If you’ve been getting dizzy spinning around marketing strategies, cut back to the basics and do something you might not have done in the past – track your campaign (no matter how big or small it is).
Idea Number One: Write a hand card.
That’s right – you heard me. Write a card and snail mail it. With so much technology making it easy to say thanks via email, catch up on someone’s Facebook Wall or meet for coffee through a text message, receiving something hand written in the mail is a great surprise.
There are a variety of ways to get your hands on cards –hand make them, design them specifically for your business or utilize a service like Send Out Cards.
Consider your motive for sending the card. Are you building rapport, trying to secure a face to face meeting, or giving thanks for meeting?
Here’s some wording suggestions, listed by circumstance:
Building Rapport:
I just saw this great [article, blog post, recipe, website] that I thought would help you [insert information here]
I wanted to personally thank you for [insert: recommendation, introduction, advising, etc]
Trying to Secure a Face to Face Meeting:
I have heard [insert something complimentary and specific here] about you.
I would love an opportunity to learn more about [insert something specific here] from you. Perhaps I could buy you a coffee [insert specific time here] and we could chat.
After a meeting:
Thank you for meeting with me. If there is anything I can help you with please let me know
Here is that information we were discussing. I hope it comes in handy for you.
Personalize hand cards as much as possible and ensure you send your message in a timely manner. A good rule of thumb is within 48 hours.
Tracking Your Success:
Consider the cost and number of people you will be sending cards to. You can create an estimate based on the number of meetings, phone calls and networking events you attend in a month. Any one of the 3 options I described before for sending cards should cost just under $2 cad, including postage.
Base the success of your efforts in two categories: quality of relationship developed and number of sales derived.
Add a column to your existing database contact list for card giving. When you send a card, enter the date, the date of any response (or lack thereof) and if a result is generated from this action.
Check back later this week for another trackable marketing idea.
photo credit: //amy//
I’ve been doing a lot of thinking and researching on how to improve client relationships. And what I’ve noticed is a decline in big business-kindness (what happened to greeting someone within 5 seconds, 10 seconds, 30 seconds – greeting someone at all) and a significant shift in small business kindness (like baking biscotti and hand delivering it to over 50 clients for Christmas – a la Accentuate Home Design Group)
Yesterday, while spending some social time with one of my client’s, at the movies, she asked, “What kind of gestures can I make to acknowledge and appreciate my clients, without breaking the bank?”
Here was my response (I knew it would be easier in writing so I emailed her this list):
- Take cues from your personal life. Picking up the phone or sending a snail mail card can do a world of good in developing your client relationships.
- Show your friendly side
-walk with your client to their car because they forget their umbrella
-offer to find out information or pass a referral on – and then don’t forget to do it
- Share a heartfelt testimonial about your client using your Facebook and/or Twitter status.
- Remind them about important tasks or dates:
-wedding anniversary
-dentist appointment
-insurance renewals
- Give a small token of appreciation:
-free gift with purchase
-work with your suppliers to give a special discount or gift card for their services
- Surprise your favourite clients with something unexpected and from the heart:
-movie tickets for a specific movie that they wanted to see
-a DVD or book specifically chosen for them
-pay for their babysitting so they can enjoy an evening out with their spouse hand deliver their favourite food and enclose a hand written note
The moral of the story is we can create an EXPERIENCE for our clients. It can be as simple as genuinely listening to their needs and feedback and genuinely acknowledging them as great customers.
photo credit: brykmantra
Do you feel like you could be busier in your business? But you don’t want to invest in pricy marketing strategies like you may have done in previous years?
Staying in touch can sometimes be the most difficult and yet most rewarding marketing strategy there is. (I’m often shocked by how many people read my newsletter that I haven’t spoken to for over a year! Subscribe by emailing me here).
Get back in touch with networking alliances, old clients and potential clients with these cost effective (aka virtually free) strategies.
- Okay, I confess! I still have 2 boxes of business cards that I said I would organize of people I have met at networking or social functions. And I haven’t. But now I have motivation. Inside of these boxes are opportunities to reconnect with people that I forgot to send post-meeting emails to or didn’t add to my email database. Go through your business card collection and make contact. (Note to self: must remember to write an article this week on some phone, email and card scripts that have worked for me.)
- Utilize Facebook. If you’re like me, you probably feel like shutting down your account from time to time because you know you don’t keep up with all of the people you’ve added as a friend. Change that feeling by checking out their websites and blogs and try emailing them a personal note.
- Create a “from the heart” campaign that acknowledges your current and potential clients. Not because you can sell to them here, but because you truly honour their [insert great characteristic trait]. They’ll likely remember this friendly gesture longer than they’ll remember what promotion you were advertising this month.
- Be proactive on Twitter and any other forums you hang out on (or join one). It’s one thing to go on and promote yourself, it’s another to really engage with others there. Listen and find out about their businesses with a genuine interest. Ask if they need anything in terms of assistance – some raw ideas for a blog post, post helpful comments that evoke more responses. These things tend to help everyone involved.
- Get local and volunteer. You’ll meet new people and help out with a great cause (its cliché, but it is relevant and true).
