I’m a programmer. It’s what I do.

I sit down at my desk, I go through support tickets and answer
emails, and then fill up the rest of my day writing code.

I’m the working class of the internet marketing world. I make
reasonable money, but it’s takes its own toll of blood, sweat,
and tears. Oh, and tired eyes, sore back, and a weird clicking in
my wrist. And sometimes I talk to myself. And occasionally I even
answer back.

But I’m not complaining - I get to spend more time with my family
and I get to see my little boy grow up first hand.

But trust me, I’m not some kind of martyr. I’m always looking for
ways to make my life easier. My goal is to make more money with
less work.

And recently, up has popped a number of issues - affiliate
marketing, and video production. Both linked, and both of which
I’ve resisted over the years. I’ll tell you why shortly.

=================================================
AFFILIATE MARKETING (Ka-Ching!)
=================================================

For those of you not familiar with the term, it’s basically the
internet’s answer to sales commission. You promote a product, and
if you make a sale, you get a cut of the commission.

The brilliant thing about internet affiliate programs is the cut
of the commission is insanely high.

Offline, a sales person can often get around 5% commission.
Online, for digital products, it’s usually around 50%, give or
take 20 percent.

So a huge amount of money for not much work.

And I know it works. How? Because a huge chunk of my DLGuard
sales are generated from affiliates.

They promote my product, and I spend more time working in the
business.

It’s a sweeter deal for them than it is for me. That’s why I’ve
finally started taking affiliate marketing more seriously.

I don’t do a great lot, because I’m still new at it (like I said,
I’m a programmer, not an affiliate marketing genius), but I do
get some consistent cheques from a couple of affiliate programs.

It’s certainly not enough money to live off, but it’s essentially
free money. And free money is good money.

And this bring me to the next part:

=================================================
VIDEO PROMOTIONS (groan)
=================================================

I say Groan, simply because it’s not something I find terribly
interesting.

Unfortunately for me, it’s something that seems to be taking hold,
as much as I’m willing it not to.

I don’t like watching video promotions. I’d much prefer a text
based sales page. But unfortunately, it seems I’m a dying breed.

Sometimes I feel like a grumpy old man (I’m 31 this year, so I’m
getting on in years) who is holding onto his wireless radio,
insisting TV is just a fad, and it’ll never take hold.

And in the background is playing that song “Video killed the
radio star…”

I read a newsletter by Lee Thompson a couple of weeks ago where
he showed insane amount of earnings that he attributes to video
sales pages.

Interesting, but I’m a programmer, I don’t have time to learn new
things. Don’t try and teach this 31 year old dog new tricks,
thank you very much.

And then up pops Kevin Riley.

Now I have a lot of respect for Kevin, and I have a sneaking
suspicion he does far less work than I do.

He may hassle me about laying around on a spotty sofa all day
(his words, not mine), but he seems to be on holidays ever second
week. Hot springs here, hot springs there.

He just released a new eBook series on creating videos to promote
affiliate campaigns:

http://www.dlguard.com/videomastertactics.php

If you’re interested in promoting affiliate programs, and also
creating videos to do so (which seems to be the growing trend,
curse it all), I’d recommend checking it out.

I haven’t read it all, just yet, but it seems to be more aimed at
the beginner (which when it comes to affiliate marketing and
video creation, I am), and possibly up to intermediate.

It discusses everything from finding a good product and keywords
to promote, right through to creating the actual videos.

It’s only $27, but if you’re a bit strapped for cash, then I’d
still recommend doing your own research into affiliate programs
and video marketing.

As much as I hate to admit it, video marketing is taking off, and
it is becoming more and more prevalent.

Even books are using video marketing these days. There’s
companies around that make short film clips for novels, kind of
like the shorts for films.

Will I be using my newly found video knowledge for promoting
affiliate programs? Yes, but I’m also interesting in creating
video tutorials for my software as well.

But if I strike it rich in affiliate marketing via video, I’ll be
sure to let you know.

If anyone has had experience in this area, I’d love to hear how
you’ve gone! Success and disaster stories are both welcome.

