Your web business probably gets product inquiries from potential customers around the globe. Inquiries come via e-mail and your web site, and you try to send information to each hot prospect as quickly as you can. You know that you can drastically increase the likelihood of making a sale by satisfying each person 's need for information quickly!
But, after you've delivered that first bit of information to your prospect, do you send him any further information?
If you are like most Internet marketers, you don't.
When you don't follow that initial message with additional information later on, you let a valuable prospect slip from your grasp! This is a potential customer who may have been very interested in your products, but who lost your contact information, or was too busy to make a purchase when your first message reached him.
Often, a prospect will purposely put off making a purchase, to see if you find him important enough to follow up with later. When he doesn't receive a follow up message from you, he will take his business elsewhere.
Are you losing profits due to inconsistent and ineffective follow up?
Following up with leads is more than just a process - it 's an art. In order to be effective, you need to design a follow up system, and stick to it, EVERY DAY! If you don't follow up with your prospects consistently, INDIVIDUALLY, and in a timely fashion, then you might as well forget the whole follow up process.
Consistent follow up gets results!
When I first started marketing and following up with prospects, I used a follow up method that I now call the "List Technique." I had a large database containing the names and e-mail addresses of people who had specifically requested information about my products and services.
These prospects had already received my first letter by the time they requested more information, so I used the company 's latest news as a follow up piece. I would write follow up newsletters every now and then, and send them, in one mass mailing, to everyone who had previously requested information from me. While this probably did help me win a few additional orders, it wasn't a very good follow up method. Why isn't the "List Technique" very effective?
The List Technique isn't consistent. Proponents of the List Technique tend to only send out follow up messages when their companies have "big news".
List Technique messages don't give the potential customer any additional information about the product or service in question. He can't make a more informed buying decision after receiving a newsletter! If someone is wondering whether your company sells the best knick-knacks, what does he care that you've just moved your headquarters?
List Technique messages convey a "big list" mentality to your potential customers. When I used to write follow up messages using the List Technique, I was writing news bulletins to everyone I knew! I should have been sending a personal message to each individual who wanted to know more about my products.
What follow up method really works?
Following up with each lead individually, multiple times, but at set intervals, and with pre-written messages, will dramatically increase sales! Others who use this same technique confirm that they have all at least doubled the sales of various products! In order to set this system up, though, you need to do some planning.
First, you'll need to develop your follow up messages. If you've been marketing on the Internet for any length of time, then you should already have a first informative letter. Your second letter marks the beginning of the follow up process, and should go into more detail than the first letter. Fill this letter with details that you didn't have the space to add to the first letter. Stress the BENEFITS of your products or services!
Your next 2-3 follow up messages should be rather short. Include lists of the benefits and potential uses of your products and services. Write each letter so that your prospects can skim the contents, and still see the full force of your message.
The next couple of follow up messages should create a sense of urgency in your prospect 's mind. Make a special offer, giving him a reason to order NOW instead of waiting any longer. After reading these follow up messages, your prospect should want to order immediately!
Phrase each of your final 1 or 2 follow up messages in the form of a question. Ask your prospect why he hasn't yet placed an order? Try to get him to actually respond. Ask if the price is to high, the product isn't the right color or doesn't have the right features, or if he is looking for something else entirely. (By this time, it 's unlikely that this person will order from you. However, his feedback can help you modify your follow up letters or products, so that other prospects will order from you.)
The timing of your follow up letters is just as important as their content. You don't want one prospect to receive a follow up the day after he gets your initial informative letter, while another prospect waits weeks for a follow up!
Always send an initial, informative letter as soon as it is requested, and send the first follow up 24 hours afterwards. You want your hot prospects to have information quickly, so that they can make informed buying decisions!
Send the next 2-3 follow up messages between 1 and 3 days apart. Your prospect is still hot, and is probably still shopping around! Tell him about the benefits of your products and services, as opposed to your competitors'. You will make the sale!
Send the final follow up messages later on. You certainly don't want to annoy your prospect! Make sure that these last letters are at least 4 days apart.
Following up effectively seems complicated, but it doesn't have to be! So many potential customers are lost because of poor follow up - don't you want to be one of the few to get it right?
Reprinted with express permission of Tom Kulzer, of Aweber, a well known company with 7 years managing opt-in follow up and newsletters for small businesses, email deliverability is an integral part of day to day operations. Find out more at http://www.emailsdelivered.us
Showing posts with label follow up. Show all posts
Showing posts with label follow up. Show all posts
Friday
3 Reasons Why Call-Backs Can Hinder The Growth Of Your Home-Based Business
If there is one thing I have learned in the 14 years of trying to grow a successful home-based business in network marketing, it is that call-backs are usually worthless. Whether it's someone you have spoken with for only one minute, or someone who has gone through your whole presentation, calling them back is one of the biggest detriments to your business!
