"Discover A Jealously Guarded 'One-Two' Punch That Will Spellbind Your Customers And Have Them Instantly Raving About Your Business!"

 

Welcome Back -- My Clever Little E-biz Extraordinaire...

Are you fired up?  Well... You better be because today's lesson is nothing less that supercalafragalisticexpealadosous (pardon my spelling ;-)

Here's a promise... By the time you're finished with lesson 7, you're going to know with 100% certainty that this course is undoubtedly setting the wheels in motion towards changing your financial future forever.  This lesson is about to rock your world - and it's gonna be electrifying!

So I'll ask you again... Are you fired up?

Great!  Let's get started...

In this lesson, we're going to talk a bit more about article writing and the incredible results each and every article you write will have on your business.

Also, we're going to discuss one of the most "important" elements every website needs  to virtually guarantee you draw your visitors into your message - almost hypnotically.

But first, I'd like to chat a little bit about YOU -- It's all about YOU!

• Who are you -- really?

• What experiences have you gone though in life that have effected you either positively or negatively?

• What unique talents do you bring to the table as an online entrepreneur?

• What situations in life have defined you - as YOU -- the very unique individual that you are?

• What accomplishments have you achieved that you could share with your customers?

• Who or what has influenced you the most in your life?

• What lessons have you learned throughout the years - good or bad?

• What was your greatest achievement?

• What was your biggest failure?

• What situations have made you a stronger person -- and why?

• Why are you passionate about the things you're passionate about?

• Are you single, married, have children, a girlfriend, a boyfriend?

• What are your hobbies?  Your talents?  Your expertise?

No... This isn't some "psycho-babble" session about examining our dysfunctional lives...

No?  Okay then... let's move on...

The reason I prompted you to think about those things ISN'T to embark on some deep psychological journey -- but only because I want you to realize that YOU are extremely unique and very interesting.  You can bring a lot of knowledge and expertise to this world... YES YOU -- whether you realize it or not -- YET.

Your uniqueness and personal life experiences can - and will - make you a lot of money if you follow my game plan.

You see, it's very important that you don't hide your "personality" or lock up your unique life experiences by keeping them silently tucked away from your customers...

• Be yourself!

• Be unique!

• Be controversial!

• Let your emotions out!

• Always -- ALWAYS -- be YOU!

• Never pretend to be someone or something you're not while hiding behind a computer screen... Your customers will see right through you -- GUARANTEED!

• Reveal some "personal" secrets you thought you'd never share with anyone!

  For example:

  • Never finished college?  So what!  Throw it out there...

  • Afraid to fly?  Talk about it...

  • Dealt with the devastating loss of a parent or a close friend recently?  Let your customers know... They'll relate and support you!

  • Have a child getting married soon?  Your customers would love to hear about it.

  • You met Tom Hanks at a Charity benefit before he was famous?  COOL!  Weave it into a newsletter...

  • Have a drinking or gambling problem? -- KEEP IT TO YOURSELF!  ;-)

I'm sure you catch my drift here... Don't be afraid to throw out some personal experiences or life long challenges in some articles, your emails, your newsletter, etc.  Your customers will relate to you much better... for sure!

So now you're thinkin'.... "Dave, why are you bringing this all up today at the very beginning of this lesson?  Hell... we're supposed to be learning about how to make money here ... right?"

Absolutely! Ya greedy little twerp...

And if you don't think that connecting with your customers (your subscribers) is important... You're DEAD WRONG and I'm going to prove it to you over the next few lessons.  No doubt... If you don't make a connection between you and your customers (especially online where "face to face" selling isn't an option) then you're literally doomed to fail.

Remember this...

• Boring won't cut it!

• Pretending to be all knowing about a subject you're not very knowledgeable about won't cut it!

• Acting and writing as though you've "been there - done that" - won't get you very far if you have not "been there - done that"...

Your customers want to connect with YOU.  Not some wanna be... but YOU!

Trust me when I tell you... Be yourself and you'll go far my friend!  Your customers will be sitting on the edge of their seats eagerly anticipating your next email or newsletter issue once you learn to be yourself and make the CONNECTION!

Most important ( and I can't stress this enough)... never EVER lie to a customer!

I know... I know... You're reading this and thinking to yourself...

