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May 24, 2013 2:23 pm |
One of the best ways to market your business and raise awareness is to interact with your potential customer. It’s an age old saying, people buy from people, and it’s still just as true as ever, if you want to build up your contact and customer lists, the best thing you can do is get yourself to a networking event, or even better still, a business exhibition or trade show.
These events are put together so that a huge number of business owners and users are all put together under one roof, doing a lot of the hard work for you and thousands of potential customers are effectively placed right on your doorstep (or stand).
Choose carefully
There are loads to choose from but you need to ensure that the show you choose to present your business at is relevant to your product and, more importantly, that the people there are going to want to buy your product. You should spend time researching the credentials of the various shows, looking into the expected footfall and the kind of level of seniority, and decision making powers, that the visitors have.
Remember, the people who go to the shows and exhibition go with the intention to network and buy products, so as long as you’re selling something they want or need, your sales are guaranteed.
Be Prepared
It’s vital that you prepare your pitch. In the run up to the event, make sure you network your business as widely as possible, to raise awareness that you’ll be there and why people should come and find you. Once you’ve started to generate interest, make arrangements to meet up with contacts to promote your business further!
Decide what you’re going to take, if you have a stand, make sure you have branded banners and marketing material to be able to give out to make sure you’re remembered by the people you speak to once they’ve left your stand.
Network, network, network
During the event, make the most of every opportunity to interact with the people around you. There’s no point put all the effort in to go to the show, and then just sitting back and expecting everyone to come to you. The more people you speak to, the more likely you are to get sales on the day or a potential lead for future reference.
08Direct will be exhibiting at the Business Startup Show in London on 6th-7th June, make sure you come along see us at stand 788, we’d love to meet you!
May 17, 2013 9:53 am |
You may already be using an 0844 number for your business, but are you taking advantage of the benefits that this number can give?
By now you should be enjoying the increased number of enquiries and the nationwide image that an 0844 number provides. You should also be benefitting from a rebate from every minute of your calls BUT are you getting the best deal?
Our 0844 service lets our customers receive some of the best rebates throughout the UK, earning up to 4p per minute. No matter how many minutes you generate, this revenue stream will help to give your business an extra boost, something every business is looking for in this economic climate!
What’s more, you can rely 100% on our outpayments, so that you receive your call generated revenue always on time!
Not only will you receive the UK’s best rebate, your service will also be complemented by a free call management package, worth over £200. Your dedicated account manager will help you develop and tailor your call management system, so that every call you receive is handled professionally and efficiently.
Call us today on 0844 504 4000 to find out how you can port your number over to us and ensure you are receiving all of the benefits available from your 0844 number!
May 3, 2013 8:18 am |
Imagine the scenario: you call a potential customer, they answer, you start your pitch and once they realise it’s a sales call, they cut you off, dead.
When it comes to sales calls, it’s easy to get it wrong but reassuringly, it’s also very easy to get it right, as long as you follow the golden rules. As long as you plan what you’re going to say and how you’re going to say it you’re already starting off on the right foot. How you speak to the customer, how you react to their questions, your knowledge of the product, all of these things could be the difference between a sale or no sale.
‘As a company we make and receive a lot of sales calls every day. The ones we receive are often executed badly and it’s rare that we stay connected to the call for the full duration, especially at busy times. From this experience we know the importance of ensuring every call we make is interesting and engages the customer and we’re proud of the feedback received from customers about our sales team,’ says Adam Brett, 08 Direct’s Senior Account Manager.
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May 1, 2013 11:51 am |
In today’s day and age, a lot of UK SMEs are finding it difficult to be able to fund marketing and advertising campaigns so need to find new, cheap and standout ways to raise brand awareness. One way to do this is by creating a charity affiliation, sponsoring a charity of your choice and, as a result, raising your business profile.
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April 26, 2013 3:53 pm |
A lack of managerial support has been credited as the main contributor to employee’s losing interest at work, it has been revealed today.
In a poll taken by Webrecruit, it has been shown that up to 30% of the people surveyed attributed their lack of motivation at work to a lack of support from their bosses, which was then supported by 28% of respondents said that their job satisfaction level affect their productiveness at work.
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April 12, 2013 3:40 pm |
Business continuity is something many businesses take for granted. 24/7 accessibility to businesses, especially in this day and age, is now expected by both the business itself and more importantly the customer, highlighting the need for a sufficient back-up and disaster recovery system for both IT and telephone systems.
It’s expected that things go wrong from time to time but what shows business strength is the time it takes to recover and the resilience shown. Backing-up has been commonplace for many years but, with the advancement of technology, it pays to have a comprehensive plan and infrastructure in place to maintain business activity.
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April 11, 2013 10:18 am |
The first phase of the Government’s Business Bank was announced yesterday, promising the UK’s small and medium-sized business a huge financial boost.
Vince Cable, the Government’s business secretary announced yesterday that £300m will be invested into the bank and made available to those firms that are struggling to access funds.
The Business Bank is the Government’s latest attempt to boost UK business and it was revealed last year that that £1bn will be invested in to the venture altogether as well as expected private sector funding.
It is expected that businesses will be benefitting from the investment by autumn and those who would like to be part of it need to submit their interest by the end of May.
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April 8, 2013 3:59 pm |
Ok, so a customer has found your business, has probably checked out your website and is now calling you to find out more about what you can offer them. This phone call is vital, it could be the difference between whether they give you their business or they don’t, so it’s in your interest to get it right!
Telephone etiquette is something so important to a business’ success and reputation yet many people seem to let it fall by the way side. Your potential customers should be made to feel valued or else they’ll hang up and look to one of your competitors. Telephone customer service can be a minefield of possible errors, so here at 08Direct we have created a top 10 list of tips of how to avoid customers hanging up, increasing the scope for new business and potential new revenue.
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April 5, 2013 7:53 am |
Nowadays, your website is the first impression upon the potential customer, their first port of call when they want a service. More often than not, if a person needs a particular service or product, they will use a search engine to find a company that can provide what they need.
So, to put it simply, your website will be the first point of contact with your business and as they say, ‘first impressions count’.
Check our handy tips about what you need to do to make sure your website will keep the customers interested and help your business…
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March 26, 2013 9:54 am |
There are already so many non-geographic numbers ranges, so why do we need another one, we hear you ask…
The answer is simple: an 03 number works in the same way as 08 numbers but it has one major difference, it was designed specifically to be mobile-friendly.
The 03 number range was introduced by Ofcom as an alternative to the high charging 08 numbers. Calls to 03 numbers are never charged at more than a local rate call to an 01 or 02 number and when calling from a mobile, the minutes are taken from most monthly bundles, making the calls effectively free from mobile phones.
This is the first non-geographic number range that allows for mobile users to benefit from, offering advantages that no other non-geo number has brought before. Because of the low-rate calls, 03 numbers are highly favoured by the public, reflecting well upon the businesses that use them.
The use of these numbers has been shown to improve customer confidence because of the impression they give out to the customer and the trust it instils. More and more people are using mobiles to make the majority of their calls but are put off from calling businesses with non-geo numbers because of the high calling costs. Imagine how pleased, and more willing to call you, your customers will be if your business numbers were focused on making mobile calls affordable.
Many businesses have already moved over to 03 numbers, such as Hilton Hotels, First4Lawyers and Richer Sounds and are already reaping the benefits of this specialised number range.
Visit our sister site www.03NumberShop.co.uk to find out more about how your business can benefit from an 03 numbers today!
