Sean McCool

The Profit Funnels Guy™

Sure you’ve heard how back end sales strategies can be beneficial to your business. But do you really understand the positive effects they can have your profit-earning potential? 

If you were ever wondering just how much of an impact back end strategies can have on your business, then read on.

First, consider the following:

If you had to choose between five new customers and subsequent sales this month, or five existing customers who bring you repeat business and subsequent sales this month, which would you choose?

They appear to be the same, right? Well, they aren’t. 

At first glance, these two scenarios hardly seem different at all. Five sales is fives sales after all, and as long as you are making money, you are doing well. Right? Wrong again.

Of course, neither scenario is “bad.” New customers are always positive for your business and you will need to continue to gain new customers as your business grows. On the other hand, repeat business is certainly a good thing as well, because it illustrates that your repeat customers clearly have confidence in you and your products.

But (and there is a “but”) five sales from five returning customers is the better choice. And here’s why:

1. Repeat Business Can Be Easier to Get. Through well-devised and strategically employed back end sales strategies, you will not only gain repeat business from returning customers, you will do so with ease and on a regular basis. 

Consider… Each home that has a granite kitchen counter top is likely to have two to three bath room vanity tops. And, I’d guess two or three shower or tub surrounds. But, it doesn’t stop there. What about entry foyers that could benefit from a stone entry? What about the backyard where there might be tables, benches and BBQ islands – all of which could be converted to stone.

2. Returning Customers are Generally Happy Customers. Those five customers wouldn’t be making additional purchases if they weren’t happy with purchases they made previously. Therefore, you can safely assume that a returning customer is a happy customer.

This typically means these people will be easier to work with because they already trust you and know what to expect. 

3. Happy Customers Tell Their Friends. As your back end sales strategies grow, and become more effective, you will reap the benefits of customers drawn to make additional purchases, and those customers will share their positive experiences with others. Hence, bringing you more customers and growing your customer base.

Referrals are the single biggest difference in a steady, long-term business, and those always looking for the next job. 

So, as you see, if you focus on existing customers, your potential for new customers nearly takes care of itself. Once you gain those new customers, your back end sales strategies that are already in place will be equally as effective on them, and your business will grow and grow.

While many may encourage you to spend your precious time and energy focusing on gaining new customers, you should consider a shift in focus, to delivering for your current and past customers. Once you have a handle on them, the rest will fall into place.

It’s a domino effect and just like anything else, it’s a matter of pushing the right domino first. You have to secure your customer base before you can ever attempt to gain new business, and back end sales strategies are the perfect way to do just that.

So, push the domino. Apply your back end sales strategies and watch your customers, your sales and your business fall into place. 

Sean McCool is an award-winning copywriter and the author of Marketing Secrets of the Ice Cream Man. He is known as The Profit Funnels Guy™ because Sean shows businesses how to set up multiple Profit Funnels™ throughout their business. Sean can be reached through his website, www.SeanMcCool.com