Part 2 - Attractive Emails to Send to Customers

Let’s focus on what should be included in your monthly emails.

When it comes to emailing your customers, here’s a list of rules:

1. Be consistent by sending something every month.

2. Make it short.

3. Teach your customers one thing or provide a resource for free.

4. When appropriate, let your email customers be the first to find out about new products.

5. Always give them an action step.

Okay….so let’s go through each of the above so you’ll know exactly what to do.

1. When you’re consistently sending emails you are proving to your customers that you’re reliable….you can be counted on…..you’re in this for the duration. That’s the message. People want that kind of security in knowing they can count on you. Plus, it gives them a chance to forward your information to people, which will increase other’s awareness of you.

2. You have two groups of people who will be reading your monthly emails: readers and skimmers. You’ll want to tailor your information to the skimmers because the readers will read every word because that’s just what they do! They’d read your stuff even if it were 20 pages long and then wonder why you didn’t write 10 more pages. However, if a skimmer opens your email and sees the little bar on the right has to extend way too far down the page before the end, you’ve lost them. Get to your point quickly. Most people are busy and they just won’t take the time for a long email.

3. Always teach something new or provide a resource for free. This is my favorite one because you will capture the hearts of your customers for life if you commit to this! Let me give you some examples that will get your creative juices flowing:

Food Companies: Send a recipe or a tip to make cooking easier.

Picture Companies: Give customers a decorating idea or a tip for organizing pictures quickly.

Entertaining Companies: Recipes and fun entertaining ideas.

Decorating Companies: Share seasonal decorating tips and trends. My favorite is when someone takes one product and shows 3 different ways it can be used in my home!

Educational Companies: Ideas for sharing time together with kids and simple/fun activities to do with them. Highlight one of your books and how you’ve used it with your own kids.

Beauty Companies: What’s the latest trend in makeup and colors? What happens if I don’t wash my skin daily? What happens if I mix and match skin care products….you get the idea!

Pet Care Companies: How can I better care for my pet? What’s the latest in research and trends for pet care? How can I make things easier when I travel with a pet? What hotel chains now accommodate pet owners?

Candle Companies: Unique decorating ideas for my candles. Is there research about the emotions that different scents will cause? What are your candles made from and why? Educate your people and cause them to think.

Clothing Companies: What are the seasonal trends and colors? Provide quick tips for packing clothing when going on vacation. How can I buy one shirt and make it work for 3 different outfits?

Jewelry Companies: What’s hot for the season? How do I know which piece of jewelry looks best for various occasions? What’s the best way to clean and take care of my jewelry?

Create a file folder and label it “ideas.” Each time you think of something you could include in your email newsletter, write it down and tuck it into your folder. It will make life so much easier for you when you sit down to write.

Another really great tool is to use your customers’ questions. When someone asks you a question (and it’s a good one), then write it down, along with your answer and put it in your newsletter. Your customers will love this!

4. When your company unveils some new products, include this information in your newsletter. Let your email customers have the privilege of being the first to find out about them. Again….you may want to highlight one new product and do your teaching around this item.

5. Present action steps. After you’ve signed your name, provide a P.S. and give them your actions steps.

Do you want them to visit your website?

Then say this:

P.S. Please visit my website at http://www.tonyagrimes.com/artman/publish/cat_index_8.shtml to read Part 1 of this newsletter. (This is for real for those of you who missed last month’s Part 1 newsletter on this subject!)

Do you want your customers to place an order for the new products?

Then type this:

P.S. You can be one of the first to entertain guests with this new place setting. Please visit my website: http://www.PutYourWebsiteAddressHere.com to get yours now.

These email newsletter tips will help you to create loyal and committed customers. It will help you to gain referrals which will increase your sales and recruiting. It’s such a win for everyone involved.

Have a GREAT and productive week!

Tonya, Owner
Dynamic Performance Institute, Inc.
"Helping Consultants Get Back to the Basics!"
http://www.TonyaGrimes.com

Copyright 2007. Dynamic Performance Institute, Inc.