And as usual, I’ve gone WAY over what I expected. Thanks for
hanging in there.

Until next time,

Sam Stephens
The programming guy
DLGuard
GuardHQ

PS. You can follow me on Twitter, if you’re that way inclined:
http://www.twitter.com/samstephens

And if you’re interested in Kevin’s product:
http://www.dlguard.com/videomastertactics.php

This newsletter is a little different to most: I want to
share two of the greatest business tools I’ve ever bought.

One will save your spine, the other will save your sanity.

As long time reader’s of this newsletter know, I try and
discuss business ideals and tools that no one else really
touches on.

So firstly:

=========================
SAVING YOUR SPINE
=========================

For everyone that sits at a desk all day, I’m sure you’ll
know this feeling well: tight shoulders, sore neck, back
pain, odd clicking noises when you move.

I have this really bad habit of hunching over my desk to
peer closely at my screen when I’m trying to figure a
certain problem out.

I have a 24 inch wide-screen LCD, which for those who aren’t
interested in tech specs, is a decent sized monitor.

But I still found myself doing a hunchback impersonation
throughout the day.

I finally realised, after eight years, that it was because
my screen wasn’t at eye-level.

I found myself hunching low over my desk.

So I toddled myself to Officeworks, and bought myself a
monitor stand. They’re a plastic square thingy, that has
leg whatchamacallits that extend up and down.

Basically it’s a platform to raise your monitor up.

Brilliant piece of technology!

Already I’ve found myself hunching less, and it’s only been
a few days.

Mine cost about $60 AUD, which is about the same price as a
trip to the chiropractor, only less painful.

Check out your local computer store or office furniture
store - they should have a nice selection.

In most cases you’ll probably want to raise your monitor off
your desk about four inches, give or take.

=========================
SAVING YOUR SANITY
=========================

As the front line support for DLGuard, I hear depressingly
often from people who’s computers have crashed, and they’ve
lost their work, and they’re now trying to pick up the
broken pieces of their internet business.

While I was at Officeworks, I picked up a 750 GB external
hard drive.

It was only $200 AUD, which is a bargain for that size.

Prices are dropping, so it’s well worth checking them out.

Basically all it is, is a black box that plugs into your
computer with a USB cable. It’s pretty much the same as the
hard drive inside your computer, but it’s external so that
if your computer dies, you’ve still got a copy of
everything.

I chose the 750 GB Maxtor drive, which accepts USB and
Firewire, but best of all, it allows one-touch backups.

I’ve got a number of folders on my computer that I work out
of each day, and so in the software that came with my drive
I pointed out which folders I need backed up, and now at 7pm
each day, those folders are automatically copied to the
external drive.

I can also press a button on the front of the drive, and
it’ll automatically back up those folders instantly.

And last but not least, it creates a full copy of my current
hard drive, so that if it crashes, I can fully restore my
system exactly as it is now.

No more trying to rebuilt your computer over a week or so,
losing hundreds of dollars of work time.

It’s kind of like buying insurance - it’s money to spend up
front, but if the worst happens, you’ll be glad you have it!

I hope you enjoyed today’s slightly different newsletter!

Best wishes with your business success,

Sam Stephens
DLGuard.com
GuardHQ.com

Have you ever noticed the year slip away before you even realise?

One minute you’re fighting off a New Year’s Eve hang-over whilst planning out what you’re going to do with your business in the next year, the next moment you find yourself wondering what to buy your family and friends for Christmas.

Somehow the year in between slipped past while you weren’t looking. Time is a sneaky little beast.

In my line of work, I get to see a lot of people launch a lot of new websites.

The ones that run smoothly, I never hear from, but the ones that don’t run quite so smoothly, I get quite an insight into what are the major causes of pre-launch stress.

I’m not a big planner; that’s just me. In fact just typing the word “planning” bores me.

But planning can also be exciting — it’s the start of something new, something that can change your life for the better.

And that’s why it’s so important.

I often get emails from clients who have to have some huge project complete, or implement a whole new payment system, or chase down bugs in their existing system by tomorrow, because that’s when The Big Launch is set.

