First of all let me start out by saying that this is NOT an article about auto-responders.

While auto-response systems are good and work well, there is more to maintaining contact with potential customers than auto-responders. In fact the common problem with auto-response systems is that they follow up too fast and too often over a short period of time, and then after that NOTHING.

In this article we will look at WHY you need to follow- up, HOW you should follow-up, and also WHEN.

For a long time I have made sure that sometime after an initial inquiry about my products or services, a follow up email is sent out. I never fail to be amazed at how many sales I generate as a direct result of a simple follow-up message. I recently sent an email out to about 50 people who in the last two weeks had requested a certain file from my site. In that email I simply asked if they had been successful in downloading it, and suggested that if they hadn't that they should try again. I also mentioned that the special price on one of my products was not available for much longer.

Over the next few days I watched sales come in - many of them from the people who were included in that short mailing.

CAPTURING EMAIL ADDRESSES AND USING THEM RESPONSIBLY.

I've been telling people for a long time about the importance of capturing e-mail addresses. If you offer a free download on your web site, be sure that you are asking for their email address. Be sure that you make it clear that you will treat their email address with the utmost confidentiality and that you will not sell it or give it out to anyone else. I also go as far as to tell them that I will send them an email from time to time - it is better to be up front and honest about why you want their email address.

When I do a follow-up email I also make it very easy for them to ask never to be contacted again, but at the same time remind them that I only send such emails on a very occasional basis. It is very rare that I have anyone ask me to remove their name, but if I do, then I ensure their name is removed right away and with no questions asked. We live in a time where everyone thinks that any sales email is 'SPAM' and instantly hates it. Of course what we are doing is NOT spam, and giving people a way to be removed no questions asked is vitally important to keep the respect and credibility of those on your list.

HOW TO FOLLOW UP.

I don't generally use auto-responders. Instead I capture email addresses along with a note of the date they were obtained. Do not obtain these addresses through any method that could be considered 'deceptive', and also do not assume that anyone who emails you wants to be added to your list! I also do not believe in daily follow-ups as some people do. Some people don't even check their email every day, and the last thing they want is to check after three days and see three sales messages all from you!

If you really want to work on a set-interval then try one follow-up a week at the very most, and make sure that each follow-up is different.

PERSONALIZE... Make the email follow-ups you send seem personal. If you have captured their first name then address the email to them. It is proven that someone is far more likely to read an email that begins 'Dear John,' than they are an email that begins 'Dear Friend'. I don't always capture their first name, and in those cases I will often head the email: "Some time sensitive information for john@emailaddress.com".

You can achieve personalization through the use of a tool like Group Mail, which is free and available from www.group-mail.com

NEVER, NEVER, NEVER Start an email with a 'This is not spam' statement. Invariably email that starts by telling you it isn't spam, is spam! People are not stupid and have got used to spammers writing such statements. Your email isn't spam and if you write it well it will not be mistaken for it.

It is a good idea to remind the reader how you have their email address, something like "A few weeks ago you downloaded.." After that quick explanation (no more than one sentence) get to the point of your message.

So in short, the golden rules;

1) Capture email addresses with HONESTY.
2) Follow-up, but not too often!
3) Always give a clear way for them to have their name removed from your database.
4) Follow up when you have something of use or importance to share. ===================================================
Andy Brocklehurst is the author of Product Magic 397, and
creator of the marketing super-site the 'Inner Room'.

Visit http://www.succeed4u.com for more articles, free
tips and advice.
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