Keeping Your Prospects in the Loop

By Simon Clarke

The beauty and power of the Internet is the leverage you can attain through technology. Technology systems allow you to maintain regular, highly valuable contacts with your prospects for very low investment. This is predominately attained through systems such as Autoresponders and eZines (e-magazines/newsletters).

Only a very small percentage of your prospects will be READY to purchase at any particular point in time. This is identical in an online and offline business. Most businesses have a marketing system that TOTALLY NEGLECTS this fact. If 100 people enquire about your services, most likely only 3 to 12 will be seriously looking to purchase your services at THAT time. The others are simply inquisitive or think they may purchase at some time in the future.

This process is called the Cycle of Life. People regularly enquire about products and services without buying. Think about yourself. You may have the idea that you want a new couch. That thought sits in the back of your mind and over time you visit a few retailers that sell couches. You may visit 6 places over 3-months. EVERY one of those salespeople think you are going to buy a couch THAT VERY WEEKEND! But do you? NO! But will you buy a couch at some point in the future? YES!

How many of those couch salespeople keep in contact with you over the course of several months until you actually decide it's time to buy? We'll tell you how many... NONE!!!!

What if just ONE of those couch salespeople offered you a non-intrusive process to learn about what couches will compliment your lounge room, which couches last longest and which ones stained very badly and which ones didn't?

You'd most likely take him up on the offer. And then, after 5-months of learning and being educated by this person, who would you feel COMPELLED to purchase from? Of course! Or to use another analogy, what if 2 sets of parents had children selling cold lemonade at a parade on a hot day. Each set of parents had 4 children. One set of parents assisted their children establish a nice table and inviting sign from which to sell the drinks from.

The other set of parents assisted their children set up 4 stands at equal intervals along the parade. Which family sold more lemonade? Of course it's the children with 4 stands because people are thirsty (desire their product) at different times along the duration of the parade. When their prospect wanted their product, they were there! Nobody was going to double back to get a lemonade.

The life of your prospect is the same as the passing parade. You must recognise that your prospects are going through the Cycle of Life. You MUST be in your prospects consciousness IN THE INSTANT that they desire your product. You MUST have a means to add value to them in a non-intrusive and informative manner throughout the ENTIRETY of their Cycle of Life.

PS: Here lies the importance of delivering ongoing educational material such as free online newsletters (eZines). Think about how you are keeping your prospects in the loop of your business and how you can plan and develop resources to improve it. It is also essential to note that more prospects in the loop mean multiplied options for referrals and work-of-mouth marketing.

Simon Clarke has over 15 years of experience as a writer, entrepreneur and business specialist. He is also the founder and Director of the Life Coaching Institute, Australia's leading coach training organization.

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