Is the Automated Sales Machine Real?

Occasionally, you may have come across things like “Automated Sales Machine” and “Sell While You Sleep” in someone’s sales letter copy, and it sounds too good to be true. But, is it just sales hype? Yes and no. Yes, you can set up an automated sales machine that works while you sleep, and without your input. It’s called an autoresponder.

Your email marketing service can help you collect names and email addresses, but it can also store and then automatically send pre-written messages as an autoresponder. Autoresponders automatically send emails out to those who sign up for your list once you define the intervals and the email bodies you wish to send. Those emails can contain information, affiliate links to other products you’re promoting, or other things you might want to send to your list.

They can also be used to defeat customer resistance in advance of pitching a more expensive product. You may even have seen sites which say “Sign up for my free report series” or “Sign up for a free chapter”. This is an attempt by the merchant to use an autoresponder to sell his product, and put you on his list in the meantime. Most people have to see an ad seven times or so before they respond to it, and you can help overcome that obstacle with just this technique.

Now for the “no” part. No, you’re not going to manage this instantly. Autoresponders messages, just like sales letters, have to be optimized, tracked, and tested. Once you’ve done this, then yes, you have an “Automated Sales Machine”. Until then, you have to determine:

• If anyone is joining your list in the first place, and if not, how to change that.
• If the messages are being received, and if not, how to make the spam filters happy.
• If the messages are being opened, and if not, how to fix the subject line.
• If the messages are opened, is anyone buying through them? If not, you may need to add a few more educational autoresponder messages or work your pitch.

So again, yes and no. Yes, you can have an automated sales machine with an autoresponder that will work without your input even while you sleep. No, you’re not going to have it instantly.