When Toll Roads Become a Highway to a Scam

Users of toll roads across the U.S. and many drivers who never use them are the latest group of consumers to be targeted by crooks.

They’re sending out emailed violation notices, claiming recipients used a toll road and failed to pay.

They contain what appears to be a link entitled “Get Invoice” with details for payment but it actually summons a file that installs malware onto victims’ PCs.

Click here to read the full article. 



©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.

Reprinted with permission.

Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at

http://www.scambusters.org

Tools and Tips for your Identity Theft Protection

There was a time not too long ago either when identify theft seemed a distant threat and identity theft protection was something you heard about but probably thought you didn’t need.

Those days are gone thanks to increasingly sophisticated phishing and theft techniques, as well as hacking of customer databases at major retailers, banks, etc.

For instance, in the past two years alone, one of our Scambusters Team members has received seven notifications of hacks against retailers and others that included her personal data!

Click here to read the full article. 



©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.

Reprinted with permission.

Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at

http://www.scambusters.org

FIVE KINDS OF FOLLOW-UP: WHICH SHOULD YOU USE?

Following up with your contacts, prospects, and referral sources is crucial to successful marketing and sales, but it can also cause anxiety and confusion. Follow-up is one of the least favorite tasks on the to-do list of many self-employed professionals. You may find yourself delaying or avoiding it because:

• It makes you nervous. When you follow up with people, they may not be interested or simply not respond, which can cause you to feel rejected or ineffective.
  
• You're not sure how to go about it. What do you say to people when you call? Can you follow up effectively in ways other than calling? How do you follow up with contacts who aren't prospects?
  
• It seems tedious. Follow-up doesn't feel as exciting, creative, or spontaneous as some of the other ways you could spend your sales and marketing time.

All these barriers to powerful follow-up can be overcome, but you need to use the right kind of follow-up at the right time. Here are five types of follow-up you probably need to include in your marketing action plan, and what each one entails.

1. Closing a sale - This is the reason for follow-up we most often think of. It's probably also the kind that provokes the most avoiding and delaying, because the stakes seem highest. You should only be using this type of follow-up if you have already had a sales conversation with your prospect where you found out about his needs, described what you do, and decided there's a match between you.
   
   When following up to close a sale, be prepared with an appropriate closing question. For example: "Are you ready to get started?" "Is my proposal what you were looking for?" "Would you like to schedule an appointment?" Don't feel as if you need any other reason to call or email than to ask your prospect to hire you. Just contact him and ask.
   
2. Having a sales conversation - This variety of follow-up can also score high on the anxiety scale, because it can expose you to rejection. Contacting a prospect to have a sales conversation can be much easier when you already know she is interested. Try to nurture a prospect's interest in your services before asking for her time. (See #3 below.) Or, to smooth your path, seek out introductions to prospects from your other contacts.
   
   Be ready to make a specific proposal when you call or email. For example: "Might we have a 15-minute phone conversation?" "May I stop by your office on Tuesday afternoon when I'm downtown?" "May we have coffee one morning next week?" If you're on the phone, don't launch into an immediate sales conversation unless your prospect agrees to it.
   
3. Developing interest - In contrast to the first two types, this kind of follow-up can be non-threatening to both you and your contacts. You can sometimes develop someone's interest in your services by sending traditional marketing materials like a postcard, brochure, or media kit.
   
   But you'll probably have better luck with an educational approach. Send an article, blog post, photo, audio, video, ebook, sample newsletter, event invitation, or a link to any of these. Focus on content that shows off the benefits and results of working with you, rather than the details of the process. See my article 44 Ways to Follow Up with Your Prospects for a host of creative ideas.
   
4. Staying in touch - Light touches, with a soft sell or none at all, serve to remind both prospects and potential referral sources of you and your work. It's a good idea to have a stay-in-touch strategy in place for all of your contacts. If they agree to opt in, subscribe them to an ezine or your blog posts. Without an opt-in, you can still make calls, send postal mail, or occasionally send personally addressed emails sharing some of the same educational content described in #3 above.
   
5. Stimulating referrals - You never have to say, "please give me the phone numbers of your closest friends" to encourage referrals. Remember to include in your stay-in-touch strategy former clients and all relevant contacts. These people may never become prospects, but when reminded of you regularly, they will naturally refer you when they have the chance.

The next time you find yourself stalled or stymied by follow-up, remember these tips. When you're clear about why you are following up and what to say, you'll be able to take action with less stress.
Copyright © 2015, C.J. Hayden

Read more free articles by C.J. Hayden or subscribe to the GET CLIENTS NOW! E-Letter.

