Follow Up with an Autoresponder After You Generate Leads


by Miguel Pancardo


So you know the importance of lead generation and you realize you need those leads to stay afloat online. But what about AFTER the lead is generated? What do you do with it? What is the next step? Let's look at those questions right now.

It's important for a farmer to fertilize his crops, and it's the same with following up with a new lead. You can think of follow-up as a way of "fertilizing" your leads to help them grow into actual customers. That contact behind the computer at the other end is a person who needs to know you're worthy of his trust, so you never want to remain anonymous and aloof. Instead, you should follow up with that prospect right away.

The most effective way to follow up with new leads immediately is by using an autoresponder. This piece of software will help you keep up with your new prospects, manage your older contacts and maintain regular contact with both. The follow-up process is especially crucial when the relationship with a contact is first beginning. And it is a relationship, because you are each building faith and trust in the other.

Whenever someone joins your mailing list, an autoresponder immediately sends that person a welcome or thank you message. It can be configured to send the number of messages you need at the intervals you select. Although the initial welcome message should be sent out immediately, subsequent messages can be sent at the intervals you choose - daily, weekly or whatever other interval you need.

Follow-up messages can walk your leads through your system and offer them items along the way. You probably gave your leads something for free at the beginning, so you've already helped them start to believe you're trustworthy and will do what you say. While you're bringing your leads along, you can sell them low cost items and build their trust at the same time. When the process reaches its conclusion, it's time to offer your main moneymaking product and hopefully your prospects will buy it.

As much as the autoresponder helps in this manner, it provides other services as well. If you are getting a lot of inquiries, the software organizes your list and tells you exactly where each person is in the process. You also have he ability to send singular messages, called announcements, whenever you may need to. Perhaps you have come across a particularly good product at a ridiculous price. You can offer it in this way.

Email marketing always carries a risk of spam reports, but autoresponders guard against them. They do this by embedding an "unsubscribe" link in every message they send. If the recipient of your email can opt out at any time but chooses not to, then the emails are not spam and you'll be safe from spam reports. Think of it as being like insurance, in a way.

Basically, you have to follow up with your leads and stay in contact with them at all times and auto responder software does that automatically and easily. Believe me, customers expect you to follow up with them periodically, and if you don't, you are seen as a liability and they will leave your list without even a goodbye.

Use auto responders for follow up and you will always have a satisfied list of buyers on a constant basis.




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