Debbie Mayo-Smith: How to lower your marketing costs

Social media is a good way of marketing. Photo / 123RF

Are you relying only on social media to bring you new business?

Why not instead go first to the people that know you and love you? This makes infinite sense. Whom am I talking about? Your customers of course.

Even if you don't keep a robust database - you must be able to grab a list of your customers.

Let me share this little anecdote that a member of the Electrical and Communications Association Queensland told me.

'Debbie, we had a large contract coming up in a few months. In the interim we needed to take up the slack. Naturally we thought we'd go to our customers first and see if we could get some new business from them.

We initially thought we'd contact 1000 of them with the idea of offering a complimentary check of their external electrical connection. Being afraid to take the leap and cost, we began with a trial of 100 letters.

Would you believe from those 100, we got 80 appointments! In fact we got so much work from that first mail-out we thanked our lucky stars we didn't send all 1000. We couldn't even contemplate any more work, we were so flat out!!!'

Debbie Mayo-Smith aka Ms Effective, gives speeches, seminars and trains on sales and personal productivity. Debbie helps you get more done in less time and increase profitability. Sign up for her monthly quick tip newsletter here.