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The Internet has changed how people do their business. Even small business owners are able to reach global market inexpensively nowadays, selling anything from apparel, collectibles, to computer software, service and coaching.

The core of every business is sales. Many of the strategies to increase sales offline are applicable online, but not all of them. On the Internet, everybody can effort to fail fast and learn from it. Better still, after years of testing and tracking what works online, people can just learn from other people’s experience and cut the learning curve tremendously.

Here are 5 of the surefire ways to increase sales:

1. Establish a sound affiliate program

If it is just another affiliate program, then don’t expect to have different results. Focus on building a sound affiliate program, with the tools and materials to support affiliates to promote a program easily. After all, affiliates work like clockwork and should be seen as a team. Provide them with the right promotion tools and they will more likely promote the program.

Give the customers an option to join the affiliate program after purchase. Satisfied customers are one of the best marketing for any business. Spread the good words through word of mouth. Best of all, they are paid just for doing that.

2. Follow-up after first purchase

The hardest task in any business is acquiring the first sale. Make sure that capturing customers’ name and email addresses are the least information gathered from a sale. With that information in hand, follow-up with existing customers, probably through an automated mechanism like timely autoresponder.

This effort has been proven to decrease refund on products and increase customers’ satisfaction. Every once in a while, mention a related product that might be of interest to the customers. Write a review and provide real results. Such promotion is extremely inexpensive, but very effective in practice. The product can be anything, including an affiliate program.

3. Use up-sell technique

Just before a customer check out to the payment gateway, prompt for optional upgrade to the better, bigger, or nicer product for a fairly steep discount, preferably not available elsewhere.

A certain number of customers will choose the option, which translates into additional sales, almost without additional effort.

4. Provide discount coupons

Coupons urge customers to come back and shop. Promotional coupons work for both advertising and some forms of joint venture. Customers love to know that they get lower price for what they buy. Coupons make it so real and tangible.

5. Cross-promote with other related products

There is no limit as to how this could be accomplished. Joint venture with other business or even competitors is feasible as long as it brings a win-win situation.

One example would be to give away sample of other product or service as part of the whole package. As long as the sample is relevant to the customer, this promotion could only be seen as an added value instead of pure advertising.

There are many other tactics to increase sales but above tips have been proven to work again and again. Choose one at a time and take action. Good luck.

Jeff Casmer is an award winning entrepreneur, keynote speaker, and internet marketing consultant with online sales over $25 million dollars. His “Top Ranked” Work At Home Directory gives you all the information you need to start, maintain, and prosper to create wealth at home in the 21st century.
“Top Ranked” Work at Home Directory

Selling–a word that strikes terror in writers and professionals. We love to write. We love our work. We love to speak. We hate to SELL.

Our print and eBooks may go unread because we don’t get the word out. Our products and services don’t sell because we don’t include enough benefits to give our buyers a reason to buy. Maybe that’s because we imagine the used car salesman or the vacuum sales person. They annoyed us because they didn’t listen, they pushed, and we felt attacked. We defended our position, and that’s what we think others do when we share our books or eBooks.

When you think of selling, think of sharing the love that went into your book, product, or service and the unique, important benefits it delivers. Think, “Now that I’ve planted this garden, I want to reap its harvest. If I don’t share the word with others, my garden will die from lack of attention.”

If you are like me, you will want to put both your attention and intention on your book, product, or service. Yes, use powerful words to describe your products. Follow my lead and let your audience know about your top product or service through an ezine, press release, writing and submitting free articles Online, sending email follow ups, giving freebies to attract folks to your site, or learning how to sell without a Web Site.

Book Example:

To raise your book “Selling” awareness, check out the acronym below:

S - Sharing my book; educating and entertaining people with my unique information

E - Expecting positive outcomes; knowing my book’s value, living it, and offering it with my short blurb–the “30-60 Second Tell and Sell”

L - Listening to other professionals who have shared their books and created ongoing lifelong income, raised their credibility as a speaker, coach, or other professional, as well as living a grand adventure.

L - Listening to what my reader’s problems and needs are, so I can serve them through the essential “7 Hot-Selling Points.”

I - Involving people by sending them parts of the book, ask them to vote from 1-10 on each part. They could also add words or phrases that I didn’t think of. Always thinking, “does my book suit my audience’s needs?”

N - Nurturing business relationships through networking as a savvy friend who follows up regularly.

G - Gaining enthusiasm from all the people who already love my book–enough to give me quality, specific testimonials.

Share your good feelings and good words about your eBook, products, or services with others. Show them how you can help them. It’s OK to sell because your book or anything else because you offer value to help others.

