Some marketers, especially online marketers, seem to have a disdain for visitors who don’t immediately make a purchase from them. Often, these non-buyers are lumped into a “freebie seekers” category.

There are, of course, plenty of freebie seekers. They are the people that are looking for something for nothing. In most cases, they will never make a purchase from you. These, however, are not the people you need to worry about. Be cordial, of course, in your interactions with them, but you don’t need to bend over backwards to help them. The people I’m classifying in that group are the ones that take but never give and, by that, I don’t just mean financially. There are people that will take whatever they can get for nothing, but show no appreciation for it at all. No “thank you.” Nothing.

Those aren’t the people you need to concern yourself with. Even if they bad mouth you, these people are generally recognized by others and their claims are quickly dismissed.

The ones of which I speak are those that may express an interest in our product or service, but not purchase right that moment. When dealing with them in person, they may share with you why they are not making a purchase immediately. Of course, sometimes, they may not share, either preferring their privacy or not wanting to tell you too personal a detail. When dealing with online customers, in most cases, we’ll have no idea whatsoever why they declined to make their purchase immediately.

It could be that they are highly interested in buying from you, but don’t have the money to do so right now. They may have had an unexpected bill come their way or some other unforeseen circumstance may have required them to spend money they might have otherwise spent with you. They may need to wait until their next paycheck. Or, the paycheck after that. Remember, many people, especially in the U.S., don’t have a lot of savings and live from paycheck to paycheck.

They might be interested in buying, but simply cannot afford to do so at the moment.

It could also be that they need to save up the money over the course of several paychecks, or by doing odd jobs that would be of an inconsistent nature in terms of amounts and regularity of payments. It could be that they are still in the research stage and want to do a more thorough review of other products before settling on one in order to get the most value for their money, which will be especially of importance to those that have limited incomes to spend.

In any case, what is important to note is not that we have a non-buyer but that we have a potential customer. Circumstances may be that this potential buyer may never make a purchase from us; but it may also be that they will make a purchase from us at a later date.

Naturally, if we treat them like a freeloader, they will think we don’t think very highly of them and make their eventual purchase elsewhere. And, when this happens, marketers are prone to think that such people were just freebie seekers to begin with and never interested in making a purchase, when really it was the marketer’s attitude toward them that lost the sale.

To help ensure we get that eventual sale, it is necessary to treat the non-buyer with respect. We do that first by treating them as a potential customer rather than a non-buyer. If we look upon them as non-buyers, it is easy to presume they are freeloaders of some sort. By viewing them as a potential customer, that changes our own attitude toward them. Instead of looking at them as someone we failed to sell to, we look at them as a sale we’ve already potentially made but need to keep.

One powerful way to keep the non-buyer as a potential customer is to maintain contact with them. Many sellers, especially in a bricks and mortar environment, are quick to turn away a non-buyer. But, regardless of the business environment, online or offline, getting the non-buyer on your mailing list is a great way to help increase the odds of a future sale from that person.

Online or offline, you can “sell” them on joining your list by offering them special discounts and savings only available to persons on your list. Online, you may have more options. You can offer them a free eCourse in your niche subject. You can offer them a free special report for signing up. Or, you can do a combination of offers.

Once on your list, be sure you continue to send them what you promised. If you promise free information, but every mailing is a solicitation to buy, the prospect may be turned off, thinking you see him only as a source of revenue for yourself. You must provide what was promised. If you promise special offers, make sure you deliver. If you promise free helpful information, make sure you deliver.

You want your potential customer to find the information useful so that he will remain on your list and, one day, make a purchase or even several purchases from you. If you do nothing but send a sales pitch each time, he will quickly unsubscribe or, in the case of a physical mailing, begin throwing away your mailings without even reading them anymore. Again, you will have lost the sale.

Respect your non-buyers. Realize that they are potential customers. If you cannot make an immediate sale, plan for a future sale. Realize that you may already have sold your prospect on your product or service, and need to wait until the time is convenient for your prospect to make the purchase. Don’t lose the sale in the meantime by pressuring your prospect with a bunch of sales pitches or by allowing the prospect to forget about you!

Whether you’re running an online business or an eCommerce site, everyone is always on the lookout for ways of increasing sales. Here is where a little knowledge can go a long way! How many times have you gone to a store and asked questions, only to find that the salesperson wasn’t knowledgeable about the products they offered? Or, worse yet, simply couldn’t be bothered to answer your questions? The same goes for eCommerce sites. How may times have you encountered a site where your question wasn’t answered on the website? Some people may send an eMail to find out more, but many others will simply move on to another website.

