A Little New School
I can remember when email first began. It was so nice to receive email from people I didn't know. Then came SPAM. Email began coming from people all over the world offering all sorts of junk. Thank God for SPAM filters and junk mail catchers.
Today email is a vital part of most savvy businesses. We email to our business associates, our staff, our clients and we also do sensible marketing with email.
What has seemed to happen as email became a "hyper marketing tool", was salespeople and business owners thought they wouldn't have to talk with people. All they had to do is send email and people would respond positively, even to the point of signing closing documents via email in some industries.
This new school tool called email has had it's ups and downs. I can sense that it's not going away unless it's replaced by some upscale version of email like instant messaging or video conferencing.
A Little Old School
Then there's that old school tool called the telephone. Today the telephone is so much more than a telephone. Of course we still use it to talk to people but the uses of the wireless cell phone with internet capabilities and programs to numerous to mention is the ultimate use of new school tools working with old school tools.
Once one gets past the learning curve of email and the wireless cell phone there is a world of good that can be done in our businesses. In my opinion learning to use these tools effectively increases our personal value with our clients and other business associates. Keep this in mind. There are so many people who just know the basics of both these business tools.
I am of the opinion that giving value up front puts those in the know far ahead of their competitors. Certainly if you have enough money you can hire specialists to handle the advanced technologies of email and wireless cell phones.
The one thing that old school marketers have over many new school marketers is legitimate one on one communication skills. Old school is belly to belly, face to face, person to person. The emotion of the sales process can't be duplicated via an email. Business over the phone has some merit but there is nothing like being right in front of a client.
A Little Old - A Little New
I'll take a liberty to share with you how I use email and the phone. I think they are the most vital tools in my arsenal.
Email - I use email to connect with people I meet everyday. I use email to send important information to my database. I use email to offer valuable free online products and services most people are unfamiliar with. I use email to create a create credibility of being a professional marketer. I use email to conduct surveys. I use email to say offer something of value with every email. I use email to point potential clients and referral sources to my business websites.
Phone - I use the phone to introduce myself. I use the phone to encourage fellow business associates. I use the phone to find out how I can help fellow business associates. I use the phone offer referrals. I use the phone to offer valuable resources to fellow business associates. I use the phone to introduce my network to each other. I use the phone to better acquaint fellow business associates with me personally. I use the phone to describe the services I offer.
For me it's all about using the new school tools in combination with the old school tools. I try to stay up on what's new in the world of technology and incorporate it into my marketing efforts. What it all boils down to is developing genuine relationships.
Ced
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