The Edge by Mark Dresner

I think you’d agree that all businesses want more sales (if they hope to STAY in business)?

Because the more sales you make … the more money you earn. Simple math, right?

Yet many companies ignore some of the most responsive sources of new sales. (Even though two of these sources sit right under their nose).

And these two sources generally:

• Buy more than normal prospects (which reduces the overall cost of sales)
• Are reachable at lower costs than normal prospects (which extends your marketing budget)
• Require much less “selling” than normal prospects. (because your credibility has already been established)

Okay, enough teasing.

I’m sure you’re aching to know … where DO you fish …

When you’re looking to hook more customers
with less bait and without leaving the comfort of your swivel chair

There are countless ways to attract prospects that you hope will turn into customers.

And I won’t go into any of them here today.

Instead I’d like to point out the two most productive sources of new business for you to tap. And the good news is BOTH these “wells of new business” should be instantly available for you to use.

(Drum roll please)…

They are: Current customers and “Ex” customers.

Does it surprise you that

Lost (or past) customers may be
your best source of New sales

Think about it and you’ll see what I’m talking about.

Just because a customer leaves doesn’t mean you have to write them off for good. In fact, the reason they left could be something very fixable …

• Perhaps you didn’t stay in touch enough, or …
• Maybe you didn’t have anything new to sell them (after they bought the first time), or …
• What if a salesperson or customer service rep was rude, unresponsive or non-existent! (Yes it COULD happen in your business!)

But gone for now does NOT mean gone forever. And you have a high probability of reclaiming a customer by just reengaging with them.

Of course you’ve gotta have a good (and valuable) REASON to contact your “ex”. Otherwise nothing will come of it.

But let me suggest you

Give it a try and see for yourself whether …

Some of your best new customers are … your previously lost (or forgotten) customers.

One more thing.

Now that you know this incredible source of new customers … make sure you ALWAYS think of ex-customers as future new customers.

Doing so may cause you to do a complete turn-about in how you treat people when they cancel your service, return a product … or even lodge a complaint.

About eleven years ago, as co-owner of a computer services company on Long Island, I made a very costly marketing mistake.

What was this mistake?

I forgot (or chose to ignore) the REASON that advertising and marketing exists … at all.

• It’s NOT about image

• It’s NOT about feeling good when you see your company up in lights

• And it’s certainly NOT about being artsy or creative or winning some meaningless award

The ONLY goal of advertising is to make sales.

And the only type of advertising that can truly address, support and achieve this goal is direct response.

I had help with my blunder

I had accomplices in my personal advertising folly.

One was our highly regarded advertising agency (I think they actually called themselves “consultants”).

The creative folks and account people were quite happy to implement my “brilliant” advertising vision. So we plastered a stack of 4-color posters across billboards throughout platforms of the New York City Subway System.

The posters were gorgeous – very “hip” and arty. They were so nice we even hung one on a wall in our office.

The result: No new business.

Or more correctly … no business we could TRACK.

As I recollect, we had no specific call to action. No direct customer benefits. And the “Big Idea” (if you can call it that) was way too subtle.

In short, it was a complete waste of time, energy and money.

Except for the Ad Agency, that is.

3 Immutable goals for EVERY marketing campaign

Advertising and marketing campaigns should:

Be targeted to reach your ideal client - so you don’t waste your efforts reaching people that don’t give a rat’s behind about your product or service.

Have a call to action that drives people to actually DO something. Remember the goal is to ultimately get a sale – so you must turn targets into prospects (leads) and prospects into clients.

Measure results. Without accurate results of your marketing there’s no accountability. You’ll have no idea what’s working and what needs to be tweaked or trashed entirely.

The bottom line:

After my blunder I discovered that direct response marketing is the best and most cost effective way to achieve these three immutable goals.

This is true because direct response techniques and strategies work in ANY media. It works on the Internet and in broadcast, print, direct mail … or any media that may pop up in the future.

Direct response marketing never goes out of style … and is proven to always deliver the goods.

Start using direct response marketing and you’ll drive more – measurable sales – to your business.