Your web business probably gets product inquiries from potential customers from the world. Inquiries come via e-mail and your web site, and you try to get the message to each hot prospect as fast as you can. You know that you can dramatically increase the chance of making a sale by filling each person's desire for information quickly! You want more profits in your business right?

But, after you've delivered that first bit of information to your prospect, do you followup by staying in contact and sending forther information?

If you are like most Internet marketers, you don't.

When you don't follow that initial message with more information later on, you let a valuable prospect slip through your fingers! This is a potential customer who had serious interest in your products, but who lost your contact information, or was too occupied with other things to make a purchase when your first message reached him. Often, a prospect will purposely procrastinate in making a purchase, to see if you find him important enough to follow up with later. When he doesn't receive more information from you, he will take his business somewhere else. Can you see how that works?

Are you losing profits due to shaky and wimpy follow up? Staying in contact with leads is more than just a process - it's an art. In order to be effective, you need to implement a well designed follow up system, and stick to it, EVERY DAY! If you don't follow up with your prospects consistently, INDIVIDUALLY, and in a timely manner, then you might as well not spend the time on the whole follow up process.

Consistent follow up gets results!

When I first started marketing and maintaining relationships with prospects, I used a follow up method that I now call the "List Technique." I had a big list containing the names and e-mail addresses of people who had specifically requested information about my products and services. These prospects had already gotten my first enmail by the time they desired more information, so I used the company's latest news as a follow up piece. I would write follow up newsletters every so often, 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 more orders, it wasn't a the greatest way to follow up. Why isn't the "List Technique" very effective?

The List Technique isn't applied on a regular basis. Proponents of the List Technique tend to only give more information when their companies have "big news". List Technique messages don't give the potential customer any new information about the product or service they want to know about. He can't make a more informed buying decision after receiving a newsletter! The best way to get someone to buy or make a decision is to give new information. If someone is wondering whether your company sells the best knick-knacks, what does he care that you've just moved your headquarters? Most people care 10 times more about the wart on their finger than they do about any other information that doens't pertain to them. Can you see examples of this in your own life?

List Technique messages convey a "big list" mentality to your potential customers. What you want is for the recipient to feel like he is having a personal conversation/relationship with you. 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. How much better do you feel about buying from someone that you have a relationship with?

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! This will also save your most precious resource, your time! Others who use this same technique confirm that they have all at least doubled the sales of multiple 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 follow up letter. Your second letter marks the beginning of the follow up process, and should give more specific detail than the first letter. Fill this letter with details that you didn't have the space put into the first letter. Stress the BENEFITS of your products or services! Sell the sizzle, not the steak. Are you getting the idea of what needs to be done?

Your next 2-3 follow up messages should be short and to the point. Include lists of the benefits and potential applications of what you have to offer. Compose each email so that your prospects can skim what's inside, and still see the full impact of your message.

The next couple of follow up messages should create make them want to buy in your prospect's mind. Create a unique offer, giving him a reason to buy immediately instead of delaying further. After reading these follow up messages, your prospect should want to buy now!

Word each of your last 1 or 2 follow up messages in the form of a question. Ask your potential customer why he hasn't yet decided to buy? Try to get him to actually respond. Ask if the price isn't satisfactory, the product isn't the correct color or doesn't have the right features, or if he is looking for something different. (By this time, it's unlikely that this person will buy from you. However, his feedback can help you modify your follow up emails or products, so that other prospects will make a decision to buy.)

The timing of your follow up letters is just as critical as what's inside. You don't want one lead to receive a follow up 24 hours after he gets your initial informative letter, while another prospect waits too long for a follow up!

Always send the first, informative letter as soon as it is desired, and make the first follow up 24 hours afterwards. You want your hot prospects to have information fast, so that they can make informed buying decisions and so they don't forget about your offer! You can see the value in this right?

Send the next 2-3 follow up emails between 1 and 3 days apart. Your prospect is still hot, and is probably still comparing prices and researching! Tell him about the benefits of your products and services, in comparison to your competitors'. You will make the sale! More sales means more profit for you.

Send the last follow up emails later on. You certainly don't want to make your leads mad! Make sure that these last letters are at least 4 days apart.

Following up making an impact seems to be a chore, but it doesn't have to be! So many potential customers slip through businesses fingers because of poor follow up - don't you want to be one of the few to get it?

Aweber will help with your follow up needs. You may want to click the link.

Aweber Autoresponder