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Member You - Follow-Up Marketing: How to Win More Sales with Less Effort
Most all businesses do customer service surveys to make sure all their customers are happy and sometimes they send them in the mail and sometimes you can fill them out at the counter and drop them in the mail. Customer surveys give important feedback to the business owner or corporation on ways they can improve their services and products.In the franchising industry it is equally important to make sure all your vendor partners, franchisees and team of consultants are happy with how things are going. For the franchisor, the franchisees are their customer. It is important to do franchisee surveys to make sure you are on the right track. Having been the franchisor founder of my own franchising company I cannot tell you how valuable such in formal surveys were to me.However, since I was the founder there were certain things that franchisees would not tell me and this is why you need an outside consultant to help you do surveys with your franchisees. You need to know in advance if problems are developing and you need the feedback to keep the team happy so they can stay efficient and win in the marketplace.Additionally, with new software available in you can probably do this online and
As an example, in the third communication you could say, "I’m surprised you haven’t taken me up on my generous offer. What’s holding you back?" Or consider saying, "I’ve written you three times and you still haven’t taken me up on my offer so I’m going to pull out all the stops and make you an offer you simply can’t refuse."
Notice how the language always links the previous communication and increases the boldness of the offer. It’s the same type of conversation you might have in a regular sales conversation.
_______________________________________________________
How to Put Your Follow Up Marketing System on Autopilot _______________________________________________________
What I’m about to reveal to you is the key to developing a powerful follow up marketing system because it overcomes the number one reason most businesses don’t follow up.
You must automate your follow up system as much as possible so that there are few, if any, physical interactions from your employees with the system. It’s the required physical interactions (i.e. printing letters, sending emails, inputting leads etc.) where 99% of all the breakdowns happen in well-intentioned follow up marketing systems.
To automate your follow-ups you should consider using robotic marketing systems and outsourcing any manual interactions to a dedicated service.
For instance, to capture your leads you should consider using a toll-free automated rec
There are six steps to generating new business and increasing your company’s revenue, all this takes is a little profiling and you can make all subsequent sales actions more effective.I run a sales forum in the UK (http://www.asalesforum.com/) we get many questions from new sales people, seasoned professionals and small business owners relating to new business sales campaigns. I firmly believe that planning is key and the answers to their questions often relate back to this simple sales planning method.Step 1 – Get access to historical data on your existing customers and their buying habits and information about prospects who will not buy from you.Step 2 – Find information on your major competitors, their products and USP’s.Step 3 – Now take a look at your top customers (depending on the nature of your business and customer spend, this could be as few as 5 or as many as 50) take a look at why they buy from you. Do they like your customer service? Do you offer product features that are unique? Do you offer additional services they value? Are you a one stop shop for them? Do you fill a specialised niche? Also are there s
Not following up with your prospects and customers is the same as filling up your bathtub without first putting the stopper in the drain!
But don’t be disheartened if you’re among the 90% of business owners I talk to that don’t do any follow up. The good news is you have ample room for profitable improvement.
Consistent follow-up creates a predictable and profitable stream of prospects and customers that buy. Small businesses that capture leads and follow-up with them enjoy higher conversion rates and a higher percentage of referrals than those that don’t.
After asking many small business owners the reason they don’t follow up I often hear responses such as, "I don’t have the sales staff to chase down all our leads", or "We’re usually too busy to do a lot of follow up." These responses automatically set off red flags that tell me that they lack a systematic process for following up.
The problem is not that they don’t have the capacity to follow up with prospects, it’s that they don’t have the systems in place to do it. ______________________________________________
What Does a Good Follow Up System Look Like? ______________________________________________
A good follow up marketing system should have three attributes.
It should be systematic, meaning that the follow up process is done the same way every time.
It should generate consistent, predictable results.
It should require minimal physical interaction to make it run, meaning it should be able to run on autopilot.
Sounds like a dream come true for most small business owners doesn’t it? Not only can it be done, it’s being done every day. The secret to "follow-up marketing" is to make it automatic so that you don’t have to lift a finger but the job still gets done.
With today’s technology it’s simpler than ever. Automating your follow-up processes gives you more time to work "on" your business rather than "in" your business.
__________________________
Three Types of Follow Ups __________________________
There are three types of people you should be following up with, suspects (people in your target marketplace), prospects (people who have responded to your marketing but have not purchased, and customers (people who have purchased something from you.)
Each follow up message and offer will be different for each type of person. With suspects, you’ll want to entice them to call you or visit your store / office.
