Danny Wright asked:


You’ve probably seen hundreds of sites that incorporate a customer product review into their website while surfing the net, but do you know what these product reviews really do? Why they are as popular as they are? What they can do for a seller?

A customer product review forum can be an incredible tool for boosting sales. Why? Because there’s nothing like an honest review of a product to take away the fear your customers have of making a purchase online and helping to build a friendly, trusting relationship between them and your company. A consumer product review takes a lot of the mystery out of shopping on the Internet. It gives your customers a chance to find out what happens when a product is taken off of its lofty heights and put into work in their daily lives, and knowing that will go a long way toward helping them feel more comfortable giving you their money.

Does that sound mercenary? It was meant to. Selling is a mercenary business, with every merchant out for himself. Success depends on using every resource at your disposal, and that includes the thoughts and opinions of your customers. Think about it this way. The number one reason people hesitate to make a purchase on the Internet is because they are afraid they are going to get ripped off. They don’t know if a company is for real, they don’t know if a product is any good…they don’t even know for sure whether or not they’ll ever GET their products after they send in their money!

A consumer review forum can reassure them on all of these points, which is why it is a vital and essential tool in any good marketing campaign. The question is, how can you make your consumer product review forum work for you?

• The first rule of a successful consumer product review forum is to put it someplace nice and easy to find. If your consumers have to searching for the product review, they’re not-they’re going to walk away.

• Don’t delete bad reviews. Your consumers depend on your forum to provide them with a 100% honest review of the products they’re thinking about buying, and it’s the experiences and opinions related on the forum that are going to guide their spending habits. If an individual with children reads a review saying that a particular travel product isn’t very durable and their kids destroyed it in an hour, they’re not going to buy it. They’re going to buy one with a better reputation for the points that concern them, and when they buy a product they’re happy with they’re going to come back.

• Advertise your consumer product review forum when you advertise your site. Let your consumers know that YOUR site is the one they can come to to find out the REAL truth about the products they’re going to buy.

Your consumer product review forum is going to one of the most powerful selling tools you’re going to have. Make sure you’re doing everything in your power to make yours work for you!

Dave Roth asked:


One of the most important things that a company can do is correctly manage its customer base ? and this includes potential customers, as well. These potential customers are the ones who talked to the company at trade fairs, and the ones who asked for information but then never bought anything. A lot of companies just write them off because they have not yet spent any money, but smart companies know that they just have not spent any money yet. They may be back, so it is a good idea to follow up with them ? without nagging them ? to make sure they remember that the company is there for them should they ever need anything. One of the best ways to do that is through CRM, or customer relationship management, software. This software is designed to store all kinds of customer information, including names, addresses, important dates, and any kind of notes that the company might feel is important. It is often used when people call in to an 800 line for service or sales, to record what is talked about, so that a salesperson can follow up later.

Not everyone likes CRM software, because some customers feel like it is very intrusive. They do not want their information stored, and they feel like their privacy is being violated. Used correctly, though, CRM is a very good choice, because companies can get the information that they want but yet not contact the customer or potential customer so many times that it becomes a problem or a nuisance. Getting the right balance between letting a customer know that the business is there and not inundating them with sales calls and information is also something that CRM can be very good for. The software can be set up to send out reminders at specific intervals, or to alert the salesperson on a particular day that there should be a contact made with a certain customer. By doing this, customers can be managed just like other aspects of the business. Being organized is very vital, and this is especially true today because the society is becoming a lot more global. People who only did business in their local town a few short years ago now can sell their goods and services to people all over the country and the world.

Not everyone thinks of this, but it is an important and valid consideration. The businesses that use CRM software find that they are better equipped to handle these global kinds of issues as well, making them better suited to handle large sales, build stronger client bases, and do more in the business world. Because CRM can help them meet deadlines and address other issues, it can move a smaller business into a more global and respected category is a short period of time, helping both the business and its customers to enjoy the benefits that come with things like that. Most customers think that CRM provides them a lot of benefits without too many problems, and most businesses would agree. The advantages that are offered to both salespeople and their customers are much greater than any problems that the software could cause, with the possible exception of software that stores sensitive information, and most of this is carefully guarded.