With all of these ideas, if there’s potential business opportunities you will be in a great position to be asked for help as you will have built up a rapport and trust without directly needing to sell.
I swore off of organized networking last autumn. I had become tired of the repetitious industries, the somewhat banal small talk and –errr- well getting up at 5:30 am just to make a breakfast meeting.
Although I heart networking and meeting new people & going to those breakfast/lunch/after work/cocktail meetings and functions, I was feeling overwhelmed.
And as soon as I put organized networking on hold – I found new ways to meet amazing new people in everyday circumstances. Hey, let’s face it, in every business, you need to keep the pipeline full!
Here’s some things that I found attracted new people to me and vice versa:
1. Being open to work conversations at social engagements. Instead of shutting out shop-talk at dinner parties (etc) let the conversation flow.
2. When a friend/acquaintance asks, “How are you?” answer with something that will lead into a conversation, “I’m so excited! I just met the most amazing [insert the who/what here]. It looks like that [insert whatever you’re working on here] has really paid off!”
3. (A personal favourite here) The Elevator. In the last 3 months I have met 1 new client and a potential client in an elevator ride. Once, while in the midst of preparing for a client appreciation event, I invited 2 people in an elevator to the party. I even had gift cards with the event ticket electronically loaded on them to give.
4. (Brace yourself for what I’m going to say you busy working people everywhere!) Just smiling and making eye contact. Once you’ve mastered this – ask a question. And then listen and respond.
Ask, “How is your day going?” and let a conversation develop from there.
5. Join a social group - dance lessons, an organized sport, or even attending a strata meeting might just result in meeting a networking connection.
Some days I feel like I’m drowning in an endless sea of to-do lists and whiteboard-idea-doodles. But I rarely complain about it. I’m happy to be working with and for my hand selected clients.
Mbody Fitness + Wellness Spa on Robson Street, here in Vancouver, has been a Polished Promotions client for a year. As Mbody’s marketing girl, I update their website, brainstorm promotions, analyze their analytics, create some print materials and even help with their events. In a way, I’m part of their team.
So it’s great when I receive emails like this one. (This email correspondence was a short as it appears. I had just finished updating Mbody’s homepage. I sent a blank email with the subject line “Published” and within a few minutes, had this response, “Could you be any more awesome? Seriously…could you?”)
This instance reminded me that wowing customers can happen accidently. I say accidentally because a lot of the time, it’s not what YOU think you’re doing that ignites positive feedback, referrals etc – it is what THEY feel when a project is completed (and another weight is lifted off of their shoulders).
Why not put some effort into learning what your clients really love about the service or product you provide (and finding ways to improve on them)?
Try:
Photo Credit: Dominik Gwarek
Hiring a third party to administer a customer survey over the phone or through email. Think like the big guys – but on a business-savvy budget – and get a professional business do to do one for you. Your clients will likely be truthful to a non-biased party. (Feel free to ask me for information on client surveys)
Mystery shopping yourself. Develop feedback forms and use an external source to rate your performance. (We do these for some of our selected clients, and are always surprised to learn which areas our client’s need to work on based on some honest feedback.)
By the way, my response to this lovely little email – was literally “awwww, shucks!”
However you celebrate your holiday season, I hope you have a very merry time with family, friends and all of your loved ones.
My evenings have been filled with crafts and kitchen goodie smells – cutting out bird shaped cinnamon ornaments, glittering up frosted glass hurricanes and miraculously baking marshmallows (who knew!) – along with simple online donation making to specifically selected charitable causes that mean something to family and friends.
It takes a little bit of planning and some extra time but making something for the holidays is a great way to show the people in your life that you care. Whether its baking, crafting or doing whatever you’re an expert at – a gift from the heart is something that will be cherished by the receiver.
For example, this year I received (alright I helped form the idea for it too!) a lovely tin of biscotti from Accentuate Home Staging Design Group. Katherine Van Leeuwan baked cranberry-almond biscotti and wrapped it up in a paint can.
It was delicious and from the heart. She even handmade greeting cards!
Relationship Building Begins with a Blog Comment
by chenrickson on December 9, 2008
in fresh marketing, relationship marketing
I am often asked to clarify what “exactly” it is that I do for a living. Unfortunately, it would take a long sit down to explain (as my current clients would attest). However, I can share one of the many things that I did today. Today I taught a blogging client the importance of commenting and developing relationships with other complimentary interest bloggers.
When it comes to commenting - its important to have something to say - and be sincere in your comment. Avoid negative “ranting.” And by all means, link back to things you’ve written about -but only if they’re appropriate. The more you comment on other blogs - the more likely you will be remembered and the more readers will follow your links to your blog. Extra bonus - you may get asked to guest write. (You never know!)
So, if you are reading my blog entitled “If You Build It He/She Will Come” you will notice 2 comments that have no relevance to the post – but I like to show people how to do something by actually doing it.
(Don’t think that this is all I do in an hour session. We worked on some sales tips to warm up a “gatekeeper,” analyzed website traffic and decided on what to focus on in the New Year. All in a day’s work for the marketing girl…)
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