Something that all firms should do
Even if you don’t sell by email there is something you should do to enhance your sales.
Whether you sell direct or via retail outlets, whether you are selling to businesses or consumers, there is one thing that you can do which will significantly enhance your sales.
Better, it doesn’t cost much. Better still, most of your competitors don’t do it, which means when you start doing it, you’ll be noticed at once.
It’s actually not a new idea. Firms were doing it fifty years ago, although in those days it cost a lot more. In fact some companies were doing this 100 years ago by travelling by train and bus to visit customers.
It is called “Staying in touch”.
The trouble is, because a lot of companies have become very interested in modern technology, staying in touch has often come to mean things like having a web site, or sending out email messages that describe the latest discount available.
But “staying in touch” in the old-fashioned sense, means reminding both customers and those who have expressed an interest, that you are here, that you are helpful, friendly, willing to give support even if it doesn’t mean an instant sale.
Staying in touch also can mean showing that you are different from the competition whose only interest is in sell-sell-sell.
But, you may ask, shouldn’t selling now always be our concern? In one sense yes, but so should the longer term sales being a nice to know firm that is helpful is good too.
The way companies do this these days is through sending a regular informative email to their past customers. An email that talks about issues of mutual interest as well as product or service.
The objection from those who don’t do it is, “no one reads all this junk email”. Those who do it, and build up the conversation, don’t answer back – because they know that when the quality of text is right, they will get the sales.
The approach is called “Sponsored Conversation”. It’s what we do – we can (if you wish) gather up the email addresses of your clients and send them regular pieces (which of course you approve). Or, if you prefer, you can do it all yourself. We write emails for a wide range of customers – or we can work with you so you can see which approaches really do work.
Sponsored Conversations have a major impact and are responsible for the growth of many companies that have defied the recession.
If you’d like to talk about it, give me a call on 01536 399 013. If you’d like a quote for us doing all or part of it for you, please do call. If you want to see what it would cost to have us do all the sending, that’s on http://www.emails.gs/ownlists.html But remember, that’s just the technology. It’s the creative bit that is far more important.
Tony Attwood