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Did you know that 80% of all sales are made after the 5th contact?

The biggest mistake we make is not following up with our clients regularly. We not only lose the chance to offer other services and products, we lose the chance for satisfied clients' referrals.

Building your practice needs consistent bi-monthly follow-ups.

If you think this takes too much time, follow my lead and delegate some of it where you will spend only 6-8 hours a week. Remember, only marketing and promotion builds income and business, the rest are expenses.

Here's the top ten ways:

6. Follow up in two steps.

In the first ecommerce follow up, give a free report adding your sparkling signature file as a soft sales piece. In a week, follow this up with your offer. Refer to the report, and then make your one irresistible offer. If I sent a report on what web sites need before contacting a web master, I follow it up with the three-session "telecoaching" program on writing a web site with marketing pizzazz.

One personal coach offered an excerpt from her new book the first time, and followed up with a discount offer for the book.

7. Motivate yourself and your staff with a poster of each month's follow up promotions.

It's great to see your follow up progress. Your promotions can be small or large. You know your' re going to attract new clients because you put out messages that keep you in your audience's minds.

With the help of your assistant, in just two hours, you can send out PR to local papers on a seminar, update email addresses, send an article to the top ten, finish an interview and send to no spam ezines, email your new content to your Web master, and send out new proposals for talks to different organizations.

When you notice these 10-20 actions you take each month, you'll also notice new clients coming each month.

8. Offer teleclasses to attract past, present and new clients.

A good first teleclass can be a question and answer call. Once you survey your groups and discover the top 4-8 questions they want answered, include this information in your teleclass sales letter. Two schools of thought on this--a free 1-hour or a small charge for the first. Without some risk such as $15-$20, you may only attract lookie loos.

Be sure to give clear information on the where, when, and how to register. Offer 800 and Web site registration. Include a mini sales letter-- a paragraph with benefits on your topic, your audience, and then add testimonials from satisfied attendees, as well as the list of sample questions you can answer. While topics are interesting, it's the benefits you write that attract people to the call.

9. Make only one offer per follow up contact.

Each time you send out a free tip or report, place a "special offer" at the bottom of the email before your signature file. The common mistake is to offer too many choices. Make it easy for your contact to "buy."

For one follow up, offer a free or discounted eBook or report at your Web site. When they visit, they will see all you have to offer. For another, offer your ezine. For another, offer a discount on your introductory coaching session. Always include a time limit for your offers.

10. Make your follow up offer enticing.

The biggest mistake coaches and other small business people make is to just list the offer in the subject line. One creativity coach sends me a notice of his upcoming talks and seminars. His subject line says, "Upcoming Seminars by Joe." Does that move you to open the email? Since less than 50% of your lists will open the email, put a big benefit in the subject line with your name near it. "Double your Clients in 5 Months" That perks up my interest, does it yours?

Follow up means giving to your potential clients. When you give, many will give back. They will pass your freebie on to their associates and friends and even keep the information in a file.

Don't think you are bothering your contacts. If they don't want your news, they can opt-out. Thank you's and free gifts keep your name in front of your buyers. It tells them you appreciate them and let's them know what new things you can offer them. Follow up is good business.