First of all, let's get the people out of the way who can't even find the time to say hello. Let's say you call them, introduce yourself and let them know why you are calling. They say "Oh. I don't have time to talk right now. I have to drive my sister to the grocery store." Instead of asking them when a better time would be to call them back, just leave your name and phone number and tell them to call you. That's it. Over and done. They obviously know what the situation is and why you called, right? You are looking for people serious enough to call you when they are ready instead of you tracking them down. Just doing that alone frees up about five hours of your week that you would've wasted on people who were never interested in the first place.
As far as people go who have listened to your presentation, the same thinking applies. With so many people out there in the world who are marketing similar products or services, you have one and only one chance at closing your sale. Gone are the days of spending long hours trying to chase down people who sat on the fence of indecision, and with them went all of the frustration and struggles I encountered trying to grow my business. When I understood that call-backs were actually hindering my business, things started to move in a forward motion. Here are the three main reason why, and what you can do instead to get the ball rolling.
1. Call-Backs Make You Seem Desperate
When you keep the ball in your court by telling a prospect you will call them back in a few days, weeks or months, it makes you seem desperate for their business. What does this say about you and your product or service? It says that you have to work at selling yourself and what you have to offer. The prospect could take this as a sign that your products are not as great as they seem and that they are difficult to sell.
Distributors usually offer to call-back a prospect because they want to seem accessible and willing to go out of their way to help them. Don't assume this is the impression you are giving them. Instead of being their humble servant, make them call you back. That's right, I said they should call you. Why? Because it tells them that they must be responsible for their own business and you will help them, but you won't hold their hand. You'll get more respect by giving them the feeling that your business must be good if you don't have time to waste convincing them to join.
2. The Prospect Just Isn't Ready Or It's The Wrong Prospect
If a prospect cannot make a decision after they've heard all about the benefits of what you have to offer, they are either not ready or they never will be. It's a sad but true fact that you need to come to grips with if you want to successfully grow a home-based business. With all the people out there who really do have a need, want or desire for what you have, don't focus on chasing the ones who can't make up their mind.
What happens when you go out of your way to convince someone to do something they aren't ready for? They will eventually regret it and the person who pushed thim into submission. If they do not wind up quitting because of non-activity on their part, they will probably wind up being someone who you wish you never met. Remember, you had to call them back because they were indecisive. Just think of how much help they will need once they are enrolled into your organization.
3. Stops Forward Momentum
The biggest reason why call-backs are detrimental to the growth of your business is because it's a time waster. What happens when you spend the bulk of your day tracking down people who basically already told you "no"? It doesn't leave enough time for you to find your target audience. People who want what you have to offer will not make excuses and expect you to call them back. Time is precious, and you must spend your time on those who deserve it.
Once you have a proven closing script that focuses on their needs, all you should have to do is follow it. If they cannot make a decision during this call, then that is it. Cut your losses and move on to the next prospect. You are not in the business of convicing. You must learn to develop a "you-snooze-you-lose" attitude, and speak as though it is the last time you will hear from them unless they call you back.
If you are in the habbit of calling prospects back after they have declined your offer once already, you need to be educated on how to be a marketer. All of these detrimental things happen to people who haven't positioned themselves as a leader, and that is the most important aspect of marketing. A leader will not call a person back no matter what their excuse because the education teaches a certain mindset that must be understood. It involves sincere enthusiasm about the prospect and not themselves. It involves developing a certain smoothness that is critical when prospecting over the telephone. It also involves listening and understanding the prospect.
I remember going out of my way to convince people that what I had would benefit everyone in one way or another. This may have been the case, but when I learned the difference between distributing and marketing, my business exploded. I understood that it is not about selling, it's about buying. Only proper education pointed me in the right direction, and I had to look outside of my parent company to get it. Unfortunately, there is a reason for the 95% drop-out rate in network marketing.
People are being educated on how to sell a few products instead of how to grow an organization though marketing. I help people so they don't have to waste 14 years on trial and error to become successful like I did. Instead of calling prospects back, learn from my mistakes and change your way of thinking. Move on to the next without looking back. It is just one of the many differences between success and failure, but it is important none-the-less.
William Winch is a Business Growth Specialist whose mission is helping people expand and explode their home-based businesses without breaking the bank. A former High School and College Business Educator and Counselor, he mentors from his home office in Rochester, NY. If you are interested in learning how to explode and expand your home-based business, you can contact William by visiting his website at http://www.thefreemlmpowerreport.com or by calling him directly at (585) 234-5283.
