How To Retain Your Customers Through Spectacular Customer Service
They landed on your page, they took a look at what you had to offer, but for some reason they were not ready to commit. It happens. In fact, on average, prospects consider a major purchase at least seven times before they follow through and buy the product or service.
However, the problem on the Internet is these prospects may not find your website when they are ready seal the deal. You have to find a way to keep your solution in front of them until they are ready to purchase.
Email marketing lets you engage with your prospects until they are ready to convert to paying customers. With a soft sell autoresponder series, you can keep your brand and solution in front of these browsers until they have all the information they need.
Seduce Them With a Giveaway
First, you have to get a prospect’s email address, often accomplished by offering a giveaway she cannot resist. This can be an e-book, white paper, webinar or video. You could even offer a widget or other download.
This works best if the freebie is related to the product you are offering. If you are selling a series of lessons you might offer the first lesson for free. In fact, many coaching programs start with a free goal setting lesson that then smooths the way for a complete system designed to help prospects achieve the goals they have identified.
Share Pertinent Information
If you want prospects to open and read your emails, you need to strike a balance between your soft sell and content that has value for the reader. Of course, the best email marketing series will successfully offer both – valuable content that also sells your solution.
Just keep in mind, especially while you establish the relationship with the first two or three emails, that you want to give more than the prospect senses you are trying to take.
Answer Questions and Overcome Objections
The soft sell aspect of your email autoresponder series should overcome any objections in the prospect’s mind by offering testimonials and case studies. Over the course of several emails you should answer any questions prospects may have and show how your product or service solves their problems.
Move Them to a New Bucket
One last thing to consider, once the prospect has made the purchase, you should move him to the next bucket in your sales funnel. Most email autoresponder systems allow you to segment your lists, so you do not waste energy (or goodwill) trying to sell prospects on something they have already purchased.
Even if you do not yet have a next step to promote, moving prospects to your “already sold” bucket helps you better target your future emails to that group.
You can’t please all the people all the time, and you won’t sell every prospect the first time they visit your site. Email marketing gives you a second, third, maybe even fortieth chance to close the deal and convert those prospects into gold.