With prospects, you need to persuade them to make their first purchase. And with customers, you want to convince them to come back and do more business with you and give your referrals.
Obviously the hardest type of person to follow up with is a suspect because they haven’t shown any interest yet in a pool or hot tub and you usually don’t have their contact information.
But that’s not true with prospects and customers. You not only know who they are, but you should already have their contact information.
And if you follow up with your customers with consistency you’ll find that they will help you turn your suspects into prospects and prospects into customers for you through referrals.
__________________________________
Your Follow Up Marketing Tools __________________________________
Your principal follow up marketing tools are the telephone, direct mail, and email. Many pool and hot tub business owners make the mistake of jumping right on the telephone to follow up; however, most prospects don’t want a pushy sales message right away and most prospects have been trained to consider anyone who calls up to be a pushy salesperson.
Instead, you should try to develop a relationship of trust with your prospect by quickly sending informational items such as special reports, audio CDs, or videos before you make a phone call.
Remember to always include a "next-step-offer" to accompany your educational materials. If the next step is to visit the store, then entice them with an appropriate offer or if the next step is to call you, entice your prospect to call you immediately.
People move through the buying process in baby steps, especially when considering buying high-ticket items such as hot tubs or pools. Your offer should always help them take the next step.
____________________________
Your Follow Up Sequence ____________________________
The power of your follow up will lie in your follow up sequence. Your follow up sequence is a series of communications with your prospect that are "linked" together, with each communication building on the previous message.
For instance, you might start your second letter by saying, "10 days ago I sent you a letter..." You might also consider stamping the message, "2nd Notice" on the envelope to let people know this is the second time you’ve contacted them.
Referencing the previous communication links what you’re saying with what you’ve already said and reminds your prospect that you care enough to continue the conversation.
Usually, when doing direct mail you should include three to five mailings spaced out about seven days apart. When using a sequential autoresponder you can have as many follow ups as you want because using email is basically free (that’s why you always want to get a prospects email address).
One of my clients has over 20 follow-ups in his autoresponder sequence that go out over a six month period.
Each sequence should follow a logical argument and you might consider bolstering the offer with each communication using a deadline as a motivator to act now.
As an example, in the third communication you could say, "I’m surprised you haven’t taken me up on my generous offer. What’s holding you back?" Or consider saying, "I’ve written you three times and you still haven’t taken me up on my offer so I’m going to pull out all the stops and make you an offer you simply can’t refuse."
Notice how the language always links the previous communication and increases the boldness of the offer. It’s the same type of conversation you might have in a regular sales conversation.
_______________________________________________________
How to Put Your Follow Up Marketing System on Autopilot _______________________________________________________
What I’m about to reveal to you is the key to developing a powerful follow up marketing system because it overcomes the number one reason most businesses don’t follow up.
You must automate your follow up system as much as possible so that there are few, if any, physical interactions from your employees with the system. It’s the required physical interactions (i.e. printing letters, sending emails, inputting leads etc.) where 99% of all the breakdowns happen in well-intentioned follow up marketing systems.
To automate your follow-ups you should consider using robotic marketing systems and outsourcing any manual interactions to a dedicated service.
For instance, to capture your leads you should consider using a toll-free automated reco
When I was in high school I was in the Business club. I’m not sure why, because I really wasn't ever planning to start my own business or work in the business field. I guess I just wanted something to do, and my friends were all involved. I remember going to a Future Business Leaders Of America competition of some sort, and because I was a new member, they just put me where they needed someone. I ended up having to take a skills test about how to be a successful entrepreneur. Though I’m not sure how it happened, I ended up scoring very high.I guess that tells me that the skills that it takes to be a successful entrepreneur are more about common sense than anything. You can’t discount education, of course, but there is something to be said for just being observant about people in general. You can learn a lot about people just by watching them, and a successful entrepreneur can learn a lot just by deciding to make knowing how people tick a priority. If you know how people work, think, and live, you are going to be more successful in just about anything you do.A successful entrepreneur might have more trouble coming up with the perfect business idea. That is what can make or break you first a
It should be systematic, meaning that the follow up process is done the same way every time.
It should generate consistent, predictable results.
It should require minimal physical interaction to make it run, meaning it should be able to run on autopilot.
Sounds like a dream come true for most small business owners doesn’t it? Not only can it be done, it’s being done every day. The secret to "follow-up marketing" is to make it automatic so that you don’t have to lift a finger but the job still gets done.
With today’s technology it’s simpler than ever. Automating your follow-up processes gives you more time to work "on" your business rather than "in" your business.