Judy Cullins, 20-year book and Internet Marketing Coach, Author of 10 eBooks including “Write your eBook Fast,” and “How to Market your Business on the Internet,” she offers free help through her 2 monthly ezines, The Book Coach Says…and Business Tip of the Month at http://www.bookcoaching.com/opt-in.shtml and over 140 free articles. Email her at mailto:Judy@bookcoaching.com

In my professional experience as a sales and marketing coach/consultant, I’ve had the opportunity to work with a number of small business owners on various issues related to sales and marketing. The owners who are struggling to keep their businesses afloat tend to engage in some, or all, of the following mistakes that reduce profitability.

Mistake #1: They fail to market or market inconsistently. Once you have committed to owning and running a business you must be equally committed to marketing and selling the products and services of that business. It is difficult, if not impossible, to stay and remain profitable without a commitment to ongoing concerted marketing.

Solution: Market all the time, every time.

Mistake #2: They hesitate to “ask for the sale”. Rather than seeming pushy or obnoxious they let profit-producing opportunities pass them by. They worry more about what someone thinks of them than they do about bringing more money into their business. If you find it difficult to “ask for the sale”, you can be sure that you’re not bringing in as much money as you could be.

Solution: Practice asking for the sale.

Mistake #3: They don’t ask for help or assistance in the aspects of the business where they most need it. Most business owners possess strengths in a particular area but whether by necessity or ignorance they often end up working in areas that aren’t part of their strengths. When business is not going as it should they delay or procrastinate in asking for help. Each day that goes by with your business running at less than maximum efficiency means dollars lost from your pocket.

Solution: Get expert advice from an attorney, accountant, or other service professional before you really need it.

Mistake #4: They don’t follow up with past customers. It is usually much easier to reactivate a former customer than it is to attract a new one. If you are not following up with past customers on a regular basis you are reducing your profitability potential.

Solution: Develop and implement a regular method for customer follow up.

Mistake #5: They don’t take regular stock of their expenses. Savvy business owners regularly appraise their business expenses and find ways to reduce costs without sacrificing quality. If you haven’t completed a cost analysis lately, you might be paying more than you need to be, which will reduce your profitability.

Solution: At least once per quarter review expenses and negotiate for adjustments as appropriate.

Mistake #6: They spend large amounts on glossy, slick marketing materials and expect business to pour in without any additional effort. Glossy brochures and slick marketing materials are a nice addition to more active forms of marketing such as meeting people, calling people and speaking to people. Brochures and business cards, no matter how beautiful, do not replace direct contact. If you are spending money on flashy marketing materials rather than marketing directly you will be less profitable than you could be.

Solution: Take those glossy brochures and hand them out directly to people at the next possible opportunity.

Mistake #7: They spend a significant amount of time in low-return activities (as measured by dollars and personal satisfaction). If you are spending the majority of your day completing tasks which are administrative in nature and/or which can be easily completed by other people you are reducing your profitability.

Solution: Track your time and figure out how much you’re making per hour. Hire an assistant if you are spending the bulk of your time in administrative work.

Mistake #8: They charge less than they desire. This challenge seems to arise especially for consultants, coaches and solo entrepreneurs who sell services. It is often tempting to accept less money than you need - so you get “some money” rather than “no money”. After time, working for too little can leave you exhausted and resentful and it takes a deep cut out of your profitability.

Solution: Commit that, at the next opportunity, you will ask for full fee. And then do it.

Mistake #9: They make infrequent or no use of technology which could save them time and effort. As a business owner, you have a fixed amount of time and energy within which you must maximize your profits. Technology can help you do this in the form of autoresponders, voicemail, wireless internet connections, speech recognition software and the like. All of these tools are designed to save you time and effort. If you are not making consistent use of technology in your business you are likely not as profitable as you could be.

Solution: Look for ways that you can make your business processes more efficient by using inexpensive technology.

Mistake #10: They adhere to outdated business models or plans. If you do not stay up with the trends in your business you will notice a steady decline in your profitability.

Solution: Attend meetings and conferences that will keep you on target with your market. Implement new means of doing business and update your business plan at least every couple of years.

If you are serious about improving your business’ profitability, start by implementing the suggested solutions to these ten common mistakes. Together, these solutions will help you make more money and have more fun in your business. Try them and see.

(c) 2004 Dr. Rachna D. Jain. All rights in all media reserved.

About The Author

Dr. Rachna D. Jain is a sales and marketing coach, author, consultant and speaker. Sign up for her free email newsletter, “Sales & Marketing Secrets” sams-subscribe@salesandmarketingcoach.com. To learn more or to contact Dr. Jain directly, please visit http://www.SalesandMarketingCoach.com.

coach@salesandmarketingcoach.com