In this issue
	Kutztown SBDC News DeLux Dental: Improving Quality of Life-By Chrystal Coffelt The Six Steps To Solid Sales Success-By Dan Goldberg Are You Boring Your Customers? - by Lynn VanDyke Insights to Success

DeLux Dental: Improving Quality of Life-By Chrystal Coffelt

DeLux Dental Laboratory, Inc. was established in 1946 by Richard Held, Gus Mavrides, and Wilbur Feather, and in 1986 it was purchased by current president of DeLux, Joseph T. Bakanowski and Douglas Held. At that time, the business serviced dental professionals mostly in the Berks county area. Manufacturing dental prosthetics and consulting with doctors from private practices, hospitals and universities and growing the business from 12 to 33 employees. Today the DeLux "Team" focuses on improving the quality of life for dental teams and their patients throughout the Berks, Schuylkill, Lehigh, Montgomery, Philadelphia regions and reaching throughout Pennsylvania and surrounding states. Their on staff technical advisors offer immediate chair-side assistance, on-site custom shading for patients, and continuing education courses for dentist and dental teams. All work is fabricated on the premises by their technicians and they have a small in house team for computer technology and marketing. DeLux is a leader in dental laboratory technology, with a patent for a processing device used in their everyday operations. Their facility is a recognized certified dental laboratory by The National Association of Dental Laboratories (NADL) and The National Board for Certification (NBC). DeLux is involved in implant studies with a major pharmaceutical company and are proud to be the largest laboratory contributor to The National Donated Dental Services. DeLux teams up with dentist to donate the fabrication of dental prosthetics to patients in need. "DeLux will continue to explore the latest dental technology to bring to clients and their patients." The SBDC assisted DeLux in obtaining grant opportunities, an energy audit, developing job descriptions for the future management team and provided links to additional clients and government hospitals. The SBDC also assisted in the plans that were needed to secure a SBA first loan for renovations to an abandoned city facility. "Anytime we hit a bump, we call Alex Whan at the SBDC. He waves his magic wand of advice and solutions start rolling in!!!!" Click here for the complete article. »

The Six Steps To Solid Sales Success-By Dan Goldberg

Solid sales success is attainable for sales people in all professions. What they must first do is gain better control of their selling skills. Too often the salesperson feels that they're at a loss when entering a client's domain. It's not unusual for salespeople to say that they "Just can't make this call," or "The prospect already has a vendor," or "The prospect's friend is taking care of that account," or even "I don't know, it just doesn't feel right." Those are just a few of any number of excuses. So what's the problem? The problem is that sales is not an easy profession. The salesperson always seems to be at a disadvantage. They automatically "sell to" the buyer rather than let the buyer buy from them. Through listening, learning, understanding and responding to their clients' needs the sales professional can gain the upper hand. Remember that sales should be a win-win situation for everyone. Clients, customers and salespeople should always feel good about the sales process; otherwise there's something wrong. Becoming successful at sales may be about control but it's not about manipulation, lack of caring or taking advantage of any one. Sales success is also about finding needs, fulfilling those needs, following up, representing correctly, adding value and having fun. While it's true that people buy emotionally, sales are sustained rationally. So look for distress, fear, concerns, weaknesses and needs, provide solutions, solve problems and you will create opportunities. Twenty-eight years ago I formulated these six steps and taught them to my retail, as well as wholesale, sales force. These steps helped me build a very successful business. They can do the same for you. Click here for the complete story.

Are You Boring Your Customers? - by Lynn VanDyke

The business world is changing and your company must catch up. Consumers are driving the quest for information and personality. Customers are demanding to trade their hard earned cash for prompt, reliable, trust worthy and friendly services. Clients yearn for the days when a company took care of them.�� Is your company doing all it can to establish a regular, consistent, focused, friendly relationship with each and every customer? Are you delivering powerful content and information to your clients? Are you providing answers to their concerns and questions before they have to ask? Are you doing all of this through old-fashioned, out-dated and ineffective marketing techniques? Forget about the postcards that remind your customers to get their oil changed or the weekly sales circular. That is not innovation. In today's business world those techniques are considered par. Your company should be doing something similar already. However, your company needs an innovative, never-ending marketing campaign that leverages your database to its fullest potential. Your company needs to become the leader in your field; you must set yourself apart from all the others. You must put your company in front of your customer's eyes every single chance you get. Your company must thrive on customer service and attention. Click here for the complete story. »

Insights to Success

is a monthly article sharing challenges/learning opportunities encountered by our clients every month relative to their day-to-day business activities. All Insights to Success articles come from our clients' submittals. The format for the piece consists of a brief introduction, the respective challenge, and the solution. The Business of Brochures by Jerry Bullard They are all around us. In display racks at stores, in the mail, in waiting rooms, at fast food restaurants, in hotel lobbies, and car dealerships...the ubiquitous brochure. How many brochures are out there? Consider the brochures put out by one company - Avon. According to their website, in 2001, more Avon sales brochures were produced annually than U.S. $100 bills printed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. Multiply that by the number of businesses worldwide and you have a staggering number. But what makes a brochure accomplish its goal? What separates a good brochure from a not so good brochure? First and foremost as copywriter guru Bob Bly points out in his book, The Copywriter s Handbook, is to know where the brochure fits into the buying process. Will the brochure be used by salespeople as a leave behind to potential buyers? Will the brochure be in a rack in a hotel lobby vying for the attention of guests? Will it be in a display case in a new car dealer s showroom describing the features of benefits of the new model? Perhaps the brochure is mailed out to potential customers in response to an inquiry from another source. Click here for the complete story. Please Email your Insight to Success articles to the Success Connection Editor Chrystal Coffelt at ccoff909@kutztown.edu.