Warren Buffett is famous for saying. "I don't invest in anything I don't understand." Well, we don't do business with companies we don't understand. Our customers are hard working food and building supply wholesalers, auto dealers, community banks, city governments, libraries, schools and other easily understood businesses in Michigan. They may not have the "get rich quick" potential, but like Metcom, they're all focused on building and maintaining long term relationships.

 

Thanks to all of our customers for keeping things simple and making it last. It's certainly not easy but we fight the good fight - the noble fight. To those of you who are not our customer, if given the opportunity, we promise to do our best to make your life easier.

 

Train someone to Sell and Communicate Better Than You

Have you ever considered the benefits of training one or more of your employees to communicate and sell - even better than you?

 

As we all know, many small business owners are already wearing enough hats and as much as we may like to at times - we simply cannot clone ourselves. In business it seems there is a widening gap between those who can invent technology and those who buy the results of technology. Large corporations have historically dealt with this challenge by employing specialized staff who are technically educated, can communicate and sell product benefits, and then trains a user how to use them. These "sales engineers" can bridge the widening communications gap. They have always been in great demand.

 

If you're a small business owner and your head is heavy from all of the hats you are wearing, you may want to consider training someone to sell and communicate better than you. Always remember, a great staff can lighten your load, convey benefits, and demystify your products for your customers.

Social Media

It's been said that blogging and tweeting are often incompatible with generating qualified leads or closed sales. But if you run a business, how do you know if your tweeting and blogging are making you money? Are you simply enabling the endless chattering among masses that have no need of your services or product, nor means of paying you for anything?

 

Here are three ways social media will do nothing for you:

1. If you can't turn voyeurs into participants. It is very hard to cost-justify most blogs. Beyond your core of loyalists, most of your prospects have little time to read let alone respond to your posts. Many of the tools and tricks of social media are designed to promote blogs but few tools exist to convert readers into qualified prospects for your products or services. Make sure the zealot pitching social media believes in your need to create profitable growth in your business.
   
   
2. If you can't entice your buyers to engage in social networking. While I can't find a study to prove this, the tone of most bloggers and tweeters is not that of a buyer with time, need, authority and money. I often get the feeling that most of the commentary is coming from those with agendas other than making a purchasing decision. If there could be a way of measuring how your online audience earns their living, this would be quite illuminating.
   
   
3. If you can't convert conversations into qualified sales leads. Time is valuable and all prospects aren't created equal. Helping interested parties to like and trust you must lead to closed business. Make sure you know how much free content is enough -- and when it serves no business purpose. The big players in your competitive space may have the fortitude to build up their audiences but you may be better off blogging on their sites than trying to establish your own space.

Make sure to demand a connection between your investment in social media and your returns in profitable growth.

5 Reasons to Order Calendars Early this Year!

1. Save Money - take advantage of early bird order pricing and delayed billing plan!
2. Best Selection - Your first choices are guaranteed to be in stock!
3. Free Storage - We'll store your order until Fall - free of charge!
4. Increase Sales - On average, a person looks at a calendar 12 times a day - be sure the ad they see is yours!
5. Be First - Make sure that the calendar your customer uses is the one with your ad! Get to their desk first!

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Your Own Online Store?

You don't have to be a major university in order to offer your branded merchandise online. With our unique company store program, you can offer employee incentives while cutting costs and generating additional revenue.

 

Link (below), to our company store demo and imagine the possibilities!

 

Visit Metstore

Early Bird Pricing on 2011 Calendars!

Did you know that 83% of customers purchase products or services from the advertiser who supplied them with a calendar? Order before July 1st and receive our early bird discount. You won't be billed until September!

 

Offer Expires: July 1st, 2010