The Perfect Gift for Our CustomersWritten by Dave Balch
It's holidays again and we all want to do something for our customers, right? We want to let them know how much we appreciate them and their business, and we want to wish them and their families a wonderful holiday season. Mostly, though, we'd like to score some big points so they will continue to be our customers! (Maybe we're just afraid we'll look stupid if we don't do anything at all…)What to do for them? Buy a gift they may or may not want or need? Wine? Maybe they don't drink. Candy? Maybe they are watching their weight. Calendars? Desk stuff? When's last time that you received something like that from someone that you do business with? Did you like/want/need/appreciate it? My guess is "No". So what can you do that everyone will appreciate without breaking bank? Consider this: donation cards. I have used this concept with great success. Here's what worked for me. Print post cards that are self-addressed/postage-paid on one side. On other side put a holiday message to effect "Thank you for your continued support during past year. In lieu of a gift of some sort, we felt a charitable donation in your name would be more in keeping with holiday spirit….", a place for name and address, and a list of charities from which they could choose. (You can see and borrow a sample from http://www.TheStayAtHomeCEO.com/donationcard.htm ) For AOL users: Click Here Bingo! Holiday shopping is complete, you have complete control over cost, and your customers will love it. Some thoughts:
| | Use Sensory Media To Get PublicityWritten by Ana Ventura
A few months ago, I was pulling out of a parking lot when a huge van caught my eye. It wasn't vehicle so much as fact that there was a gigantic television screen attached to back. I was so wrapped up in watching screen that when van pulled out of my view, I finally remembered that I was driving, not in a position to be paying attention to anything other than road.No, I'm not going to give you a ten point guide to safe driving. The idea here is that our society is becoming more attune to electronic information everyday, whether it happens to be through computers, Internet, or traveling TV screens. More people are getting their daily dose of news or information from CNN.com, or twenty four hour a day news channel, or from radio on drive home. It's imperative to remember that while print can still be a great form of marketing or public relations contacts, our minds are much more used to pulling in sensory information from electronic sources. Furthermore, intimacy of radio, television, and sometimes Internet can give you upper hand when it comes to selling yourself to prospects. Seeing your face, hearing your voice, or getting to view actual product are big factors in easing natural anxieties many prospective buyers have when it comes to purchasing.
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