Which do you think is harder to do: sell something new to someone who has already bought from you in the past or convince a stranger to make his/her first purchase? The answer is obvious: a person who has already purchased your product and is enjoying the benefits you promised is a prime target for additional sales.
Which do you think is harder to do: sell something new to someone who has already bought from you in the past or convince a stranger to make his/her first purchase?
The answer is obvious: a person who has already purchased your product and is enjoying the benefits you promised is a prime target for additional sales.
That's why it's important to build on your existing customer relationships and "leverage" the trust you've earned with the following techniques:
- After you make a sale, be sure to follow-up with the customer. Sending a thank-you email message is good manners and including an advertisement for other products you sell is good business. You could follow-up every few months, quarterly, send holiday greetings, birthday messages, etc.
- When a consumer is ready to buy, you can upsell additional items. When they're at your order page, tell them about related products you have for sale -- if you're selling Widgets, tell them about your Widget Cleaning Kit, or Customized Widget Covers. Make it easy (and economical) to add it to their original order.
- Word-of-mouth is a huge sales generator. Give your customers an incentive for telling friends by offering them discounts for referrals. If possible offer a discount to your old customer AND his/her referral, and then watch as one sale blossoms into dozens.
- When you sell a product, give your customers the option of joining an affiliate program so they can make commissions selling your product. A satisfied consumer is a great salesperson and your affiliate program can help you turn a single sale into a stream of orders.
- You could cross-promote your product in a package deal. You can cross-promote your own products or enter into a partnership with another company. At the very least, you'll get free "exchange" advertising. At the most, you'll earn commissions for all the pass-along business. Just be sure that you're cross-promoting items that are related to your product/service and that your customers would truly find interesting.
- When you ship out or deliver your product, include a discount coupon for other related products you sell in the package.
Remember, a satisfied customer wants to keep doing business with the company that provided the satisfaction So give the people what they want -- easy (and frequent) ways to spend more money with someone they trust…you!
Copyright 2005 Quick Turn Marketing International, Ltd.
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