"You moron Dave... I'd NEVER lie to a customer! EVER!  How stupid do you think I am?  That's just so unethical...."

Well... put this in your pipe and smoke it "Tonto" -- I guarantee you there will come a time when you'll be tempted to LIE to a customer!

You'll screw something up, or maybe a supplier will screw something up on you, or maybe your computer will blow up.... or... or... or... whatever the situation might be... a situation will arise!

And when it does, it's only human nature that you'll find yourself considering your options carefully...

"Hmmm.. what would cause me the least amount of embarrassment and pain right now?  Tell the truth and look like an ass... or tell a little white lie and avoid all the pain and embarrassment?"

I kid you not... You'll find yourself tempted to take the easy road and just make up a story and LIE!  Trust me... We've all been there.  I've been there too (see... I'm human).  It will seem sooo easy to pull it off.  A simple, quick, easy solution to an embarrassing screw-up you have to deal with.

When -- WHEN (not if) but WHEN -- this happens... Remember this lesson and DON'T DO IT!  Don't lie!  Fight off the evil temptation with your entire being and just be honest!

Here's what you do...

If you screw up -- tell em' you screwed up!  If you make a mistake, tell em it was a mistake.  Don't ever try to cover up a bad situation by lying to your customers -- they'll see right through you.  Honesty is the best policy -- really -- your mother was right!  Your customers will always respect you more for being honest with them.

Plus, making a mistake once in a while is human nature - and we're all human after
all - and we all make mistakes.

And it's how you handle the negative situations in life (and business) that separates the winners from the losers.

Fessing up and admitting that you "screwed up" shows that you're a real person... an HONEST person -- and yes... you blow a brain fart once in a while too, just like them.

But if you lie to a customer and they find out you lied, you've just thrown everything you've worked so hard to build up right into a big ole' yellow dumpster.

Your customers will never trust you -- EVER AGAIN!  And you CAN'T afford that!

You know how much I've emphasized the importance of building and nurturing your "foundation" of customers... right?  Your LIST will soon become your most important asset in your business (Trust me!) - so don't jeopardize it!  Be real -- and always be honest!

That brings me to a funny - 100% TRUE - story...

I, the know-it-all, cocky, "think I'm smarter than the teacher", suck up that I am, do solemnly swear that I will follow step-by-step, everything "Master Dave" has laid out for me in the upcoming lessons, and furthermore know without a doubt, that if I follow this plan accurately and systematically... I CANNOT AND WILL NOT FAIL!

Did you swear?  Yes?  Then... Congratulations!  You're now well on your way to a new life of abundance and wealth!

So, are you ready to get started in with our advanced strategies?

Yes?  Great!  Then Lesson 7 Begins right now!

Okay, Freckle Face... Now it's time to really pay close attention and follow along methodically.  In lesson 7, we're going to get back on track developing our website, Candle-Lite Cooking, and we're also going to setup all of our links and sub pages on our website, "Candle Lite Cooking".

In addition, we're going to go over some of our sub-pages in fine detail and analyze their sheer brilliance.  And... If you're a real a good kid and don't give me a hard time, I might even throw ya a pizza party or something for being such a good student ;-)

• Read over the article titles - We talked about this somewhat in our last lesson, but I want you to once again take notice of the way the article titles are written.  Do you think if you were browsing our website (a targeted customer) and you were interested in the finer aspects of cooking, romance, dieting, etc. that you'd find any of those titles enticing enough to click on?  Don't lie ya little weasel!  Of course you would!
  
  We could even go a step further if we wanted to and insert the first few lines of the article body in the webpage as "teaser" text just under the title.  You'll find that this can sometimes increase the click thru rate tremendously.
  
  And why is it so important that your readers click thru to your articles?
  Well... there are several HUGE reasons:

The more you engage your website visitors, the better your chances of getting a visitor to opt in to one of your FREE offers.  Remember -- Get Their Email Addy!
 

1. Everything we do on our website is designed with one goal in mind -- GET THEIR EMAIL ADDRESS... (Did I mention that already?)
    
2. By writing good, high quality articles for your website, your customers will begin to look to you for assistance and advice on a regular basis (and that's exactly where we want them to be).  If your readers look to you as an expert or leader in your field, then it becomes a simple game of "follow the leader" and that's when your list will become your greatest asset - as you'll soon see!  Plus, more return visits equals more chances to Get Their Email Address!
    
