Building relationships with prospects and earning their business by staying in touch overtime is a great way to gradually ramp up revenue. But what do you do if you want to make the sale today? Depending on your business, you may not have the luxury of time to sell a prospect or you may want to increase immediate ca$h flow to complement long-term sales.   
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Barry recently self-published a sales training manual and needs to ramp up sales. George is opening an exercise facility and wants customers right away so he can pay the rent. Martha helps corporations cut costs improving manufacturing processes and needs more clients this month, and can’t wait until next year.

Do you need to increase your income this week, and this month?

What can you do today to attract more clients and increase sales?

Here are six ways you can help prospects become clients and customers today.

1. Improve Your Marketing Message

Most people talk about their work and advertise their products and services with marketing messages that don’t pull in new prospects. Whether you are selling services or products, the most effective way to attract prospects is by telling them how you can help them.

When you tell people you are a sales agent for a real estate firm, you’re only talking about yourself, not what you do for your clients. Ditto when you tell people you’ve got a sales training manual for sale. To get your prospects attention you need to talk about what you do and your products in terms of solutions and benefits.

If you’re selling oranges, which is most likely to get a sale.

a. “The best oranges anywhere.”
b. “Quench your thirst right now with this organic and satisfying source of vitamin C.”

A good marketing message helps prospects understand what you do and why they should contact you. Whether you are selling oranges, real estate, sales training or fitness, write your marketing message from your prospects’ perspective.

2. Give People a Reason to Contact You

Whether you want prospects to email you, call you or come to your exercise facility, your objective is to get them to contact you. When they do, you can go to work and start converting them to client status. How can you prompt a prospect to contact you?

Everyone loves the chance to get something for free. Offer a free report, workshop or consultation. Make sure its something related to what you’re selling and that your target market loves. In the last year my free marketing guide has prompted over eleven thousand people to contact me.

3. Establish Your Pricing in Terms of Value

Several years ago I paid a lawyer over thirty-five thousand dollars to write a sales contract. Why? Because it helped me make almost a million dollars. When the company I was dealing with had financial problems, thanks to my lawyer’s work, I still received every penny I was owed.

Whether your product or service sells for nineteen dollars or nineteen thousand dollars, your clients buy because they have a clear understanding of how your product can help them and the value it provides. Use your copy, questions and video clips to help people understand how much better off they will be when they use your products and services. When prospects are confident they will get what they want and expect, price becomes far less important.

4. Build Credibility

People buy from those they know and trust. How can you get prospects to know and trust you?

Whether you have been in business for one month or one hundred years, endorsements from others are the most effective way to establish your credibility. Place testimonials prominently in your marketing materials, demonstrate to prospects that you know what you’re doing and that your products and services work.

5. Start a Conversation to Create Opportunities

One of the key steps to helping prospects buy is to find out what they need and want. Once you know what their interests are, you can show them the service or product that’s the best solution and you’re on your way to completing a sale. How can you get the conversation going even if you’re not face-to-face with a prospect?

Ask questions. Ask prospects what they need and want and give them a chance to tell you. Even if you’re not face-to-face with a client you can use your web site to generate a steady stream of qualified leads by using response forms. Often all that’s needed to close the sale is a follow up ph0ne call.

6. Instill a Sense of Urgency

Have you ever put off buying something that you needed or wanted? How can you get your prospects to avoid this black hole of procrastination?

Give prospects clear directions. Tell them what to do when and why. If you want them to fill in a form, tell them how and why to do so. If you want them to buy your book, tell them how and why. If you want them to give you information about themselves, give them a reason. If you want people to make a purchase right away, motivate them with an impeding deadline.

Not every prospect will purchase your products or services today, but you can help them along. Use these six marketing strategies to attract more prospects and be more successful.

About the Author:

The author, Charlie Cook, helps service professionals and small business owners attract more clients and be more successful. Sign up for the Free Marketing Plan eBook, '7 Steps to get more clients and grow your business' at http://www.marketingforsuccess.com