Today, you must step up your tactics to keep your customers buying and away from the competition next door on the cyberspace highway.

Study your competitor's marketing and advertising. Sign up to their email list. Can you offer more than they can? Does your competitor have a weakness that you can exploit? Use it as your main selling point.

Previous customers are 5 to 10 times more responsive to your marketing than people who have never done business with you. It's definitely worthwhile to put in some extra time to keep customers happy.

Here's a few ideas that can help.

1. Become a "solution-provider" instead of a merchant. Send out a short, personalized email to customers who haven't bought anything for awhile and ask how they're enjoying the last product they bought. Offer to answer any questions or help out if they're having a problem. The more you become a friend rather than just another business, the more likely they'll buy from you again.

2. Cross-sell. Make sure customers know about your other products. Give a discount for your best customers to purchase your other items.

3. Send an email to customers only and tell them about your "Customer Appreciation Sale." Create a coupon or special order code that gives a product discount, gift or rebate.

4. Use offline marketing methods to supplement your online sales tactics. Create simple postcards on your computer. Postcards are cheaper to mail than first class letters. (For more info on how to use postcards for marketing, get my article on the subject. Send a blank email to offline_postcards@sendfree.com)

5. Include a product list flyer when you mail any products to customers.

6. Occasionally send out a short, non-sales email. Maybe you came across an excell
   Networking for Your Small Business
   Networking is perhaps second only to cold calling in terms of the contention it creates as an effective small business marketing strategy. Some small business marketing experts say that networking is a waste of time; others insist that it’s the only small business marketing tool that’s really vital to success.The debate probably arises because of differences in what networking is. Staying in t
   mpetitor's marketing and advertising. Sign up to their email list. Can you offer more than they can? Does your competitor have a weakness that you can exploit? Use it as your main selling point.

   Previous customers are 5 to 10 times more responsive to your marketing than people who have never done business with you. It's definitely worthwhile to put in some extra time to keep customers happy.

   Here's a few ideas that can help.

   1. Become a "solution-provider" instead of a merchant. Send out a short, personalized email to customers who haven't bought anything for awhile and ask how they're enjoying the last product they bought. Offer to answer any questions or help out if they're having a problem. The more you become a friend rather than just another business, the more likely they'll buy from you again.

   2. Cross-sell. Make sure customers know about your other products. Give a discount for your best customers to purchase your other items.

   3. Send an email to customers only and tell them about your "Customer Appreciation Sale." Create a coupon or special order code that gives a product discount, gift or rebate.

   4. Use offline marketing methods to supplement your online sales tactics. Create simple postcards on your computer. Postcards are cheaper to mail than first class letters. (For more info on how to use postcards for marketing, get my article on the subject. Send a blank email to offline_postcards@sendfree.com)

   5. Include a product list flyer when you mail any products to customers.

   6. Occasionally send out a short, non-sales email. Maybe you came across an excel
      How to Deliver the Right Message, Every Time
      Frustrated CEO's and sales managers express that thought over and over, in one way or another. They're talking about their salespeople, of course. They harbor a feeling that some of their salespeople just aren't doing what they want them to do, communicating the right message and they don't know what to do about it.If that thought occasionally passes through your mind, read on."What do y
      a few ideas that can help.

      1. Become a "solution-provider" instead of a merchant. Send out a short, personalized email to customers who haven't bought anything for awhile and ask how they're enjoying the last product they bought. Offer to answer any questions or help out if they're having a problem. The more you become a friend rather than just another business, the more likely they'll buy from you again.

      2. Cross-sell. Make sure customers know about your other products. Give a discount for your best customers to purchase your other items.

      3. Send an email to customers only and tell them about your "Customer Appreciation Sale." Create a coupon or special order code that gives a product discount, gift or rebate.

      4. Use offline marketing methods to supplement your online sales tactics. Create simple postcards on your computer. Postcards are cheaper to mail than first class letters. (For more info on how to use postcards for marketing, get my article on the subject. Send a blank email to offline_postcards@sendfree.com)

      5. Include a product list flyer when you mail any products to customers.

      6. Occasionally send out a short, non-sales email. Maybe you came across an excel
         Fundraising for Small Groups
         You may be a den mother or a softball coach. Your small. local group or team needs anything from a set of books to a bunch of uniforms. The amount of money that could make that purchase might only be a few hundred dollars. So you begin to brainstorm on how to raise that cash. You might start on the Internet where dozens of companies offer products for sale at discount so that you many resell them at a
         om you again.

      7. Cross-sell. Make sure customers know about your other products. Give a discount for your best customers to purchase your other items.

      8. Send an email to customers only and tell them about your "Customer Appreciation Sale." Create a coupon or special order code that gives a product discount, gift or rebate.

      9. Use offline marketing methods to supplement your online sales tactics. Create simple postcards on your computer. Postcards are cheaper to mail than first class letters. (For more info on how to use postcards for marketing, get my article on the subject. Send a blank email to offline_postcards@sendfree.com)

      10. Include a product list flyer when you mail any products to customers.

      11. Occasionally send out a short, non-sales email. Maybe you came across an excel
          Going the Extra Mile and Getting Referrals
          Successful salespeople have the ability to turn the customers they serve into advocates. They don't directly ask for assistance, they do it by going the extra mile when providing service. It is only natural for satisfied customers to refer their friends and business associates to someone they know they can trust to take good care of them.Your ability to provide quality se
          actics. Create simple postcards on your computer. Postcards are cheaper to mail than first class letters. (For more info on how to use postcards for marketing, get my article on the subject. Send a blank email to offline_postcards@sendfree.com)

      12. Include a product list flyer when you mail any products to customers.

      13. Occasionally send out a short, non-sales email. Maybe you came across an excellent website, free resource or tool that you wanted them to know about.

      14. Offer an course by email and subtly highlight some of your products as solutions to your customers' problems.

      15. Create a customer only membership site or bulletin board to post questions and answers.

      16. Send a follow up message after a purchase to reassure your customer they've made the right decision and to overcome any "buyers remorse."

      17. Create an affiliate program. Offer customers a higher percentage of the profits than non-customers who sign up. (For more info on starting an affiliate program, visit ttp://www.affiliateshop.com.)

      18. Ask one of your customers for a product testimonial and send it to customers who haven't bought that particular product.

      19. Create a special report or e-book available for free but only to customers.

      20. Develop a customer survey and offer a prize or discount to those who complete it.

      21. Offer reprint rights to a product you sell, perhaps an e-book or special report. ( For info on reprint rights, visit http://shrinkmylink.com/hdj)