3. You can also weave money making opportunities into every article you write.  For example, let's say you just wrote the article:
   
   "Are You Tired Of Searching For Your Perfect Soul Mate? Take This Romance Quiz And Find Out Where You're Failing...And How To Correct It!"
   
   Now... the $50,000 question... Do you remember our resource box (the "about the author" section) that we must include at the end of every article we write?  When submitting articles to article directories and newsletter publishers, we always want to be sure that we include an irresistible plug for our FREE offer - preferably a link to sign up for a free e-course or report that pertains to the article we've just written.  (See
   Lesson 6 if you're memory's failing you for a refresher on article writing)
   
   But, when we add our own articles to our website, the sky's the limit.  We could use the resource space to promote an affiliate product such as www.match.com or www.eharmony.com in this instance.  Hell, we know those folks interested in reading this article are struggling with their dating... right?  Just look at the title of the article.
   
   "Are You Tired Of Searching For Your Perfect Soul Mate? Take This Romance Quiz And Find Out Where You're Failing...And How To Correct It!"
   
   C'mon!  Open that brain!  Do you see where we're going here?  Affiliate marketing, especially those programs like dating services and such, pay residual earnings each and every month someone continues to stay a member.  Once you get someone to sign up once for this type of service, the rest is automatic money.
   
   We can also weave these affiliate promotions directly into the body of the article.  Get your audience to read your articles and the rewards will become limitless!

NOTE:  Did you know that there are many folks online who earn a full time living simply reviewing various products and services and then writing informative article reviews about those products?  It's true!  They write an honest, informative review and include a few subtle links in the body of the article that point to their affiliate's site.  Each time someone reading the article clicks through to their affiliate's website, they earn a generous commission.  Hell, you could even do something like this immediately and start to see your efforts paying off almost immediately!
 

• Notice the clean use of space - This is our article archives.  Yes, we could place some fancy banners and affiliate links all the way down both sides of the page, but guess what... we're smarter than that.  We don't want to make money from affiliate links here!  Nobody cares at this point anyway - and these links and banners are very rarely even clicked on at this stage of the game.  Plus, (and more importantly) why would we want to send our valuable traffic off to an affiliates website right now?  Do you know what would happen if we did this?

  Yup... I guarantee you this... Our big shot affiliate partner would be the smart one and GET THEIR EMAIL ADDRESS!  And we'd be left in the cold, not knowing who this customer was or if they'll ever return to our website.  But our affiliate would have a new customer for life... even if this customer didn't take advantage of the offer we sent them off to check out.  That's just DUMB... Don't Do IT!
  
  Let me clarify something here...  Once someone is engulfed in one of our articles that's laser targeted toward what their interested in, then our affiliate links can and will be quite effective -- and we will use them.
  
  By this point (when a customer is reading an article) we should have already had at least 6 to 8 chances to have our customer give us their email address.  If they haven't yet given us their addy, then there's really only one goal left on this page...we did our very best already... so now it's just time to get them to read an article.  If they like what they read, they'll read more.  Perhaps they'll return to our website on another day.  And then we might get lucky enough to sign em' up for our newsletter or a special report and get their email address.
  
  But RULE #1 IS THIS... We never want to send our traffic off to an affiliate's website prematurely.  We have one goal with our website - get the email address!  Once we've got their email address, we no longer - EVER - need to rely on our website alone to make us truckloads of cash (as you'll see).  Plus we could follow up with our customer via email as often as we'd like and promote affiliate programs galore (and we'll talk about this in length in future lessons as well).
  
  Again, we have one goal - email addy.  Plan B - Read an article.
  
  And for those customers who simply ignored our opt-n offers... those who might click thru to an article, well now we have a few "hidden" opportunities that we need to capitalize on at this point.
   

  1. Gain their trust and establish our credibility as a leader in our niche'...
      
  2. Promote some affiliate products and services within the body of the article  or resource box...
      

  3. Get Their Email Address!  Yes that's right!  There's nothing stopping us from adding another opt-in form or link at the end of every article promoting a free download, report or newsletter subscription.
     
     Here's a clever little secret: We can also offer to ALERT our customers when new articles are published on our website.
     
