This weeks article is just about the most important marketing
lesson I've ever learned.
It's the follow-up.
Did you know that most people, when presented with any kind
of an offer to buy something, won't buy the first time they
are offered something?
That's right, make someone the greatest offer in the world,
and they probably won't buy whatever you are selling them.
There's a percentage of people who WILL buy right away,
impulse buyers and quick thinkers, but the majority of people
out there simply won't buy right away.
Why is that? Who knows. A Psychologist might be able to
explain it...but I can't. I just know it's true from years
of making a successful living selling people things online.
So it's very very important to follow-up with people.
Anytime you make someone an offer to buy something from you,
via email or via your web site, be sure to collect as much
contact information from that person as possible.
Usually that means getting their email address and maybe
their first name.
Then follow-up!
Wait a week or so and send them an email follow-up letter
outlining whatever offer you are giving them.
You may have to follow-up on someone 30 times before they
actually buy something from you. (always allow people the
option of unsubscribing from your follow-up process).
For years I didnt follow-up. I was tossing money out the window!
The very same day I started following up with all my web
site visitors is the day my income literally skyrocketed.
Double, triple, quadruple...and so on.
Some people claim there is a pattern. For instance they would
say something like out of 1000 people who you make an offer
to, 3 might take you up on the offer right away, 4 might take
you up on it the second time it's offered, 6 the third, 7
the fourth, 3 the fifth, and 1 the sixth.
(notice the pattern: 3, 4, 6, 7, 3, 1)
While those exact numbers are not guaranteed, generally I
usually see a similar sort of pattern.
Regardless of the pattern, if you don't follow-up you're
missing out on a lot of sales.
So, collect contact information from EVERYONE who comes to
your web site and follow up!
Depending on what I'm selling, I space follow-up letters at
least a week apart. I space them out further and further
as time goes on so as not to annoy the potential customer
too much.
There's no exact time frame, you'll have to test your own
follow-up methods to determine what time frame gives you
the best results.
Also, as time goes on, I try to sweaten the offer with
additional free gifts and incentives. This seems to help turn
people into customers easier.
If you think about it, this email newsletter is really
nothing more than an elaborate follow-up process. While it
hopefully gives you some good and valuable information, it
also allows me to keep my name and products in front of
you!
Always follow-up!
That's all for this week, see you next Monday!
-John Skorczewski
