1) Exactly what are you offering? 2) Why do I need (or want) it? 3) How can I believe your claims? 4) Why should I get it from you? 5) How fast can I get it? 6) What if I don't like it after I get it? 7) What do I need to do to get it?

Make sure you answer all 7 of these buyer's questions in your web site, sales letters and other selling tools.

Tip: Present everything in term of benefit it provides to customers. For example, don't just list testimonials from satisfied customers (your answer to question 3). Point out that those testimonials prove you really do deliver what you promise.

4. Keep Your Ordering Procedure Simple

Use an uncomplicated and fast ordering procedure. Every additional action you ask customers to perform and every additional decision you ask them to make after they already decided to buy can cause them to reverse their decision.

For example, many online marketers use a shopping cart to process their orders when they could use a simple online order form. Each unnecessary step in shopping cart process is an opportunity for customers to abandon their order ...a sale lost needlessly.

Tip: Don't ask for unnecessary information during ordering process. Instead, send a personalized "thank you" message after sale and include a brief request for additional information.

Don't overlook easy sales you can get from old prospects that are almost ready to buy? Use these 4 simple procedures to cultivate your "almost customers" and turn them into paying customers.

Bob Leduc spent 20 years helping businesses like yours find new customers and increase sales. He just released a New Edition of his manual, How To Build Your Small Business Fast With Simple Postcards ...and launched *BizTips from Bob*, a newsletter to help small businesses grow and prosper. You'll find his low-cost marketing methods at: http://BobLeduc.com or call: 702-658-1707 After 10 AM Pacific Time/Las Vegas, NV

Consider Cable Access Host a Member of Media

Research each show's topic to make sure you and your company's services offer proper fit, and then pitch story ideas. Follow up with them regularly and prove that you are a great expert to have on show. Provide hosts with media kits, adhere to their deadlines, answer their questions immediately, and take time to find out how they would like to be contacted. These are all normal steps you'd take with any other journalist.

We lost election, but use of cable-access television helped to keep race close until very end. More importantly, well-established political incumbents began to take notice at what we had achieved. Appearing on cable-access television was no longer taboo, and many of them now have their own shows. They now see value in using cable-access television to get their messages out to their constituents -- a communications medium that has always been available to them for free.

The bottom line here is this. There really aren't very many differences between promoting a small-business owner and a political candidate. Each can achieve favorable results simply by properly executing their messages. And while it is true that we are a nation of channel flippers, most people will and do stop -- on occasion, to listen to guests on cable-access television. Furthermore, you'd be surprised by just how many of them do act on what they have seen.

So don't get angry next time a business competitor laughs at you for appearing on cable access television to promote your services. Just tell them same thing I did, and take comfort in knowing that your competitor will likely learn too late that cable-access television can be an excellent way of introducing small-business services to potential customers in your town.