     "Just enter your email address and first name Mr. Customer... and we'll alert you automatically whenever new articles are published on our website.  You'll never have to worry about missing out the the latest "breaking news..."   Blah... blah... blah...
     
     Use your ingenuity and think outside the box - do whatever you need to do to get their email address.

• Take note of the FREE opt-in offer for our newest report - What?  You thought we were done asking for their email address on our homepage?  Silly Kid!  This is prime real estate dummy!  We'll never - NEVER - stop asking for their email address.  You can use any offer at all... but take advantage whenever possible to get the addy.  Once on every page might be just enough ;-)
  
   

• The Free Web Content Offer - Once you've placed all your articles nicely in your archive (and you really don't need to have many to start (JUST GET STARTED WRITING!) you'll want to offer your articles as FREE CONTENT to all your website visitors and customers.  This is VIRAL advertising at it's best... PLUS it's a win-win situation for everyone involved.  Just think about the benefits for both you and your customers:
   
  1. Information is the key to achieving high traffic levels - the more content your customer's site contains, the more traffic your customer will permanently receive via search engines and other web sites...
     
     On the flip side - you, in turn, get hundreds - if not thousands - of links back to your website for FREE from the resource box in your article!
      
  2. By allowing your customers to keep their web site content fresh and informative, most search engines such as Google (and others) will generally provide them with a higher page ranking in the search engines resulting in more traffic to their website...
     
     On the flip side - you, in turn, get hundreds - if not thousands - of links back to your website for FREE from the resource box in your article!
      
  3. The more information your customers provide their own website visitors, the more perceived value their website receives, hence... generating higher sales conversions for their products and services...
     
     On the flip side - you, in turn, get hundreds - if not thousands - of links back to your website for FREE from the resource box in your article!
      
  4. MAKE MONEY!  Your customers can substitute their affiliate links in place of your links in the resource box or text body and earn commissions on every sale.
     
     On the flip side - you, in turn, get hundreds - if not thousands - of links back to your website for FREE from the resource box in your article!

CANDLE LITE RECIPES

Now, lets move on to our next link - Candle Lite Recipes

Here's a section that really has many of the same benefits as our article archive.  For example:

• Free Content - We could use our own recipes that we've written and pass them along as Free Content that can be used on other's websites (as long as the resource box is included) just like we talked about with our articles.
   
• Affiliate Promotions - We could promote a few affiliate programs directly within the context of the recipes.  For example, Amazon.com has a great affiliate program that you can setup to promote all sorts of cookbooks and kitchenware - and they'll drop ship all your orders for you directly to your customers.  Some folks are making upwards of $5,000 a month just utilizing the amazon.com affiliate program.  Plus, they stock tens of thousands of products that you can add to your online store and make a generous commission on each and every sale (more on that later as well).
   
• Search Engine Rankings - We move a few steps closer to better page rank each time we add quality content to our website.
   
• Each individual recipe page is yet another valuable form of "virtual" real estate.
   
  • We could put an opt-in form at the bottom of every recipe page offering a daily or weekly recipe via email - hence another email opt-in offer!
     
  • We could use this space to offer a discount on our newest e-book that we've just written (we'll talk much more in detail about this in future lessons) that will earn us 100% profit on every sale.
     
  • We could provide a "feedback form" at the end of each recipe's page.  Customer feedback is critical to your planning for the future.  The more you understand your customers likes and dislikes, the more efficient you can continue to build your website and your opt in offers - in turn building your email list larger and faster than you would have been able to without this feedback.
     
  • We could have a form requesting testimonials from our readers.  This is a priceless tool for building trust with new customers and visitors to our site.
     

  My point is this... use all the space on your website wisely and don't take any space for granted.  Even a page as simple as a "Recipe Archive".  Every click your customer makes on your website is another opportunity for you to sell!  Sell On Every Page Of Your Site.  Your website may be 2 pages, it may be 20 pages, or it may be 200 pages... but what so many folks don't understand is that every page on their website should be a "SUPER" salesperson in itself!
  
  For instance, let's assume you have a newsletter subscription box on your recipe archive page that allows your readers to sign up for your newsletter.  Now I know (after reading the first few lessons of this training so far) that your subscription box is going to be a SUPER salesperson in itself!
  
