Business

Email – Are you getting through??

 in Business  tagged email / Relationship Marketing / Relationship Marketing Made Easy by

Email – Are you getting through?

It seems electronic communications are dying out, even to the point of plain not happening. This is definitely having an impact on and making it harder to do business.

Recently I was sitting in on a sales and marketing training webinar and the speaker was making quite a to-do about how people these days are not responding when you are trying to contact and connect with them.

He pointed out that a large number of emails get delivered to the junk mail basket and are never seen and over 60% of emails that make it through are either totally ignored or just not responded to.

Most people are choosing not to answer their phones, preferring to let your call to go to their answering service, where they will listen to your message and decide if they want to respond or not – then they might ring you back or text you.

He then pointed out that most preferred to simply text and leave it at that. (Texting a longer message is cumbersome and lacks any emotional overtones that could cause your message to be misconstrued).

He was teaching that today you need to skip straight to the text, if you want to make contact, especially as at the moment 95% of people almost immediately respond to a text message. But I wonder how long this will last, especially as the quantity increases as more turn to texting instead of other means of communicating.

email

Everyone used to and they still do—open their mail. Nearly everyone used to answer their phone and answer their email and before email no one could ignore a fax.  So where to from here?

Why don’t we improve the situation and make the most of the action most people still engage in, and that is to go to their letterbox and open their mail. (And what’s more, today they are actually looking forward to and enjoying the experience.)

When they do, you still need to grab their attention and make an impact, so you don’t want just a boring letter, or even an envelope that looks like it could be a bill, nor do you want an envelope without a real stamp on it.  Why not take advantage of the latest technology like Send Out Cards utilizes and send them a full colour, personalised greeting card, conveying your message and sentiments. Best of all, you can get your customised and individualised card into someone’s letterbox for under $2.00, including the stamp! Even if it’s just a one-off! 

Digital electronic communication has held centre stage and while it may be dirt cheap, it has had its day.

The past is returning to the future, the letterbox is reclaiming its role as the entry point into the hearts and minds of our existing and potential customers. How long is it going to be before you start using it and getting your message through?

Ron and Sue

I Love You – Three magic words.

 in Business / Relationship Marketing  tagged Gratitude / Relationship Marketing / Relationship Marketing Made Easy by

“I love you.” These are three magic words that I believe we all love to hear, especially when said in truth and expressed with conviction. I know that as a husband I love to hear them. I most certainly felt reassured and validated when I heard those words from my parents and just as surely they hold the space for all our children to grow into the best version of themselves.

Way back in my twenties I had a friend who was a Mormon and he told me it was a part of his religious practice to tell his wife at least six times every day that he loved her. Not because he thought she would forget, but rather to strengthen their relationship, especially as we all love to hear these words from those who matter most to us. He also pointed out that every time he said the words it reminded him of why he loved her so and her importance to him.

I valued his lesson and have used it since to strengthen and support my own marriage and family relationships. I am not a marriage I Love Youcouncillor or advisor, but if there is one tip I could give you for a more harmonious relationship with your spouse it would be this one.

So what’s this got to do with business? Everything! The more you can let your customers know that you love them—the more harmonious and profitable (and I don’t just mean money) your relationship will be. 

Now I know we can’t just pop up and say “I love you” to our customers—they might think we’re a little bit loopy and misunderstand our intentions. However I would ask you to consider other ways and means to get your message across.

One of the best ways I have found to let my customers know that I love them (let’s also face it, without them we don’t even have a business) is to put it in writing, gift wrapped in a card.

Naturally, I am assuming that you are providing excellent service and value for money with what you are offering, just like my friend did in his marriage, but he also made sure his wife absolutely knew it and never forgot it.

So my tip for your business would be to do all in your power to make sure your customers know you “love” them and never forget it.

And another tip, if you like the idea of using cards to convey your message, take a look at Send Out Cards, they have an efficient, easy to use and very cost effective way of letting your customers know how much you value them by sending them a card and telling them so.  

Gratitude card

Ron and Sue

Greeting Cards – The story of Joe Gerard

 in Business / Relationship Marketing  tagged Relationship Marketing / Relationship Marketing Made Easy by

Greeting Cards – The story of Joe Gerard

At a networking event a group of us were talking about unusual sales records when mention was made of the salesman who made a fortune and became the best ever car salesman by sending his clients greeting cards. I had known of him by reputation but little else and this inspired me to look him up and learn some more.

Joe Gerard is his name and I would encourage you all to Google his name and learn about his amazing story. In brief and citing Wikipedia “he was born in 1928 in Detroit, Michigan and after various jobs, was employed as an American automobile salesman. He sold 13,001 cars at a Chevrolet dealership between 1963 and 1978, Girard was recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s greatest salesman. In 2001, he was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame.

These are his sales credentials:

Sold more retail “big ticket” items “one-at-a-time” than any other sales person in any retail industry including houses, boats motor homes, insurance, automobiles, etc.

Averaged six new retail automobile sales a day (no used automobiles)

Most new retail sales in one day (18 automobiles)

Most new retail sales in one month (174 automobiles)

Most new retail sales in one year (1425 automobiles)

Most new retail sales in 15 year career (13,001 automobiles)

All retail, no fleet or wholesale.”

And how did he do it? What’s the secret?

He developed and maintained strong relationships. Joe used to send cards to all his prospects and clients. Actually he sent 13 every year, one every month and one for Christmas and by keeping in touch with them he imprinted himself into the psyche of his prospects and clients.

greeting cardsBy keeping in touch with people regularly; sending them “Thank you” cards, season’s greetings and even cards just saying “I like you”, he became “the world’s greatest salesman.”

Imagine what a similar campaign might do for your business.

Joe had to employ two assistants to buy the cards he sent, write in them, to address and stamp them, and get them to the post office, but it obviously paid great dividends for him.

What could sending cards and improving your relationships with your prosects and customers do for you and your business?

Fortunately, today you can operate a SendOutCards account and have your personalised cards and gifts sent in an easy, efficient and very low cost manner. If you don’t have a SendOutCards account already, I would encourage you to get one. Talk to your SOC distributor. If you don’t know a SOC’s distributor, by all means talk to us.

Ron and Sue