Title Washing Cleans Up Cars’ Murky Past

Differences between rules and word definitions used in individual states are enabling crooks to hoodwink used car buyers with a scam known as title washing.

Up to 800,000 autos on our roads today may have been totaled and rebuilt without the owner knowing this critical part of their history.

The truth gets lost in the system when a new title document is issued, omitting details of a car’s previous status.

Click here to read the full article. 



©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.

Reprinted with permission.

Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at

http://www.scambusters.org

The Great Sneakers Scam and Other Sports Memorabilia Tricks

Collecting sports memorabilia is big business — and we’re not just talking about baseballs signed by legendary players.

Even contemporary products, like limited-edition fashion items such as designer sneakers, sell for hundreds or even thousands of dollars, making collectors a mouthwatering prey for scammers.

In one recent example  which has been widely reported but we are unable to confirm a “sneakerhead” (as they’re called) paid $30,000 for five pairs of exclusive Nike sneakers known as “LeBronold Palmers,” named for NBA champ LeBron James.

Click here to read the full article. 



©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.

Reprinted with permission.

Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at

http://www.scambusters.org

IS MARKETING JUST A NUMBERS GAME?

You may have heard that marketing is just a numbers game: if self-employed professionals can get their marketing message in front of enough people, they will be sure to land enough clients. You'll often hear this type of advice from those who have a personal interest in helping you increase the size of your audience. For example, salespeople for advertising or trade shows, search engine marketing vendors, mailing list brokers, or social media management firms.

But consider for a moment whether it could really be the case that numbers alone are enough. If it were, wouldn't it mean that anyone with enough of a marketing budget to buy ads or exhibit booths, pay for search engine positioning, purchase a mailing list, or hire a pro to manage social media would automatically have a successful business? But you know that isn't true.
In reality, the quality of prospects in your marketing pipeline can be every bit as important as the quantity. Here are five tips for improving the quality of your pipeline:

1. Choose a specific niche to serve. When you don't define a market niche, you are selling to everyone and anyone by default. And that takes an endless amount of time and money. With a pipeline full of prospects you know nothing about, it's almost impossible to follow up effectively. You don't know what their needs are, what their budget is, or what will get their attention.
   
   Instead, focus on marketing to a defined niche of people and organizations you like, have experience with, and will pay what you need to charge. You'll have a much clearer picture of what services they might need from you, and be able to reach out to them accordingly. You'll also experience much less rejection, as your sales approaches will become more appropriate.
   
2. Tailor your message to your chosen niche. Generic marketing messages are much less effective than communications targeted to a specific audience. Even when a generic message attracts interest, it can clutter up your pipeline with people who aren't the best fit for what you do.
   
   Once you know who you're trying to attract, customize all your communications to fit that population. Show them you know their wants and needs, and tell them how you can help in ways that other professionals less familiar with their situation can't.
   
3. Qualify and segment prospects when they enter your pipeline. Keep track of where every prospect comes from and what you already know about them. This will help you prioritize and customize your follow-up, leading to more closed sales. If you try to categorize a prospect and find you have no appropriate category, that person may not belong in your pipeline at all.
   
4. Make referrals a priority. Prospects who are referred to you are more likely to become your clients than those who find you in other ways. Referred prospects are less likely to shop for the lowest price, ask fewer questions about your expertise, and typically come to a decision more quickly. Making contact with people who can become referral sources for you should be part of your marketing plan.
   
5. Boost your credibility. Professionals who speak, write, get interviewed, and volunteer in high-profile positions attract higher-quality prospects. People who come to you because of these activities view you as an expert. Therefore, they are pre-disposed to want to work with you, and more willing to pay your stated fee.

Successful marketing and sales takes more than simply increasing the number of people who know about your business. And that's a good thing! Because it means that talented professionals like you, who put the effort into learning how to market well, can always have an edge over those who just throw money at marketing.
Copyright © 2015, C.J. Hayden

Read more free articles by C.J. Hayden or subscribe to the GET CLIENTS NOW! E-Letter.

Money Flipping Scam Hits Social Networks

It’s been around for years, but money flipping is getting a new lease of life, thanks to the Internet and social media.

The concept is as simple as it is bold. A crook simply claims he knows a trick that will double or triple your money in just a few minutes, if you’ll just send it to him.

Sometimes, they say their technique involves a little-known quirk in the way the money wiring system works.

Click here to read the full article. 



©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.

Reprinted with permission.

Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at

http://www.scambusters.org