You would think after 3 decades of helping organizations make  business technology work I would no longer be surprised when it actually does. Each year as my client's attention turns to the demands of the holiday season, my phone stops ringing. That is until December 26th, when everyone realizes the new year is only one week away. Then an urgent call goes out, "I NEED IT DONE BEFORE THE NEW YEAR!" and the my New Year crunch begins. To even out the work flow (and keep everybody happy) I decided to market a holiday special for my business consulting services. It consisted of a discount on services if ordered by close of business Friday night. It only took three steps to make it happen:

• Create a product in my shopping cart
• Create a landing page to explain the offer
• Broadcast a message to qualified prospects and loyal customers

It's the same approach I use to announce Audio Conferences, my Weekends in Paradise conference and all my other specials. Here's where the surprise starts. Folks actually responded! I received order confirmations almost immediately. Now most of next week is booked with site reviews, content upgrades and Internet game plans for the New Year. All from my one hour investment. What is your special gift? I encourage you to think about creating a holiday special of your own. A discount on one of your valuable services would make a wonderful gift for business owners who are hard to buy for. Use the three steps above and my 5 point plan for connecting with qualified prospects. Connecting With People An important element of my Internet Gameplan is the use of email broadcasts to connect with qualified prospects (my opt-in list). here are five points I use to guarantee success:

• Hello - Can prospects identify you from the sender and subject line?
• Present a Written Invitation - Does your email invitation contains all the pertinent details? Have you ever received a party invitation with missing information?
• Make the Connection - Start your broadcast message by telling your prospect why you are contacting them.
• Deliver the Goods - Once they accept your invitation, provide them with immediate confirmation via a thank you page, an order confirmation email or even a follow up phone call. If the delivery includes an electronic report, it should be delivered immediately (even while you are sleeping).
• Follow Up - In his book "Growing Your Business", Mark LeBlanc stresses the importance of including a database strategy as part of your marketing mix. Prospects (and loyal customers) need to hear from you on a consistent basis to build a relationship that leads to increased sales.

To see an example of my successful holiday marketing campaign, visit Jerry's Red Tag Event. Increasing Your Holiday Sales What are your plans for increasing your holiday sales? Post a comment below with a link and I'll help you promote your special offer. Happy Holiday's! Jerry Gitchel Information Architect 727-278-9382