'I think I finally found something I can do!', Joanne wrote, 'This company doesn't need me to do any selling at all. All I have to do is advertise a telephone number and their staff handles my sales. I think I finally have a chance!'
Ah, the 'no selling' pitch: it has wide appeal, due to the intense dislike or fear many of us have about selling anything to anyone.
When we think 'sales', we usually think of the typical scenario of selling a product or service. However, there are many forms of selling. When you're online, you sell:
__Your personality.
It's well-known that it's more likely for a visitor to purchase a product if they like you. The Internet is a vast, cold place: you don't actually meet your visitors face-to-face and there's no way for them to assess your personality except by what they read on your website or in your email.
That makes it all the more important to sell yourself: do you come across as a likeable, honest business person with integrity? Do you come across as someone who's a 'straight shooter', who will take care of your customers?
__Your Credibility.
If you have a website or newsletter and you regularly post advice, tips, articles, etc. you need to establish credibility as an 'expert'.
Are you professional? Do you provide solid, usable information? Can people contact you? Are you knowledgeable about your topic?
It sounds obvious, I know ... but because the Internet offers a low-risk, low-cost way for people to try to make money, some of the most ridiculous scenarios crop up. For example, I once saw a post on a message board from someone who was trying to sell a report on how to increase traffic to your website using search engines. And you know what?
He was asking for advice on how to get his web pages ranked higher in the search engines. It was absolutely mind-boggling.
Write about what you know.
__Security or Comfort.
Ever get email telling you how you can lose 50 pounds, consolidate your debt, invest overseas, get in on the 'ground floor' of a business opportunity?
So has everyone else.
With the amount of unsolicited commercial email (spam) being sent to unwillingly prospects, people are understandably hesitant about giving out personal information. That includes stuff like their credit card number to something as simple as their email address.
Visitors will be much more comfortable about doing business with you if you make it clear that you will respect their privacy (and you WILL, right?) and not disclose their information to anyone. Likewise, make sure you take credit card orders on a secure server and **let your visitors know** that their information is secure.
This is important even if you're *giving away free stuff*. Some people are naturally more cautious than others ... and even if they're really interested in subscribing to your free newsletter, for example, they may hesitate to give you their email address if they don't feel comfortable that you won't abuse it.
The point is, everything you do online can be considered 'selling' in one form or another. Don't get taken in by opportunities that claim that you don't have to sell. You do. And the better you learn how to do ALL types of selling, the better success you'll have online.
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Angela is the editor of Online Business Basics, an exclusive newsletter for eBusiness beginners. OBB features ongoing tutorials on how to build a profitable Internet business on a shoestring budget. You don't need a million- dollar budget to be successful! Find out how you too can join the thousands quietly earning a living online: http://www.onlinebusinessbasics.com/article.html