Keeping In Touch - Relationship Marketing

I think the above quote describes Relationship Marketing for customers as well as prospects.  It's all about keeping in touch. For good customers are our best referral sources.  By keeping in touch we show them we appreciate their business.  By showing appreciation they are more apt to contact us to purchase again and/or refer us to someone who may need our products or services. 

With prospects, though they may not need our products or services when we first meet them.  By keeping in touch when they do need or want our service, because we kept in touch, they will remember who to call.

There are many ways to keep in touch these days and though I prescribe and recommend most all of them, I still feel that one of the best Relationship Marketing tools is Send Out Cards.  To me, it's about going that extra mile.  It's something personal in the mailbox, that's not a bill or junk mail.

And yes, I am an affiliate and have been since 2006, however I would use it even if I wasn't, because I like to send greeting cards.  And it's a great system for those who like to send cards and for those who have a need to send cards.  There is even a phone app so that you can send a real greeting card directly from your phone.

So why am I writing this, because I am excited that SOC has just announced some new features and packages.  You can see the new plans and features on my affiliate page.  Scroll down until you see 'Pricing.'  And below 'Pricing' is a 'Comparison' of the 4 different plans.  

If you've ever had a SendOutCards account, you can still access it.  If you don't remember your username, let me know and I'll be glad to look it up if you were a client of mine or you can contact SOC Customer Service.

Keep in Touch and show people you appreciate them.

P.S. If I have never sent you a greeting card, send me your address and your birthday so that I may send you a card.

To Your Success,

Annette

Painted Lady Enterprises

'Helping You and Your Business Look Good'

DIY Marketing

This month is 'Do It Yourself Marketing' Month.  So what is your marketing strategy?  Do you do it yourself or do you have someone else doing it for you?  Or a combination of both?  Either way, do you know what is working?  If not, that should be your first action item.  Start tracking what's working and what's not.  This will save you lots of money over time.

Below are some strategies for marketing that I recommend.  I believe they will work for most any business.

• Know Your Target Market.  Get very specific.  Who can use your products and services?   Consider the demographics of your perfect client.  Often times the more specific you can be about your perfect referral, the better the chances of receiving a referral.

• Networking is a great way to market your business and build relationships in order to gain business.  It is recommended to be part of a closed networking group like BNI (one industry represented per Chapter) and 2 open networking groups (multiple of the same industry), i.e. The Chamber of Commerce, Business Alliance, etc. and perhaps a service group like Kiwanis, Rotary, etc.  Building relationships by seeing the same people over time creates visibility which builds creditability in order to receive word-of-mouth referrals.

• Keep in touch with prospects and clients.  Not everyone you meet may need your product or service right now, but if you stay in touch with them, perhaps in the future if they have a need, you will be top of mind because you kept in touch and will be the one they call or refer.  In my a previous blog, I covered tips for Customer Loyalty which gave information and tips.
• Methods for keeping in touch include Social Media, Newsletters, Greeting Cards, Phone Calls, drop by visits, etc.

• Marketing Materials that represent you, your products, and services well.  Make sure your branding and message is consistent across all platforms.  Whether you are marketing face to face or online ensure your logo, photos, tag line, colors, are consistent.  You can be a one person show, but the little things can make you look like the 'big guys.'

• Track Everything.  Go back through your last 6 to 12 months of business and determine where the business came from.  And depending on the answer would determine where to focus more.  Ask each new client, how did you find us?  Let the stats drive your future marketing efforts.  

 Much of this you can do yourself, but do you have the time and the skill set?  It's always best to consider what you do best and like and enjoy doing and delegate the rest.

I hope you have found this to be helpful. Your comments are welcomed and appreciated.

To Your Success,

Annette

Painted Lady Enterprises

'Helping You and Your Business Look Good'

Customer Loyalty and Relationship Marketing

This month is International Customer Loyalty Month.  It is said that it takes 5 to 25 times more time and money (depending on which reports you read) to gain a new customer vs. working to retain the ones we have.

Statistics say that if a business retains only 5% of their customer base, it can increase their business by 50%.  Why?  Because loyal happy customers will keep buying and will refer new business.

68% of all customers are lost due to perceived indifference! A customer who feels appreciated will not go elsewhere when the competition comes calling.  They will remain loyal rather than go shopping for price.

