Look, making new sales or more sales doesn’t have to exorbantly expensive or hugely time consuming. These four strategies will have you filling your appointment book in no time.
1. Use What You Have!
It is a whole lot cheaper and easier to sell to your existing client list than it is to say… re-invent the wheel. Anyone who has purchased from you in the past is a great candidate for new purchases. But have you contacted them lately to remind them about you?
The existing customer base is one of the most overlooked sales generation tools out there.
One sheet of paper, an envelope and a stamp and you are on your way to bring customers in the door.
By adding personality to your one-page mailing, (and, really, one page will do it) you’ll stay in the forefront of their mind. Depending on the size of your list and the quality of service you’ve been providing, you can generate excellent results. I typically get a 15% to 30% response with a one-page mailing. I have done more than 40% response.
Get out your customer list, review it. If the list is large, segement it. Maybe your top buying customers, or those with the most visits in the last year. Remember that a customer with 10 small invoices can be a better choice than a customer with one large invoice.
If they are making several visits, they are a top customer.
2. Again, Use What You Have!
Your existing customers are your six degrees of separation. They are the perfect tool for getting the word out to all the people they know.
Using an incentive that is honest and not slimey is a good way to tap this potential flood of customers. Using a great incentive for the referrer like a discount and then making sure to use a great thank you strategy for the referring customer is the key to get them to keep sending you new customers. A new customer discount can make an irresistable offer to someone who might be thinking about using your service but isn’t quite sold.
I’ve used a free item for the customer who refers, followed by a thank you note with a Starbucks card. And then for the new customer a good size coupon or discount.
I’m reluctant to give anything free to a new customer because there are people out there that just take advantage of that. But I really think you need to be generous with the discount or dollars off or hours off incentive.
3. The Word!
Word of mouth. One of the best ways to get new customers. These people have heard about you from someone else and have something good to say about you. The question is, are people talking about you?
Do your vendors talk about you? Do your friends talk about you? Does your family talk about you? How about your hair-dresser or dry cleaner, do they know what you do and talk about you? If not, why not?
Do you have an incentive for them to talk about you?
One of my top referring vendors, gets thank you’s, discounts, Christmas goodies, the works. He knows I appreciate him talking about me and sending people my way. If you don’t have an incentive, create one. You need to reward those who are sending customers your way. With an incentive, they’ll keep sending you customers.
Say, thank you. Send a thank you note or card just to let them know you appreciate that they are spreading the word. When was the last time someone took the time to thank you? If you remember, I’m gonna guess it’s because it’s rare and therefore effective. Again, handwrite a personal note, don’t just send a printed card.
4. Get Social!
Yep, I’m talking about social media. This is a great new tool for businesses. Create a Facebook Fan Page where your customers can follow you and see what you are doing. The same with Twitter. Your customer’s friends will see that they are fans and some will check you out. Same with Twitter. Create an on-going dialog with your Facebook and Twitter followers to keep yourself in their minds.
Communicate genuinely, don’t sell or get spammy. Forward interesting things, if applicable funny or fun things, tell them what is up with you as a person so they can get to know you.
Remember that people like doing business with people they like and people who have common interests. Build some of that connection. It will enhance your relationships with your customers and it will help new people learn about you.
5. Whatever IT Is Do IT Great!
I can’t stress this enough… It is not enough to mail, tweet, post, call, etc. If you aren’t doing 110%+ for every customer, no amount of communication will get them back in the door.
You need to do great work, have great products, provide great service, be a great resource.
You need to go above and beyond.
You need to be honest, forthright and most of all a stand-up person.
What people remember most are their experiences… Give them one they will remember and talk about.
Look, making new sales or more sales doesn’t have to be exorbitantly expensive or hugely time consuming. These four strategies will have you filling your appointment book in no time.
1. Use What You Have!
It is a whole lot cheaper and easier to sell to your existing client list than it is to say… re-invent the wheel. Anyone who has purchased from you in the past is a great candidate for new purchases. But have you contacted them lately to remind them about you?
The existing customer base is one of the most overlooked sales generation tools out there.
One sheet of paper, an envelope and a stamp and you are on your way to bringing customers in the door.
By adding personality to your one-page mailing, (and, really, one page will do it) you’ll stay in the forefront of their mind. Depending on the size of your list and the quality of service you’ve been providing, you can generate excellent results. I typically get a 15% to 30% response with a one-page mailing. I have done more than 40% response.
Get out your customer list, review it. If the list is large, segement it. Maybe your top buying customers, or those with the most visits in the last year. Remember that a customer with 10 small invoices can be a better choice than a customer with one large invoice.
If they are making several visits, they are a top customer.
2. Again, Use What You Have!
Your existing customers are your six degrees of separation. They are the perfect tool for getting the word out to all the people they know.
Using an incentive that is honest and not slimey is a good way to tap this potential flood of customers. Using a great incentive for the referrer like a discount and then making sure to use a great thank you strategy for the referring customer is the key to get them to keep sending you new customers. A new customer discount can make an irresistable offer to someone who might be thinking about using your service but isn’t quite sold.
I’ve used a free item for the customer who refers, followed by a thank you note with a Starbucks card. And then for the new customer a good size coupon or discount.
I’m reluctant to give anything free to a new customer because there are people out there that just take advantage of that. But I really think you need to be generous with the discount or dollars off or hours off incentive.
3. The Word!
Word of mouth. One of the best ways to get new customers. These people have heard about you from someone else and have something good to say about you. The question is, are people talking about you?
Do your vendors talk about you? Do your friends talk about you? Does your family talk about you? How about your hair-dresser or dry cleaner, do they know what you do and talk about you? If not, why not?
Do you have an incentive for them to talk about you?
One of my top referring vendors, gets thank you’s, discounts, Christmas goodies, the works. He knows I appreciate him talking about me and sending people my way. If you don’t have an incentive, create one. You need to reward those who are sending customers your way. With an incentive, they’ll keep sending you customers.
Say, thank you. Send a thank you note or card just to let them know you appreciate that they are spreading the word. When was the last time someone took the time to thank you? If you remember, I’m gonna guess it’s because it’s rare and therefore effective. Again, handwrite a personal note, don’t just send a printed card.
4. Get Social!
Yep, I’m talking about social media. This is a great new tool for businesses. Create a Facebook Fan Page where your customers can follow you and see what you are doing. The same with Twitter. Your customer’s friends will see that they are fans and some will check you out. Same with Twitter. Create an on-going dialog with your Facebook and Twitter followers to keep yourself in their minds.
Communicate genuinely, don’t sell or get spammy. Forward interesting things, if applicable funny or fun things, tell them what is up with you as a person so they can get to know you.
Remember that people like doing business with people they like and people who have common interests. Build some of that connection. It will enhance your relationships with your customers and it will help new people learn about you.
5. Whatever IT Is Do IT Great!
I can’t stress this enough… It is not enough to mail, tweet, post, call, etc. If you aren’t doing 110%+ for every customer, no amount of communication will get them back in the door.
You need to do great work, have great products, provide great service, be a great resource.
You need to go above and beyond.
You need to be honest, forthright and most of all a stand-up person.
What people remember most are their experiences… Give them one they will remember and talk about.
(Photo: ilker)
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
Thanks! Always a good reminder to take a fresh look how what we’re doing plays in the eyes of others.