"5 Golden Online/Offline Business Rules To LIVE Or DIE By"

 by: Dan Preston

(c) Dan Preston - All rights reserved

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Whether online or off, if you plan on running or maintaining
any type of credibility within your business, there are some
guidelines that are safe to say any existing or potential
customer expects if they are to do immediate or future
business with you.

As an online entrepreneur for over 3 years I have found that
even though I don’t have the pleasure of meeting
face-to-face with my customers, ones perception of you and
your business can be viewed as good or bad all depending on
the way you handle questions or comments posted by people
interested in your product.

Here is a list of 5 MUST DO’S that any one customer will
come to expect if they are to do business with you.


(1) Be Prompt – although it may be an exhausting task to
keep up with all the general inquiries or questions about
any one product that your visitors have, be sure to respond
as soon as possible because the more time it takes for your
reply, the more likely a prospect will go elsewhere to do
business.

A great way to resolve many questions without having to
physically type a letter each and every time is to provide a
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page for a potential
prospect to view for quick reference.

Sometimes a potential customer may ask questions just to
make sure there is a live person ready to assist if there is
a need to do so.

(2) Be Polite – for the online business people, even though
your not looking at the person who is requesting
information, it is wise to act as if they are standing right
in front of you.

The way you word your messages can impact the way you make
people feel.

If someone was to send a letter stating that they really
didn’t like the product they purchased and would like a
refund (and sometimes you can tell if they are upset), be
sure to promptly honor that refund and just say your sorry
that they were unhappy with the purchase.

Being polite can lead to no hard feelings and even produce
more sales from this person in the future because they are
happy with the way you handled their problem.

When sending a letter, it is good practice to start it with a
"Hello" or "Greetings" followed by the customers name and
end every letter with a "Thank You", "Sincerely", "Warm
Wishes", or "Best Regards" followed by your name.

(3) Be Helpful – the reason why you are being contacted by
an actual or potential customer is because they probably
desire something and you’ll need to provide a solution for
their problem.

After answering a customer question, it never hurts to ask
them if there is anything else you can assist them with.

By doing this it shows you are there for them and that you
really want them to be happy with the services you provide.

(4) Be Sincere – when answering question people may have
about your products or if your just sending a “thank you”
letter, make it sound as if you really mean it (and you
should).

This will give people a sense of connection with you and
will be less nervous to do business with you.

(5) Be Honest – Of all the golden rules presented to you
within this article, this by far may be the most determining
factor whether or not your business thrives or suffers a
grueling demise.

By being honest about the product or service you offer and
what they can expect from such a service, you’ll show people
you’re a straightforward businessperson and someone who
really does care about helping others.

This will lead your customers not only to feel comfortable
dealing with you now, but most likely in the future also.



The Bottom Line Is...... The way you treat your customers can be
more satisfying to them than the actual item your selling.

And remember, with all the competition and choices available
these days, you now have the opportunity to stand out from
the crowd.

Dan spends a lot of time working on his various internet ventures.
He currently has an ebook store at http://infoheaven-digital-books.com that supplies a wide variety of information packed books that strive to answer peoples how-to questions with great detail.