how to increase sales

Everyone Wants Direct Links

If you send virtual promotional material
– a newsletter, a social media post,
an email
– give your prospects direct links
to your products
in their country-specific store.

Almost no one is going to
search for your product.

Many prospects are so accustomed
to receiving direct links
they don’t know HOW
to search for your product.

I receive emails from readers
in countries I sell very few books in
asking for direct links.

Yes, they prefer to email the writer
of a book
than to search for that book
at their online store.

Give your prospects
direct links.

Customer History

A loved one
has been battling
a huge internet provider
for well over a month.

Every time
he calls their customer service
they have NO record
of his previous calls.

This is a company
that likely tracks
everything we do
on the internet,
selling that information
to other companies.

The lack of tracking
re: customer service
is deliberate.
It is irritating.
And it likely loses them customers.

But this company is one
of the biggest in the country
so they don’t care.

We can’t be as uncaring.
Our businesses are smaller.
We’re trying to build our customer bases.
We need positive customer experiences
and the positive word of mouth
that accompanies that.

Track customer service experiences.
Keep a thorough customer file.

Ensure your customers
feel respected.

Send Your Newsletter

Send your newsletter.

I know. I know.
You’re busy.
You think you have nothing
to say.
You don’t want to
‘bother’ people.
Etc.

First, they want
to be ‘bothered.’
That’s why
they signed up
for your newsletter.

You will receive
some unsubscribes.

Those are people
who have changed their minds.
Or maybe they’re going through
some personal sh*t.
Who knows?

But at one time,
in the past,
they wanted your newsletter.

The remaining people
on your list
still want your newsletter.

Give them what they want
and send it.

Second,
we’re all busy.

But newsletters
are the best sources
of sales.

And most of us
would be happy
to have a few more sales.

Third,
you have plenty to say.

Tell subscribers how other people
are using your product.

Tell them why people
love your product.

Tell them
why you developed it.

Show them a photo
of your dog
and the product.

(Photos of pets
put most customers
in a good mood
and people in good moods
buy stuff.)

You worked hard
to develop
your newsletter subscriber list.

Use it.

They Won’t ‘Eventually’ Notice

Keep putting out great products
and someone will eventually notice.

Older business gurus offer
this advice
ALL the time.

It is wrong,
so very wrong.

Look at this blog
– client k.
I’ve posted every day
here
for a couple decades.

My readership is tiny.
And it isn’t growing.

There’s a LOT
of sh*t on the internet.
It is highly unlikely
someone will ‘discover’ this blog.

If I cared about
the size of my readership
(I don’t),
I should promote
this blog
– constantly.

I would definitely
have to do some things,
perhaps many things
differently.

If your products/services
have too small of a customer base
for you,
you have to do something
different
also.

No one is going to
‘discover’ you.

You have to bring
yourself, your business,
your products/services
to prospective customers.

Increasing Sales By Changing The Feelings Invoked

Great Romance Novels have superbly-crafted plots.
They have unique, wonderful characters.

But, most importantly,
great Romance Novels invoke strong emotions
in readers
(customers).

THAT is what readers
are buying
– the emotions,
the way they feel
while reading the back cover copy
(the marketing),
while looking at the cover
(the packaging),
while enjoying the story
(the product).

If writers
(business builders)
want to reach
a different audience
(a different target market),
an easy way
to do this
is by changing the feelings
their stories
(products)
create in readers.

As Seth Godin
shares,
when people approach
a product or service,
they experience
“Feelings first,
then they create a story.
Facts come in third.

If our goal
is to help people
make better choices,
it helps to first
create better feelings.”

If you want to change
your target market,
consider changing
the feelings your product/service
invokes in people.