  You'll have a free offer for signing up, perhaps a "Special Report" that readers won't want to miss out on so they'll subscribe, or even a special sales promo for new subscribers.  I think you understand my point.  You subscription box is going to SELL!  Right?  Great!
  
  Now here's the problem I see on most sites that "THINK" they get it....
  
  The subscription box is setup very nicely and sells effectively, getting dozens of new subscribers each day, but unfortunately once the new prospect subscribes..... VIOLA!  A simple little "Thank You For Subscribing" page shows up to confirm their subscription.  DUHHH!
  
  That's nice and all, but the greater lesson here is that this is another page on your site to SELL!  Why not put another offer on your "Thank You" page as well!  This is PRIME advertising space.  This is also the perfect time because your new opt-in is in the right "mind frame" right now to take you up on your offer.  This is critical!
  
  Naturally, the offer shouldn't be obvious or annoying.  Actually, it should be just the opposite... something extremely subtle.  You don't want to keep bombarding your visitors with POP UP ADS or flashing neon sales promotions... one sales pitch after another.  By doing that, you'd lose credibility and trust!
  
  But by being the smart SALESPERSON that you are, you do want to effectively sell at every turn and take advantage of every opportunity...right?
  
  Here's an example of a good offer on your "Thank You" page for a newsletter subscription...
  
  ---------------------------------
  "Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter "The Candle Lite Chronicles"  You'll now begin to receive a new issue twice monthly - directly to your email.  You'll be amazed at how much you'll look forward to receiving each issue!  You'll soon discover ways to "Bring More Fun Into Your Meals And More Laughter Into Your Relationships". Plus, you'll receive some money saving tips each month on entertaining ideas, dining, gift giving, and much more!  I know you'll enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy sharing my ideas with everyone!"
  
  (And here's the sales pitch....)
  
  BONUS:  We have an EXCLUSIVE special for our newsletter subscribers this month!  For only $4.95 a month, you can now join our exclusive "Members Only" Clearance Club!  With your membership, you'll receive EXCLUSIVE discounts on clearance items and 25% discount promotions... WEEKS before the general public.  That means BIG SAVINGS for you... PLUS, you'll receive a free SURPRISE GIFT immediately just for joining today!  If you'd like to learn more about how you can save some money and join our preferred club, just CLICK HERE!.....
  ------------------------------------
  
  Now that's not an annoying ad.... Is it?  Do you think it will generate some additional back end sales for your business. Absolutely!  Is it hard to do... NOT AT ALL!  Plus... set it up once and you're done!
  
  Again, this is just one example of the power you can harness on EVERY SINGLE PAGE of your site, and how you can capitalize on each and every page.  And again, that's just one example.  What about the emails that are sent automatically when a customer makes a purchase from you?  Can you add some subtle sales pitch to those?  Absolutely!
  
  Use your own creativity and implement some of your own ideas and you're sales will surely begin to increase tremendously! 
  
  Take This Challenge.... If you already have a website... analyze it!  Check out each and every page, look for areas on your site where you could implement some of these ideas.. and I guarantee you'll be shocked at just how many pages aren't being utilized like they should be.  And remember... DON'T HARD SELL... SOFT SELL!
  
  If you don't have a website built and online just yet... the good news is you're already leaps and bounds ahead of your competition!
  
  Tip: This is also a great time to place some affiliate links on your site as well.  Hell, you've already acquired this customers email address and they're now in your opt in list so you have nothing to lose.
  
  But here's what separates the winners from the losers when it comes to affiliate links and banners...
  
  Don't use the standard "Out Of The Box" banners and text links that your affiliates provide.  Write some reviews about the products your are endorsing or create your own unique selling ad!  BE A SUPER SALESMAN!  The endorsements you create on your own will be much more effective then the standard text and banner links available from your affiliates.

  And while we're on the subject of soft-selling and taking advantage of each and every opportunity to sell... I'd like to also make this one last point...

  Add A Signature File To Your Email - This is yet again "PRIMO" selling space!  And yes, you might have already setup a signature file for your own email program, but have you set it up effectively to pre-sell your customers or add them to your email list?  Are you getting the kind of response from your signature file that you should?  Do you even know what kind of traffic your signature file brings you?  For most... NOT MUCH!
  
