Your Champions are clients, customers, vendors and anyone familiar with your service that are simply ecstatic about what you do. They are the ones who tell everyone to use your service. In fact, they will call potential customers on your behalf to tell them about you. Ask your Champions for the names of their contacts that have events or occasions coming up. Send those contacts a note, introducing you to them. Include your business cards, a testimonial letter, and an offer. The offer could be to set up an appointment to meet, or a discount on your initial consultation.
Your Fans are those who do business with you, but would not think about referring your services on their own. They need a little encouragement. Ask them if they know of anyone else who is having an event that could use your service. Tell them you would like to contact those people to offer your services to them. Most of the time they are happy to help you out. They just wouldn’t think of it themselves.
· Send greeting cards for all special events listed on the information cards previously filled out by attendees. Retailers might want to include a note for the recipient to stop by for the 25-cent tour and a small gift.
· Send postcards a few weeks before each holiday or event listed offering a free consultation on other services you provide, discounts on purchases, or some other promotional item. It is important to keep you at the “top of their mind” when they might be planning another event or know someone who is.
· Fax or mail ideas for events two or three months prior to their corporate, or milestone events. Offer a special consultation rate to help them plan a successful event.
· Stay in contact with them using the information they provided under interests. If their hobby is growing orchids, and you see an article for an orchid or exotic plant show, cut it out and mail it to them. They will be impressed that you took the time to send it. In fact, they probably won’t remember the information cards and may even wonder how you knew. It could lead to a phone call, worthwhile conversation and more events.
· If you see your clients and others listed on your information cards “in the news” cut it out, and send it to them along with a Congratulations or Good News Travels Fast note.
The Little Extra’s Can Bring Big Results!
· If your client has a business that you can promote, Promote It! Hand out the client’s business cards, keep a stack of them on hand to give to others when the opportunity arises. I cross promote with many of the people who do business with me and this has grown my referral business more than simply doing a great job.
· Include photos with letters to clients and vendors.
· Keep your database current, adding and deleting as necessary. You wouldn’t want to send the assistant a note, if the assistant is no longer with your client. It might just offend the person who replaced him/her and it would certainly make you look unprofessional.
· Maintain good records of each event. If you hear from a client 3 years from now, you can show your skills when you review their previous event. Include in those records what went wrong, and what needed to be improved. Include photos and samples of décor, activities and anything that will help expand your portfolio. Be sure to ask permission of your client to use these in your promotional materials.
If you follow the above advice, you will not only survive, you will thrive in your endeavors. The domino effect will happen. You will be known as a caring professional, one that is in it for the benefit of all concerned and not just in it for the business!
© 2005 - Heidi Richards is the author of The PMS Principles, Powerful Marketing Strategies to Grow Your Business and 7 other books. She is also the Founder & CEO of the Women’s ECommerce Association, International www.WECAI.org (pronounced wee-kî) – an Internet organization that “Helps Women Do Business on the WEB.” Basic Membership is FREE. Ms. Richards can be reached at Heidi@speakingwithspirit.com or heidi@wecai.org.
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