My first thought is always “how did it get to this point?”

But honestly, it’s easy to do. It’s easy to wake up one morning, realise your deadline is the very next day and you’re still got a billion or so things to do.

So on a caffeine induced high, blood pressure topping 200 over 150, you try and complete fifty percent of your project in one percent of the project time.

It’s easy to do, it happens all the time. As mentioned, I get emails all the time from people saying “HELP! My launch is tomorrow”, and they haven’t yet worked out how to accept payments and deliver their product.

So how do we avoid this?

A wise man once told me: estimate the time it’ll take to complete your project, then multiply it by two and a half. That’s how long it’ll take.

And that’s usually pretty accurate.

Remember, the last week of your project you want to be just testing everything out, making sure things are running smoothly, and getting in touch with any launch partners you’re working with.

You DON’T want to be figuring out how to structure your sales and delivery.

Creating a product is only one part of a project. Contacting Joint Venture partners and/or affiliates is also only one part of a project.

Remember the nuts and bolts behind the site.

Remember that to be successful in a launch, you need to accept payment for your product, and then deliver your product into your customers’ hands.

Choosing which payment processor to use will be one of the first jobs you need to do.

Some processors, such as Clickbank, will require you to run the product by them before they accept it. Make sure you leave time to do this, and have a contingency plan in the case that it is rejected.

If you have beta testers helping you out, then it’s a good idea to get them to also test the sales process. Set your payment processor to Test Mode, or if there isn’t a test mode (such as with Paypal, for example), set the price to $0.01, and let your beta testers run the whole process.

Make sure you do this with at least a week to spare.

You’ll sleep FAR better the night before launch.

Best wishes, and happy launching,

Sam Stephens
www.GuardHQ.com
www.DLGuard.com

This newsletter is dedicated to something a little different than usual, though it is an issue that will affect us all.

The GHQ Newsletters are dedicated to the internet business person, and while we often look at the financial side of things, we often miss the social and person issues that are raised.

This newsletter was inspired by a blog post by Jason Moffat in which he publicly and freely speaks about his relationship break-up, mostly due to his internet business.

I spent a lot of time in internet marketing and business forums, and it’s sad to see that we continue to see two things:

- People that have left things too late, and their business “obsession” has cost them their relationships.

OR

- People that are closing their businesses because the person cost of running their business is too great.

It often seems that we have to choose between our business and our friends and family.

But this simply is NOT true. We CAN have both.

 ==================================
HAPPINESS *AND* PROFIT!
==================================

I love my online business, and while I certainly don’t sleep on big pile of cash each night, I am able to pay my rent, buy groceries, and live a comfortable life.

And we all need that income. “Profit” is NOT a dirty word - it’s something we ALL need to achieve if we plan on staying out of debt.

Businesses must turn a profit to survive.

But the pursuit of profit to the detriment of everything else around us is what can render our efforts worthless.

There’s not point in turning a huge profit if you’re not happy.

And unfortunately there’s no point in making no money, but still being happy. It’d be nice if it WAS possible, but unfortunately we all have bills to pay.

So how do we strike the happy medium?

First we need to figure out what is really important to us.

==================================
WHAT IS IMPORTANT IN YOUR LIFE?
==================================

This can be a tough question to answer.

I believe, however, that deep down in everyone on this earth we would all like to be happy.

And how do we reach happiness?

I strongly believe personal happiness is found in making other people happy. Being loved, and loving others. Not just spouses or partners, but friends, family; even the family dog (or cat, or bird, or fish).

How many people have you heard about that lay in the hospital, dieing of old age, and look back on their life and say “You know I really wish I spent more time at the office!”

After you’ve lived a full life, what do YOU want to look back and say?

Personally I want to say “I’m glad I spent time with my wife, my soon-to-be-born son, my family, my friends.”

THAT is what is important to me.

==================================
SO WHERE’S THE BUSINESS TALK?
==================================

So, being a business newsletter (and not an episode of Dr Phil), how does this affect us in our business life?

