Taking web orders via phone instead of via shopping cart?

Rumour has it, Gary's first piece of internet advice was something like... "To sell online, you have to get people offline."

In other words, use online as a lead generation system. To get the prospects' name, address and phone number.

Another successful marketer followed that advice. Placed a ten word ad. Ten days later they had sold $55,000.00 worth of products.

The ad was a classified ad placed in the online classifieds on AOL (I believe it was AOL). And gave a phone number to call for more information.

Those who called left their name and address and were sent a sales letter through the mail.

The year. From memory. Was 1992. Eleven years ago.

So Gary's advice was valid. Valid then and valid today. Depending on the market.

Obviously no-one is going to call LA from NY to order a $15 eBook. Might happen. Probably not likely.

So the "use online to get them offline" technique would be product/market specific. Instead of a be all and end all technique.

Michael Ross


Offline. Online. Make Money Both Ways

Boyd,

It probably depends what you are selling. I think you have to be wary of any blanket statement like the one you quoted.

Anything that may or may not be in stock and that I urgently need, like appliances or computer equipment, I always order by phone, because the person on the phone can tell you when it will ship and how many days it will take. They do not as reliably give you that information at a web site or by email.

Also, whenever I am ordering anything that costs more than, let's say, $200, I want to speak to a live human being and get their name as well as an order number.

Marcia Yudkin




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