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Auto Responders
 

No matter what you're selling online, using personalized follow up can drastically increase the amount of sales you receive.

For the purpose of this discussion, an AutoResponder is an automated server that responds to e-mail requests on demand; 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Upon receiving an incoming e-mail, it uses either the e-mail address or subject field to immediately e-mail the sender a specified document.

Once a prospect requests your info there are a million and one things that can happen to divert his/her attention from it. For instance:

  • His wife called. The car broke down again and he has to pick her up.
  • She smells smoke. Dinner is burning!
  • The kids begin screaming. The dog got loose again.
  • He hears the boss coming.

These are just a few examples of what can happen to cause your prospect to forget about your offer. That's why it is so important to get your offer in front of a prospect more than once.

 An Autoresponder System will enable you to send up to 10 messages to each prospect. Here are some other features you should look for::

  • Personalized messages. Personalization increases your response. Which would you be more likely to respond to? "Hi There" or "Hi John" (or whatever your name happens to be).
  • A copy of each requestors message is sent to your e-mail address.
  • With just a couple of clicks of your mouse, the system will create an online form for your autoresponder (just like the one above). This helps capture a prospects name so you can personalize their messages.
  • Supports both plain text messages or HTML.
  • Automatically adds an "Unsubscribe" link at the bottom of each message.

This will become one of your most powerful Internet tools.  This can be placed on your ITI replicating webpage.  

Benefits of AutoResponders

  • Immediate response
  • Improved customer service
  • Decreased postage cost
  • Decreased faxing cost
  • Increased productivity
  • Faster sales generation
  • Cost-effective
  • Great follow-up device Some autoresponders send the first message immediately and follow-up with a second message a week later.

My favorite choice is  ZipResponse.com  Click Here

  ZipResponse E-Mail Marketing Center

I'm in love with this autoresponder!!!
It's great to add to your website and it's so easy to use and change and update and add letters and personalize.  It's also a very good price.
ZipResponse is also a full service marketing site, in addition to their auto responders...definitely worth checking-out.  
For some notes on preparing your auto responder messages, click HERE.

If you need more convincing on the importance of follow-up, check these statistics:

From the Association of Professional Salesmen, the National Sales Executive Association. Their statistics show that the most sales by far are made from the
5th through the 12th contact!

Here is the data they have compiled about which contact the sales are made:

2% of sales are made on the 1st contact
3% of sales are made on the 2nd contact
5% of sales are made on the 3rd contact
10% of sales are made on the 4th contact
80% of sales are made on the 5th-12th contact!!