Your Customer List is Solid Gold

I recently had the chance to talk candidly with several small business and solo entrepreneurs. One mentioned she was going to have a booth to show her wares at a community festival in the next few weeks. I mentioned that I had not gotten a notice or an invitation to that. She looked puzzled. She said something like "it's only a booth at a festival, who would want to come to that?" From that I figured she did not use her mailing list with any frequency or marketing plan and that turned out to be true.

This business owner was missing out on a golden opportunity to make more sales, to build relationships with her clients and potential clients, and to build her brand identity. She has ambitious goals and her mailing list could be a primary part of her marketing strategy. Many solo entrepreneurs and small business owners are in the same boat. It is not uncommon but it certainly leaves money on the table!

Here were her concerns (paraphrased and interpreted) about emailing those on her list:

1. I don't want to bug them.
2. Why would they want to see my stuff, they already bought from me.
3. I would be embarrassed to "toot my own horn" with them.
4. What would I say in an invitation.

In this case, she had developed a new line that would be exhibited in the booth. She had kept a list, but did not use it. Here are the ideas I gave her and the rest of the group.

1. Determine what your own rules are for how frequently you contact your list. For example, do you contact those in your local area more frequently than those far away? Do you limit to twice a week or twice a month or twice a year? You may have to test these frequencies to see what works.
2. Determine how to segment your list. Buyers versus inquiries? All in one? Local versus distance? Gender? Age? Occupation? Depending on your business, any or all of these can be a reasonable way to segment your list.
3. Create a strategy for contacting your customers. Do you send out an newsletter (either email or snail mail)? How often? That counts as a contact each time you send it out. Do you send out seasonal sales notices? Birthday or Anniversary cards? Holiday cards? Each counts as a contact with your list. How about blog reminders each time your blog is updated? Do you contact each time you have a speaking engagement, an exhibition at a career fair, industry conference, or are giving a workshop?
4. Be sure you have the right tools to make the contact as easy as possible. For example, e-zine templates and leads lists, blogs and autoresponders all make this job easier.
5. Follow all spam laws. Learn about what is allowed and not. Keep your lists clean.
6. All of your marketing pieces are a way of allowing potential customers and clients a way to get to know you and your products and services better. They can be as sales like as you wish, but also should give a flavor of who you are. I think of them as conversations, not as sales or marketing pieces.
7. All marketing communication should mirror your company's image (casual, fun, folksy, executive/professional, edgy, etc.) You should be presenting a consistent image and message.
8. Tooting your own horn is a good thing! It can be done low key or screaming out loud, whichever is your style. Announcing you won an award or have been chosen to exhibit or speak or author a chapter are great ways to toot your own horn. Showing your wares and inviting others to see them is a way of tooting your own horn. If you do not communicate the excellence and value of your products and services, who will?

So, in the case above, I encouraged this professional to send an email or snail mail note announcing she would be exhibiting her "new line" at a booth at the festival and to be sure and stop by to visit and see what's new in her work.

All content copyrighted, 2006, Life Unfolds and Mary Anne Fields. All rights reserved.