100 best sales & marketing ideas: 11 tech tips

83. Fiscal fitness.

I advertise my business on flat screens in three local fitness centers. I work out in all three places, so the clients see me there and I do a meet-and-greet with members twice a month. There are about 15,000 active members between all three locations. They see my ads, they see me working out with them and they see me as a professional income planner at the meet-and-greets. It is amazing how over time they just gravitate to my meet-and-greet table. I have a nice banner at the table with two big red stop signs that say “Stop by and meet Marc.” It works well. I paid $7,200 last year for the ad space on the flat screens and netted $50,000 in commissions. Great return on investment, plus I am committed more to work out in all three locations. This year I just started doing Social Security analysis promotions for a workshop I want to implement. With 527 ways to apply for Social Security and 75 percent of the 10,000 boomers a day applying and cannot be assisted by the Social Security staff, what a great way to be different. By the way, my ads have already paid for themselves for 2013.

—Marc A. Catonja

82. Internet selling.

Because it’s gaining popularity, you need to be creative and develop a presentation framework consisting of compelling content and a professionally developed slideshow (show one bullet point at a time so your audience cannot get ahead of you), full-featured system for holding meetings over the Web and a well-rehearsed delivery.

—Louis Franco

81. Get personal. 

The more technology-driven this world becomes, the more we appreciate the personal touch: real recognition, in-person face time and actually getting to talk to and work with people. John Naisbitt, author of High Tech, High Touch: Technology and Our Search for Meaning, explains that the more high tech the world becomes, the more we crave high touch.

—Joanne Black

80. A paperless world. 

About six years ago, I started scanning all client files into a paperless filing system as the files were getting big. These days we use Dropbox and tools like that to pass paper around.

—Steve Plewes

79. No toys at the table.

At a recent presentation, my tablemate worked on three different devices during the entire presentation. Maybe she was tweeting, answering emails or writing a blog post. I’ll never know for sure. But I do know she couldn’t possibly give her full attention to the speaker. So why did she even bother to attend? How did she ever hope to connect with the speakers, her fellow tablemates or other conference attendees?

—Joanne Black

For more sales & marketing tips, visit LifeHealthPro’s 100 Best Sales & Marketing Ideas.