LinkExchange Member

DO YOU GIVE YOUR CUSTOMERS ENOUGH INFORMATION
TO WORK YOUR PROGRAM?
(Victoria's Reports 161)


Of course you do - right? Check again! More often than not I
have watched  people join a program, receive a camera-ready
circular and are expected to know what to do with it. While the
originator of the program knows exactly what to do, most of your
customers do not. What may seem like common sense  to you is not
as understandable to others who purchase it.

Every program you sell should come with an instruction sheet.
Just like any  product you purchase will come with an
instruction sheet. The blow dryer  for my hair even came with an
instruction sheet and who doesn't know how to  operate a blow
dryer? It just makes good business sense to include an 
instruction sheet or booklet with anything you sell.

And guess what? This sheet or booklet can be used to YOUR
advantage. By  explaining step-by-step how the program works,
what it's goals are, the  benefits of working it and what steps
to take in order to work it properly, you can offer different
options to your customer to help them. If you  supply
camera-ready circulars, you could offer to print copies, supply
preprinted envelopes and mailing list names for an additional
price. This is  called "back-end" sales.

			
And if you don't provide these items, you can find a wide range
of mail order dealers that can. Hook up with a good supplier who
will reduce their  prices slightly so you can make a profit and
send orders directly to them from your "back-end" sales. This
little bit of extra money is what helps your program become more
financially solid.

One problem that so many programs fail is because they are not
managed and  structured properly. Remember the old saying: "A
3-legged stool is not  easily broken?" It's true. The more
"branches" you have in a program that generates some cash flow
the better. DON'T get this confused with nickel-and-diming
people to death. Just give them the product they pay for and 
offer them extra products they can purchase that compliments
what they  already have.

One of the biggest mistakes you can make when you are the Prime
Source of  any program is to promote the program your dealers
are also promoting.  Instead of it bringing in more money it has
the opposite effect - it  destroys the program!

Let's say that Melanie joins Jeff's program. Jeff is the Prime
Source and  provides Melanie with a camera-ready circular with
her name on it. Melanie  begins printing and mailing the
circular in her own mailings but one day she spots Jeff
advertising his own circular in a tabloid. What does Melanie 
do? She STOPS mailing her circular.

Why? Because Jeff looks like a greedy dealer who is after all
the profit.  Jeff is only giving Melanie 50% when people respond
to her circular and  Jeff gets 100% if people respond to his
circular. Also - Melanie does not  want to be in competition
with Jeff and drops out of the program. It's not  fair to
Melanie.

And what happens to Jeff's potential income when all his dealers
see the  circulars with his name on them? You got it - they all
drop out. Now what  happens to Jeff's income? Right again - it
drops considerably!

Instead, Jeff should pick out a few of his dealers who are
trying their best to make money with his program and offer to
mail pre-printed circulars for them free of charge. Remember
that Jeff is making money from every sale  generated by his
dealers, so by promoting his own product he is still  making
money. Besides - if he helps his dealers make a few dollars,
what  will his dealers do? That's right - they'll keep
participating in Jeff's  program and most of them will re-invest
the commission money they make into  printing and mailing more
of them.

Also, when they begin to make a little money, they will tell
everybody they  know what a wonderful program Jeff has. And
guess what? Jeff will get more  dealers promoting his program -
which means more money for Jeff in the  long run. Jeff's a
success because he made his dealers a success.

And finally - Jeff's reputation will be escalated because all
his dealers will know he's an honest guy to do business with.
Guess what? Jeff's  business income increases! Not just because
of the program but because  people are interested in other
things Jeff sells.

It's only good business sense to help your dealers by providing
them with  tips and information to work your program. Sure,
there will always be  people who buy into your program and not
work them - but you'll lose a lot more money if you step on
their toes and become their competition! Be wise!