Source 1: Existing Customers
Yeah, that's right, your existing customers are the ultimate source for increasing your sales. Think about it...they already trust you and know about your business. Finding and convincing new customers is expensive and time consuming. Why waste all of your time hunting new candidates when you have a huge amount of potential right under your nose?

Find or create new productsthat your loyal customers will enjoy! Offer them a related item to go along with the purchases they are already making. Your helpful insight will be appreciated, and your profits will add up nicely in the process.

Get your customers working for you. Do you have a referral system in place? If not, you are missing out on one of the greatest marketing tools available!

Find out what they want. Customer surveys are great for discovering exactly what customers like and don't like. Hey, it makes them feel important and appreciated too! Ask them what they like best about your product... what you can do to improve...who their friends are who might be interested in your product. You'll find a lot of valuable information just waiting for you to ask for it.

Source 2: Non-Buyer Contacts
Not everyone buys the first time they come around...in fact, the majority of us want to get to know a little bit more about the business before we invest too much of our money in their product. Follow up systems are a great way to turn prospective customers into loyal, satisfied clients.

Hey follow up systems don't have to be involved, but they can range from a simple occasional contact to providing weekly newsletters. The ball is in your court...keep it as simple or as involved as you want!

Newsletters come in handy for Internet Marketers hoping to capture email addresses of visitors to their site. If a newsletter is too much involvement, give out a free report that will be sent to their email address. Where there's a will, there's a way to get the contact information you need.

If you can get the first name of your customer – whether it's in a one-on-one setting or on the Internet – you're setting the stage for a more personalized relationship.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Who is Allyn Cutts, and why should you care?
Allyn has spent over 24 years helping businesses like yours find new customers and increase sales to current customers. Allyn is a marketing and sales fanatic, providing measurable marketing solutions that drive huge results for small-to mid-size business clients. Allyn works personally with clients to design and deliver off-line and on-line direct marketing strategies that focus on metrics and measurable results. You can learn more about Allyn Cutts at www.AllynCutts.com and you can call 610.437.4106 between 10 AM and 4 PM Eastern Time Tuesdays and Thursdays.