Repeat customers spend 67 percent more. They are your referral engine.  After 10 purchases, a customer has typically already referred up to 7 people.

Giving Great Customer service = Good Business

Having Customer Loyalty = Great Business!

So why work harder when we can work smarter by continuously showing our current customers appreciation.  To keep relationships strong, businesses need to regularly remind clients that they are important to them. They also need to remind them who they are, what they do, what services they offer, and why they are their best choice for their product or service. Busy people tend to choose the fastest solution to a problem. By keeping in touch, a company makes themselves stand apart from the rest of the crowd and their clients are more apt to call them the next time they need their product or service.  Social media is a good way to remain visible to prospects and clients.  Email marketing is also good way to remind prospects and clients you are still around and in business.  But doing something more personal sets a business apart from the rest.  From page 115 of The 29% Solution ..."Good follow-up is not just doing what is required or what you've promised to do.  It also involves going BEYOND what is expected. 

Tradition says greeting cards are personal. Greeting cards have a traditional feeling of warmth and sincerity; our culture maintains that greeting cards are personal and are sent from someone with whom there is a relationship. In a world of impersonal form letters and mass email, memorable greeting cards are a refreshing marketing tool that will add a personal and memorable touch to the interaction with clients. By incorporating greeting cards into a retention strategy, the message is being sent to the client that an important relationship exists.

I invite you to check out a true referral system that is simple and easy.  SendOutCards has completely overhauled their system adding many new features making it is easier than ever to follow up and show prospects and clients real appreciation.  No more points.  No more expense account.  Just pay for the cards and gifts you send.  Try it out today.  It now works similar to an ITunes account.  Set up a Free account and see all the new features.  Or if you’ve ever had an account, it’s still there.  Download the app and even send cards from your mobile device.  Here’s the link  www.RelationshipMarketingMadeEZ.com  Click on ‘Business’ to see all the new features, i.e. premade drip campaigns for various industries.  A contact manager system that is some people pay hundreds of dollars for and it doesn’t send cards.  Or I can send you a short video that explains all the new features.  And I would be happy to talk with you and show you all the new features.  What ever is easiest for you, I’m here to help.

“We must not, in trying to think about how we can make a big difference, ignore the small daily differences we can make which, over time, add up to big differences that we often cannot foresee.”

                                                                                 - Marian Wright-Edelman

Happy Keeping in Touch,

Annette

Painted Lady Enterprises

‘Helping My Clients and Their Business Look Good’

Love Thy Clients and Customers

Last week was International Networking Week.  I was asked to do a Lunch and Learn for a local Chamber of Commerce.  Part of my presentation stressed the importance of staying in touch with past customers and prospects.  So many businesses focus on getting new clients and sometimes they tend to neglect the existing clients they have.  I’ve always heard that it costs 5 times more to acquire a new customer versus keeping existing customers.  In an article by Inc.com, they explain this principle.  

Another math equation that’s hard to explain is; by retaining 5% of our customer base we can increase our business by 50%.  How is that possible?  If our current clients love our products and services they will refer us to their family and friends as well as other business colleagues when given the opportunity.  Who doesn’t prefer a word-of mouth referral versus other means of marketing?

They say the number one reason a customer leaves is perceived indifference.  They didn’t feel appreciated.  Can you relate?

So how do you develop and keep Loyal Clients?  Those who will buy again and again, write reviews, and refer you to their family and friends and other business associates?

Here are a few ways to show your clients you appreciate them:

• ·        Show them you care beyond the sale – Provide Great Customer Service before, during, and after the sale.  Exceed their expectations.  Show them you care.

• ·        Keep in touch – Depending on your industry, touch base with your clients periodically just to see how things are going.  Not to sell them something else.  Use high tech, low tech, no tech, whatever it takes to let them know you are there to be of service.

• ·        Provide information – Educating your clients on ways to use your service/product that will save them time and money.  Providing business tips and information.

• ·        Handle any issues and complaints in a timely expedient manner.

• ·        Make your client feel like a V.I.P.  Offer Value-added services and products as a way to say thank you for their on-going business and especially for their referrals.

• ·        Be a resource to your client.  Seek ways that you can be of service.  Be a connector.  Perhaps referring them to another business colleague who will help them.

• ·        Show gratitude – Not only after the first sale, but make it a ritual to thank your clients on an on-going basis, for example – some Realtors send a Happy Anniversary card every year on the date that the client purchased their new home.  Or have you ever heard of the World's Greatest Salesman - Joe Girard?  Click here to read his story.

