Why you need to follow-up your customers

You create a digital information product, and work hard towards your product launch. You announce it to your list. You’ve even done quite a bit of legwork in advance and promoted it via email, Twitter, Facebook, article marketing and guest blogging… and maybe even a guest interview on a web radio show.

The big day comes. You’re quite pleased with the sales. But they trickle off within the first month - perhaps even the first week or two – and after that, you’re lucky if you make $100 a month on your product.

There’s something wrong with the scenario here: Most likely the lack of a follow up plan.

Your Follow Up Plan

It’s actually amazing how many people don’t realize the importance of contact or sales follow up – let alone having an actual follow up plan for every campaign. Yet this happens with a huge percentage of online entrepreneurs. They put all their emotion and energy into creating the product and launching it... and leave the sales to take care of themselves.

The Power of Follow Up

By now you’ve probably become aware that the biggest crime of internet marketing is "leaving money on the table". What this phrase means is simply "not making the most of every single opportunity to exploit this one product".   Not having a well-thought-out and implemented follow up plan is doing just that - missing opportunities for further sales, right, left and center! When you consider how many sales Derek made that were generated by that single follow up letter, it puts the power of following up into strong perspective.

3 Key Ways Following Up Benefits Your Business

Taking as much care with your follow up as you do with your product creation and launch prep should be a consistent part of your marketing process.  We've already taken a look at the sales stats in the previous section; and if that's not enough to really drive the point home, here are 3 more powerful benefits to consistently using well-thought-out follow up process...

1. Following up builds trust

2. Follow up builds consistency

3. Follow Up Sets you ahead of the competition

Making Your Reputation

We’ve mentioned how consistent follow up can build trust… but the truth is, follow up can do more than that:  It can make or break your reputation: Be inconsistent, or forget to keep your word, and you will lose customers for life.

Be reliable every time – and you will keep them.

It all boils down to habits – yours, in always being reliable, presenting follow up opportunities at every stage: Your customer’s, in getting into the habit of buying from you… and looking for your offers.

Ignoring the Obvious

So where can you add a follow up? 

Everywhere! There are so many opportunities. Do it after your new list member has downloaded their free report, video, template or audio file.  (“Did you have a chance to download “5 Easy Pieces” yet? If so, you may have noticed…”)

Do it during your free email mini-course.  Do it at the end.

Do it before the sale, and at every step of the process.

And especially do it after the sale or the initial offer “expiration”.

But no matter where you position your power-packing follow ups, there's one other action you need to take. And that is… “Just ask”. 

The One Follow Up Step that’s Easy to Miss

Follow up emails, recordings or articles are the ridiculously obvious place to include a call to action, yet it’s surprising how many people fail to remember this! 

If they’ve already bought, don’t be afraid to follow up with suggestions at how they might want to augment their new product, take advantage of a special OTO (one time offer) or upgrade to the next level.

And you’ll be making the most of every opportunity to:

A.           Make that sale

B.           Not leave “money on the table”

Make follow ups work for you. Keep them consistent, and you’ll become known for your reliability and delivery – every time. 

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