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The calendar becomes your week-by-week or month-by-month roadmap for what you will be doing to reach your audience—the gameplan itself that will keep you focused on your goals. By knowing what is coming up well in advance, you will be able to plan accordingly and execute successfully.
The purchase rarely happens right away, and it is therefore crucial to stay in touch with potential customers consistently over long-term. This will gradually convince them that you are company of choice, and allow them to overcome their fears and objections. Cutting through clutter of SPAM and regular mail, billboards, radio, and TV—just to name a few—takes time. You need to stand out and have something useful to say.
To establish expertise and win audiences over, try these ideas:
1. A letter announcing an upcoming event. Hold a special event (presentation, seminar) and make a big deal about it.
2. A follow-up call on letter. This is different than cold-calling, as you are specifically referencing this special event, of potential interest to that targeted individual.
3. The actual event. Whether showcasing some product, covering some aspect of investing, health-related matters—this brings you face-to-face with your audience, allowing for unparalleled interaction.
4. A document follow-up to that event. You might choose to make available information from event, for those who were not able to attend. More educational material to draw them closer to you.
5. A case study or useful article that is mailed out. Not written about you, but about a topic relating to your business or industry. The case study is a powerful tool for discussing how you solved a customer’s problems, and can include testimonials that are worth gold.
6. An email announcement. Something useful that you recommend that could be of benefit to your audience. Only to those who have opted in, of course.
Bottom line: do not bore or annoy your audience! Give them educational and interesting materials without actually selling (the beauty and power of successful Marketing). You will be educating them towards time when they choose to purchase from you—and there is nothing like working with a customer who already knows all about you and what you do…
Josh Barinstein is President of Red Frog, Inc., the Portland, Oregon ad agency that provides worry-free experiences and powerful results in the areas of Marketing, Print design, Web/CD-ROM development, and Video production.
Learn more at www.RedFrogInc.com or by calling 888-955-0550.
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