First of all, let's get the people out of the way who can't even find the time to say hello. Let's say you call them, introduce yourself and let them know why you are calling. They say "Oh. I don't have time to talk right now. I have to drive my sister to the grocery store." Instead of asking them when a better time would be to call them back, just leave your name and phone number and tell them to call you. That's it. Over and done. They obviously know what the situation is and why you called, right? You are looking for people serious enough to call you when they are ready instead of you tracking them down. Just doing that alone frees up about five hours of your week that you would've wasted on people who were never interested in the first place.
As far as people go who have listened to your presentation, the same thinking applies. With so many people out there in the world who are marketing similar products or services, you have one and only one chance at closing your sale. Gone are the days of spending long hours trying to chase down people who sat on the fence of indecision, and with them went all of the frustration and struggles I encountered trying to grow my business. When I understood that call-backs were actually hindering my business, things started to move in a forward motion. Here are the three main reason why, and what you can do instead to get the ball rolling.
1. Call-Backs Make You Seem Desperate
When you keep the ball in your court by telling a prospect you will call them back in a few days, weeks or months, it makes you seem desperate for their business. What does this say about you and your product or service? It says that you have to work at selling yourself and what you have to offer. The prospect could take this as a sign that your products are not as great as they seem and that they are difficult to sell.
Distributors usually offer to call-back a prospect because they want to seem accessible and willing to go out of their way to help them. Don't assume this is the impression you are giving them. Instead of being their humble servant, make them call you back. That's right, I said they should call you. Why? Because it tells them that they must be responsible for their own business and you will help them, but you won't hold their hand. You'll get more respect by giving them the feeling that your business must be good if you don't have time to waste convincing them to join.
2. The Prospect Just Isn't Ready Or It's The Wrong Prospect
If a prospect cannot make a decision after they've heard all about the benefits of what you have to offer, they are either not ready or they never will be. It's a sad but true fact that you need to come to grips with if you want to successfully grow a home-based business. With all the people out there who really do have a need, want or desire for what you have, don't focus on chasing the ones who can't make up their mind.
What happens when you go out of your way to convince someone to do something they aren't ready for? They will eventually regret it and the person who pushed thim into submission. If they do not wind up quitting because of non-activity on their part, they will probably wind up being someone who you wish you never met. Remember, you had to call them back because they were indecisive. Just think of how much help they will need once they are enrolled into your organization.
3. Stops Forward Momentum
The biggest reason why call-backs are detrimental to the growth of your business is because it's a time waster. What happens when you spend the bulk of your day tracking down people who basically already told you "no"? It doesn't leave enough time for you to find your target audience. People who want what you have to offer will not make excuses and expect you to call them back. Time is precious, and you must spend your time on those who deserve it.
Once you have a proven closing script that focuses on their needs, all you should have to do is follow it. If they cannot make a decision during this call, then that is it. Cut your losses and move on to the next prospect. You are not in the business of convicing. You must learn to develop a "you-snooze-you-lose" attitude, and speak as though it is the last time you will hear from them unless they call you back.
If you are in the habbit of calling prospects back after they have declined your offer once already, you need to be educated on how to be a marketer. All of these detrimental things happen to people who haven't positioned themselves as a leader, and that is the most important aspect of marketing. A leader will not call a person back no matter what their excuse because the education teaches a certain mindset that must be understood. It involves sincere enthusiasm about the prospect and not themselves. It involves developing a certain smoothness that is critical when prospecting over the telephone. It also involves listening and understanding the prospect.
I remember going out of my way to convince people that what I had would benefit everyone in one way or another. This may have been the case, but when I learned the difference between distributing and marketing, my business exploded. I understood that it is not about selling, it's about buying. Only proper education pointed me in the right direction, and I had to look outside of my parent company to get it. Unfortunately, there is a reason for the 95% drop-out rate in network marketing.
People are being educated on how to sell a few products instead of how to grow an organization though marketing. I help people so they don't have to waste 14 years on trial and error to become successful like I did. Instead of calling prospects back, learn from my mistakes and change your way of thinking. Move on to the next without looking back. It is just one of the many differences between success and failure, but it is important none-the-less.
William Winch is a Business Growth Specialist whose mission is helping people expand and explode their home-based businesses without breaking the bank. A former High School and College Business Educator and Counselor, he mentors from his home office in Rochester, NY. If you are interested in learning how to explode and expand your home-based business, you can contact William by visiting his website at http://www.thefreemlmpowerreport.com or by calling him directly at (585) 234-5283.
Thursday
Simple Marketing Idea - Big Marketing Results!
