I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve recently subscribed to a coach’s, VA’s, or any online business owner’s eNewsletter or ezine that did not generate an immediate autoresponse to thank me for subscribing. Instead, later that day or maybe the next I had received an email from the business owner him/herself. While I love the personalized effort as much as the next person, this procedure just strikes me as odd; it’s not exactly a very beneficial use of that business owner’s time. And, since today’s autoresponders make such an effective use of personalization tools, why would a business owner still feel uncomfortable using them?
An autoresponder is also great for distributing electronic products like ebooks, ecourses, and audio products that are purchased online. Whether the eproduct is free or for a fee, it, too, should be sent automatically to the person who requests and purchases the product. In the event you haven’t yet switched to using autoresponders to sell electronic products, you really lose twice; owners who opt to personally process eproducts at the end of a purchase compromise their time and profit margin. In fact, when a business owner takes the time to personally send the most recent request for a new free article, what aren’t they doing? That’s right – income producing activities.
At one time autoresponders were used primarily if a person were to be out-of-town or out of the office for any extended period of time. However, in today’s age of speed and ease, this is no longer true; in fact, it has become the norm to generally expect an almost immediate response to any email. So what does a business owner do? Simple: USE Autoresponders!
As a virtual assistant who regularly encourages the use of, and subsequently “automates” my clients with, autoresponders, I’ve seen first-hand the numerous benefits for them to utilize this technology for their businesses.
Autoresponders are an amazing, time-saving, marketing tool! Are you familiar with how they work? Picture this simple example. A website visitor requests a free article you’re offering; they immediately receive the article and a warm, friendly email. Three days later, they receive a personalized email that invites them to ask questions and to share their comments. A month later they receive an email asking if they’re utilizing the information from the article. In the meantime, since you’ve captured their email address, they start receiving your monthly ezine. This is win-win for everyone involved.
In today’s market, a wide variety of available autoresponders have different degrees of functionality and ease of use. Thus, you’ll want to be sure to investigate them to assure they suit all of your needs. But do start using autoresponders, today!
Donna Toothaker is an expert Virtual Assistant and founder of www.1stVA.com. Donna specializes in providing marketing and administrative support and services to Professional Speakers and Life and Business Coaches. To discover how 1st VA can help your business – visit http://www.1stva.com.
