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Lead-Generation Techniques |
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GENERATING LEADS THROUGH "FREE ADS"
Do you want leads or do you want to get actual orders right away?
Again, be explicit when communicating your objective to your reader. Do
you simply want them to fill out a coupon in order to receive more
information, or do you want them to enclose a check or money order for
a specific amount? Regardless what you want them to do, the choice is
yours.
Some products are better sold on a two-step basis, or what is generally
called "lead generation" campaigns. Here are the two steps that take
place.
- First Step: The ad
explains brief info about the product and asks reader to write or call
for additional information.
- Second Step:
Readers who respond receive sales literature which encourages them to
place an order for the product.
Some products are better sold using the two-step method. On the other
hand, this method may prove extremely expensive for products that sell
for under $100."
BUSINESS NAME
Your business name is a window by which customers (try to) judge what
you're made of, what your size is, what your aspirations are, and how
sincere you can be. Many new businesses fall into the trap of
creating such big names that they begin to sound bogus. Here's a short
checklist of do's and don'ts about choosing a
name.
- Remember that
your business name need not be your
advertising name. Example, if your business name is Ross &
Johnson Communications Services International Enterprises, you can
use R&J Enterprises, or R&J Services, or R&J
International.
(Of course, a separate DBA filing is required.)
- Avoid long
names that will be too difficult for customers
to memorize or spell. Using the above example, the full
business name will be too long to fit on the payee line of a check.
- Avoid names
that are too difficult to spell. Also avoid
foreign sounding names or surnames that may sound classy to you
may actually be a turnoff to your customers.
USING THE RIGHT MAILING ADDRESS
Post office boxes are OK. But private mail boxes with a street address
are even better. If you live (or have your office) in a city with
a name that is difficult to spell or remember, get an address in
the next city. For example, if your business is located in a city named
Lauderdale Hills you may want to get a P.O.Box just a few miles away in
Miami. Not only is the latter (Miami) more recognizable, it is also
shorter and easier for the customer to spell.
CANADA & OTHER FOREIGN ORDERS
In most cases, foreign orders, particularly those from Canada, may
represent 3% of the total orders you receive. If you gross $1 million a
year, this means $30,000 of that comes from outside the United States.
Of course inter-
national orders are a little bit more tedious to handle. To start with,
their different ZIP/Postal Code system makes data entry a little more
challenging. Keep in mind also that shipments to some foreign countries
can cost $20 or more! This is one reason why international orders
are usually penalized with a higher shipping & handling
charge.Always require your international customers to pay you in U.S.
Funds only. Make sure you specify this in your ad. Failing to do so
will bring you unpleasant surprises. |
Money