Permission is granted to post this newsletter on your website and forward it as long as all contact information remains.

Controlling Your Customer List - Part 1

How long should I keep inactive customers on my mailing list?

Every month or every quarter I send out a mailing with no response.....should I bother sending anymore out?

Is anyone reading my literature or is it just a handy piece of paper to get a campfire going? Mmmm....love those S'mores!

When you look at your customer list do you think:

1. Organized....all under control. I'm happy with my system; or

2. Look at this mess! I think I'll just go to bed and sleep so I don't have to think about it.

While some of you (and a very small few) have your customer list and mailings under control, the majority of you just brushed your teeth and put on your pajamas to settle down for a long winter's nap......just so you don't need to clutter your brain with this customer list thing!

I'm going to teach you some simple strategies that will help you to develop a cost-effective system for keeping in touch with your customers.

Have everyone at your parties fill out this information:

Name

Address

Home Phone

Email

Best Time to Reach You

(I loved using index cards because I filed them for future reference)

Let's hang out here and talk about this information for a few minutes. What information on the above list will people be reluctant to give to you?

You answered correctly if you said email. It's interesting the information that people are reluctant to give to you is the most important thing you need to collect.

So, what's the big deal about needing email addresses...... and if it's so important, how do you go about getting it without begging, bribing, and throwing a fit?

When you put someone on your email list and you send out a monthly e-newsletter to keep in touch, it costs you nothing.......no money out of your pocket......cash stays in your bank account! That alone should cause you to want walk over hot coals barefooted to get email addresses. It's the most cost-effective way to stay in touch with your customers.

Email is also like germs when someone sneezes.....they get passed on real fast! I love email germs. It's called the forward button.......and each time someone forwards your newsletter, word of mouth spreads quickly about your business.

How long should you keep someone on your email list....even if they are inactive customers? Until they tell you to take them off or they die!

How long should you keep someone on your customer list if you send out literature through the mail? First of all, why are you still sending stuff through the mail? It costs a lot of money for very little return. It may have been the way to do effective business in the past, but times have changed. Taking advantage of technology will give you the edge over consultants who refuse to adapt to the new ways of doing business.

If you use email as your primary means of consistent communication, then you don't need to worry about sorting through your customers. Before email, I used to sift through my 2,000 customers each year, taking off those people who had not been active for a year.....meaning they didn't have a party, give me a referral, or purchase products in a year. It was time consuming, but was essential in keep mailing costs reasonable and me profitable.

Email has made the whole process of doing business so simple!

So, we're back to this......how do you get these people at the party to offer their email addresses? While you can't twist their arm, you can make it beneficial by offering specials for those who are willing to be put on your email list.

The announcement at your party would go something like this:

'Please fill out this card and don't forget to write down your email address because I offer specials only to those on my email list.'

Now you'll need to think of some specials to periodically offer your email people:

Purchase this new product (or a certain $ amount) and you'll receive ________ for free. (Something that is a high perceived value to your customers but doesn't cost you a lot.)

Refer one person this month and receive ______________.

Book a party for the end of the month and I'll raise your order level to the next level so you can get more free items.

These are just some thought starters to get your creative juices flowing!

I know what you're thinking......what if someone tells me they don't have an email address? Remember, the periodic specials are for people who give you their email address....period! I might add this comment to the person: 'Who do you know who has email and they could print the information out for you?' Point made....problem solved! They can do what they want with this newly presented information.

In Part 2, I'll share with you some details about what should be included in your email newsletters. In the meantime, be collecting as many email addresses as possible!

Success to you!

Tonya, Owner
Dynamic Performance Institute, Inc.
'Helping Consultants Get Back to the Basics!'
http://www.TonyaGrimes.com

© 2007 Dynamic Performance Institute, Inc
All rights reserved

Permission granted to add this to your website and blog, as long as Tonya's contact information is included.