It’s about moderation.

If you run your business full-time, then when you wake up in the morning you’ve got the whole day to work hard at your business. When you finish at the end of the day, make sure you really do finish.

This is a curse of mine - I have trouble switching off after a full day’s work. I sometimes wish I didn’t have to sleep.

If you run your business part-time, then balance can be a little harder to achieve. After your day job, spend time with your partner/friends/family after work. Relax, have some fun. Then later, set aside some time to work on your business.

Make sure you specify the amount of time you’ll spend. If it’s two hours, then make sure after 2 hours you stop where you are.

Does this mean you can’t do some late night work? Not at all. Late night work (or early morning if you’re a morning person) can be VERY productive.

But it’s about striking a balance.

It’s about pursuing what is really important in your life, and simply using your business as a tool to get there.

==================================
CUSTOMER EXPECTATION
==================================

The far majority of internet businesses are small business.

They’re the online version of the local butcher, or the local fruit shop. They’re run by one person, and they’re that person’s livelihood.

Why is it, as customers, we’re happy for Fred the Butcher to close at 5:00pm so he can go watch his kids play footy, or we’re happy for Jane the grocer to have half an hour lunch break?

And why do we not blink an eyelid when Fred and Jane go home for the night and sleep?

It’s because we realise that Fred and Jane are human.

But we often don’t make the same correlation with internet businesses.

Fred and Jane close at 5:00pm - why do we expect Tom and Mary, who both run internet small businesses to be available to us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week?

I believe it’s because we often don’t realise that behind a website is one person who is working their butt off on their online venture, their online small business, and instead we see a faceless corporation that took our money.

The internet is so impersonal that we need to remember behind every website is a human.

And behind the far majority of websites is only one human who enjoys playing basketball with his son, or going to the beach with her daughter.

As customers of internet small businesses do we have the responsibility to respect a small business owner’s personal time?

Yes, we do.

==================================
BUT MY CUSTOMERS WILL LEAVE ME!
==================================

As small business owners we often believe that if we DO take time off, or if we DON’T answer an email within 15 minutes of it arriving then our customers will pack their bags and leave.

In a very small number of cases this is true - some people truly believe that when they buy a $10 item off you that they then own your life. You don’t need customers like this.

But you may be surprised that the far majority of your customers are willing to respect your time. They’re in the same boat as you - they’re balancing their business life with their personal life, and they know how tough it can be.

A business relationship built on mutual respect is a rewarding and profitable one.

==================================
TAKING TIME OFF?
==================================

So do you take time off?

I don’t work on Saturdays. On Sunday’s I will check customer support questions, but nothing further.

I take a number of days over Christmas off.

And when my son is born around 13th Jan, 2008, I’ll be taking some time off there as well.

And the brilliant part? My clients respect that, and they’re happy for me to do so, because they know that when I’m at work I’ll work my fingers to the bone for them.

It’s about balance.

It’s about deciding what is REALLY important in our lives and working toward that.

Best wishes with your business, and more importantly, with achieving happiness and balance in your life,

Sam Stephens
GuardHQ.com
DLGuard.com

Click Here to recieve these newsletters by email!

Welcome to the third edition of the GuardHQ newsletter!

To receive the latest newsletters as soon as they’re ready, signup to our newsletter for free: http://www.guardhq.com/newsletter.php

We’ve been discussing customer support, and I just had an interesting experience just today which I’d like to share.

Also, at the end of this email is a discount for my latest product, Corporate Site Pack for you, simply for being part of this newsletter!

 

==========================================
 When customers break their silence
==========================================

I have two stories for you today, luckily (for me) they both have happy endings.
The first story happened today. I’m running a special offer in the Warrior forum for my latest product, Corporate Site Pack.

People were asking questions, as they do, and I was answering them, as I do. Then a post was made by a DLGuard customer of mine where about four or five months ago I gave him a good deal on upgrading his software since he bought it and hadn’t touched it for months. He wasn’t in the “free upgrade” window, but I gave him the upgrade anyway.