__________________________
Three Types of Follow Ups __________________________
There are three types of people you should be following up with, suspects (people in your target marketplace), prospects (people who have responded to your marketing but have not purchased, and customers (people who have purchased something from you.)
Each follow up message and offer will be different for each type of person. With suspects, you’ll want to entice them to call you or visit your store / office.
With prospects, you need to persuade them to make their first purchase. And with customers, you want to convince them to come back and do more business with you and give your referrals.
Obviously the hardest type of person to follow up with is a suspect because they haven’t shown any interest yet in a pool or hot tub and you usually don’t have their contact information.
But that’s not true with prospects and customers. You not only know who they are, but you should already have their contact information.
And if you follow up with your customers with consistency you’ll find that they will help you turn your suspects into prospects and prospects into customers for you through referrals.
__________________________________
Your Follow Up Marketing Tools __________________________________
Your principal follow up marketing tools are the telephone, direct mail, and email. Many pool and hot tub business owners make the mistake of jumping right on the telephone to follow up; however, most prospects don’t want a pushy sales message right away and most prospects have been trained to consider anyone who calls up to be a pushy salesperson.
Instead, you should try to develop a relationship of trust with your prospect by quickly sending informational items such as special reports, audio CDs, or videos before you make a phone call.
Remember to always include a "next-step-offer" to accompany your educational materials. If the next step is to visit the store, then entice them with an appropriate offer or if the next step is to call you, entice your prospect to call you immediately.
People move through the buying process in baby steps, especially when considering buying high-ticket items such as hot tubs or pools. Your offer should always help them take the next step.
____________________________
Your Follow Up Sequence ____________________________
The power of your follow up will lie in your follow up sequence. Your follow up sequence is a series of communications with your prospect that are "linked" together, with each communication building on the previous message.
For instance, you might start your second letter by saying, "10 days ago I sent you a letter..." You might also consider stamping the message, "2nd Notice" on the envelope to let people know this is the second time you’ve contacted them.
Referencing the previous communication links what you’re saying with what you’ve already said and reminds your prospect that you care enough to continue the conversation.
Usually, when doing direct mail you should include three to five mailings spaced out about seven days apart. When using a sequential autoresponder you can have as many follow ups as you want because using email is basically free (that’s why you always want to get a prospects email address).
One of my clients has over 20 follow-ups in his autoresponder sequence that go out over a six month period.
Each sequence should follow a logical argument and you might consider bolstering the offer with each communication using a deadline as a motivator to act now.
As an example, in the third communication you could say, "I’m surprised you haven’t taken me up on my generous offer. What’s holding you back?" Or consider saying, "I’ve written you three times and you still haven’t taken me up on my offer so I’m going to pull out all the stops and make you an offer you simply can’t refuse."
Notice how the language always links the previous communication and increases the boldness of the offer. It’s the same type of conversation you might have in a regular sales conversation.
_______________________________________________________
How to Put Your Follow Up Marketing System on Autopilot _______________________________________________________
What I’m about to reveal to you is the key to developing a powerful follow up marketing system because it overcomes the number one reason most businesses don’t follow up.
You must automate your follow up system as much as possible so that there are few, if any, physical interactions from your employees with the system. It’s the required physical interactions (i.e. printing letters, sending emails, inputting leads etc.) where 99% of all the breakdowns happen in well-intentioned follow up marketing systems.
To automate your follow-ups you should consider using robotic marketing systems and outsourcing any manual interactions to a dedicated service.
For instance, to capture your leads you should consider using a toll-free automated rec
Industrial name plates are usually manufactured in materials like aluminum, brass, plastic or zinc. These name plates are used for warnings, information, nomenclature, working instruction, manufacturers’ information, date of manufacture, voltage usage, trade names, etc. Not only do name plates give an impression about the class of the manufactured goods, they also give minutiae about the product.There are different techniques applied to produce industrial name plates. The metal photo process creates the icon conserved in anodized aluminum. It could not be spoiled or wiped off even with the use of chemicals. This is an excellent solution for the naming of machines. There are also engraved aluminum, brass, stainless steel and zinc plates for similar purposes.Besides metals, plastic name plates can also provide a three-dimensional look. Plastic industrial name plates are complex. It is always advisable to use textured backgrounds because of their aesthetic superiority over non-textured backgrounds. For that extra flare, add a high-gloss finish.Depending on design, the best aesthetic and cost-effective method of decorating technologies are silk screening and chrome plating. These processe
But that’s not true with prospects and customers. You not only know who they are, but you should already have their contact information.
