How to double your revenue with email auto-responders

I’m standing in Best Buy, eyeing that 60″ plasma screen television. I know full well that I won’t be buying it today — my wife would kill me. Here comes the sales guy. “Is there anything I can help you with?” he asks. “No, I’m just looking” I reply.

That ends the conversation. I walk out a few minutes later, thinking about how I’ll watch the Buckeyes football games on one of those televisions someday, but definitely not today.

Now, imagine if you could talk to the prospective customers who are looking at your company’s website and ask if they’re ready to buy. What would they tell you?

If you’re selling expensive products or services, only 3% are probably ready to buy today.

So what are you going to do with the 97% who “walk out” of your “online store” without making a decision to buy?

Unfortunately, most business leaders let those folks leave, and merely HOPE they’ll return and order the next time. This is a mistake. Let me share one little-known strategy that is proven to work much better.

Keep the conversation going with your prospective customers.

Remember, when I walked into Best Buy, I made up my mind that I would NOT buy a big screen TV. However, I was just as convinced that I would eventually buy one. Your website visitors are the same way. While only 3-5% are ready to buy today, the majority have definite plans to eventually buy what you’re selling. Maybe tomorrow. Maybe next week. Maybe next year. But that doesn’t mean they will buy from you.

In fact, your visitors could do all their research on your site, and then later go and make the purchase with your competitor! Don’t take it personally. The fact is, customers often pay little attention to exactly what website they’re on. They’ll buy from whatever place is at the top of their mind when they’re ready to buy.

Your best strategy is to keep the conversation alive with your customers, even after they leave your website. One great way to do this is with email auto-responders.

How do email autoresponders work?

With an email auto-responder, you can setup a series of personalized emails, and automate that conversation with every customer. Let me give you an example…

Suppose you sell swimming pools.

Sally visits your website looking at your pools. But Sally isn’t ready to buy today. She and her husband are considering buying one, but haven’t finished saving the money. Fortunately, your swimming pool website has an eye-catching ad on the sidebar. It says:

FREE REPORT:
10 Things You Should Know
Before Buying a Swimming Pool

Sally isn’t ready to buy today.

But a free report? She’s looking for as much information as she can get. Sally enters her name and email into your website to request the report. Now it’s time for the auto-responder to work its magic.

First… 30 seconds after filling out the form, Sally gets a personalized email from you:

Dear Sally:

John Doe
President, The Swimming Pool Shop

Exactly 7 days later, she receives another personalized email from you…

Hi Sally,

John Doe
President, The Swimming Pool Shop

Note that these personalized messages were sent automatically, using your auto-responder. You set message #1 to be sent immediately after they requested the report. Message #2 was scheduled to send 7 days after requesting the report.

You might also setup the following:

• Message #3 (Day 30) Tell the prospect about the exercise / health benefits of a swimming pool.
• Message #4 (Day 90) Share photos of beautiful landscaping that your customers have done around their new pools, and pointers for making their back yard look great.
• Message #5 (Day 120) Suggest saving tips and subtly remind the customer about your financing options.

You get the idea…

You begin having an ongoing conversation with Sally, keeping your company at the top of her mind. Plus – you keep her thinking about the benefits of a pool. She & her husband discuss it each evening after you send one of your auto-responder emails.

After one of those messages that goes out, Sally finally presses reply – and asks to schedule an appointment. You’re about to sell a swimming pool.

Remember, when Sally visited your site several months earlier, she wasn’t ready to buy. But thanks to your personalized auto-responders, your company remained at the top of her mind – and you earned her business.

But Sally isn’t the only one. Your auto-responder system is having personalized conversations with hundreds of prospective customers, and each month your sales continue to grow.

This strategy can easily double the sales you generate from your website.

It’s all based on this fact:
Although only a small percentage of website visitors are ready to buy TODAY… a bunch of them WILL be ready to buy SOMEDAY.

It’s up to you to keep that conversation going, so you’re positioned to make the sale when the customer is ready to buy.

We can help you double your sales by setting up an auto-responder system on your website. Give us a call! Our contact information is at the bottom of the page.