Statistics show that 80% of people purchase after the 5th contact yet 90% of sales people give up after the 2nd contact … they’re wasting thousands of dollars in sales opportunities.
Just because people don’t buy the first time they make contact with you, doesn’t mean they won’t buy from you down the track. In fact, the very reason they didn’t buy from you the first time might be something as simple as they’re too busy to think about it.
Here’s a systematised way to increase your sales without lifting a finger.
It’s all about implementing a step-by-step automated process for keeping in contact with your prospects via mail or email, and it’s all about persistence too.
A prospective client is most excited about buying right at the point of first contact. If they have to consult their partner or go away and think about it, that excitement starts to wane.
You can keep excitement levels up and keep your company at the top of their minds by sending a series of very specific letters or emails. We call this a drip feed’ nurturing campaign.
A drip feed campaign is when you send a series of 5 or 6 letters in a series to a potential client. Each letter refers to the last letter but expands on more and more benefits. More and more reasons to do business with you.
If you have the potential client’s email address, using scheduled auto-responder emails is by far the most powerful way to automatically follow up prospects. There are a number of products available. Some charge you around $19 per month and run the autoresponders off their server. With others, you purchase some software and run the autoresponders off your own mail server.
Whether you decide to follow up prospects via email, direct mail or fax, it’s important to consider the following before you begin creating your follow-up pieces.
Before you get started, think about the reasons people don’t buy immediately.
1. What fears run through their mind?
2. They wonder: is this a rip off?
3. I’m doing okay, why do I need it?
4. Is the company credible?
5. Can I afford it?
6. Can I see how much better my life will be with this product/service?
7. Is there another company out there that does it better?
Once you’ve addressed these issues, send out a series of letters that answer these questions and remind them of the benefits of working with you.
The first step is to work out how frequently to keep in touch with them.
The mailing interval will depend on the type of product/service you’re selling and the buying cycle. For instance, if there’s a long lead time, you’ll space out the letters a little more.
There are two types of drip feed campaigns. To follow up prospects who have been in for an appointment or have enquired about a specific product, but for some reason or another haven’t yet invested.
To keep tapping away’ at prospects who haven’t yet agreed to an appointment or found out more about your product.
Here’s a sample letter roll-out schedule which utilises direct mail and telephone calls:
Day 1: “Thanks” letter with a benefit summary
Day 5: Telephone call
Day 7: Letter with testimonials
Day 10: Telephone call
Day 14: Benefits/case study letter
Day 21: Send an article
Day 30: Telephone call
Day 60: Follow-up letter with a newsletter
Here’s a sample auto-responder schedule for people selling information products online:
Day 1: Thanks letter with benefit summary and the inclusion of further testimonials
Day 3: A FAQ email which addresses the most frequently asked questions people have when considering purchasing the product.
Day 7: Remind them about the offer and create a sense of urgency.
Day 11: Inform them of an additional offer if they respond in the next 4 days.
Day 15: Remind them this is the last chance for the additional offer.
etc. etc.
Kris Mills of Words that Sell ( http://www.wordsthatsell.com.au/ ) is a top selling copywriter, trainer and author of numerous how-to guides including Proposals and Tenders (Bids) that Sell. Kris has also produced a FREE ebook entitled “11 Bid Writing Sins and How to Avoid Them”. To arrange a FREE copy, visit:http://www.wordsthatsell.com.au/tendersebook.htm