Knowledge is money! The more you know about the products you carry, the more you can differentiate yourself from the competition. Marketers often talk of being recognized as an “authority” in your field, but the most important thing is to simply be knowledgeable enough to answer the questions of potential buyers as well as provide them additional useful information about your product(s). Here are five ways that you can increase your sales with knowledge.

1. Learn All About the Products You Sell - This goes for any merchant, but is especially important to online sellers. You need to be able to describe a product. By that, I mean not simply listing its features, but what does it look like? How does it feel? If appropriate, how does it taste or smell? Are the buttons easy to push? Is it easy to operate? Features are one thing, but hands-on functionality is another. You should be able to accurately convey what the product is like to use. For example, a can opener might work well, but if it is tricky to get the thing going, that’s something a customer would want to know. You can increase sales and reduce returns simply by being upfront with the customer about what they can expect.
2. Learn All About the Products Your Competitors Sell - Just like you need to know all about your own products, you should learn everything you can about competing products as well. Know how they compare with what you sell. Learn the advantages and disadvantages so that you are in a better position to inform your customer.

   Better Yet: Carry More Than One Brand of Product - If you carry a selection of competing merchandise, you can obtain those customers that shop for a specific brand name, rather than by features or advantages. But, more importantly, you can demonstrate the pros and cons of each brand’s product. Since you are in the either-or position, you are at an advantage over someone selling one particular brand in that the customer may see you as more honest and open as you can truthfully describe the benefits and drawbacks of each product because, whichever they choose, you still make the sale. The single brand dealer has to push the one brand they carry, which automatically brings doubt to the customer’s mind as to how true his statements are regarding that brand’s product.

   Of course, simply carrying more than one brand is not enough. True, it is enough to win the customers who shop by brand alone, but for the wider market, the undecideds, you need to be knowledgeable about the multiple brands and products in order to inform the customer of the advantages and disadvantages of each.

3. Know How to Use the Product - You should also know how to use the product you are selling. Even better is having actual hands-on experience using the product. This relates back to the first point of knowing your product thoroughly. For example, the Brand X can opener may work great but be difficult to get going and the Brand Y can opener may be easier to started but leave sharper edges on the can. Being able to describe both, especially in an eCommerce site, can help the customer better choose which can opener will be better for them.
4. Know How the Product is Being Used - You can get extra sales if you know a particular product works well for purposes and situations that are not immediately apparent. Naturally, you do not want to try to sell a product for purposes for which it was not designed to do nor for purposes which may be hazardous or dangerous. You must always be ware of liability issues in such circumstances. But, those are not the types of uses to which I am referring. For example, maybe a jar opener you are selling is a flat, rubber circle type with a gripping texture. Perhaps it might work well in a riding lawn mower’s cup holder to better hold a soda bottle or a water bottle in place. That’s something that may appeal to someone who is in the lawn care business and spends a lot of time sitting in the mower! As another example, athletic shoes were originally designed for, well, athletics, but later became popular as casual footwear. Knowing alternative uses for the products you sell can help you sell more of them by creating demand and need where there were none previously. If you hear of someone successfully using a product for uses other than those for which it is marketed, don’t be afraid to use that knowledge to increase your sales. Of course, always be mindful of liability issues in that regard! Don’t push uses that may be in any way hazardous or dangerous and especially don’t promote uses that may be illegal!
5. Know What Other Products Complement Your Own - Are there other products that work nicely with the one your customer is buying? For example, if they are buying a printer, they may also need extra ink, paper, specialty paper, cables, etc. Maybe the printer doesn’t come with a USB cable, which is needed. You can score one over the competition by offering a USB cable with the printer for a discount price or even free. Or, maybe the printer comes with a USB cable but you know from experience that the cable isn’t long enough. In that case, you might want to offer your customer a USB extension cable for a free or discounted price. Offer bundles or special add-on products with the printer that the customer may need. It’s an added convenience and it saves them a future trip (or shipping cost in the case of online orders) for items they may find they need later.

The bottom line is that you shouldn’t think of yourself in business as just to make money but rather to help other people improve their lives. By being more knowledgeable about your products and other products in the marketplace, you are in a better position to be of valuable assistance to your customers.

And that is what can really help your bottom line.