Okay, so I may be crazy for posting this hub, but I know this community values sharing, especially when things work. And I have absolutely hit on some techniques that are growing my business! I'd like to call them the secrets to my success...at least as it stands right now.

The first secret or technique is the webinar. I've talked about this before, but let me briefly mention it again.Webinars are basically online seminars. They allow me to reach large groups of people at one time. In various webinars I've held, I've had 100, 500, or even a 1000 people listening all at the same time. And these folks are all over the country and the world.

Webinars are great because they are uniquely interactive and help me to more efficiently direct my sales efforts. Once people stick with me to the end of a webinar, I'm able to collect follow-up information and use it for my direct marketing, direct mail, phone calls, and even appointments. I can be much more strategic and intentional with these efforts because of the webinar. I usually end up with a greater conversion rate on sales as a result. I've seen that webinars are an incredible tool and can give your customers a reason to buy now.

This reminds me of a second secret or technique that has been pivotal: I work to create a sense of urgency and a fear of loss to motivate my customers to buy now. This idea isn't new to the business world: coupons expire, stores hold a one-day sale, businesses offer a bonus for signing up, etc.

Interestingly, I have found it to be even more effective in the online world, especially on a webinar.

For example, I might announce a time limit offer such as "only available until 3 p.m. tomorrow." This limit gives the listener a reason to sign up for the webinar or to buy the product I'm selling. Otherwise, he or she will likely procrastinate on making that decision.

Similarly, I might announce a limited supply. I might say, "I'm only taking the first 25 orders for this product, and that's it." One word of caution though. This kind of limit has to be based on something legitimate such as a small quantity for the product, your time in following up with those who buy, or the space available in a workshop or meeting.

If I had to guess, I'd say that these techniques work because no one wants to feel like they're missing out, especially when they hear testimonials from others who have used your product and seen success. Some might be willing to pay for your product based on its merits alone, but some will need a push to buy. The bottom line is to provide incentive to buy to those who are on the fence, and to reward people who choose to do business with you now.

Now that I've shared these things, you're likely to be able to call my bluff the next time we do business together, but I'm okay with that. I'm happy to help you out and see your business grow. And I'm convinced that using these principles will help you do it.