If you're a marketer your number one concern is customers. You've probably read and heard a million and one ideas about how to build relationships, retain customers, create a list of potential customers, and inspire consmer loyalty. But the tough question is, "How do I convert prospects into customers?"

There are a lot of people out there who see your ads, think about them, and maybe even say, "I ought to..." They're just waiting to be convinced to to do something about it. There is something you can do to get them moving!

1. Improve Your Offer

No on can pass up the deal thats too good to resist. Think about it... how often do your customers want your product, but just want something else a little more? That leaves you with a long list of almost sales that have the potential to be converted into real sales and profit. Sweeten the deal. Make the offer so good they cant resist it.

Now, Im in no way suggesting that you drop your prices to sweeten the deal. You can just as easily load it up with bonuses to increase the perceived value without cutting away at your profit. Bonuses motivate sales, maybe even more than cut prices.

Dont let them lollygag. Yeah, get them into the store pronto with a deadline. They may have to put a competitors purchase on hold to get your deal, but hey... whats wrong with that?

2. Follow Up

How would you like to increase your sales by more than 50 percent? Yeah, it sounds good! Theres really a very simple tactic that you can implement... follow ups.

Chances are, prospective customers arent going to buy your product the first time they see or hear about it. Maybe itll be the third or fourth, but they have to hear from you that third or fourth time before they actually become a customer. Do you have a follow up system in place?

Simply contact the almost customer every month with a new offer, or give them more information about the product they are showing interest in. It doesnt have to be an intricate process. Keeping the contact there goes a long way toward building trust... the key to finding life-long customers.

Internet Marketers experience a high number of customers who browse their site, then click away. You cant follow up without some form of contact information. A great way to gather the info you need is to offer a free ebook or informative report that consumers will find of interest. Once theyve given you the information to email them the product, you have what you need to keep in contact, and work on converting them into loyal customers.

Personalize as much as possible. If you can get the firstname of your customer... great! Personalized messages have greater appeal than addressed to occupant messages.

Copyright 2006 Cutts Group, llc