Inspire Action Once you’ve used your marketing message to grab hold of your prospects’ attention, be it at your website, after reading one of your ads or an article you’ve written, be sure you clearly instruct them to take action you want. It doesn’t matter what action is as long as it requires them to provide you their contact information so you may continue marketing to them.

Offer something useful and free in exchange for their information. Give away free recipes if you’re a caterer or tips on designing bouquets if you’re a florist. Just be certain to give clear directions about what should be done next to move your sales process along.

Build a Relationship After you’ve successfully culled from your prospects’ their contact information it is now time for you to develop a relationship with them. The nature of relationship you develop should be one that makes it clear that you know your prospect is out there, that you understand your prospects’ problems and that you can help solve your prospects’ problems.

Common methods for developing relationships with prospects are distributing articles, publishing an ezine and conducting surveys. Be sure to include your marketing message with every article, ezine or survey.

Over time you will become obvious solution to your clients’ problems when they decide to take action to solve what concerns them.

Move Your Marketing forward Using each of above methods will help you position your business much like a champion chess player positions his pieces. In end victory and more sales will be yours.

Copyright 2005, Jeremy Cohen and Better Marketing Results

Specialize in postcards. It shouldn’t just do postcards among other printing jobs. You’ll pay less because company gang-prints cards. In other words, company will print many different postcards in one large press run.

Have some marketing knowledge and experience. The company should be able to advise you on mailing lists, design and quantities.

Offer UV coating (laminated), full-color and 4 1/4-by-6 in. postcards. This ensures you get highest-quality look and biggest post card you can for lowest mailing rate. The UV coating is essential for a very high gloss finish to make your product look good.

Help with photography. Getting a good picture is vital to success of your postcard. You might pay $150 to $1200+ for photography and, generally, you get what you pay for. However, some photographers do a good job without charging earth. Your postcard company should have contacts with photographers. Once you find a company (it doesn’t have to be local – many do business with stores all over U.S.), ask for advice on creating postcard. Many companies will help with everything from determining whether you should mail to your existing customers, mailing lists of potential customers or both. The company also will send you proofs. Make sure any corrections you request are made so you’re happy with final product.