If Facebook were a Country it'd be the 4th largest in the World
Written on 9:24 AM by Mark Osborne
Another Cool Video I stumbled across, VERY neat...did I just say neat?
What the F**K is Social Media?
Written on 2:22 PM by Mark Osborne
Awesome slide show I had to share - what the F**K is Social Media - 1 year later!
What the F**K is Social Media: One Year Later
View more documents from Marta Kagan.
Selling, Persuading, Communicating, and Negotiating
Written on 5:22 PM by Mark Osborne
Although this blog is typically just about my quest for the Million Dollar iPhone App, I'm going to branch out and start discussing other Marketing, Sales, and New Media topics...
Too many times, people confuse selling, persuading, communicating, and negotiating. Professional Selling is a process, involving many, many steps and many, many skills.
Persuasion is a skill. You can cajole someone into a one time transaction, but you didn't sell them anything, you just tricked them. If you sell someone something they feel good about the transaction and look forward to buying from you again in the future. If you are overly persuasive, your customer will make a bad decision, and blame you for it. There are many points in the sales process where persuasion is helpful and even neccessary, however simply eliciting an emotional "buy" may work for candy in the grocery check-out lane, but isn't the basis of a professional transaction. Too much persuasion makes you slick, like a revivalist stealing from the offering plate or a used car salesman peddling lemons.
Communicating is also a skill. Good communication is often a part of persuasion, but you can communicate without being persuasive. Good communication is usually part of the sales process as you educate a client on the benefits of your product or service. However, the most valuable part of communication in the sales process is LISTENING. Understanding a clients needs makes a salesperson better able to address them. Meeting needs is the key to a successful sale. The fast talking salesman belongs with the overly persuasive huckster.
Negotiating should only take place after a sale has been made. Too many times sellers try to negotiate on price as a way of selling thier product. If you buy a product simply because it was a low price you still feel like you got ripped off , because you weren't SOLD on the fact that you needed it to begin with! You still feel tricked! Professional sellers know that price is not the only aspect of the deal that can be negotiated. Length of contract, perks, add-ons, billing arrangement, customer support plans etc. are all opportunities for negotiation.
Next time your selling something - even if it's trying to sell your friends on a particular restaurant for dinner, think about the process. Communicate first, listening to find out thier needs, be persuasive in explaining how your solution fits thier needs, then negotiate once you've reached an agreement in principle. You'll win more often and wind up with happier customers in the process!
Too many times, people confuse selling, persuading, communicating, and negotiating. Professional Selling is a process, involving many, many steps and many, many skills.
Persuasion is a skill. You can cajole someone into a one time transaction, but you didn't sell them anything, you just tricked them. If you sell someone something they feel good about the transaction and look forward to buying from you again in the future. If you are overly persuasive, your customer will make a bad decision, and blame you for it. There are many points in the sales process where persuasion is helpful and even neccessary, however simply eliciting an emotional "buy" may work for candy in the grocery check-out lane, but isn't the basis of a professional transaction. Too much persuasion makes you slick, like a revivalist stealing from the offering plate or a used car salesman peddling lemons.
Communicating is also a skill. Good communication is often a part of persuasion, but you can communicate without being persuasive. Good communication is usually part of the sales process as you educate a client on the benefits of your product or service. However, the most valuable part of communication in the sales process is LISTENING. Understanding a clients needs makes a salesperson better able to address them. Meeting needs is the key to a successful sale. The fast talking salesman belongs with the overly persuasive huckster.
Negotiating should only take place after a sale has been made. Too many times sellers try to negotiate on price as a way of selling thier product. If you buy a product simply because it was a low price you still feel like you got ripped off , because you weren't SOLD on the fact that you needed it to begin with! You still feel tricked! Professional sellers know that price is not the only aspect of the deal that can be negotiated. Length of contract, perks, add-ons, billing arrangement, customer support plans etc. are all opportunities for negotiation.
Next time your selling something - even if it's trying to sell your friends on a particular restaurant for dinner, think about the process. Communicate first, listening to find out thier needs, be persuasive in explaining how your solution fits thier needs, then negotiate once you've reached an agreement in principle. You'll win more often and wind up with happier customers in the process!
My Date with Drew
Written on 10:14 AM by Mark Osborne
I love movies - more than once a movie has literally changed my life. I saw a great movie last night I want to share with you! 
I broke my ankle 2 weeks ago. Some people like pain killers as a recreational drug, I hate them. They make me depressingly depressed, plus the immobilization, the pain - altogether, not a good time. On top of that, I was a little late getting all the graphics to my iphone developer, he tried to make up time on the project, but now he is running late so that has me down as well. I'm putting in a deck on my house and I'm litterally BROKE for the next SEVERAL pay cycles. The upcoming launch and promotion/marketing of my app is weighing on me 'cuz I know I'll need to spend a little money on a few things and I just don't have it...UGH.
Last night I watched this movie on Showtime 'My Date with Drew' - it's a documentary about a regular guy that has had a crush on Drew Barrymore since he was 10, and he decides to spend 30 days trying to get a date with her. The guy is a bit of a dork, which is endearing to some, but drove me nuts, but in the end, well, you guessed it - he gets a date with Drew.
It's not a movie about love, or being a stalker, or even 'getting the girl.' It's about believing in yourself and daring to do something you want to do...something other people will think you are stupid for trying, something you have little chance of success at, something that may not even have that big of a payoff in the end.
Most sales training is about motivation. Staying movtivated is the MOST important factor for being successful, and a 'positive mental attitude' is the foundation of every Tony Robbins / life coach in the world. It's hard. This movie helped me get my mind back on course, so I recommend it to you!
So Vicodin be damned, I'm back on the horse - pursuing my Million Dollar iPhone App!
I've got to design some logos, build some websites, test the beta version, plan the marketing (and oh yeah, buy an iPhone!) but I can do it! I can do it all night!!! 
