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How to Cold Call a Big Customer
Here's how to pitch a highly visible company and turn one call into a future sale.
Read moreDirect Marketing
Cold-Calling 101
Thinking of just picking up the phone and dialing an executive to drum up some new business? Not so fast. You need a game plan. Here's how to develop one.
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How to Improve Your Cold-Calling Skills
Let’s face it: nobody really enjoys making cold calls. But sparking a connection remains a crucial skill to have whether you are a business owner, job seeker or even a volunteer looking to raise money. Here's a guide to closing more deals with fewer dials.
Read moreRecent Articles about Direct Marketing
10 Marketing Musts
Are you are spending enough time and money marketing your business? If not,you are ignoring a critical success component. Customize these ideas to work for y... Read more
5 Ways to Connect with Customers and Buyers
I'd like to point out a business owner who is living much of the advice I'm writing in this column relating to sales and marketing. Tina Hill of Read more
Chris Consorte's Bio
Columns for Inc.com's E-Commerce Resource Center. Read more
FTC Shortens Do-Not-Call Waiting Period
The FTC announced a plan yesterday to shorten the length of time it takes to be removed from telemarketers' lists, an Read more
Do-Not-Call List Hits Another Snag
The national do-not-call list has come under fire again, the Read more
Will Antispam Law Help?
The Can Spam Act of 2003 that President Bush has indicated he will sign into law should help clear our inboxes of some of those annoying, unsolicited mess... Read more
Tips and Sales Techniques for Cold Calling
Advice on developing one of the most difficult skills in sales. Read more
How E-mail Marketing Works
While avoiding spam like the plague, integrating legitimate e-mail marketing with other advertising strategies yields best results for small and mid-size bus... Read more
E-mail Marketing the Right Way
Whether you do it yourself or outsource it to someone else, here's the lowdown on e-mail marketing to avoid having e-mails be filtered away as spam. Read more
Telecom Tricksters: How to Avoid Slamming, Cramming and Hijacking
A guide to protecting your business against unscrupulous phone company tactics. Read more
Darn Those Pop-Up Ads! They're Maddening, But Do They Work?
They create as much clutter as those slippery advertising inserts that fatten a Sunday newspaper and are as inescapable as humidity in August. But just ho... Read more
Bad for Business?
On Thursday, the Small Business Administration's Office of Advocacy sent a Read more
There's No Such Thing as a Wrong Number
Voodoo sales wisdom from David Rosen, the happiest cold caller you'll ever meet. Read more
Inc. 500 Firm Denies Wrongdoing in Lawsuit
Gratis Internet faces charges of selling customer e-mail addresses to marketing agencies. Read more
How to Find New Customers and Increase Sales
How to better understand your target audience, generate new sales leads, and focusing on getting more revenue from existing clientele. Read more
Stop E-mail Marketing from Resembling Spam
Where is the line that separates e-mail marketing from spam? A careful email marketing campaign can successfully reach customers and increase sales while kee... Read more
The Great IT Outsourcing Debate: How to Decide
Even small businesses can benefit from outsourcing some technology functions, whether these involve human resources, finance, accounting, or customer service... Read more
Bluetooth Headset for Your Convertible
I live in Austin, TX which means that it's convertible weather all the time except in the middle of the day in the summer, when it's about 3000 degrees an... Read more
How to Diversify Your Customer Base
Every business wants to reach a broader audience. Here are five free strategies to diversify your audience and to expand your reach. Read more
How to Find Your First Customer
Your first paying customer is always the hardest to get but also the most exciting to acquire. Read more
Ben Lerer, Co-founder of Thrillist.com
Founder of a men's shopping website and popular e-newsletter, Ben Lerer shares his strategies for building a successful online business. Watch video
E-mail: On Messages
6 questions to every small business should consider before creating an e-mail marketing campaign. Read more
Publishing an Effective HTML Newsletter
Creating an HTML Newsletter is vital for small businesses to keep in touch with clients and potential clients these days. Here's how to find templates, third... Read more
A Guide to Profitable Direct Marketing
Author Lois Geller explains how direct marketing can be tested, tracked, and most important, profitable. Read more
New Robocall Do's And Don'ts
Write this one down in your diary. A federal agency has actually done something useful. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is banning so-called r... Read more
How Do I Get My First Customer?
I recently got this question from a reader named Doug: Hi Norm, I'm a typical start-up and can't seem to get my "first customer." I've start... Read more
Sarah Prevette, Founder of Sprouter
Sarah Prevette has created a service that entrepreneurs can use to socialize, share tips, and ask questions in a rapid-fire, short-attention-span fashion. Watch video
7 E-mail Marketing Tips for Valentine's Day
These tips will help you to capitalize on Valentine's Day (or any holiday) with effective e-mail marketing. Read more
An Internet Model That Works
The dot-coms may be dropping like flies, but the Internet can still turbocharge a traditional company's sales. CEO Norm Brodsky offers six advantages to maki... Read more
Writing an E-Newsletter that Gets Results
Here’s a newsflash: sending regular e-newsletters can be a cost-effective way to build relationships with customers and prospects. Just make sure you do no... Read more
How to Create a Killer E-mail Newsletter
Nine tips for designing an e-mail newsletter that won't have customers reaching for the Unsubscribe button Read more
100 Phone Calls
To find out is there is a market that is large enough to sustain a new line of business, you need to make 100 phone calls. To your target audienc... Read more
Online Marketing's Best Kept Secret
Over the last few months we've been working with a number of our clients on establishing and growing their email marketing strategies. We helped one clie... Read more
How to Improve Your E-Mail Marketing
Your customers and clients are overloaded with e-mail every day. We asked experts for their tips and tricks for more effective e-mail marketing. Read more
Looking Offline to Drive Online Sales
Try these low-cost offline marketing strategies to boost online sales. Read more
How Respecting Competition Wins Business
What should you say when a prospective customer asks, "How are you different from your competition?" Read more
Cause Marketing: Do a Good Deed to Get a Good Deed
Everybody loves to do good. Here are four steps - and a few creative ideas - to kick-start a cause marketing campaign for your business. Read more
America’s Fastest-Growing Financial Services Company
PaymentMax promises to pay merchants the next day. Read more
Report: Small Business Owners Ambivalent About the Public Health Care Option
Some owners believe a public health care offering will lessen the financial burden on small business, while others won't risk losing employees by canceling c... Read more
My Company Has Been an Inc. 500|5000 Winner 5 Years in a Row!
How winning and marketing awards can help your business grow. Read more
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