And if you follow up with your customers with consistency you’ll find that they will help you turn your suspects into prospects and prospects into customers for you through referrals.
__________________________________
Your Follow Up Marketing Tools __________________________________
Your principal follow up marketing tools are the telephone, direct mail, and email. Many pool and hot tub business owners make the mistake of jumping right on the telephone to follow up; however, most prospects don’t want a pushy sales message right away and most prospects have been trained to consider anyone who calls up to be a pushy salesperson.
Instead, you should try to develop a relationship of trust with your prospect by quickly sending informational items such as special reports, audio CDs, or videos before you make a phone call.
Remember to always include a "next-step-offer" to accompany your educational materials. If the next step is to visit the store, then entice them with an appropriate offer or if the next step is to call you, entice your prospect to call you immediately.
People move through the buying process in baby steps, especially when considering buying high-ticket items such as hot tubs or pools. Your offer should always help them take the next step.
____________________________
Your Follow Up Sequence ____________________________
The power of your follow up will lie in your follow up sequence. Your follow up sequence is a series of communications with your prospect that are "linked" together, with each communication building on the previous message.
For instance, you might start your second letter by saying, "10 days ago I sent you a letter..." You might also consider stamping the message, "2nd Notice" on the envelope to let people know this is the second time you’ve contacted them.
Referencing the previous communication links what you’re saying with what you’ve already said and reminds your prospect that you care enough to continue the conversation.
Usually, when doing direct mail you should include three to five mailings spaced out about seven days apart. When using a sequential autoresponder you can have as many follow ups as you want because using email is basically free (that’s why you always want to get a prospects email address).
One of my clients has over 20 follow-ups in his autoresponder sequence that go out over a six month period.
Each sequence should follow a logical argument and you might consider bolstering the offer with each communication using a deadline as a motivator to act now.
As an example, in the third communication you could say, "I’m surprised you haven’t taken me up on my generous offer. What’s holding you back?" Or consider saying, "I’ve written you three times and you still haven’t taken me up on my offer so I’m going to pull out all the stops and make you an offer you simply can’t refuse."
Notice how the language always links the previous communication and increases the boldness of the offer. It’s the same type of conversation you might have in a regular sales conversation.
_______________________________________________________
How to Put Your Follow Up Marketing System on Autopilot _______________________________________________________
What I’m about to reveal to you is the key to developing a powerful follow up marketing system because it overcomes the number one reason most businesses don’t follow up.
You must automate your follow up system as much as possible so that there are few, if any, physical interactions from your employees with the system. It’s the required physical interactions (i.e. printing letters, sending emails, inputting leads etc.) where 99% of all the breakdowns happen in well-intentioned follow up marketing systems.
To automate your follow-ups you should consider using robotic marketing systems and outsourcing any manual interactions to a dedicated service.
For instance, to capture your leads you should consider using a toll-free automated rec
Every month it seems like there is more month and less money left at the end of each month. Sound familiar? A part time job may be the answer.No, you should not just think about a second job at your local hardware store or pizza palace. You should try to use your spare time to do some freelance work.Using freelance work, you can add to your income while acquiring customers and providing services in your spare time. There is no need to go find a low-paying second job at night or on the weekends. Now there is a much nicer alternative with much better hours and pay. You can even do work from your own home.With freelance work, you are not limited by transportation, childcare restrictions or geographical location. You can even do some great work for a company located half way around the world.Furthermore, becoming a part-time freelance professional is quite easy.First, find a good database, like GoFreelance, and search for jobs in your current field or in something that interests you. There are thousands of different jobs currently posted. You will just have to find several that suit your talents and interests.Next, you can apply or bid on freelance work. It
____________________________
Your Follow Up Sequence ____________________________
The power of your follow up will lie in your follow up sequence. Your follow up sequence is a series of communications with your prospect that are "linked" together, with each communication building on the previous message.
For instance, you might start your second letter by saying, "10 days ago I sent you a letter..." You might also consider stamping the message, "2nd Notice" on the envelope to let people know this is the second time you’ve contacted them.
Referencing the previous communication links what you’re saying with what you’ve already said and reminds your prospect that you care enough to continue the conversation.
Usually, when doing direct mail you should include three to five mailings spaced out about seven days apart. When using a sequential autoresponder you can have as many follow ups as you want because using email is basically free (that’s why you always want to get a prospects email address).
One of my clients has over 20 follow-ups in his autoresponder sequence that go out over a six month period.
Each sequence should follow a logical argument and you might consider bolstering the offer with each communication using a deadline as a motivator to act now.
