Generating Short Term Sales Not everyone arrives at your web site or at other end of phone line ready to make a decision. In fact, 80% of people spend two or more weeks researching their purchasing decisions. What can you do to keep these people interested?

First, get your prospect's contact information. Stay in touch and continue to demonstrate your expertise and value of your products and services.

You may have an interested prospect, but prospect isn't clear on why or when they should use your product or service. When you follow up a prospect's initial contact, give them useful ideas they can use related to your product or service, and take advantage of this opportunity to educate them about problem or concern you can help them resolve.

Improving Long Term Conversion Rates I had one prospect that I'd talked to three or four times on phone over course of two months. When they didn't respond to two follow up calls, I stopped calling. Two months later, that is, four months after our first conversation, they called me to say that after researching a dozen other consultants, they'd finally decided to use my services and at same time had expanded scope of project and price I'd be paid. You've probably had similar experiences.

Some prospects take even longer than four months to make a decision to buy. Why? Because people buy based on their own timetable, not yours. They buy when they have a need and when they want to act on that need. Even after deciding you want a new tax attorney or financial advisor, it might take you years to end your relationship with your existing advisor and place your trust in someone new.

Most people use contact management software to remind themselves to call or write prospects. This is a first step in keeping a potential sale alive, but a strategy of using only follow up phone calls can fall flat when prospects don't have any news about a project to report, haven't made a decision or just aren't ready to make a purchase.

One effective strategy for staying in "front of mind" of your prospects is to use a newsletter or ezine to continually demonstrate your expertise and remind them of ways you can help them. Send it out biweekly or monthly, and they'll remember you when they are ready to make a decision or a purchase.

To make sales today, next week and in months to come, give your prospects information they need and solutions they want immediately and continuously. Have a plan in place to follow up with those who don't purchase your goods and services right away. Keep providing information they need to make a decision, and you'll increase sales and profits today, tomorrow and in coming years.

The author, Charlie Cook, helps service professionals and small business owners attract more clients and be more successful. Sign up for the Free Marketing Plan eBook, for small business owners and people responsible for marketing, '7 Steps to get more clients and grow your business' at http://www.marketingforsuccess.com

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So, for those who are looking to write articles and gain exposure for their own websites, first stop is at article banks. But, don’t stop there. There are other avenues that can be explored for maximum exposure for your website.

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