  These are legitimate questions that you need to answer.  First, for those that aren't familiar with a signature file, I'd like to explain what a "Sig File" is and how to set one up.  Then, I'd like to go into a bit more detail about what you should and SHOULD NOT have in your signature file if you want to generate sales.
  
  Setting Up A Signature File
  
  A "Sig File" is that small block of text you see at the bottom of an email you receive.  We've all seen this many times and you probably didn't even realize that this was prewritten text that goes out with every email sent from a particular email address.
  
  If you do not have a "Sig File" setup in your email... DO IT NOW!  This is yet another form of advertising you can capitalize on very easily (remember - advertise on every page!  Your sent emails are pages too!)
  
  Each email program has specific instructions for setting up a signature file, but it's very easy to do.  If you use Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express, simply go to the "Tools" menu and you'll see a link for a signature file setting.  It may be under another sub heading such as "preferences" or "options", but I assure you it's there.  You can also choose the "Help" link in your email and this will have instructions for setting up your signature file as well.  No matter what program you use for your email, there is a way to add a signature file to your outgoing messages.  Find out how to do this and JUST DO IT!
  
   Writing An Effective Signature File
  
  So many times I see it.... A signature file that reads:
  
  If you have any questions, please let me know.
  
  Thank You,
  Bill Smith
  
  Phone: 888-888-8888
  Fax: 888-777-777
  Email: bill@mydomain.com
  -------------------------------------------------------
  
  AND THAT'S IT!  Granted, it saves "Bill" time on writing his closing in each and every email, but that's all it does.  Is "Bill" a SUPER Salesman?  Give me a break!
  
  Or, you receive his email and at the bottom it reads:
  
  ********************************************************
  SAVE $$$$$ ON OVER 20,000 PRODUCTS ONLINE.  SHOP SAFELY AND SECURELY 24/7! FROM TOOLS AND APPLIANCES... TO LAWNMOWERS AND OUTDOOR LIGHTING... WE'VE GOT IT ALL ON SALE!  CLICK HERE TO VIEW OUR WEBSITE!
  ********************************************************
  
  Well guess what?... I'm not looking for a tool or lawnmower right now!  Am I going to visit that website?  NOPE!  Am I going to remember that website the next time I do need a tool or lawnmower?  NOPE!  Well then, what could this amateur salesperson have done differently?  How about something like this?
  ----------
  
  If you have any additional questions or concerns, please be sure to let us know!
  
  Thank You,
  Bill Smith
  Customer Care Representative
  ABC Products
  
  Phone: 888-888-8888
  Fax: 888-777-777
  Email: bill@mydomain.com
  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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  Is there a chance one of these subtle ads in this "Signature File" would grab my interest?  ABSOLUTELY!  Will I sign up for Bill's newsletter?  Maybe.  Do I want a yard that's the envy of my neighborhood?  YES I DO!
  
  My point here is this... With a signature file created by a "SUPER SALESPERSON" in comparison to an amateur, the odds of obtaining a new prospect are 1000 times higher than just trying to sell something right out of the gate.  Any of the "freebies" offered in this signature file will get my name in their email list and as you already know, their autoresponder software will then kick into full gear, emailing me automatically without anyone lifting a finger.  It's like having 1000's of salespeople out on the net daily, and all you did was setup your system once... And used your "SUPER" sales abilities to get a prospect to SIGN UP FOR YOUR LIST!
  
  So, be sure to setup a signature file (or change your current signature file) to something more subtle but effective, and you'll notice a huge surge in sales once your autoresponder system goes to work.  Get your autoresponder system setup at AWeber System ASAP!  It's that important!
  
   

Well chap, our next link is a true killer - Visit My Blog.

The good news is... I've actually setup a sample Blog on http://www.blogger.com in less than ten minutes just for this training... and I highly recommend you do the same.

The bad news is... I have so much more to talk about regarding blogs (as well as the rest of our links) that I think we'll have to call it a wrap for this lesson.

OH... quit your cryin' ;-)  Tomorrow's another day...

Alright... Alright... One more encore! (man-o- man I'm such a sucker for ya)

Here goes...

As you might have already noticed (without even realizing) if you browsed over all the links on Candle Lite Cooking, there is another powerful sales tool working behind the scenes, generating extreme interest in our website.