Have you ever noticed how many times it's the simplest concepts that end up working the best?
The same is so true when it comes to marketing. I'm constantly amazed at just how powerful some of the simplest concepts are. I've seen simple marketing ideas that cost next to nothing and really require little to no additional extra work begin to make a company an extra thousand or more a month - every month.
Unfortunately, the problem with simple marketing ideas is that many are so quick to excuse them as, well, "too simple to possibly work." Intelligent small business owners and independent professionals just like you mistakenly believe an idea has to be sophisticated and intricate to be really valuable.
WRONG! In fact, it's completely the opposite that's true. The more complicated the idea, the less chance you have of making it work. If you can even get the idea implemented that is. Simple does not mean well thought out. It just means not complicated.
OK, where am I headed with all of this?
Well, one of the simplest marketing ideas I've ever come across I believe to also be one of the most powerful. Incredibly successful professionals have shared that this one technique has been primarily responsible for completely filling their business pipeline.
It has been called the "Number One" strategy for generating word-of-mouth business. And remember that when I ask people where most of their business comes from, 99% or more say that it's from word-of-mouth. I wonder how many of them use this strategy consistently.
Even though most people know about this powerful method, it's surprising how few people actually use it consistently. Perhaps because it's just too simple and business owners are always looking for fresh, new, and more sophisticated (i.e., perceived to be higher value) ideas.
So many marketing ideas, where do you start?
There's no doubt that there are a seemingly endless number of ways and variations of ways to market your business. But doesn't it just make sense to start implementing the simplest methods first? You may even find that some of these simple techniques are all you really need to grow your business to the levels you want.
I've seen it time and time again both in the companies I've worked for and the clients I've worked with. You are given the simplest, most effective solution to your marketing or management problem, and you don't put it into practice because it just seems too simple, too darn easy to work.
After all, if the simple, easy ideas really worked then wouldn't everyone be using them? Well you would think, but even the simple solutions take some work on your part to be successful. And too often, people want the results without having to do the work.
Simple does not mean you don't have to do the work. It just means not complicated.
So what is this simple yet incredibly powerful idea that can help you generate significantly more business? What is this marketing technique that is so simple and inexpensive that I believe everyone should be doing it from the very first day they go into business?
Drum roll please...ba, da, ba, da, ba, da, ba, da, ba, da...
Commit to sending out personal hand-written notes - Thank You notes or Cards.
What's that? You were expecting something a little more sophisticated and intricate than this? Don't hit the 'delete' key just yet. I really think you're going to want to hear this.
The great salespeople and successful business owners want to be in front of their customers, prospects, referral sources and alliance partners as much as possible. And one of the primary keys to staying top of mind with these folks is to find ways to do it in a positive and non-threatening manner.
Personal hand-written notes certainly fit this criterion.
When someone hires you to do work for them, or someone else refers some business your way, they expect you to produce results, deliver quality service, and get the job done. Therefore, if you do all of these things, all you've done is meet expectations. But guess what, your competitors are typically able to meet those expectations as well.
If you want to create raving fans that will help you really grow your business, then you have to give them more than they expect. And the power of a personal hand-written note is a perfect way to do that. Think about the last time you received a hand-written note of appreciation. How did that make you feel? Didn't it make you feel good?
The unwritten part of the message is that this person cared enough to take the time to write a note to ME! That is precisely the reason that this simple but powerful idea works so well. Try it and you'll find that the more you use them, the better they'll work and the better you'll feel.
The reasons to send personal notes including "thank you" notes are practically endless. But this is a lost art in the world of business anymore. Even though personal attention is always more effective, email and voice mail are just so much quicker and therefore make it ineffective in some peoples' minds.
I just have to shake my head when I hear comments like, "That won't work for my business. My clients expect me to be more technically advanced." Don't get me wrong, email and voice mail certainly have their place. But, the personal touch is what will set you apart from others competing for your clients' attention.
Consider How This Might Work For Your Business...
Imagine how a scenario like this might work for your business... A client makes a small purchase from you and receives a personal, hand-written thank you card in the mail within a few days. Then they receive another hand-written card 30 days later just checking in to make sure they're happy with their purchase and reminding them how they can access customer service. Then they receive another personalized card 60 to 90 days after that making a special offer only available to current customers.
Do you see how powerful a simple campaign like this could be for your business?
Kevin Dervin is the owner of KPD Marketing, and Authorized Duct Tape Marketing Coach business. If you find this article useful, you'd probably enjoy Kevin's FREE eZine called the Marketing Coach. Subscribe at http://www.kpdmarketingcoach.com and receive a FREE report that reveals 7 Steps to Small Business Marketing Success.
