The Art Of The Follow-Up
By: John Elder posted in Internet Marketing
Hello good people!
Today’s 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’re 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 things to people 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 few days or a week and send them an email follow-up letter re-explaining whatever offer you’re 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 didn’t 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 sweeten the offer with additional free gifts and incentives. This seems to help turn people into customers easier.
If you think about it, this blog 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 today, see you next time!
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John Elder
The Marketing Fool!
