Marketer's Vault

If you don’t care about the ethical aspects of your marketing campaigns, you are in serious risk for a trainwreck of your business.

The biggest asset of you business is people, customers, prospects, internet surfers, maybe partners, all kind of people… REAL people. Not just numbers or possibilities for income for you; but they are human beings like you and me, and you must treat them as such if you want any success with people, both online and offline, in business and friendships, in music and in your lovelife.

REAL people have feelings, emotions and drives – and it is important to respect these, so you don’t turn people off by hurting their feelings or beleifs. Try instead to understand what drives them… and if you are smart, you can even turn this knowledge into a valuable asset, again both in your business and in your personal life.

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Below you can read some external contributor’s take on this issue:

Online Business Etiquette

Your behaviour when embarking on an online business should be no different from that of an offline business owner. Civility, respect, and common decency should prevail – treat potential customers, business associates, etc. the way you yourself would like to be treated.

Focus less on forcing sales and more on building a relationship/rapport with clients to demonstrate that you’re trustworthy. Don’t treat customers simply as a potential sale – regard them as you would a friend in need. View the process as if you have a friend with a problem and you want to match him up with the best possible solution i.e. best product/service. Get into the mindset of getting paid to really help people vs. simply concerning yourself with your bottom line.

If selling or promoting a product, be responsible – do thorough research focusing on testimonials and reviews to guarantee you’re matching your customers with appropriate products of the highest quality and best value. If instead you’re offering a service to your clients, your focus should be on customer service – being approachable, easy to do business with, and ensuring that all your customers’ needs are met. Tailoring your approach to each of your customers and giving them individual and personalized help will most likely be necessary. There will most certainly be times you’ll face a difficult customer, and in such cases remember the old adage rings true – the customer is always right. So when you hit a snag, see it as an opportunity to think outside the box and find a solution. Not only will you have a happy customer, but a loyal one.

With regards to running an online business, no matter what type it is, if you want to stand out you have to break the mould. You often hear “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, which is fine but sometimes you might have to tweak it. With the amount of competition online, the stakes are higher. So how does one stand out and make a name for him or herself?

In addition to relationship-building, good customer service, and focusing on the needs of your customers, you have to address that an online business is somewhat of a different animal. The internet is vast and seemingly infinite – you’re not the only game in town! There’s a lot of potential to be successful but again, how do you make a name for yourself when you’re one among so many?

As with an offline business you need to build your credibility, but here the tools of the trade are different. You can’t “read” your customers because you aren’t meeting them face-to-face. Whether you’re offering a product or service, you’re behind a computer screen. So, you need to be particularly concerned with the tone of your emails, content of your web site, etc. You should personalize your correspondence while still conveying a professional demeanour. You should be informative in any newsletters you send out and appear helpful with any offers they may include – never spam your clients or make them feel pressured, and ensure what you’re offering is something they are at least interested in and that it’s targeted for their needs.

Above all else, if you find something you’re passionate about doing, appearing helpful and supportive to your customers will come naturally to you. And remember, your business would not be successful without your customers – they’re not a nuisance nor a hindrance, they’re a necessity. They are your business.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6403046

Ann Dale

Online Business Etiquette

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Here is another posting on this issue:

Buliding Your Business Based On Moral Values

In an ever evolving world with such varied stimulus coming
in from every angle we sometimes are confused as to what products
to buy, what television shows to watch, or more importantly in this case
what business to be involved in. Judging by what we see in the news
and on TV it can seem that nearly every business these days has
a darker unknown side that may be hidden from the public. From
exploiting a young workforce in a foreign nation for nothing
more than peanuts to testing of products on animals while wiping
out our natural resources. Adding sexual innuendos and other
adult humour in childrens programming to appeal to a wider
audience has even been known to occur frequently in television
shows! For the many of us looking for that ethical way out it
does seem hard to trust many businesses these days.

Is There Actually A Demand For The Moral/ Ethical Based Business:

While difficult to find, an ethical business that is based on moral values
can pay huge dividends for that exact reason. Cater to the needs of the
people with a product that is different to everyone else! This
golden opportunity allows you to utilize the power of word of
mouth marketing from customers that truly value what you are
contributing with. Excited people referring your company based
on the moral values you provide and the service you offer is a
much stronger tool than any of the sales people that you can
employ. While many companies say that sex sells, there are many
millions of people out there that actually want something
without having to always resort to the same old methods to get
peoples attention.

Knowing What Your Customer Actually Wants:

Should the collective of business startups and
entrepreneurs be taking surveys in order to see what the
consumers are interested in spending their money on? While
people are beginning to focus on their families and the
environment that they subject them to; they are becoming more
and more conscious about what is out there. From what companies
do with animals in their research, or how they harm the
environment when they are manufacturing. What effects the foods
we eat will have on us and our children, from cancerous
additives to making our hair fall! We want to know that the food
we eat is not going to cause cancer or make our hair fall out.

We want to know if a company says money back guarantee there is
no fine print that limits us because of some absurd company
policy that is set in place to save the man money.

Hopeful Change For Business Morals In The Future

Were a company to heed
to this philosophy and put in place this upstanding position,
the results would be astounding and their business would soar.
Unfortunately however, there are too many businesses who are way
to interested in the bottom line for the short term. Their
profits! They are interested in seeing that green stuff right
now and are not interested in how satisfied the consumer is with
the actual product. They focus on all the other people who they
can sucker into buying their products. But there is hope that
more and more business will start focusing on the longevity of
their business. Our hopes will lie in that future generation of
aspiring business men and women wanting to make a difference. As
an entrepreneur it is up to you and as consumers may we
encourage and be hopeful that we will see the reappearance of
the moral based business in our life time.

They will often reply with there are a million other suckers who will
buy our product. Perhaps there will be a change in how future
businesses are created and where they stand. Our hopes lie in
the hands of future generations of businessmen and women and
aspiring entrepreneurs. May we the consumers be fortunate enough
to see moral based business again before we become grandparents?
Only time will tell if we will ever get to see this appear.

Muneer Al-Busaidi

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