It was a $27 upgrade. And was the best $27 I ever let go.

The customer just posted in the forum telling everyone about what happened and highly recommending me, and this all stemmed from something I had completely forgotten
about months before.

Next story (I’ll tie these together shortly!):

A prospect emailed me in regard to DLGuard probably about a year or so ago. You’ve probably seen these kinds of emails before: a huge list of questions that go on for
pages and pages, most of them already answered on the website.

I put the email aside and answered everyone else’s emails first, and then took some time to answer all his questions. It took awhile, but I finally send it off.

I then received an email with a bunch more questions, which again was put aside for a few hours until I had some times free to work through them.

I believe he ended up buying DLGuard. But the real surprise?

I was happily searching through Google, doing a bit of keyword research, when I stumbled onto a site where a guy had reviewed DLGuard. *Que dramatic music here* It was the same guy. He’d talked about the customer service experience he had gotten, and published it publicly on his website.

What could have easily been a PR disaster had become an excellent promotion of my business.

Imagine if I had gotten angry with him?

 

==========================================
 When customers attack
==========================================

So you’ve just read two stories where I went above and beyond the call of duty, and it worked out well.

I’ve also got a bunch of other stories that didn’t end so well.

Just quickly: I was packing to go on holidays with my wife for a week or so, and I had two hours before we had to leave. I got an email from a customer who had just bought DLGuard, and had proceeded to abuse the stuffing out of me for putting DLGuard into a ZIP file.

I explained to him that using a ZIP file was better than sending all few hundred DLGuard files to him separately. He begrudgingly agreed.

Next he abused me because the software required you to unzip the file and then upload them to your website, and that I had said on the DLGuard site that it was an
easy install.

He was shocked and appalled that he’d have to actually upload the web script onto his website.

I had about 1.5 hours left before it was time to leave.

I told him that it was okay, I’d be happy to install DLGuard for him.

He abused me for asking for temporary FTP details (for a blank site, I should add - there was nothing on it).

So I directed him to detailed instructions.

He abused me because they were too hard to read.

I emailed him Step 1 copied directly from the instructions, which he then completed.

I then emailed him Step 2, and so the cycle went on.

With the vocabulary of Eddie Murphy, he continued to abuse me for making his life so difficult.

I ended up having to leave for holidays, but as soon as I arrived there I went to the local library and checked my emails to help him out further.

More abuse waiting, including an email that said he was going to report me and Clickbank to the FCC for falsely advertising “easy installation” on my website.

So I sent him a refund, and told him to say Hi to the FCC for me.

Obviously I never heard from him again.

 

==========================================
 Striking the balance
==========================================

Three stories: two about how well things worked out when offering high levels of customer support, and a nightmarish one.

So how do you know which will be which? And is it even possible to decide whether or not you’re wasting your time?

Yes it is, though it isn’t terribly accurate, and therefore it’s best to err on the side of caution anyway. You can usually tell from the tone of people’s emails whether or not they’re using you, or whether they genuinely need help.

If you are abused (and it WILL happen), then your best bet is to right a polite email back. If you are abused again then you have every right to ask them to please show some respect. You’re a human being, and you have ever right to be treated with respect. You’re not your customers punching bag.

Having said that, sometimes your customers just need to let fly with a little frustration. If you can handle them with respect and understanding then these customers can turn into your biggest advocates.

I believe you should always offer better customer service than is reasonably expected. It’s a larger business expense to do so, but it will help build a strong relationship with your customers that will continue long into the future.

Remember, $27 for me was nothing compared to the lifetime of high recommendations one of my customers has given me.

Frustrated customers should also be handled with respect and understanding. This is the internet, these are computers, and this combination can be a terribly frustrating experience, even if the problem has nothing to do with you.

Lastly - if you’re fighting a losing battle, know when to cut your losses. Some people simply can’t be pleased, or sometimes your product just won’t fit in with exactly what they want. Offer them a refund and a smile, and move on.

Thank you all for your ongoing support, and have an excellent and profitable week!