Do you know what I'm talkin about?  Guaranteed ... You read them too!

They can be found on our webpage link Our Newsletter

Do you see those diligent workers proudly working round the clock at sucking our website visitors into our mysterious, hypnotic sales web?

You do?  Bravo!  Yup.. you guessed it - Those powerful, un-ignorable TESTIMONIALS!

They're magical in every sense of the word!

Let me ask you this question...

Do you already sell products online? Do you already offer a service that you're confident is as good as, if not better than your competition? If so, then I'm sure your website must be riddled with page after page of customer testimonials to prove it. Right?

No?... Then without a doubt, you're doing something drastically wrong!  Authentic, detailed customer testimonials can and will be your greatest selling tool!

Have you ever noticed how the vast majority of successful businesses - whether selling a product or a service - use this one extremely important selling tool in all their sales presentations - both online and off?

It's a proven fact that genuine, verifiable testimonials convert more prospects into buyers and build credibility! And your web site sales can definitely benefit from this hypnotic and powerful tool. Testimonials are the one selling tool that you can't be without in sales and e-commerce.

The good news... you can quickly and easily have dozens of testimonials loaded in your sales arsenal, firing your biggest guns, if you understand how the process of soliciting a quality testimonial works....

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"... I'm just writing to say that your product is wonderful! I've purchased many other widgets online, but your widget is by far the best widget ever.  And it arrived extremely fast. Your customer service staff was also a pleasure to work with. I will be buying many more widgets from you in the future! Thank you for the excellent product and service...."

Susan B. Customer
http://www.susanbcustomer.com

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As the astute business owner that you are now becoming, do you sometimes wonder...

"Just how do these companies pull it off... Why do their customers take such initiative to tell the world about their wonderful experience, while most of my customers seem to purchase my product or service and then fade away into a black hole somewhere in cyberspace?"

Well, there's an altruistic question you need to immediately ask yourself....

"How many times have I followed up with my customers and actually asked them about their experience?"

The fact is, if you sell a product or service online, there's no "sneaky little trick" or "magic formula" for obtaining authentic and powerful testimonials. The problem is... YOU HAVE TO ASK! And that's where most online businesses fall short.

Here's a perfect example...

Take a look at eBay. Here's a marketplace where anyone and everyone is buying and selling goods and services. Ironically, a buyer usually finds that their only reassurance in making a purchase is by reading over a "Sellers Feedback". And guess what... everyone selling on eBay has feedback.

Why?  Because ebay sellers ask for it! And they keep asking for it until they receive it. It's the ebay way of doing business.

If you've ever bought or sold an item on ebay, you know that feedback is by far a seller's most important selling tool. And most good sellers have hundreds, even thousands of testimonials from buyers telling the world about their wonderful experience.

Do you think this would be the case if EVERY seller didn't immediately ask for feedback after a sale? Absolutely not! They too have to ask for it.... AND SO DO YOU!

So, how do you ask your customers for their testimonials without feeling like you're desperately seeking their praise or approval? Actually, it's quite easy and should be something you do methodically after each and every sale.

As you may now realize... I've been known to pound the technique of customer follow up into the ground, and here again is no exception. You have to follow up with your customer to make sales, and you have to follow up with your customers to solicit their testimonials. Once again, it's just another example to demonstrate the importance of customer follow up.

So here's a guaranteed way to obtain the feedback your looking for...

After a sale (and you can incorporate this technique into a product sale, service, even a newsletter subscription confirmation), immediately send a thank you email to your customer. In fact, most shopping carts will automatically do this for you. If selling a physical product, once their package ships, immediately send your customer their tracking number. Then, no longer than seven to ten days after their tracking number is sent, send another follow up email asking your customer if they received their package and if they have any questions or concerns that need to be addressed.

Now that's customer service at it's best!

At this point, your customer is now primed and ready for the pitch. Without fail, within one or two days after you've emailed your customer to be sure their package arrived safely (and you've also answered their questions), follow up with another email asking for their feedback about their shopping experience.

Think about it... your customer has placed an order, received an immediate confirmation of the sale, has been sent their tracking number via email, received a courtesy follow up email asking if everything is to their satisfaction, and has had any questions and concerns taken care of.

You tell me...is your customer now receptive and also overjoyed with their shopping experience? You bet your Benny's they are! So now's the perfect time to follow up and ask for their feedback.