As an example, in the third communication you could say, "I’m surprised you haven’t taken me up on my generous offer. What’s holding you back?" Or consider saying, "I’ve written you three times and you still haven’t taken me up on my offer so I’m going to pull out all the stops and make you an offer you simply can’t refuse."
Notice how the language always links the previous communication and increases the boldness of the offer. It’s the same type of conversation you might have in a regular sales conversation.
_______________________________________________________
How to Put Your Follow Up Marketing System on Autopilot _______________________________________________________
What I’m about to reveal to you is the key to developing a powerful follow up marketing system because it overcomes the number one reason most businesses don’t follow up.
You must automate your follow up system as much as possible so that there are few, if any, physical interactions from your employees with the system. It’s the required physical interactions (i.e. printing letters, sending emails, inputting leads etc.) where 99% of all the breakdowns happen in well-intentioned follow up marketing systems.
To automate your follow-ups you should consider using robotic marketing systems and outsourcing any manual interactions to a dedicated service.
For instance, to capture your leads you should consider using a toll-free automated rec
Staying ahead of the competition as it grows more and more each day due to the discontent with corporate America and the continual downsizing through out sourcing is a constant challenge. How does a business that provides professional services from executive coaching to strategic planning differentiate itself, increase sales and outsell the competition?Recently, I discovered a possible answer to that question – Qualifications Based Selection or QBE. This is a 3-step process to help organizations locate the right firm for the professional services needs at hand while improving quality and cost effectiveness.Qualifications Based Selection is the result of the realization that professional services contracts may represent only a small percentage of a firms annual expenditures, but may impact the firm for many years to come. This process helps to work with both the client and the provider of the professional services.The first step in this process is to establish an evaluation criteria from which to select a short list of 3 to 5 firms. At this initial step, references are verified and interviews with prospective professional service
As an example, in the third communication you could say, "I’m surprised you haven’t taken me up on my generous offer. What’s holding you back?" Or consider saying, "I’ve written you three times and you still haven’t taken me up on my offer so I’m going to pull out all the stops and make you an offer you simply can’t refuse."
Notice how the language always links the previous communication and increases the boldness of the offer. It’s the same type of conversation you might have in a regular sales conversation.
_______________________________________________________
How to Put Your Follow Up Marketing System on Autopilot _______________________________________________________
What I’m about to reveal to you is the key to developing a powerful follow up marketing system because it overcomes the number one reason most businesses don’t follow up.
You must automate your follow up system as much as possible so that there are few, if any, physical interactions from your employees with the system. It’s the required physical interactions (i.e. printing letters, sending emails, inputting leads etc.) where 99% of all the breakdowns happen in well-intentioned follow up marketing systems.
To automate your follow-ups you should consider using robotic marketing systems and outsourcing any manual interactions to a dedicated service.
For instance, to capture your leads you should consider using a toll-free automated recorded message system that captures your prospects contact information and automatically transcribes it and sends your leads to you in a spreadsheet every morning via email.
If you’re using a direct mail follow up system (and you should be), find a fulfillment house to do the mailings for you. To find a fulfillment house, simply go to your local printer and ask them to refer you to a fulfillment house in the area.
Now step back for a moment and see the power of what I’ve just revealed to you. Imagine running an ad, having your prospect call up and give their contact information via your recorded message system.
Then having your leads automatically sent to your fulfillment house via email, after which your prospect receives a five-sequence direct mail package containing your most persuasive marketing message -- without you lifting one finger!
You can set up the exact same type of "hands-free" follow up marketing system using an email autoresponder system. Your prospect will not only be receiving your direct mail messages, but you can insert your email messages in between your mailings.
____________________________________
What About Calling to Follow Up? ____________________________________
You’ll notice that I didn’t say anything about calling your prospect. That’s because you want your prospect to have already received your educational marketing messages and have most of their questions answered before they call you. An educated prospect is your best prospect.
They already know why you’re different, what your value proposition is, and how you’re uniquely qualified to meet their needs. In essence, they’ve pre-qualified themselves before you ever have to spend time physically speaking to them.
This drastically reduces the sales cycle and increases your conversion rate because you have positioned your small business to be their only logical choice.
_____________
Conclusion _____________
Follow-up marketing will boost your closing rate and dramatically increase your customer satisfaction. Following up with systematic processes allows you to leverage your salespeople’s time and enhance their productivity, which will result in more sales with less effort and isn’t that what you want? Start winning more sales today by implementing your own follow-up marketing system.
Copyright 2005 David Frey
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