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online sales leads using traditional methods
Online Sales Leads Using Traditional Methods
By Scott Buresh
Long before online sales and online
sales leads became a reality, there were techniques
and tactics used to sell just about anything. Successful
businesses use these techniques to generate revenue
and gain a competitive advantage. Unfortunately, whenever
a new communication medium or technology becomes available,
we tend to rely too heavily on the efficiencies and
functionality of the tool and lose focus on the purpose
it was created to serve. The internet, with all of
its bells and whistles, often actually hurts the bottom
line of businesses. Whenever this is the case there
is usually a common cause- the company is not using
the traditional sales techniques that made them successful
in the offline world to generate online sales or online
sales leads.
To succeed on the internet, look
at what's worked for your company in the past and
extend these successes online. Here are just a few
things that can easily and effectively be taken online
to help in the online sales medium:
Advertising
If generating new customers through traditional advertising
has proven effective in the past, make sure you're
taking a serious look at online opportunities such
as search engine optimization, pay-per-click ad buys
and site sponsorships. Each of these can deliver targeted
online sales leads and offers substantial ROI data.
Product Demonstrations
If your sales staff relies on product demonstrations
to help close sales, look for ways to demonstrate
your product online. You can provide live or archived
demos on your website (and often realize substantial
savings in reduced travel costs). Whether you're presenting
to one or many, the advent of high-speed connectivity
and affordable multimedia production companies make
online demos a viable option for most companies.
Public Relations
If your company has realized value from PR efforts,
look for ways to get similar publicity on the web
to generate online sales leads. Regardless of your
industry, there are sure to be related websites that
rely on content to promote visitors and attract advertising
dollars. Ask your trusted PR person about such opportunities.
Direct Mail
Whether you're communicating with your current customers
or trying to obtain new ones, direct mail may be something
your company has relied on as a way to get out your
message. If you know your customers are online, an
opt-in email marketing campaign is an alternative
and sometimes-preferred method of turning them into
inline sales leads. Again, like most online marketing
campaigns, you can get valuable response data in nearly
real-time. Another attractive benefit of email marketing
is that you can make frequent and subtle adjustments
to your campaign at virtually no cost. Try getting
that from your printing company!
Referral and Customer Appreciation
Programs
If you rely on customer referrals and repeat customers,
you've probably tried or currently have some sort
of referral program in place. The internet provides
the perfect environment for facilitating and measuring
the effectiveness of such programs. Look for ways
to encourage online referrals and reward repeat customers.
Let them know their opinion counts with easy to use
feedback mechanisms. You can also conduct customer
surveys, polls, and use other interactive ways to
generate online sales leads.
If you're not exactly sure
how each of these can be applied online, don't hesitate
to ask someone who has experience in internet marketing
(we all love to talk). Of course, before embarking
on any campaign to increase online sales leads, there
should be clear goals and a way to measure the campaign's
success. Good luck!
© Medium Blue 2007
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