The same is so true when it comes to marketing. I'm constantly amazed at just how powerful some of the simplest concepts are. I've seen simple marketing ideas that cost next to nothing and really require little to no additional extra work begin to make a company an extra thousand or more a month - every month.
Unfortunately, the problem with simple marketing ideas is that many are so quick to excuse them as, well, "too simple to possibly work." Intelligent small business owners and independent professionals just like you mistakenly believe an idea has to be sophisticated and intricate to be really valuable.
WRONG! In fact, it's completely the opposite that's true. The more complicated the idea, the less chance you have of making it work. If you can even get the idea implemented that is. Simple does not mean well thought out. It just means not complicated.
OK, where am I headed with all of this?
Well, one of the simplest marketing ideas I've ever come across I believe to also be one of the most powerful. Incredibly successful professionals have shared that this one technique has been primarily responsible for completely filling their business pipeline.
It has been called the "Number One" strategy for generating word-of-mouth business. And remember that when I ask people where most of their business comes from, 99% or more say that it's from word-of-mouth. I wonder how many of them use this strategy consistently.
Even though most people know about this powerful method, it's surprising how few people actually use it consistently. Perhaps because it's just too simple and business owners are always looking for fresh, new, and more sophisticated (i.e., perceived to be higher value) ideas.
So many marketing ideas, where do you start?
There's no doubt that there are a seemingly endless number of ways and variations of ways to market your business. But doesn't it just make sense to start implementing the simplest methods first? You may even find that some of these simple techniques are all you really need to grow your business to the levels you want.
I've seen it time and time again both in the companies I've worked for and the clients I've worked with. You are given the simplest, most effective solution to your marketing or management problem, and you don't put it into practice because it just seems too simple, too darn easy to work.
After all, if the simple, easy ideas really worked then wouldn't everyone be using them? Well you would think, but even the simple solutions take some work on your part to be successful. And too often, people want the results without having to do the work.
Simple does not mean you don't have to do the work. It just means not complicated.
So what is this simple yet incredibly powerful idea that can help you generate significantly more business? What is this marketing technique that is so simple and inexpensive that I believe everyone should be doing it from the very first day they go into business?
Drum roll please...ba, da, ba, da, ba, da, ba, da, ba, da...
Commit to sending out personal hand-written notes - Thank You notes or Cards.
What's that? You were expecting something a little more sophisticated and intricate than this? Don't hit the 'delete' key just yet. I really think you're going to want to hear this.
The great salespeople and successful business owners want to be in front of their customers, prospects, referral sources and alliance partners as much as possible. And one of the primary keys to staying top of mind with these folks is to find ways to do it in a positive and non-threatening manner.
Personal hand-written notes certainly fit this criterion.
When someone hires you to do work for them, or someone else refers some business your way, they expect you to produce results, deliver quality service, and get the job done. Therefore, if you do all of these things, all you've done is meet expectations. But guess what, your competitors are typically able to meet those expectations as well.
If you want to create raving fans that will help you really grow your business, then you have to give them more than they expect. And the power of a personal hand-written note is a perfect way to do that. Think about the last time you received a hand-written note of appreciation. How did that make you feel? Didn't it make you feel good?
The unwritten part of the message is that this person cared enough to take the time to write a note to ME! That is precisely the reason that this simple but powerful idea works so well. Try it and you'll find that the more you use them, the better they'll work and the better you'll feel.
The reasons to send personal notes including "thank you" notes are practically endless. But this is a lost art in the world of business anymore. Even though personal attention is always more effective, email and voice mail are just so much quicker and therefore make it ineffective in some peoples' minds.
I just have to shake my head when I hear comments like, "That won't work for my business. My clients expect me to be more technically advanced." Don't get me wrong, email and voice mail certainly have their place. But, the personal touch is what will set you apart from others competing for your clients' attention.
Consider How This Might Work For Your Business...
Imagine how a scenario like this might work for your business... A client makes a small purchase from you and receives a personal, hand-written thank you card in the mail within a few days. Then they receive another hand-written card 30 days later just checking in to make sure they're happy with their purchase and reminding them how they can access customer service. Then they receive another personalized card 60 to 90 days after that making a special offer only available to current customers.
Do you see how powerful a simple campaign like this could be for your business?
Kevin Dervin is the owner of KPD Marketing, and Authorized Duct Tape Marketing Coach business. If you find this article useful, you'd probably enjoy Kevin's FREE eZine called the Marketing Coach. Subscribe at http://www.kpdmarketingcoach.com and receive a FREE report that reveals 7 Steps to Small Business Marketing Success.
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