The Secret to Making Money May be Simpler Than You Think. It's All a Matter of Making Yourself Available to Customers.
c2002 by Dennis Hessler
The single most important thing I have done to make money in the information-selling business is to make myself available.
I can't tell you how many times I've received phone calls from cash-paying customers who were shocked, surprised, but mostly just pleased that I was actually there to take their calls. This isn't a 1-800 number I'm talking about and I'm not here all the time. But I set certain hours when I AM available and although there are rare exceptions, I am usually here then. I get calls, I get orders, and I make money.
Most of the calls are people asking me questions about my business--international trade information. Frequently these questions are answered at my website or in my mailed sales information.
However, I learned a long time ago that these folks aren't really calling for answers to specific trade questions. They're calling to check me out. They want to make sure a real live person is here and that he sounds reasonably cogent and eager to help.
Then they plunk over their cash.
I love getting phone orders. About half the time someone calls to chat with me about international trade, they end up placing an order. I don't press them. I take as long as they like answering their questions (for one thing, they're calling on their dime) but I often remind them that such-and-such a product might help them out.
If they sound at all interested in ordering, I'll help them along by saying, "I can ship your order today" or "I can get it out to you first thing tomorrow."
One of the big surprises in this business is the fact that I don't SELL anything. People will usually sell themselves. They're looking for reasons to buy. Heck, I've even tried to talk people out of buying and had them argue with me and place their order. I don't argue real hard, you understand, but I take this "helping" thing seriously and if I think what a potential customer wants to do won't work, I'll mention that to them. Then I back off. It's not my place to tell them what to do.
It's important to be seen as a real flesh-and-blood person. I've discovered that the more contact information I provide, the better. I give website, email address, fax, phone and postal address. I put a happy little picture of myself at my site.
Don't worry if you can't sit by the telephone all day. I have a distributor who also has a day job but he still makes it a point to be by the phone in the late afternoon when he comes home from work. Even two hours makes a difference. The thing that really gets my shorts in a knot is when businesses don't respond to email. I flat don't understand this. It's stupid and, frankly, it's insulting.
After phone calls, the surest way for me to get a sale is to simply answer a question that's been emailed to me. Most of the people are shocked and pleased that I have bothered to respond and everybody goes away happy.
They get an answer and, frequently, I get the sale.
Still, I'm amazed at the number of supposed business people on the Internet who don't reply to emails even when THEY are the ones who asked the question! So what are the four ways you can profit from your communication style?
* Be responsive* Be courteous
* Be prompt
* Be available
Dessis Hessler is an international trade consultant and publisher. He recently published an ebook available only through the Internet about lessons he's learned over the years about how to sell through the mail and over the Internet. It's called "39 Myths About How to Make Money Selling Information Products or How I Break All the Rules and Make Thousands Every Month." You may contact Dennis at:
Spyglass Point Productions P.O. Box 13141 Pensacola, FL 32591 USA Phone: 850-438-5527 www.spyglasspoint.com/myths Dennis@spyglasspoint.com
Previous Index
Idea Help
Next