But you have to do so carefully because there's a right way and a wrong way to do it, and this is very important....

First, you'll want to start your email with a big THANK YOU. After all, you appreciate their business and you want to let your customer know this.  Second, ask your customer for feedback about their shopping experience.  Be sure to include a detailed survey directly in your email. THIS IS ALSO VERY IMPORTANT!

Even if you already have a feedback form setup on your website, in this particular case, you'll want to simply request a return email including the answers to your survey questions directly in your email.

I've done many of my own testing on this, and overwhelmingly, having your feedback survey directly in your email produces the best results by a staggering margin. But there's also one additional very important task you'll need to do before actually creating your feedback survey for your email.

Take out a piece of paper and write down your ideal testimonial. One you'd love to receive from a customer. Don't be shy! Let it all hang out.

• Write down how wonderful your product or service is.

• Include how fast you received the shipment.

• Boast about how the product has changed your life.

• Tell about how the gift made your loved one so excited they could barely breathe!

• Again, don't hold back or spare any of the finer details.

Write a testimonial that makes it seem like someone would have to be a fool not to purchase your product.

Now here's the clincher... It's time to dissect your own testimonial and turn it into a survey form that's guaranteed to extract the responses you're looking for. Once you have your perfect testimonial on paper, it's really easy to do.

Simply take your written testimonial and for each "compliment", transcribe it into a question. For example:

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An excerpt from your pre-written Testimonial....

"When my product arrived, I was extremely impressed by the great packaging and care that was taken to insure it arrived safely."

Transcribe this into a Survey Question....

How was your item packaged for shipping? Was it boxed well?
Did it have adequate packaging materials inside to insure it would arrive safely? Was it addressed correctly and shipped according to your special instructions? Please be as thorough as possible in your answer:

Another excerpt....

"My wife couldn't believe that I was actually able to find this gift for her.  She looked everywhere and couldn't find one."

Your Survey Question....

Had you been searching around the internet for this product?  Was it difficult to find?  If so, were you surprised to find it on our website?

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Do you see how important it is to ask the right questions to solicit your desired response? This is the most important aspect of your questionnaire. Be sure to ask detailed questions. If you don't ask, 99% of the time your customer's won't volunteer this information.

You have to ask!!!

By asking detailed questions, you'll be surprised at the responses you're solicit from your customers.  If... using the example above - this customer did have a hard time finding this product and eventually found it and made the purchase from your site, you can be sure their feedback will be PURE GOLD!

It's also extremely important to offer your customer's something in return for taking the time to respond to your survey. Your options here are endless.

• You could offer a free download targeted at your market.

• You could offer a free membership into the "member's only" section of
  your site.

• You can offer free shipping on their next order.

• You can include a discount coupon towards their next purchase

The point here is, be sure to offer something of "real" value to your customer in return for them taking the time to respond to your survey questions. The "freebie" you'll be giving away will certainly be a valuable trade off for the feedback you'll receive in return.

Lastly, and most importantly, any testimonial you place on your website must be genuine. Never make up a fictitious testimonial. It's unethical and frankly, it's illegal. By using the techniques I've described above, there won't be any need to use phony claims on your website. You'll soon have more authentic testimonials from customers than you can handle.

After you receive a quality testimonial from a customer that you'd like to add to your website, contact the customer once again and obtain their permission to use their feedback on your website.

You can also include a Yes/No question in your survey asking permission to post their feedback on your site.  The overwhelming majority of your customers won't have any problem in allowing you to do so. Also, be sure to offer a link back to their website if one's available.  They'll appreciate the free advertising for their site!

So... let me ask you once again....

Do you sell products online? Do you offer a service that you're confident is as good, if not better than your competition? Is your website riddled with page after page of customer testimonials telling the world just how GREAT you are?

If not... get to it... and watch your sales go through the roof!

HOMEWORK TIME

That's it for lesson 7... you big slave driver you... No ifs ands or butts!  That's my final offer and I'm stickin' to it! ;-)

But now the balls in your court cupcake!  You got some homework to do before we can start our next lesson...

Azman Arifin
http://www.azmanonline.com

P.S. I'd Love to hear your comments or any feedback about this course.  Please send me your comments to azman@azmanonline.com