Use Email Marketing to Keep Your
Customers Buzzing About Your
Business
The
other day my radio show cohost, Paul Finley,
mentioned that he had received
an email from his dentist. The
point of the email was to let
Paul know that his office would
be closed for a week and
included instructions on what to
do in case of a dental
emergency.
Obviously Paul’s dentist reads
my column because I’ve been
preaching about using email to
keep in touch with customers for
years. OK, maybe he doesn’t
read my column and is just a
brilliant guy in his own right.
Either way, the point is clear:
using email – no matter what
type of business you’re in – is
an excellent way to keep the
lines of communication buzzing
between you and those folks who
keep you in business.
You’ll notice that I didn’t
say to keep the lines of
communication “open.” I
said to keep the lines of
communication “buzzing,” as
in active, as in constantly
communicating messages that will
entice them back into your
business.
The difference is huge. “Open”
simply means that you’re there
if and when your customers
happen to think about you.
“Buzzing” means that you
proactively do things to keep
your business in the forefront
of your customer’s mind.
Instead of waiting for them to
come in only when they need
something, you send emails that
give them reasons to come in as
soon as possible. You don’t
wait for Mohammed to come to the
mountain; you send the mountain
to Mohammed via email.
It’s called “email marketing”
and every business – including
yours – should be doing it.
Don’t confuse email marketing
with spamming. The emails you
send your customers are never
unsolicited or intrusive. You
get their permission to send
them occasional emails that are
of benefit to them. And by
benefiting them you increase
your business and solidify your
relationship with the customer.
Ideally you should collect email
addresses from everyone who
walks through your door, whether
they buy something or not.
Offer them the opportunity to
sign up for your free email
newsletter or announcement list
and offer them an incentive to
do so, maybe a $10 discount off
their first purchase if they
sign up today. The allure of
saving $10 not only entices them
to give you their email address,
but to also make that first
purchase while they are there to
save the $10. See how that
works? You got them added to
your email list and they made an
immediate purchase. You can now
use email marketing techniques
to turn them from a one time
customer into a repeat customer.
Remember the number one rule of
sales: it’s easier to sell to
current customers than to sell
to new customers. The first
sale is always the hardest. You
should concentrate on building a
legion of repeat customers and
email marketing can help you do
that.
Email should be a part of every
business’s marketing strategy.
If you own a hair or nail salon
you could email customers on
slow days and offer a special
discount if they come in by a
certain time. If you own a
clothing store you could email
your customers every time a new
clothing line comes in or if
you’re having a sale. If
you’re in the furniture business
can email your customers about
excess inventory and offer them
a discount if they come in by a
certain date.
Email marketing works for
professional service providers,
as well. Accountants can email
their clients with special
bulletins about changes in the
tax law or to remind them when
it’s time to file forms.
Stockbrokers can email clients
about changes in the stock
market or to tell about a hot
new IPO that’s on the horizon.
Doctors and dentists can use
email marketing to notify
patients that it’s time for
their annual checkup, to remind
them of impending appointments,
to inform them of new office
hours, or to let them know about
new services. Or perhaps you’re
in practice building mode and
you want to offer a referral
bonus for current patients who
refer their friends and family
to you.
You get the idea. Email
marketing can increase your
business’s revenues, solidify
your reputation, and keep you
fresh on your customer’s mind.
If you have questions about
putting email marketing to work
for your business just shoot me
an email and I’ll point you in
the right direction. Or if
you’ve successfully used email
marketing to increase your
business let me know about it
and I’ll share the news.
I’m sure others would love to
hear about how smart you are.
By Tim Knox
Visit his
Virtual Office on this
site.
