Your Best Asset as a Business Owner

Your best asset as a business owner is, yes, you guessed it, your clients or customers! But how much do you really know about them? Many entrepreneurs or business owners love having clients, but don't really know much about them. They may track inventory and say widget A is selling better than widget B, therefore, my customers like widget B better. Or they may know that most of them are men or women (unless your clients are all online!). Getting to know, understand and even think like your clients and customers is the best marketing move you can make. Have you ever had a friend or family member that you knew so well that you could buy gifts for them knowing absolutely they will love it? That's the way you should know your customers.

So how do we get to know them? By paying attention and gathering information; even by asking them what they like and don't like. At the very least you should be gathering names and addresses or email addresses depending on the nature of your business. These links to your customers are pure gold in your business. With a strong mailing list (either online or offline or both), you can send new offers to existing customers, send thank you notes, send out a survey asking about new products or new services, or send free "gifts" or enticements to visit your site or blog or store or office. Conventional marketing wisdom says that you must get in front of a potential client or customer at least 7 times, on average, before they recognize who you are and even longer before they will buy. The more you have contact with them, the more they feel they have a relationship with you and that helps to create loyalty. Clients with loyalty will buy more from you and even more important will refer their friends to you.

Here are ten ways to connect with your clients:

1. Send birthday greetings each year
2. Send an anniversary card on the anniversary of when they bought from you
3. Send out a newsletter or ezine
4. Send out thank you note every time some one buys from you
5. Send out a note announcing new products or services
6. Send out a free "report", e-course, article, book review or electronic resource
7. Send a receipt with an additional offer or "free gift" when someone buys from you
8. Send out holiday messages
9. Send out a survey asking for their help defining a new product or service
10. Send a note letting them know you've updated your web-log or website with new info

All blog content is copyrighted, all rights reserved, Mary Anne Fields and Life Unfolds, 2006