Never Before Revealed Business Secrets

Some business people just don't get it.

On three different occasions, over the past few days, I've been asked about strategies to increase business revenue. Each time, I give them my routine answer, which is to ensure that they know their target market before investing a dime in marketing.

In addition, I tell them to know their budget and ensure that they maximize each dollar spent.

One example is a client who wants to do a direct marketing piece to increase sales from her web site. The traditional thing to do is either purchase a targeted list, or build a list yourself, create the proper message on the postcard (if a postcard is used), and ensure that the message is appropriate to your target market.

However, doing this is just one part of the equation.

In order to maximize your expense in any marketing endeavor, you must be ready to NOT just try and sell a product, you must me able to somehow capture the name, email, and mailing address of all targeted prospective customers.

If you send out 5,000 postcards, for instance, once they're mailed, the recipient has two choices...

1) ignore your message (which 98-100% of people do)
2) buy from you (only 0 - 2% on average buy)

What if you give them a third option. Why not have them say "maybe". Better yet, what if they say "maybe" and they tell you who they are and ask you to send them something so that they can be approached on a different occasion.

Wouldn't option number 3 be worth your while? I mean, you've already spent all that money on design, printing, lists, and mailing. It's not costing you anything extra to have them say "maybe", instead of "NO".

So how do you do it? Simple...make them an offer of something of value to them that is FREE to them. But here's the thing; the free "thing" must me something that has to do with your product or service.

Don't make the mistake of offering an electronic device such as a PDA, if you're selling shoes. A better offer would be a free shoe horn, or shoe comfort sole, or leather treatment (if leather shoes), or anything related to the item in question.

The best product to offer is an information product because it is something that everyone likes, and it's something that is easy to distribute, and in most cases, free for you to distribute.

The best part about using information digital products, is that you can automate the entire process using such services as www.AutomaticEcommerce.com. This system allows you to allow the recipient to give you their information, in exchange for the information you provide.

The best part is that the process is fully automated once it's set up the first time.

If you send out a postcard to 5,000 people or business owners in your target market, and make an offer to "Learn the 3 Secret Pleasure Points on Your Feet, that Will make You Feel Good All Day" and invite them to download it from your web site, you will get more people visiting your site and requesting your information.

Simply create a series of email messages with more important "secrets" that will keep them coming back to your web site for more, and perhaps even buying from you now that you've developed a relationship with them.

Using a system like www.AutomaticEcommerce.com will allow you to handle the entire process, hands-free.

The moral of the story is...give them the option to buy from you tomorrow, not just today.

Until my next post...

Edison R. Guzman
www.aeAdvertising.com
www.AutomaticEcommerce.com
www.FreshContentEveryMonth.com
www.aeDomains.com