Turn Your Customers Into a Sales Force For Your Product or Service

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No matter how large or small your company is, you could ...
more experts selling your product or service. Hiring ...
an in-house sales force is much too ... for ...
busines No matter how large or small your company is, you could benefitfrom more experts selling your product or service. Hiring andtraining an in-house sales force is much too expensive for manysmall businesses.
Even larger firms that already have sizeablesales departments could use help finding prospects and turningthem into paying customers.The easiest and cheapest way to build your sales force is to givecustomers a chance to promote your products and services.Satisfied customers not only know all about what you sell, butbecause they have tried your product themselves, they havemore credibility with prospects. A prospect believes when apast customers says "Yes, I used it and it works great." No ador commercial can speak as powerfully.Create A Simple Referral ProgramMany customers will be delighted to tell friends about yourproduct or service.
You only have to ask. Say "I'm gladyou got great results from our service.
Please spread the word.I would really appreciate it if you told a few people you knowwho could also benefit from our service."You can offer a discount to new customers referred by existingcustomers. One store has a sign in the waiting area "Tell afriend and you both save 10% on your next purchase.
Ask fordetails."Start Your Own Affiliate ProgramBack when Amazon.com was first staring out, founder Jeff Bezoswas at a party. A woman who had just gone through a divorce toldBezos she wished she could sell Amazon's books about divorce fromher web site.The wheels started turning inside Bezos' head.
Back at theoffice he worked with his programming staff to create software totrack sales that came from other people's web sites.Today, affiliate systems like the one Amazon created are thenumber one marketing method on the Internet. Services likeMyAffiliateProgram.com and SimpleAffiliate.com offer affordablesystems that are easy to set up.
Your customers can paste a bitof HTML code on their web pages, then any sale that comes fromtheir site is credited to their account.Commissions can be based on a percentage of the purchase, a setdollar amount, or a small fee for each person who clicks throughto visit your site. Most often, firms offer a percentage of saleaveraging around 20 percent.
Kevin offers commissions up to $75per sale at http://drnunley.com/affiliates.htmTraining Your Sales ForceA lot of web sites started big affiliate programs only to shutthem down a few years later. Customers don't automatically getbehind your affiliate program.
Like any sales force, they needtraining and constant encouragement.Your affiliates will need clear instructions on how to set uptheir affiliate links. Usually you can adapt these from theinstructions you get from your affiliate system provider.Show affiliates how to promote their site and your links.
Themost effective way to make sales is for affiliates to includetheir link at the bottom of all their email messages. Showmembers how to create a signature file in their email program.Also take care to explain the difference between sending mail tosomeone you know and spamming strangers.
More than a fewaffiliate programs have been derailed by members who spammedwithout understanding what they were doing wrong.Develop Your Marketing MaterialsAffiliate members will need a series of marketing materials fromyou. Have a professional writer create several sales lettersmembers can use in autoresponders.
Provide an email lettermembers can send when they are asked for more information. Alsogive members a page of web copy to put on their sites.Make your customer sales force a priority.
Plan your strategy,then work your plan consistently. Create a newsletter andpublicly congratulate members who make sales.
Share membersuccess stories that could motivate other members to highersales. Roll out new products, services, or improvements fromtime to time.
They will give your members exciting new things tosell and keep your affiliates energized. Article Tags: Sales Force Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com.