Best wishes,

Sam Stephens
www.DLGuard.com
www.GuardHQ.com

PS. For ANZAC Day, 25th April, I’d like to send out a big thank you to all our troops that have kept Australia safe, brave soldiers that have given their lives for our freedom.
Lest We Forget.

 

You can discuss this newsletter in the GuardHQ forum:
http://www.guardhq.com/forum/

Welcome to the second edition of the GuardHQ newsletter!

It’s been a few weeks since the first edition: things have been VERY busy in GuardHQ Land, but finally I’ve managed to ignore the pressing workload I have long enough to write this next edition.

Something that has popped up recently on the Warrior Forum is the use of copy protection.

 

==========================================
Is copy protection the tool of the devil? 
==========================================

Melodramatic perhaps, but the title says it all: Too often copy protection is seen as the symbol of corporate greed. In other circles it is seen as a tool that unless used will spell the destruction of your online business.

The truth is somewhere in between. Let’s investigate.

 

========================================== 
When copy protection attacks!
==========================================

Firstly we’ll look at the overuse or misuse of copy protection schemes.

These are often found with heavily encrypted ebooks, but can also be found in software applications. Often over-zealous copy protection in software is more a mark of the software programmer flexing his coding muscle rather than a true effort to curb the very real issue of software piracy, especially on small business.

Copy protection can be detrimental to your business when it’s use encumbers the day to day use of your product by your valid customers.

I was given an ebook a few years back by the ebook’s author. I never ended up reading it, simply because the copy protection was way too rough. To open the ebook I had to install some software, which then required me to download a special reader, which then forced me to download the latest updates, and I was then asked for verification each time I opened the ebook. This is a prime example of locking up a product so tight that a valid customer can’t use it without exploding into a string of expletives.

Turning your customers from mild-mannered clients into raving lunatics is bad for business.

 

==========================================
A world without copy protection
==========================================

The other end of the scale is to use no copy protection at all. This can be just as bad for business.

The internet is rife with thieves. Many of these thieves actually think they have a God-given right to steal other people’s work and sell it as their own. If I was to speculate, I would say that these people assume that since God didn’t see fit to bless them with a triple-figured (or even double-figured) IQ, they then instead believe they have perfect right to steal from people who ARE smart enough to tie their own shoelaces.

I once spoke to someone who thought he had a perfect right to sell my own software on his website and keep the profit.

This is where copy protection is needed: to protect your business assets from full-blown criminals.

With increased piracy, companies who produce digital products will need to increase their prices so as to keep the company viable.

 

==========================================
Balance!
==========================================

The recent thread on the Warrior Forum I spoke about labelled software vendors as “greedy” for wanting to protect their own products.

The truth of this world is that businesses need to make money.

If you’re just starting out in Internet Business, then just remember this: to survive you must make money.

This is a concept taken for granted in offline business, but is suddenly misunderstood by some people when it comes to online business.

An example: if I didn’t charge money for my products then how would I pay my rent? How would I buy my groceries? 
Obviously I couldn’t. I’d have to close my business and get a job.

I’m sure that most of us will agree that businesses (even online ones) must make money to survive.

This begs the question, does the pursuit of a company to ensure that users of its products pay for said product display as greed?

Of course not. If you sell a product you have every right to expect payment for it.

Then what if you use copy protection that cripples the general use of your product? While it’s a bad business move, it still doesn’t make you greedy.

 

==========================================
The solution?
==========================================

So as it turns out, copy protection ISN’T a tool of the devil. Keep in mind, however, that it CAN be used in such a way that damages your business rather than helping it.

Copy protection should NEVER encumber valid owners of your product. NEVER. 

A good copy protection technique is one which enables you to disable refunded or pirated copies of your product, but also one which does not affect the day to day use of your product by valid customers. 

I use a copy protection in my product DLGuard (www.dlguard.com) that asks a customer for their receipt number when they first login to DLGuard. This is minimal disruption for the customer while at the same time allows me to keep pirated copies of my software down, thus allowing me to keep the cost of my software down for end consumers.

This is a win-win for both my business and my clients. And THAT is what copy protection is about.

