Keeping in Touch with Your Customers -- Without Annoying Them

In this age of email marketing it's way too easy to go too far in keeping in touch.

When you're trying to build your business, it's easy to get caught up in the thrill of the hunt -- for new clients, that is. However, as studies from the Harvard Business School show, focusing attention on existing customers and increasing retention rates by just 5% will increase your profits by 25% to 95%.

Of course, savvy business owners know there's a fine line between keeping in touch and being a bit... well... annoying.

Put yourself in your clients' shoes:

• How many emails do you want to receive every day? 
• How many phone calls do you want to take? 

Sure, persistence is important in cultivating your client base, but overdoing it can prove counterproductive by annoying the very clients you're trying to reach. Here's how to find the right balance.

Make it Personal

1. Who doesn't like to receive a personalized card or handwritten note in the mail? There's a world of difference between sending out an impersonal flyer or form letter and a customized note printed on attractive card stock. Which would you be more likely to open and read?

2. Talk to them personally. If you take the time to address their special interest, or share an article or idea that is targeted right at their interest, that has a much better reception by the clients.

Make Contacts Worth Their While

Whether it's in an email, through a printed newsletter, or on a sales call, providing customers with information they can use adds value to your communications and eliminates the annoyance factor. Offering industry news, community updates, or other data that's relevant and useful to your customers goes a long way toward transforming the way they perceive your marketing efforts. A professionally written and well-designed direct mail piece sent a few times a year that's packed with info they can use is always welcome.

If you keep your communications relevant, concise, respectful, useful, and personalized, you'll never have to worry about being too persistent. And that's a great feeling!

Until next time,

Peter "The Printer" Lineal
Founder/CEO
Plum Grove
2160 Stonington Avenue
Hoffman Estates, IL 60169
Ph: 847.882.4020 Ext: 133
www.PlumGrovePrinters.com
PeterL@PlumGrovePrinters.com


Printing, Marketing & Promotional Products with Powerful Execution.