Is work slowing down these days? Do you wonder what has happened to your customer base? What have you been doing to bring individuals in to buy your “widget”? For people who are used to having more business than they can handle, a slowdown may come as somewhat of a surprise. And they’re not sure what to do to get things back on track. The answer, for most concerns, is to form valued business relationships with past, present and potential clients. Through regular prospecting for new clients as well as keeping in touch with those you already have worked with, you will generate maximum economic profit.
According to Jay Conrad Levinson, the marketing guru of “Guerrilla” fame, “most business owners contact prospects once or twice and if they don’t show an interest, the business owners move on to greener territories...Guerrillas continue romancing those they are courting. Eventually, those prospects feel so cared for, so important, so attended to, that they switch over and begin to patronize the guerrilla who never stops courting.”
If direct mail is not part of your marketing mix, it may be time to rethink your strategy. By targeting a specific group of prospects (don’t forget your present and past clients, too!) with personalized greetings and offers, direct mail can be the least expensive method of marketing you use. It is an economic way for entrepreneurs to work on a tight budget.
There are two important parts to marketing with direct mail. The first, already alluded to is the fact that such marketing probably will not work overnight and so it is vital to maintain the momentum of the media. Things like timely reminders of needed services; cards and letters on the anniversary of a purchase; birthday and anniversary cards; periodic surveys; invitations to seminars; contests; frequent buyer programs; and more are all part of this direct mail saturation. It is felt by most marketing experts that it takes at least seven “hits” before a client will recognize your name or act on your offer. Therefore, you need to plan ahead and create marketing pieces that will make the most of your potential. Continuous interaction is the best way to keep your name in front of your potential clients.
The second part of this important process is to have good, qualified lists. The best offer in the world will not do you any good if you’re sending it to someone who simply is not interested. For example, mailing a dentist’s teeth cleaning reminder to someone who has dentures or who has moved away, will be a waste of money, both in the printing and in the mailing costs. If the dentist had recorded in his database that this particular client had left the area or had had a full set of dentures made, would know that a mailing would do no good. Thus, having a good database, with accurate, up-to-date information in it is also vital.
What information should be collected? Anything that is obtainable and would be of benefit to your company is fair game. However, in a survey conducted by DIRECT magazine (2/96), the following types of customer data were maintained on the database by 50% or more of the companies surveyed:
➝ Names of prospects
➝ Length of time he/she has been a customer
➝ Number of purchases annually
➝ Dollar value of purchases (monetary)
➝ Recency (date of most recent purchase)
➝ Frequency (how often he/she buys)
and ➝ Source of original lead or contact.
Other information maintained by many companies were things like: age/date of birth; other purchase influences; sociodemographic information; SIC code; promotional history; company info; nonrespondents; and types of purchases. The people that answered this survey stated that their database enabled them to move people through the pipeline from “suspect” to advocate in a highly efficient and effective manner. They boasted a very high rate of repeat business among their clientele, and since keeping a customer costs a mere fraction of the initial cost of acquiring one, most of that added revenue went straight to their bottom line.
By creating an image of your business as caring and concerned about your clients, you are giving those clients a sense of security and confidence in you. By recognizing the customer and using his or her name, by talking about personal things before getting down to business, by listening very carefully and sincerely, your business will create a loyal customer. And when you have a loyal customer, you not only have increased revenues, but a feeling of value and worth to yourself as well. And isn’t that really what its all about?
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Friday, August 3, 2007
Customer Service
I've talked before about customer service. It is, to me, the most important part of any business. There are so many companies out there that do exactly the same thing that you do, and you're probably not THE BEST in the market at what you do, so why should someone bring their business to you? If you give your clients excellent customer service, along with the best product or service possible, then you have a chance at retaining that client for repeat business. Here are some thoughts on how to do that:
Seven Ways to Attract and Keep Clients With You
1) Personalize your service and be focused while interacting with the client. Know your clients' birthday, important events, remember last personal topics raised, concerns and problems conquered.
2) Take time to listen to your client; listen carefully - do not let your mind wander during the listening process. Take time to find out the real motives and emotions, perceived and real problems.
3) Be unique, provide advice as a professional to a professional even if the person opposite you does not appear to be a professional at all. Such advice is always taken more to heart and will sow the seeds for your success.
4) The secret of keeping clients is to show interest by frequent follow up. Show that you care and that their success is your success.
5) Always establish and keep deadlines. Do not promise what you cannot keep. If you are unable to keep your promise, call and explain how and why circumstances have changed, explain your new approach and re-establish the new deadlines.
6) Do not keep your clients in the dark. Inform them on the status and let them partake in the progress of their business from your own angle. Be an integral part of their business life.
7) Don't argue, but persuade by showing examples of successful approaches to obstacles. Don't preach, but explain why you advise to go about their affairs in a particular way.
If you practice these techniques, then you have an excellent chance at keeping your clients happy and getting not only return work but referrals as well.
Take care all and have a great weekend.
Seven Ways to Attract and Keep Clients With You
1) Personalize your service and be focused while interacting with the client. Know your clients' birthday, important events, remember last personal topics raised, concerns and problems conquered.
