November 24, 2009 Written
by Bob Meyer, Editor of BarterNews
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From the desk of Bob Meyer...11/24/2009
Sales Update On Restaurants
The National Restaurant Association reports that sales at
full-service will hit $182.9 billion, up 1% over 2008. Fast
food restaurants such as McDonald�s will see sales of $163.8
billion this year, up 4% over 2008.
How Deep Is The Foreclosure Crisis?
Recently, 158 foreclosed condo units 6 miles from downtown
Miami were sold at $113,009 per unit. The sales price was
$109 per square-foot about 33% of construction costs,
which are estimated at $300 per square-foot. (Average condo
prices in the Miami area have fallen by 37% over the past
year to $137,900.)
Trader Takes Advantage Of Opportunities In
Depressed Real Estate Market
Joe Stanley, located in the Denver area, saw an opportunity
and took advantage of it. As a previous buyer of the
BarterNews Fast-Start Barter Program, Stanley finalized
a trade for one year�s accommodation of a one-bedroom
furnished apartment complete with maid service.
Estate Of Barter Entrepreneur Taken Off The
Market
In Los Angeles the $125 million Fleur de Lys estate (a
53,000 square-foot palatial compound) was taken off the
market after 940 days of being listed. The
Versailles-flavored estate is owned by Suzanne Saperstein,
ex-wife of Texas barter entrepreneur David Saperstein who
built a fortune supplying radio traffic reports.
Bartering Frequent Flier Miles For Face Lift
Finnair, Finland�s largest airline, is now offering plastic
surgery as part of its loyalty rewards program. Have enough
points (miles) and one can get a hair replacement, breast
augmentation, or a facelift from Nordstroem Hospital in
Helsinki. (Millions of miles are needed for each procedure.)
Sony�s Change In Procurements Expected To
Save $5.6 Billion!
Sony�s CEO Howard Stringer recently outlined the company�s
turnaround strategy at the electronics giant�s Tokyo
headquarters. This is the first time since its 1958 public
listing that it has incurred losses for two years running.
Sony has been uniting its sprawling business, bringing
together purchasing for parts and other supplies that were
previously divided and less efficient. The restructuring is
expected to save the company $5.6 billion in procurement
costs�a 20% improvement from the previous fiscal year.
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The �Complete Idiot�s
Guide To Barter & Trade Exchanges� Hits Bookstores!
Jerry Howell, Founder & President of the Midwest Business Exchange,
has written a book which will be released December 1 at Barnes &
Noble, Amazon, and other independent book sellers nationwide.
It�s titled the Complete Idiot�s Guide to Barter & Trade
Exchanges and is published by Penguin Books. The book is aimed
at businesses that are either members of trade exchanges, or
considering joining one.
Topics include a history of barter, alternative currencies, and how
trade exchanges work. The book challenges the reader to learn
strategies, both basic and advanced, as they make their memberships
work for them. In doing so, it also offers valuable insight to
brokers of trade exchanges.
Howell is an excellent writer with a well-known sense of humor.
Given these attributes, along with having a major publisher and
national distribution, should provide significant exposure and
opportunities for the commercial barter industry.
Attention Trade Exchange Owners. . .It�s GROW OR GO!
The magic bullet for growth is sales, always has been and always
will be...yet the industry�s overall growth is anemic. Why? Maybe
it�s because we�re not providing on-going education about our unique
way of doing business. Knowledge is always a pre-requisite to taking
sustained action.
And for those newcomers, the lifeblood of an exchange, awareness of
and understanding about the value of trading is even more important.
If you expect prospects to come aboard and your members to be more
active traders, but you are perplexed when the results are less than
you desire...there�s a good reason. You must continually educate
and motivate every month--month after month after month!
Such action is necessary because, let�s face it, more cash business,
not trade, is of paramount importance to your members. You must
break through this �cash only� focus and redirect their thinking
toward barter. Although most exchanges don�t see the importance of
doing so, many industry leaders are taking action and so can you.
