by Al Harberg

Selling major software upgrades to existing customers can be a major source of income. If done properly, moving from version 2.4 to version 3 can bring in some serious sales.

In addition to announcing your upgrade on your web site and in your newsletter, you should send an email to all of your existing customers. Here are a few things to think about when you email existing customers about their paying you to upgrade their software:

(1) Send a plain-vanilla text email.

When you tell your customers about the upgrade, send them plain text, and not HTML. When people see colorful, formatted email messages, they immediately think "spam", and their finger is poised over the "delete"
key. A plain text email looks much more like correspondence from a friend or business partner.

(2) Use a "from" address that will make them comfortable.

There are three names that your users might recognize: Your personal name, your company name, and your product name. Use the two most recognizable ones as your "from" address. For example, if you think your users are most likely to know your product and company names, then send them an email from Widget Support widget@widg-co.com.

(3) Use a "subject" line that makes them feel comfortable.

Before you attempt to use the old 3-step formula that says Get their attention, Get their interest, and Get their order, you have to reassure them that they're not being spammed. Say something in the subject line that lets them know that they're receiving communication from a business colleague, and not spam from a stranger. Mention the product name, or
the chief benefit, or some buzzword that they will recognize.

(4) Personalize the body of the letter.

One key to Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is personalization. You have the data about your customers, and doing an email-merge is worth the extra effort. Start the body of the email with something like, "Since you purchased Widget in March of 2002, we've made a lot of improvements. And for a modest upgrade charge of $12.95(US), you can now get benefit-a and benefit-b".

(5) Include information for people who use your software every day.

Tell them the advantages of the new and improved version of Widget. In addition to telling them about the new features, tell them about the new benefits. Paint a word picture in which they can see themselves saving even more time, or even more money, or doing something tomorrow that they can't do today.

(6) Include info for people who haven't used your software for a year.

There are people in your customer database who didn't even migrate your program to the new computer that they bought last winter. Make sure you include context information that reminds them what your program does, and why they purchased it some months back. You may entice them to install your software and use it, perhaps for the first time.

(7) Sell the upgrade, and not the download.

They already trust you. Most of them already know what the program does. Don't ask them to download the new version and try it for 30 days. Go for the sale.

(8) Ask for the sale.

Most sales pitches fail because there is no call to action. You have to ask for their order. Say something like, "Please purchase your upgrade by visiting http://www.widg-co.com/upgrade/ and using our secure order form."

(9) Make it easy to unsubscribe to future product-related emailings.

At the bottom of the email, tell them that they've received this email because they purchased Widget, and that you'd be happy to remove their names from your list, immediately and permanently, if they no longer wish to hear about product upgrades.

To sum up, too many developers complete their beta testing, and spend a half hour batting out a quick-and-dirty upgrade letter. If you take it seriously, and think through how you're going to convince your users to upgrade to the new version, it will be time well spent.

Think about how the market has changed, how your software has changed, and how the industry has changed. Tell your existing customers about the benefits of using the latest version of your software. Sell them the upgrade.
____________________

Since 1984, Al Harberg has been president of DP Directory, Inc., a public relations firm that helps software developers use press releases to get publicity and sales. http://www.dpdirectory.com . You can get more ideas like this every month by subscribing to Al's free newsletter. There are back issues on http://www.dpdirectory.com/3newsltr.htm