...chew on a pen, your fingernails, gum or anything else while on phone.

...eat or slurp coffee.

...mumble.

...make important calls when you're tired or not feeling well.

...EVER put a sales call on hold while you take another call.

...repeat stalling words like 'basically', 'actually' and 'uh'. It screams out that you're not sure where you're going.

...waste their time. Have all your facts close at hand and review them before call so they are at top of your mind and tip of your tongue.

5. Ask for sale. In same way we constantly remind web surfers to "click here", we need to invite prospect to take action.

6. Finally, prepare yourself mentally for rejection. You don't want your disappointment to come through in your voice because that same client might resurface another day. And you want him/her to remember your pleasant disposition, right?

How can you free up more of your precious time and improve your traffic and revenues? Hire an experienced content provider to write and regularly refresh your online material. It does make a difference!

In your sales letters, you must wait until end to reveal price and ordering instructions. This puts them in proper frame of mind to buy because you would have given all benefits and particulars your prospect needs prior to asking for order.

If your offer includes a brochure and an order form, separate them from letter. This strategy will increase response. If you’re using direct mail, put brochure and order form in a sealed envelope. On outside of envelope, print following: "Please don’t open until you have read my letter." If your sales letter is online, include a link to a separate order page.

Magic Technique #4 -- Typefaces are important

In direct mail, headlines should be in Times-Roman font, serif, or sans serif typefaces. The body copy should always be Times Roman. Reason? On written page, it’s easy to read. Never use a sans serif typeface in body copy.

On websites, sans serif typefaces such as Arial and Verdana seem to work best because they are more inviting to read in a sea of cyber-clutter.

Strive for an editorial look. The ad should appear similar to an article in publication in which your ads will run. I call this format an "advertorial." Five times as many people read editorials than messages that scream out, "I’m an ad!" If an advertorial is prepared in a way that lends credibility, it can pull up to 500% more in sales!

Magic Technique #5 -- Pricing your product

Here is a really powerful tip that will increase your profits. You may have noticed that price of my books and tapes ends in 7. There is a good reason for this. Remarkably, with same copy and offer for any given product, I have proven time and again through testing that you can increase sales simply by changing price to one ending in number 7.

Recently at a seminar wherein I spoke, my co- speaker, Gil Good (in charge of promotions for The Wall Street Journal for many years), discussed that subscription offers ending in 7 out-pulled all others. At my last seminar, an attendee, a biblical scholar, pointed out number seven was often used in Bible. Remember phrase, "70 X 7"? Seven may be a number that is truly blessed! The most effective magazine subscription offer, made many years ago, was by Life Magazine – and its price was $7.77.

Test price this way: If your current price is $19.95, try $19.97. If you now sell at $69, test $67 or $77; or if your price is $99, try $97, etc.!