They’re already waiting…

If you have customers, you have a group of people with credit cards in hand WAITING to buy something from you. YOU MUST offer them something! If you don’t, it would be like you going to a store and seeing something that you’d like to buy, but when you went to pay for it, the storeowner turned you away and told you they are not selling anything today.

I recently went into a toy store with my kids to purchase a birthday present for one of their friends. This was a local toy store and I wanted to give them the business instead of Wal-Mart. I knew I’d pay more, but I was fine with that since I expected good customer service and I wanted to support a small business owner.

When we entered the store, I met the owner who was also the Director of Business Prevention. I told her we were looking for a toy for a boy who was turning 4 and asked if she could point me to the right section. Her response shocked me. She said, “I don’t have anything good anymore. I sold out of all the good toys and the economy is so bad I can’t afford to order more.” The store looked full so I was still hopeful and asked if she had anything that would work for a 4-year-old boy. She said, “I don’t have much, but you can look.”

We left the store without a toy in hand. The owner could have easily handled it completely differently. I understand that times are tough for some businesses, but that should not mean you talk your customers out of buying from you! The owner should have welcomed me into the store and showed me what toys would have worked.

Not only did she lose a sale that day, she lost the potential of future purchases as well. Why go back to a toy store that doesn’t sell toys?

Don’t let them walk away…

The loss of future business is almost more important. Remember, once someone has purchased something from you, they have shown you that they are interested in what you are selling. It is their hobby, interest, or desire – they wanted what you were selling them. From there, you just have to give them what they want.

One of my private clients is a very successful brain doctor. He’s done an amazing job of acquiring customers and building his business. He has multiple clinics, a newsletter with a large following, and a successful book and supplement business. When I started working with him I quickly realized the he had no plan in place for reaching out to past patients and buyers of his books and supplements. He has left at least $3 million dollars on the table by not digging into his database and maximizing each customer.

Let them buy!

So how do you make sure it’s easy for your customers to buy something from you? Put the offer right in their lap – literally! Despite what “common sense” would have you think, direct mail is not being overrun by internet marketing. One study showed that 98% of consumers retrieve mail from the mailbox the day it is delivered, and 77% sort through it immediately! (DM News February 2011).

Direct Mail is still the media king. No other medium allows you to target specific groups like Direct Mail does. People still get excited about going to their mailbox each day. That’s why every major Fortune 500 Company uses Direct Mail – even online companies like Google and Amazon.

And you should too. Not utilizing a technique as promising as direct mail is like leaving your customers high and dry, credit card in hand, with nothing to buy.