2) Take time to listen to your client; listen carefully - do not let your mind wander during the listening process. Take time to find out the real motives and emotions, perceived and real problems.
3) Be unique, provide advice as a professional to a professional even if the person opposite you does not appear to be a professional at all. Such advice is always taken more to heart and will sow the seeds for your success.
4) The secret of keeping clients is to show interest by frequent follow up. Show that you care and that their success is your success.
5) Always establish and keep deadlines. Do not promise what you cannot keep. If you are unable to keep your promise, call and explain how and why circumstances have changed, explain your new approach and re-establish the new deadlines.
6) Do not keep your clients in the dark. Inform them on the status and let them partake in the progress of their business from your own angle. Be an integral part of their business life.
7) Don't argue, but persuade by showing examples of successful approaches to obstacles. Don't preach, but explain why you advise to go about their affairs in a particular way.
If you practice these techniques, then you have an excellent chance at keeping your clients happy and getting not only return work but referrals as well.
Take care all and have a great weekend.
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Proofreading Booboos!
Newspapers are a daily marvel, and sometimes they can even be considered a miracle. There are over 1700 dailies published in the United States alone, with a readership of over 60 million people. Despite the careful proofing, the possibilities for error are almost endless, especially when you consider the added pressure of deadlines. Most editors will print corrections, although they, too, have been known to add to the confusion. Here are a few samples:
1. Important Notice: If you are one of the hundreds of parachuting enthusiasts who bought our Easy Skydiving book, please make the following corrections: on page 8, line 7, the words “state zip code” should have read “pull rip cord.”
2. It was incorrectly reported last Friday that today is T-shirt Appreciation Day. In fact, it is actually Teacher Appreciation Day.
3. There was a mistake in an item sent in two weeks ago which stated that Ed Burham entertained a party at crap shooting. It should have been trap shooting.
4. From a California bar association’s newsletter: Correction: the following typo appeared in our last bulletin: “Lunch will be gin at 12:15 p.m.” Please correct to read “12 noon.”
5. We apologize to our readers who received, through an unfortunate computer error, the chest measurements of members of the Female Wrestlers Association instead of the figures on the sales of soybeans to foreign countries.
6. In Frank Weston’s March column, Rebecca Marney was erroneously identified as a bookmaker. She is a typesetter.
7. There are two important corrections to the information in the update on our Deep Relaxation professional development program. First, the program will include meditation, not medication. Second, it is experiential, not experimental.
8. Our article about Jewish burial customs contained an error: Mourners’ clothing is rent—-that is torn—-not rented.
9. In the City section of Friday’s paper, firefighter Dwight Branson was misidentified. His nickname in the department is “Dewey.” Another firefighter is nicknamed “Weirdo.” We apologize for our mistake.
10. Just to keep the record straight, it was the famous Whistler’s Mother, not Hitler’s, that was exhibited. There is nothing to be gained in trying to explain how this error occurred.
11. Our newspaper carried the notice last week that Mr. Oscar Hoffnagel is a defective on the police force. This was a typographical error. Mr. Hoffnagel is, of course, a detective on the police farce.
The moral of this blog, then, is to say, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE proof your work before sending it out. It could save a whole lot of embarrassment.
1. Important Notice: If you are one of the hundreds of parachuting enthusiasts who bought our Easy Skydiving book, please make the following corrections: on page 8, line 7, the words “state zip code” should have read “pull rip cord.”
2. It was incorrectly reported last Friday that today is T-shirt Appreciation Day. In fact, it is actually Teacher Appreciation Day.
3. There was a mistake in an item sent in two weeks ago which stated that Ed Burham entertained a party at crap shooting. It should have been trap shooting.
4. From a California bar association’s newsletter: Correction: the following typo appeared in our last bulletin: “Lunch will be gin at 12:15 p.m.” Please correct to read “12 noon.”
5. We apologize to our readers who received, through an unfortunate computer error, the chest measurements of members of the Female Wrestlers Association instead of the figures on the sales of soybeans to foreign countries.
6. In Frank Weston’s March column, Rebecca Marney was erroneously identified as a bookmaker. She is a typesetter.
7. There are two important corrections to the information in the update on our Deep Relaxation professional development program. First, the program will include meditation, not medication. Second, it is experiential, not experimental.
8. Our article about Jewish burial customs contained an error: Mourners’ clothing is rent—-that is torn—-not rented.
9. In the City section of Friday’s paper, firefighter Dwight Branson was misidentified. His nickname in the department is “Dewey.” Another firefighter is nicknamed “Weirdo.” We apologize for our mistake.
10. Just to keep the record straight, it was the famous Whistler’s Mother, not Hitler’s, that was exhibited. There is nothing to be gained in trying to explain how this error occurred.
11. Our newspaper carried the notice last week that Mr. Oscar Hoffnagel is a defective on the police force. This was a typographical error. Mr. Hoffnagel is, of course, a detective on the police farce.
The moral of this blog, then, is to say, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE proof your work before sending it out. It could save a whole lot of embarrassment.
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