee. Big banking companies offer more reliable job security than those in other fields.

Credit Controller. Working with accounts receivable, credit controllers basically ensure the regular periodic payments of invoices by the company. Aside from this, the role may vary in different companies.

Underwriter. Insurance is a complicated field and underwriters are one of the most crucial job positions available. They are responsible for your premium and other things like car career finance insurance rates, so being one can really offer some interesting opportunities.

Auditor. Both internal and external auditors have the same basic function, but the difference is from who the employer is. External auditors work for city firms while internal auditors work within companies. Therefore, only a few companies are big enough to justify employment of internal auditors.

Management Accountant. The reverse of an auditor, management accountants fill the role of forecasting future finances, which provides information necessary for planning and strategizing.

Private Equity. Highly complex but usually found working on funding business start-ups, employees working in private equity look through portfolio of investments, siting risks and rewards. Industry experts and investors rely on private equity to offer them information and advise on managing portfolios and investments.

Business Analyst. Analyzing every tangible and intangible factor involved in a business, the business analyst highlights the problems and provides the options for substantial solutions. This position is crucial for companies that plan to survive the ups and downs of business.

Financial Director. As a top position in Finance, being a financial director means that great responsibility is bestowed upon. All forms of cash flow are managed by the financial director, so confidence and skill are crucial for continued operation of the company.

Career corporate finance is a lucrative career option that opens up a multitude of opportunities for go-getters and competitive workers. Skill and desire are the best tools for a career in finance.

Jumat, 19 April 2013

Back End Affiliate Marketing

within affiliate marketing, everyone involved in the
program will benefit. Each time the affiliate refers
a visitor to the website of the merchant, he will earn
income. On the other end, the merchant will produce
sales without spending a lot of money for advertising
and promotion.

With the goal being to earn more income, both the
affiliate and the merchant should be considering the
practice of back end selling in their business. Back
selling is a great and well known support for affiliate
marketing, as it can greatly comment the income that
is produced from affiliate marketing.

Back end selling is the selling that’s conducted after
the inital sale. When a visitor becomes a paying
customer for a product, another product can then be
advertised and sold to the exact same customer, with
the second product being called the back end product.

Now, the customer will already be aquainted with
the merchant or affiliate, meaning that is already
a level of trust between them. Therefore, selling
the back end product may actually be easier than the
initial sale.

For many years, back end selling has helped boost
sales for both online businesses and land bound
companies. If the customer is happy with the initial
product that was purchased, he’ll logically assume
that the online company is offering quality products
and will come back again.

The normal technique with back end selling is to
make the customer aware of other products, as these
products can cater to other needs that the customer
may have. When the customer becomes aware of
the second or back end products, he will look into
it and may make a purchase.

The technique of back end selling has been both
known and proven to be very powerful in augmenting
the income of many companies. Therefore, back end
selling has made hundreds of online companies
flourish and expand. If you use it correctly,
it can work very well with affiliate marketing.

Affiliate marketing will attract many new customers
and lead to the initial sale, while back end
selling will build loyalty among the buyers. To
put it in other terms, back end selling is a major
ingredient in creating a winning formula in
affiliate marketing.

Each and every affiliate should look into the
financial promise of back end selling when it’s
coupled with affiliate marketing. The two of
these can make the affiliate earn an amazing amount
of income.

Affiliate Marketing Program Pitfalls

Even though affiliate marketing is an excellent way
to earn money, there are several pitfalls that you’ll
need to be aware of. As long as people have been
earning money, people have also tried to figure out
how to earn more by doing a lot less.

All you need to do is a quick online search for
“work from home” or “making easy money”. You’ll
instantly find millions of websites, simply click
on a few and you’ll notice that they all start off
the same. You’ll see a guy with a big house and
a lot of money saying if you sign up, this could be
you – how far from the truth!

The only way you can earn a good, stable income is
to put in the hard work it takes. Before you join
any affiliate program, you need to do the proper
research. That’s one of the best benefits of the
internet – finding the information you need.

All you need to do is search for the name of the
affiliate program that your intested in, adding
the word scam to it and see what pops up. You
should also join some work from home forums, and
don’t be afraid to ask the right questions.

There are a few ways that you can tell what
program is most likely a scam. If a program
doesn’t tell you their compensation plan unless
you sign up, watch out. A lot of programs won’t
tell you what you’ll be doing unless you buy a
kit for a set price.

With any program, there should always be 100% free
disclosure. You’ll need to know what you are
going to be doing before you even start. If a
program doesn’t tell you what you are going to be
doing or if you have to pay money first, you
should avoid it.

Affiliate Marketing Survival Tips

Once you’ve signed up for what appears to be a
great affiliate program, you’ve already developed
your strategy, selected your banners, and other
materials for marketing.

Once you’ve figured everything out, you may still
have problems developing marketing strategies and
find yourself wondering what’s wrong. Below,
you’ll find some of the most common issues that
affect sales commissions and leads.

Soggy cookies
A lot of merchants use cookies for tracking your
referrals. As a majority of customers don’t
purchase on the first visit, cookies allow for
potential referrals to be tagged with your ID so
that if they do purchase later, you’ll get the
credit for the sale.

The durations for the cookies will vary from
merchant to merchant. Some last as short as a
single session, while others can last for years.
If the visitor flushes their cookies on a regular
basis, has cookie blocking software, or the
program from the merchant isn’t operating correctly,
there really isn’t anything you can do.

Multiple methods of payment
If you’ve joined an affiliate program through a
network that processes payments of products on
behalf of merchants, it’s not uncommon for merchants
to offer several methods of payment. While this
is great for customers, it’s bad for affiliates.

Before you begin to advertise any products or
services as an affiliate of a network, always
check the merchant site carefully. If you have
any doubt, contact the merchant before you proceed
any further.

Monitoring your arrangements
Even the most honest of merchants will have
problems with their affiliate software at some
point in time. Therefore, it’s important to
regularly check cookies and merchant sites for
any changes that may affect your pay.