This is Where You Earn Your Money

Alright before you get all excited and run and grab a pen and paper or open up your Google notebook I want to make it very clear up front that what I am going to be writing about today isn’t going to provide a pot-o-gold for everyone.

In fact, if you have never sold anything online in your internet marketing career or have had very few sales for that matter this strategy isn’t going to change that fact. However, it wouldn’t hurt to read on because the reason behind it WILL increase your sales and profits later on down the road.

So just where is that I can earn my money, Troy? What I do find amazing is just how many marketers are surprised when they find out the answer. Sadly, I routinely find many highly experienced marketers that even know the answer and don’t practice it.

The answer is CUSTOMERS!

Just think about it for a minute. Customers are always your best target in the marketplace because they have given you their money previously and if you did the right thing by maintaining and servicing your customer base they are likely to be willing to give you their hard earned money over and over again.

I’m not going to bore you with a lot of numbers here but, it is a FACT that well taken care of customers…

1. Have lower e-mail un-subscription rates
2. Bring higher sale conversion rates on cross-promoted product lines (including affiliate/jv recommendations)
3. Recommend your products and services to everyone they think could use it

And those are just a few of the benefits you will experience by taking good care of your current customers.

But, Troy I e-mail them once in awhile with product offers and always tell them to contact me if they have any questions isn’t that enough?

HELL NO!

The new fad of using e-mail autoresponders and help desk software to provide customer service on the internet makes me sick! But, when it is being done that way by competitors in my markets I REJOICE because, I know that I am going to eventually steal their customers and keep them as my own!

You see an angry customer doesn’t stop with just a thousand e-mails requesting help and a bunch of flame posts at discussion forums in your target market. Even worse… THEY STOP GIVING YOU THEIR MONEY!

So I am going to go over just a few of the ways I use to choke my customers with good customer service. As you will quickly see they are most common sense methods of keeping people happy but, the question you need to ask yourself is “Am I doing these things?” and if not “Why?”

Follow-up Service – This consists of not only autoresponder e-mails but, also a personal e-mail now and then. I have been known to send products samples or even a Christmas card via the old postal mail service. And if you really want to pull the string harder and show them how they should be treated call them on that archaic device known as the telephone.

With all of these methods you always want to ask them how they are doing with your product. Are they getting the results they had in mind when they made the purchase? If it was an information product did they take action?

Helping your customer in this fashion can have many positive results on your business including the marketing loved positive testimonial.

Hold a training seminar, webinar, phone call or even invite them to the office - Invite your customers together to share success stories, recognize achievements (if you are selling them something that this makes sense with like weight loss, money making strategies, etc.), and of course give them a ‘customer only’ sneak peak at upcoming products.

Actually having an open door policy (make sure you tell them to call and make an appointment first) at your office does wonders as well. I wouldn’t expect a ton of them to take you up on the offer (unless you are local) but, those of them that happen to be in the area and stop in normally turn-in to some of the biggest fish in the lake for me.

Give them gifts – Have a new product coming out near a holiday? Send them one as a gift (and get the testimonial). Know their birthday? Send them a card or a gift. Hell I once sent my customer list a pen to thank them for a past purchase (with some marketing material for my new product) and the sales conversions from that physical mailing a lone were off the charts!

A satisfied customer represents the largest potential for just about any established or fast growing business. They will turn into more than a customer they will be an advocate and supporter of your business as well.

So start revamping your customer service strategy right now or start utilizing new strategies to make yours better. And always remember that even though providing good customer service can result in them giving you more money the real objective is just that… To Provide Good Customer Service.

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