Have you seen How To SELL Anything?

This incredible sales handbook distils an expert's lifetime of sales and marketing experience and hands it to you on a platter, in a simple, easy-to-follow format. With existing customers being the most valuable source of income for any business, this book will teach you how to increase your return business and make more profit from your most loyal customers - and even how to reduce the costs of dealing with your least profitable customers.

Get it on Amazon (Kindle/Print)

Study warns of gap between consumer 'wants' and SMEs

Why do fewer than 1 in 3 Canadian SMEs trade online?

Developed with leading SMB advocates, the report also offers actionable tips for technology and digital upgrades that business owners can easily implement to grow their businesses. "As consumer expectations are evolving, it is critical that small and medium size businesses evolve with them," said Brian Weiner, vice president, head of product, Visa Canada. "At Visa, our goal is to help businesses understand and navigate the complexities of today's consumer, and adopt digital processes to stay competitive."

Digital Opportunity for SMBs
According to the report, consumer purchasing behaviour is driven in part by websites and online experiences:

• Consumer behaviour is changing
  90% of consumers say they are motivated to shop at a business if they have an easy to use website. 87% of consumers also think it is important to support local businesses, providing a great opportunity for SMBs to further engage with consumers.
• An online presence is a must
  Half of consumers often search online (46%) and/or check the business website (47%) before visiting a new business.
• eCommerce is a differentiator
  Only 32% of SMBs sell their products and services online, with only 12% of their sales coming from ecommerce, demonstrating huge opportunity for Canadian businesses.

Digital Payments Improve Profitability
One immediate way for SMBs to seize a revenue opportunity may be by digitizing the checkout process:

• Consumers prefer card
  85% of consumers surveyed rank a digital payment method, such as paying with a card or wire transfer, as their number one preferred payment option. But only 52% of SMBs prefer to accept digital payments, despite the potential financial benefits.
• Digitization impacts the bottom line
  40% of SMBs saw an increase in sales after they started to accept digital payments - by an average of 7.1%1. Further, 61% of SMBs agree customers spend more when they use cards versus cash.
• SMBs recognize the benefits of going digital
  73% of SMBs agreed that utilizing digital payments helped them manage their business more effectively.

Offers & Loyalty are a must
Businesses are aware that rewards drive consumer preference and digital programs can offer instant value and gratification:

• Consumers enjoy digital rewards
  78% of consumers are more likely to choose a business that offers a loyalty program, and 89% of consumers prefer a digital loyalty program compared to a paper-based stamp or punch card.
• Loyalty programs add profitability
  81% of owners say their business is highly dependent on customer loyalty, and close to two-thirds feel that loyalty programs can have a positive impact on average ticket size, repeat customers and revenue.

"While more than 80% of consumers surveyed say digital benei ts motivate them to shop at a business, businesses are still underutilizing these preferred digital channels," continued Weiner. "With this report, Visa is sharing actionable ways SMBs can bridge the gap between consumer expectations and their current offerings, resulting in untapped profit and growth in this digital revolution."

Have you seen How To SELL Anything?

This incredible sales handbook distils an expert's lifetime of sales and marketing experience and hands it to you on a platter, in a simple, easy-to-follow format.

With existing customers being the most valuable source of income for any business, this book will teach you how to increase your return business and make more profit from your most loyal customers - and even how to reduce the costs of dealing with your least profitable customers.

You'll learn to sell yourself, sell your products, and sell your brand on the internet, writing high-conversion landing pages, social media posts, and more. You'll start attracting customers you didn’t even know existed, and learn the top trade secrets for customer retention.

You'll become a lean, mean selling machine. See how the experts do it and learn to adapt what they've done for your own profit. You'll learn to write strong, powerful, effective sales copy, whether it's for a sales script, sales letter, flyer, insert, advert or just about anything else.

You'll learn how to sell whether you're selling by telephone, by mail, or even meeting prospects face-to-face. You'll find out how to size them up, present yourself, nail down their true needs, close the sale, and learn to tackle the tricky ones.

You'll discover the biggest secrets of successful direct mail sellers, sales letter writers, and how to segment and choose the right prospects for each campaign.

Get it on Amazon (Kindle/Print)