By showing your existing clients that you care and are there for them, they won’t be so apt to leave when someone else offers a lower price.

We would love to hear your comments and the ways you show your clients you care.

Here’s to Happy Clients!

Annette

Painted Lady Enterprises

‘Helping My Clients and Their Business Look Good’

Summer Business Boosting Tips

How does Summer affect your business?  Do you have a slowdown in sales?   

Some people just assume that business is just not going to be very good during the summer months.  But that doesn't have to be the case.  Like everything else, if you think it's so, it is.

While Summer may be a lazy time for some, we can change our frame of mind to "Let's make hay while the sun shines."   

Here are some tips to boost Summer business:

1. Keep in Touch - This could not be more important than now.  Touch base with all your client power base, i.e. those clients that continue to use your services and refer you.  See how you can be of help to them during the summer months.   

2.  Follow up - Target those that aren't slowing down either during the summer.  Schedule appointments with prospective customers.   

3.  Focus on Marketing efforts - Attend networking meetings, distribute flyers, updating website / blog, post on social media, etc.

4.  Appreciation Marketing - Send a Thank You card to those long time customers.  Let them know how much you appreciate their business.  Perhaps sending a gift or offering a discount on their next order.    

5.  Go Beyond the call of duty - While other competitors relax during the summer months, ensure that your customer service is 'Top Notch' and above the norm.  Let your clients and prospects know that you are willing to make things happen and handle special needs.   

Make Summer Time your opportunity to shine.  By using these tips you are staying 'Top of Mind' with your clients and prospects.  You are letting them know, that even though it's Summer, you are still Open for Business. 

I hope this has been helpful.  Please share your Summer Business tips with us.  Your comments and suggestions are welcomed and appreciated.

Happy Summer Sales,
Annette

www.PaintedLadyEnterprises.com

Getting and Keeping Loyal Customers

 

In order to build a relationship it’s important to stay in touch. This applies in our personal lives as well as business.  Just like we nurture a relationship with a new friend we want to nurture our relationship with prospects so they will become our new client.   In order to nurture that relationship, contact is necessary.   And What's more important the value that contact brings the prospect.

Not everyone we meet wants or needs our products or service….now.  But, if we stay in touch and offer value in our communication, perhaps that will change and/or the prospect will refer us when asked, ‘who do you know who sells…..’

Sometimes people just don’t respond to our time table. People are busy.  Life happens.  People forget. Our priorities are not their priorities.  Building relationships with people and trying to establish a helpful giving attitude will come back tenfold.

We can expand the ways we keep in touch which might include:  phone calls, one on ones,  post cards, letters, greeting cards, emails, audios, videos, etc.  Then mix up the forms of contact creating interest and anticipation and offering value.  Although we may have a lot of information of interest about our business, it is important in building a relationship that we take into consideration the interest of our prospect.  By notating their interests and following up with them with information shows that we do truly care about building the relationship.

Every business and sales person can benefit from relationship marketing.  By building the relationship and keeping in touch with clients is a great referral source. I refer to these clients as a “Golden Referral Source.”  If the sales person builds a solid relationship with their client, found them the perfect, home, car, etc., AND stays in touch with them over the years, they will receive referrals and more business from that client for years to come.

Some companies are cutting their prices to keep clients in today's economy.  If a company has a quality product, outstanding service, is dependable, and has built a solid relationship by staying in touch, then that customer is not going to stray just because they might save a few dollars. They realize that the relationship and service they have received is a better value.  

Here are some ways to stay in front of your clients.

• ·        Follow up with a phone call, offer industry information on a periodic basis   

•       Mailing them something personal not bulk or junk mail.

• ·        Personal visit to their place of business and not necessarily to make a sale

• ·        Be their business partner. Take a personal interest in their success.

• ·        Willingness to help even if there is no monetary gain now

Zig Ziglar says that if you help enough people to get what they want, you’ll get what you want.

Remember that it is more costly to find a new customer than it is to maintain and keep the ones we currently have.   If we maintain 5% of our current clientele we can double our business.  Because they will come back to us time and time again and will refer others to us.  

68% of clients leave because of perceived indifference.

Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.  ~ Robert Collier

In appreciation,

The Painted Lady