"With a Show of Hands, How Many of You are Having an Affair?" I have used this line when giving presentations to prospective clients. It usually gets a few nervous chuckles; however on one occasion, a gal just about fell off her chair! I go on to explain that I am not trying to get personal and I'm not talking about an affair as in the "Hollywood or Political" variety; but rather about developing and nurturing their client, employee and business relationships. Every relationship, whether business or personal, takes work and constant attention, however, we all get busy or apathetic and neglect telling those who make our business successful, how very important they are.
There have been numerous blogs written here on AR about the power of the handwritten thank you note (see bottom of this post) and I am the #1 champion of writing those personal notes - nothing trumps the power of "wet ink" on any correspondence! However, keeping in contact with clients on a regular basis is difficult and most business professionals just don't have the time. When you outsource this type of task, with your direct input, you have the best of both worlds; a consistent, personal client contact mailing program and the time to devote to your business.
Since my "tool of choice" is the personalized business greeting card, here are some tips that will make your personal client contact mail campaign more effective:
- Consistency ~ mailings should be at well-timed intervals. Don't over mail this type of piece (I have found quarterly to be the most popular). In today's society of direct mail, email, advertising, etc., we get sensory overload. You want your special card to get opened, appreciated and remembered.
- Humor ~ many business professionals are very leery of using humor, however, it is one of the BEST ways to connect with people. Make it clever, not corny. It should bring a smile, a chuckle, a guffaw - not a wince or groan. If you use a clever image and message, it will tap into the "emotion quotient", have shelf life and be shared.
- Quality vs. Quantity ~ When mailing a personalized card, remember it is a reflection of YOU. You don't need to spend lots of $$$, but make sure it isn't too generic, flimsy or cheap looking either. You may argue that "it's the thought that counts," and that is true; however, if you skimp on the quality of your mailing piece, your client may get the impression that they have little value to you. Remember, not all business greeting cards are equal . . . Choose Wisely!
- Minimize Sales Pitch ~ the personalized greeting card should be used primarily for expressing, appreciation, thoughtfulness or to keep in touch. It can also be used for announcements and prospecting, but when used for that purpose, make your message short and sweet. One of the biggest challenges that I encounter are clients that want to fill every blank space on a greeting card like a billboard; advertise but with restraint. And always add some type of appreciation/thank you.
- Special Holidays ~ the value of the "unexpected." Mail a holiday card at Thanksgiving rather than Christmas. It is the perfect time to express appreciation and few businesses mail at this time. Send a "Happy Spring", 4th of July, Halloween, or New Year's message. Non-traditional holidays give you a great opportunity to tap into what is going on in the "outside world.". Unless you know your clients VERY well, be cautious of mailing on personal holidays (Mother's Day, Father's Day, religious holidays, etc.) You may not always be aware what is going on in that person's life and the wrong card could trigger an unfavorable response.
- Don't Save for a Rainy Day ~ when you purchase greeting cards, newsletters, brochures, etc., "MAIL THEM!" They are not valuable heirlooms to be saved in a drawer. Get them in circulation so they can go to work for you! I have had a number of realtor clients tell me that they have spent "much moola" on fine printed items, set them in the corner of the office and by the time they got around to using them, they had out-dated information or were no longer relevant. . . what a waste!
- Remember, personalized mailings should be done "in addition to" NOT "instead of" other types of marketing (i.e. business letters, direct mail campaigns, networking, phone calls, etc.)
- Have you told your clients lately that you "LOVE THEM?"
http://activerain.com/blogsview/120463/The-Art-of-the-thankyou
http://activerain.com/blogsview/Thank-You-Cards?
http://activerain.com/blogsview/118439/Sending-Thank-You-Cards
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