As the owner of your own operation, there is an easy and
inexpensive solution for moving forward...look
into using The Competitive Edge newsletter. It�s a
camera-ready, 4-page, professionally written, informational
marketing tool...available in PDF format as well as print. So
regardless of how you reach your prospects and clients, you will
have the necessary vehicle.
Written especially for you, the busy trade exchange owner, I am
certain it will be the best investment you ever make.
For more information about The Competitive Edge, and how it
can benefit you
click
here.
Your Company Is In The
Business Of Customer Development!
Intimate knowledge of your customers is very valuable because they
provide you with a profile of the type of customer you desire! Taken
one step further, spend time analyzing that 20% of your customer
base which provides your company with 80% of the business. This
expenditure of time can be the most productive time ever spent!
The
first step to leveraging your customer base, for faster growth and
more profit requires that you (regardless of what you�re selling)
make a concerted effort to obtain the name, address, phone number
and likes of every customer. Armed with this information you can
develop the �best customer� profile and then move to a higher level.
You
do so by spending your efforts acquiring new prospects who are
clones of your best customers � ones with the same profile as your
best 20% customers. Once you identify who they are, communicate with
them in the most productive ways that your company has developed.
If
you haven�t been communicating, this will require a degree of
testing to see what works and what doesn�t. Ideally, you will appeal
to them with advertising that not only invites a response, bringing
them one step closer to the sale, but one that deepens your
relationship with them. This is usually accomplished by your
follow-up advertising and sales promotions.
After obtaining their name and address, add them to your customer
database. Then stay in touch with them through newsletters and other
forms of communications, so you will be able to develop a long-term
relationship. And for maximum success, you must continue an on-going
search for new clone prospects.
As
your business becomes established this will be obtainable, more and
more, through referrals. The final step to keep in mind is that
these necessary steps must continually be repeated. Obviously, how
fast you build your customer base depends upon your resources as
well as your commitment. With effort, cash, and trade you can move
quickly to gain exposure and new prospects as a minimal cost.
Utilize
Your Trade Exchange
With customer development a top priority, the person in charge of
this effort should certainly be aware of the trade exchange�s
services to stretch your company�s cash. This means being apprised
of the media available, as well as using the professional services
for designing ads, direct mail offers, etc.
The
barter concept will continually surface in the acquisition of more
prospects. For example, in cooperative advertising opportunities
when working with local non-competitors (who have a customer profile
list similar to yours) where you exchange mailing lists. You can
also get together on a piggyback arrangement, where you insert each
other�s brochures with every order filled.
It
can be used when you go one step further, by making a mailing using
an outside rented list and sharing the costs, such as splitting the
costs for postage, envelopes, lettership services, and mailing
lists. In such a co-op venture your company should volunteer to
handle all of the details, because it�ll then be easier to convince
the other party to cooperate.
By
so doing, you �cash convert� your trade dollars when obtaining some
or all of the services and materials on trade. The other party pays
you for their share of the costs in cash. Many manufacturers offer
co-op advertising programs, too. It�s another way to �cash convert�
by securing local advertising with trade dollars, and then
collecting the cash reimbursement payments from the manufacturer.
In
conclusion, it�s important to remember that we�re all in the
business of developing new customers. Once done, however, we
shouldn�t rest on our laurels. Rather, we should leverage our
customer base for faster growth and greater profits!
�
International visitors look for BARTER CONTACTS in our Global Barter
Section. If YOUR exchange isn�t listed see the forms on the lower
left of the page. (Click
here.)
�
Attention trade exchange owners...thousands of visitors every month
visit our BARTER CONTACTS section on our web site where we have
names & addresses of barter companies in the USA. If YOUR exchange
isn�t listed, or the information is incorrect, you can correct the
situation by using the forms to the lower left of the USA map. (Click
here.)
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