Free Works… Really.

Of the most powerful words you can use in selling your marketing message, the word free is still at the top of the list. In fact, one marketing magazine noted in a recent article that free food and drink still bring out more people then a great guest of speaker on high-impact seminar topics. We ALL love getting something for nothing. If you have a high-value potential customer that you’ve not been able to win over, consider offering them a free-gourmet meal and see what happens. There are some key words to communicate within your invitation that can be a big help in getting them to take advantage of your free offer. First, make sure theyunderstand that they are under no obligation to join you for that free meal. Second, they will be your guest and you are going to pay. There, there will be no high pressure sales pitch while they are dining. Keeping them safe will encourage them to say yes to your free offer.

Although many claim that there’s no such thing as a free lunch, you can prove them wrong. Offer a low-pressure event with lots of free gifts or food, and watch the customers come out of the woodwork!

Compliments

When was the last time someone gave you a sincere and meaningful compliment, something you knew was from the heart? Most people can’t remember the last time they received a “real compliment”, have you ever meant someone who complained about getting too many compliments, or being fussed over too much? You should always try and give every prospect or customer a compliment every time you talk with them. However beware giving complements that are not sincere. People instantly know the difference between saccharine and sugar.

Ten Ways To Know Your A Penn State Fan

Doesn’t this time of the year just seem better than any other? Sure baseball is fun but 162 games seems a tad too long for my taste, and seeing the manager squeeze his body into a real uniform (despite the fact that they’re the only coaches of any sport to do so) can be quite unpleasant. It’s that time of year again for PSU fans That’s why football fans are a different breed. Each Monday during the season they spend more time deciding what will be on their tailgating menu than what they are going to have for dinner for the entire week. But that’s what’s great about football. Sun, wind, rain or snow, you know that the weather isn’t going to prevent you from screaming your lungs out for three straight hours. So without further ado, here are the top 10 signs you know the Penn State football season is about to begin:

10. You once again realize that there hasn’t been a time you’ve driven to State College where Interstate 80 hasn’t been “currently under construction.”

9. You don’t look twice when you see a 70-year-old man wearing twice as many blue and white buttons as you’ve seen on one person previously in your entire life.

8. When the person next to you has his cell phone go off and you instantly start jumping up and down to his Zombie Nation ring tone. (Which by the way I think it’s time to change the movement to the “Beaver Bounce” in order to make it a signature move of Happy Valley. Yes, I’ll seek the copyright if the term catches on.)

7. Judy from Muncy once again enters your vocabulary.

6. You’ve told everyone from your son/daughter, husband/wife, father/mother, friend/enemy, and dog/cat how Penn State could play in the National Championship game this season if a couple of things go right.

5. You’ve changed your five basic food groups to ribs, wings, blue cheese, celery and (enter your favorite alcoholic beverage here).

4. You see no problem in staying up until 1:30 A.M. watching Arizona State play Washington even though the game doesn’t impact the Nittany Lions whatsoever.

3. You’ve already been in an argument with your significant other about a relative who had the audacity of scheduling their wedding on a Penn State weekend.

2. Lee Corso makes you scream words you didn’t even know you knew.

1. You find comfort in hearing terms like “out of whack”, “we might get licked”, “they’re a better team than most people think”, “I’m not sure what kind of team we have”, or hearing a story about a play from 1950 as though it happened three minutes ago.