Three Ways to Get Repeat Sales With Follow-up Marketing

If you have customers, that's good.

If you can sell them repeatedly over time, that's better!

Actively pursuing repeat sales, also known as backend sales, is one of the
most profitable things you can do for your small business.

Here are three ways to do it ...

1. Say, "Thank you"
Start with a simple thank-you letter. Ask yourself this -- when's the last
time you got a thank-you letter from a company after giving them your
money? I'll bet you can't remember. See the possibilities for standing out
and generating good will?

I created an email template so I don't have to write the same thank-you
email over and over. It literally takes seconds for me to send one out to
each client.

A heartfelt "thank you" is all you really have to say, but you can go a bit
further in your message, by doing the following:

reinforce why it was a good idea to buy from you in the first place -- sell
your company after the sale to cut down on buyer's remorse and
returns/refunds
offer another product or service to complement their original purchase; you
can make this a limited-time offer, as I do (see my example thank-you email
below)
refer customers to affiliate programs at other Web sites that pay you
anticipate frequently asked questions (FAQ) and tell customers how they can
get service after the sale
ask for referrals
Simply sending a thank-you message after the sale will help nip service
problems in the bud. By acknowledging people who buy from you and opening a
channel of communication, you can turn unhappy customers into raving fans
who later recommend your business.

Really, when you think of it, the only thing that differentiates your
business -- online or off -- is service.

Yes, it's crucial to have the highest-quality product/service possible. But
what customers remember (and what they tell their friends) is how they were
treated. You can set the tone for a positive, profitable relationship with
all your customers simply by thanking them right after they purchase from
you.



2. Send a survey
Customer feedback, negative or positive, is a crucial tool for fixing holes
in your business. You can get that feedback via an online survey.

As of this writing, you can get one free at Zoomerang (www.zoomerang.com/).
I've used them for over a year and highly recommend their survey creator.

A good customer survey is like a vigorous massage -- you may feel beat up
after reading the results, because NO business serves its customers as well
as it thinks it does, but the results will energize you.

Side benefit
A survey is a window into your clients' minds. If you include a section for
them to include their comments, it's like having a free product research
laboratory! LISTEN and ACT on what your customers tell you. They'll give
you invaluable tips on what new products to sell, joint ventures to form,
etc.

Side benefit
You'll also find that clients answering your survey will often give you
testimonials, which you can later use on your Web site. As you probably
know, testimonials are an incredibly effective way to boost credibility and
sales.

I've accumulated five or six pages of them over the years (I stopped
counting) and prospects continually tell me that my testimonials were a
deciding factor in why they chose to buy from me.



3. Introduce them to non-competitors' products
What if customers won't need your product/service again for a long time, if
ever? If you haven't done so already, set up affiliate deals from other Web
sites that offer items related to your own.

My business offers a perfect example. Buying a resume is a lot like
visiting the dentist -- it's not something people look forward to, and they
likely won't make a repeat purchase for 6-12 months … or longer.

To overcome this, I email my clients information about career-related Web
sites where they can register for job search services, buy books and audio
tapes, refer jobs to friends, etc.

Each of these sites has an affiliate program that pays me $1 to $5 every
time people register or buy. It all adds up to hundreds of dollars in
monthly revenue that would have been left on the table had I not introduced
my customers to these other sites.

Need ideas on what kinds of products or services to offer your customers?
You can search for an affiliate program that's right for your customers at
one of these sites -
www.associateprograms.com/
or
www.refer-it.com/

Best of luck to you!

About the Author

Kevin Donlin has been selling online since 1995. This article is an
excerpt from "How to Double Your Small Business Sales in 20 Minutes a Day
With Follow-up Marketing", a new manual that does just what the title says.
Guaranteed. To learn more, visit http://www.guaranteedmarketing.com/manual



Written By: Kevin Donlin