Are you single, or do you remember when you were single?

If someone gave you their number and asked for you to go out then you called didn't you?

And if you REALLY wanted to go out with them you may have called several times?

When you went out on the date it was here that you decided if you wanted to see more of them or not and if you did that's when you entered the human follow up phase.

You dated more and more and each time you both got to know a little bit more about each other and the trust and friendship started to form.

After a while one things leads to another and mother nature takes over and, well you know the rest.

And if you don't then your follow up process needs some work!

Joking aside, business is like courtship, especially online people won't always buy from you the first time they come across your website.

You need to build up that relationship and trust using a systemised follow up process that covers the 6 critical elements you should be using and incorporating into your follow process.

1) You MUST understand that all successful marketing depends on getting the right message to the right market at the right time.

Simple?

Not always, I see many examples of companies who are following up with their customers (at least that's a positive) but the messages they send are completely off topic to what the customer is interested in OR at the complete wrong time in the customers buying cycle.

For example, have you ever received a mailing about car insurance months after you already renewed it?

Keep your follow ups timely, on topic and relevant. If you can tie in events or outside themes then do so BUT make them relevant and on time.

2) There are three types of leads in business that you will be following up with

i) Those who are hot to buy now. Yes you will have these types of customers who are in the buying zone now and may even buy on the first visit to your website; BUT please realise that they are few in number so don't rely on them for your income.

ii) Those who are warm and in the market for a purchase but aren't sure where to buy from or they may need some further information to make a buying decision.

Warm leads will make up the vast majority of your eventual customers and it is warm leads that your systemised follow up process will turn into buyers IF you get the message and timing right.

iii) Cold leads or as they are called in the 'real' world, tyre kickers.

However even tyre kickers can become warm leads and customers with the right follow up process.

Remember there was a reason a tyre kicker came to your website or business; they may just be browsing BUT with a good follow process in place, that provides them with useful information, when they're ready to buy YOU will be prominent in their mind.

3) Customers will buy when they are ready and not when you are ready to sell.

Despite our best efforts customers will ultimately make a purchase decision when they are ready, it is our job as marketers to give them the reason to buy from us at that time.

We have on numerous occasions seen new customers buy from us or join our membership sites after being in our follow process for months and in some cases years.

Without that consistent follow up we would never had converted them to paying customers.

4) The ideal situation is to have your customers come to you and not for you to go chasing after them.

This is what I call pull instead of push marketing.

With push you are effectively pushing your information out to them interrupting what they are doing and being the salesman.

With pull marketing you are drawing them into your business by using subtle methods such as affiliate recommendations from your partners, submitting articles that your customers find through their own web searches and word of mouth (via email) recommendations.

Customer who come to your website via what they perceive as their own 'steam' and leave their name and email details for you to keep in touch and follow up are far more receptive than those who have responded to push marketing.

5) Don't let your database become a graveyard

You MUST and I mean MUST have an active database; unlike a fine wine your database doesn't get better with age and it WILL go off if you don't keep following up with your customers and prospects in it.

Start to segment your database into buyers and prospects and then target your follow ups to them.

Set up new autoresponders on specific topics and invite people to sign up for them as well.

Keep your database active and alive!

6) Educate, educate, educate.

Smart marketers take the time to educate their customers and prospects and not just about their products an services.

They take the time to educate them on what to do when an email or letter goes out, how often to expect them. Plus, and this is important, they educate them on their sales process.

Where to order, how to order, what payment methods are accepted, how goods are delivered and what to do if they have any questions.

One more point that has become very relevant in today's multi media world, vary your messages.

I don't mean vary your information but vary how you put your message across to your customers and prospects.

Rather than keep sending out email after email, why not include a video update or an audio MP3 they can listen to online or download?

If you're a pure online marketer start collecting full postal address details and intersperse your follow ups with a letter.

Conclusion

Follow up is the key to a successful and long lasting business. Develop that relationship with your customers and prospects and implement your own systematic follow up process as soon as possible.