Focus on the local market

As a sales manager, you should always be looking for ways to help your representatives sell more. You should keep on top of new strategies and ways to help the company bring in revenue, same as your employees are.
In the newspaper market, it’s important to not forget your local businesses – your paper can turn out to be a beneficial partner for them. The businessknowhow.com article “How to Target a Local Audience Online” provides strategies to help you:

1.Submit a business profile to the popular search engines: Searches on Google Maps or Yahoo Local provide lists of businesses in the area with links to profiles and Web sites, but only businesses that submit a profile are included in the results.

2.Optimize your Web site with words related to your location: You can attract more local customers to your site by using location-specific words. You’re more likely to rank highly in the results when location is relevant to the search.

3.Design promotions for local audience: If your business serves a local market, then focus your online promotions to them. For example, connect sales to local events or festivals.

4.Advertise on your local newspaper Web site: Local news sources still reign in terms of local news coverage – people are going to turn to them for weather reports and community news.

10 Leadership Questions for 2010

Even though the last year or two were difficult for many businesses, it’s time to start fresh with a new one. You need to think about what can be done differently and the “10 for ‘010 10 Smart Leadership Questions for 2010” from businessknowhow.com provides some questions to help you out:

1.What matters most?
Work with your co-workers and clarify your priorities for this year. Find ways to stay focused on the priorities.
2.What is one “problem” you can turn into an opportunity?
Look for opportunities in your issues and apply past success strategies to them.
3.What do employees need to hear from you?
Think from your employees’ point of view – if they don’t feel understood they won’t listen to you. Be careful about the messages you send people/
4.What is your customers’ greatest pain?
Be relentless about knowing and meeting that need. Skip surveys and pick up the phone to call your customers. Listen and understand them first, then worry about offering solutions.
5.What new business relationships will I pursue?
New opportunities come from new relationships. Inside and outside your industry, seek out opportunities where there is potential for mutual benefit, not just “what’s in it for me?”
6.How will I be more strategic?
Get serious about setting a direction and start with a big picture view of the possibilities. Resist the urge to discuss and deal with tactics until you know what you want to accomplish.
7.How can I make swift, yet smart decisions?
You can’t afford to overanalyze. Take your time during the planning process so you can make a faster and better choice later.
8.What leadership skill can and should I get better at?
Pick the leadership quality that needs the most attention – listening, coaching, or problem solving, and commit to improvement. Small changes can make a big difference.
9.How will you recognize success?
You won’t know if the business is on the right path if you haven’t determined indicators or a way to measure it.
10.What is your biggest fear and how will you face it?
Name it and deal with it. Don’t try to avoid it; that could end badly for you and your company.