  
Here’s to your business success,

Sam Stephens
www.GuardHQ.com 
www.DLGuard.com

Welcome to the first edition of the GuardHQ newsletter!

There has been a lot of talk recently on a number of forums regarding customer support.

Now while this may sound like a subject so dull that it will send you spiralling into a deep coma, it is a very important part of your business’s ultimate success.

Customer support can make or break your business. Every time you interact with your clients or prospective clients your reputation is being either built or torn down - there’s nothing in between.

Customer support is how your clients view your business!

Now let me underline that:

Customer support is how your clients view your business!
——————————————————–

Yes, it’s that important.
While I could literally write chapters on this subject, since this is just a little email I’m just going to cover the basics:
Let’s look at three things:

1. How do you support your customers?
2. How often are customers replied to?
3. General tips.

==========================================
How do you support your customers?
==========================================
There are a number of ways to support your customers. The two most common are email support and a helpdesk support system. For more established companies you can also add in telephone support, and even Live Help via your website.

Then we have the “help them to help themselves” style of support, such as forums, FAQ’s, and knowledge bases.

For most people you’ll need to combine a couple of these methods.

Try and use forums, FAQ’s, and knowledge bases as much as possible. The far majority of customer support requests have already been answered many times before, so make the common questions easy to find.

Another thing to keep in mind is email delivery when it comes to customer support. Take AOL for example - they block a LOT of legitimate email.

It’s for this reason that I’ll be shortly shifting my email support system over to an online helpdesk system, taking email and spam filters out of the loop completely.
==========================================
How often are customers replied to?
==========================================
When we’re wide-eyed newbies taking the first steps to creating our online business, it’s easy to do either of two things:

• Not support customers enough
• Support customers too much

Finding a balance is MUCH harder than it may first seem.

Not supporting customers enough is pretty self explanatory. We’ve seen and heard about it before - companies who take your money then run.

It constantly amazes me that the bar for customer support on the internet has been set so low that “decent” customer support is often seen as “amazing” customer support.

I used to do customer support for a vehicle tracking company in Sydney, back in the day. I offer the same level of support to my online clients as I used to when I was working for an offline company. Keep in mind that this level I really believe is a reasonable level of support. And the customer reaction to it? Amazed. They’re amazed by what I would say is normal customer support. And I have people buying my software simply because they know they’ll get the support after purchase.

Make sure your customers are comfortable with what they’re just bought. Support them enough so that they don’t have a chance to feel any buyers remorse. Your goal is to make them happy and proud of their purchase.

So what about the next part? Too much support?

This is more of a business choice. Keep in mind that customer support costs you money, even if it’s you doing the support. Does your level of income justify your level of customer support?

I’ve often found myself looking at the clock and seeing it’s 3:30 in the afternoon, and realise all I’ve done all day is answer emails and forum posts.

Remember customer support costs your business money!

Make sure you price your products well enough so that you can afford to offer the customer support needed for your particular product.

If you have a large product then you can also look at support contracts where people pay a yearly fee for support and upgrades.
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General tips
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Well this email has gone on a LOT longer than I anticipated. Still awake?

I’ll run over a few quick tips for customer support, that while simple, can still change customer perspective:

• Always address the person by their name
• Always answer ALL the questions your customer may have
• Volunteer extra information if you think it is needed
• Never talk down to a customer
• Never allow the customer to feel stupid
• Don’t over-apologise to abusive customers (you’ll just encourage them)
• If a customer is VERY abusive to you, remember that you DO have the right to ask them to speak politely.
• Don’t take things personally
• For new customers, thank them for purchasing from you
• End the correspondence with an invitation to contact you if they have any further problems

While these tips are quite simple, they can drastically change the perceived professionalism of your business, can defuse volatile situations, and will generally help stop you from self medicating and rocking back and forth in the corner sobbing quietly.

Customer support is hard work, but you can make is as painless as possible for not only your customer, but for you as well!

 

Best wishes with your business,

Sam Stephens
www.GuardHQ.com
www.DLGuard.com