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Step One: Set Up Your Autoresponders |
An
autoresponders sends out a sequence of emails to your customers or prospects at
any specific time interval you want.
Let
me show you:
You can see here that I have one email that goes out instantly, followed by one on day 2 and one on day 5. Of course my actual autoresponder system for my customers is loaded with many more messages than that. But that gives you an idea of how the messages can be spaced out.
When you
use the program, you simply set the number of days between messages.
You can also send out a mass, "broadcast" email to your whole list or just a sublist. This is good for special announcements, endorsed mailings, and product launches.
The Autoresponder Systems I Personally Recommend
If you're unfamiliar with autoresponders, click here to check out a few screen shots of several different autoresponders.
I recommend Automate Your Website for a complete, A-Z web site sales system. That includes autoresponders, a shopping cart, ad tracking, an affiliate program, and all sorts of other stuff. And all that for not much more than the cost of an autoresponder.
For those that don't need all the bells and whistles and just need an autoresponder, Aweber works great. I personally use it all the time. I have some pretty advanced custom programming that won't work with Automate.
Now, Aweber integrates with Paypal. This means that if someone orders a product from you through Paypal, their email address will be added to your autoresponder. All they have to do is click the confirmation link. I HIGHLY recommend ALWAYS requiring double opt in for your list. It could save you a lot of hassle and problems. Plus it's a requirement of Can Spam.
To learn how to integrate Aweber with Paypal, click here.
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The following steps detail the sequence of messages
we've been training students to use successfully for the last several years.
This sequence has since become a standard on the Internet for product purchase
follow up.
It was originally taught at: http://www.automationsecrets.com
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Step Two: Write Your Order Confirmation |
The very day after people buy from you, you must send them an email asking if
they had problems buying your product.
Some ordering
systems send a canned letter that you can customize. Others send no email
and you will need to program this in your autoreponder.
The purpose of
the email is to smoke out issues before they actually become problems. Your goal is to prevent
customers from becoming irate.
Here
is an example of an email you might send:
Dear
<firstname>:
Thanks
for your order.
This
email will serve as your order confirmation and receipt.
Product:
(name of your product)
Price:
(price they paid)
Shipping:
(when they will receive the product)
The
charge will appear on your credit card under the name XYZ CORP. Please make a
note of our company name, so you will recognize it when the charge appears on
your credit card statement.
If
you have any questions concerning your order, please feel free to contact us.
Your satisfaction is extremely important to us.
Email:
(your email address)
Phone:
(your phone number)
Contact:
(name of customer service rep)
Best
wishes,
Your
name
Customer Support |
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Step Three: Write Your "Stick Letter" |
Write your
stick letter
This is a NEW LETTER I have added to the sequence of outgoing emails I send after someone orders a product from me.
Basically, the purpose of a stick letter is to make the sale "stick". Meaning, it reaffirms
that their decision to buy was a good choice.
Always include:
1) a sincere, “thank you for your business” statement
2) some bullets as a reminder of the benefits they are receiving with your product
3) a link to contact you or your support team
A stick letter is also a good time to request referrals or testimonials. Stick a link in the letter where they can call or write to give you their endorsement when they're ready. No one's more excited and gung ho about your product than someone who's JUST bought it and begun using it.
You can also offer them an added bonus just as an extra incentive to give you a testimonial or referral.
Rather than a stick letter, it may be even better to do a "stick audio" or "stick video". Think about it. If they can hear the sincerity in your voice or see you looking straight at them when you're talking, the "stick" effect will be stronger.
Plan
your stick phone call (optional)
This is another
new link in the chain I've added. What you do is
make follow up phone calls to your new customers to thank them for doing
business with you.
They'll be
surprised and delighted. Especially if YOU, the creator of the product, call them. Of course this may not be possible. You may be too busy. But even getting a call from your office works wonders.
If you want, you
can use an automated service that calls your new customers and leaves a thank
you for your purchase message on their answering machine. It's your option
to deliver the message to all who answer, or only to answering machines.
This CANNOT be a
sales call. It MUST be a simple "thank you". I've covered the
different vendor possibilities in http://www.automationsecrets.com.
There are also
new laws in the U.S. that may come on the books concerning the use of automated
messages. For the most part, these laws do not apply to customers who have
recently purchased from you. But if you use any automated marketing, you
should stay current on these laws.
The alternative
is to hire someone to make the calls for you.
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Step Four: Write Your "Free Gift" Email Letter |
Write an
email that offers an additional free bonus NOT promised or mentioned in your sales letters.
I originated and
popularized the use of the "free bonus after purchase" method. The proof I
have is that only I know the original research the method was based on, which is
a fundraising study that showed you could greatly increase the total dollars
given over a lifetime by a donor simply by sending all new donors a well-planned
welcome kit.
In addition, I
had anecdotal evidence from a multi-million dollar seminar business I wrote
sales letters for as a freelance writer. They found that when they greeted
participants in baggage claim at the airport, they greatly increased the
likelihood the person would buy additional training.
It's all about
FIRST IMPRESSIONS made on new customers. That's why you use a stick
letter. That's why you offer a free gift. Or make a personal phone
call.
Here's a screen
capture of my free gift letter:
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Step Five: Write Your Upsell or Bundle Email Offer |
Write your
upsell or bundle email
After sending the free gift, you increase what psychologists call the response
potential of your customer. If you've studied The Psychology of Persuasion
book by Robert B. Cialdini,
you know about the studies that show a free gift increases the likelihood of a
positive response.
I have seen
studies where the free gift substantially increased response.
In this follow
up email (or letter), you can:
a.
Offer an upsell
This is an
addition to the order, like biggie sizing your burger order. The typical
upsell is for 25% of the price of the initial order. That formula was
established in the infommercial industry, although I have seen upsells work that
were for a product much more expensive than the initial purchase.
b.
Bundle
You offer to
CREDIT the amount of the purchase towards a larger bundle of products or
services.
c.
Recurring billing
You offer the
addition of an item for which the customer will be billed on a monthly or
quarterly basis.
The amount of
time you wait prior to sending your upsell offer is variable. I send an
upsell almost immediately upon purchase and another one ten days later. I've
also experimented with several bundle offers.
I do this with a
certificate that gives credit towards a larger purchase.
