A discussion about sales, sales tips and advice, and about those who land the deal

If you can keep your current customers buying from you, sales gets easy.  Real easy...and, come to think of it, real profitable.

Will Newman, who specializes in copywriting for businesses who do written promotional work, talks about two great tips that he's learned over the years when it comes to keeping customers happy.

A well-known fact in business is that it's easier and less expensive to keep current customers than to find new ones. This principle applies not only to businesses that sell products, but also to you if you're in any type of service industry.

1. Under-promise and over-deliver.

Everybody likes something for nothing... including your client. So give him a little bit extra when you deliver your service.

Will is a copywriter, so what that means for him is that if he promises to write a letter, teaser copy, and a reply device for a client, he'll throw in a top-of-the-line lift note as an extra. He explains that the customer is free to use it if he wants to... and that it's his way of thanking him for the project.

2. Schedule for on-time delivery.

Always deliver on time. To ensure that you do, pad your schedule slightly when first discussing the project with the client. If you feel you can get the job done in two weeks, ask for three. That gives you a built-in safety net in case something comes up.

Take the time you need to do the job right. But if you're ready to deliver a couple of days early, go ahead and do it.