Give Before You Take: the Art of Nurturing Leads
So much of business is common sense, it pains me to write about it. Yet so much that business owners do goes against simple common sense that…well… I guess I just have to point out the obvious. Here’s today’s topic: give before you take. Imagine you meet someone for the first time and they say,…
ABC – Always Be Collecting (and Double Your Leads)
Always Be Closing – that’s the sales mantra made famous by the movie Glengarry Glen Ross. But I have another ABC. Always Be Collecting. Always be collecting contact info from your visitors so you can keep in touch. Because if you’re not always collecting, you’re seeing potential clients walk out the door. I’ve ramped up…
How to Shoot Yourself in the Foot During a Recession
Ding! Here comes an email from a client. “We need to cancel our newsletter membership because business is slow.” Here’s the thing (and whack me if it sounds self-serving, because it’s not meant to be): Now’s not the time to be cutting back on your marketing. It’s time to be investing in your marketing –…
How to Use a Newsletter to Prove that a ‘Commodity’ Product Can Be Special
Here’s a fascinating case study from a company that sends out a newsletter in every box of eggs it produces. Yes, eggs that come with their own newsletter. I’ll give you what I see as the big takeaway first: You might think that eggs is eggs. But, as we’re told, some eggs are better than…
How to Avoid Boring People with Your Newsletter
I went to my dentist this week. Great guy. Excellent dentist. Super team. He makes me want to floss. He also has a newsletter – at least he used to. I didn’t see it this time. I didn’t get to ask if it was working for him, but I suspect it wasn’t too well. Why?…
How to Use Newsletters to Bring in New Business
I was asked by a member of my insurance newsletters service last week about the best way to use newsletters to bring in new business. Here’s what I will tell him. Of course, this applies to any business – not just insurance. Why Newsletters Work to Bring in New Business Newsletters are most famously used…
This Ain’t the Corporate Newsletter
Not far from where I live in Toronto there’s a bookstore called This Ain’t the Rosedale Library. (Rosedale, for those who aren’t from here, is the city’s most upscale neighborhood.) This Ain’t the Rosedale Library is an alternative bookstore – some of its titles wouldn’t sit comfortably in Rosedale drawing rooms. So think of this:…
How to Make Writing Your Newsletter Easier
For many people, writing a newsletter is somewhere down there with going to the dentist, washing the car and clearing out the eves troughs. A right royal pain in the butt. The thing is, you can’t see it like that if you are going to continue with your newsletter for the long term. (And the…
5 Reasons Why Your Business Needs a Newsletter
Here’s what I believe: Every Business Needs a Newsletter. No excuses. Even funeral homes. Here are 5 reasons why: 1. Monsters in the Dark (because, especially right now, people want to do business with people they know and trust) Trust is at a premium these days. After all, who can we trust? Not the banks…
The Long Tail of Newsletters
I often hear stories that clients consider amazing. It goes something like this: I sent my newsletter to this person six months ago. And today they called me! Can you believe they kept the newsletter all that time and then got in touch? Well, yes, I can. If the newsletter is good. Here’s the thing:…
Why 2009 is the Year of the Customer Relationship
I was tweeting with a friend (yes, I’m on Twitter now – follow me!) who had some exciting news to share. It was a wonderful way for her to start the new year. We agreed that 2009 is going to be a very good year for people with enough get-up-and-go to take the bold action…
The #1 Secret to a Successful Newsletter
I was involved in an interesting discussion about newsletter marketing the other week. Some of the entrepreneurs I was talking with used newsletters – or at least believed in their value. Two questions were raised: What should a newsletter contain? And how often should you send it? Of course, there are no easy answers to…
Is Price and Choice all People Want?
It's very easy to buy things cheaply (see Wal-Mart). It's also easy to have a huge choice (see Amazon). But is that all people want? And if you decide they want more, what can you do about it? Think about this: You want to grow your business, and the way to do that is by…
Are You Nice Enough?
Niceness is much underrated, especially in business. After all, it's difficult to put a dollar value on a smile. But you know what? Niceness pays. I'm choosing between two satellite TV providers right now. One is my current supplier – and I really like their customer service. The people on the phone are friendly. They're…
What Links Dell, Your Business, Blogs and Newsletters?
Dell has launched a content-rich website called Digital Nomads. It’s aimed at people who, thanks to technology, can work and play wherever they like – people who aren’t tied to an office location. Here’s why Dell is being so smart. Dell is creating a community based upon a common passion. It’s serving that community on…
Why Customer Service Beats Low Prices
If you wanted any more evidence that now – despite the rough economy – is not the time to go cutting price, look at the results of the latest poll published by Marketing Sherpa (see chart at end of this post). It shows that while vendors believe price is the most important factor in customer…
How to encourage newsletter readers to contact you again
One of the main reasons for having a newsletter is to build a relationship with your clients and prospects. A way to deepen that relationship is to encourage readers to interact with your content. Increasing the amount of interaction has several benefits: People spend longer with your newsletter – and hence with you People change…