Send 100 or more of your best clients and customers a two page 'added value' newsletter once a month. Do this by good old fashioned 'snail mail' and not email. Photo / Thinkstock
Here's one of the simplest ways I know to get regular repeat and referral sales from existing clients and customers.
Step One:
Send 100 or more of your best clients and customers a two page 'added value' newsletter once a month.
Do this by good old fashioned 'snail mail' and not email.
Step Two:
Enclose a cover letter with the newsletter.
Have the cover letter explain why you are sending the added value newsletter and mention (in a low key way) one product or service that might be of interest.
Invite the client receiving your newsletter to make contact (or give you a referral) if they have an interest in the product or service that you mention.
Step Three:
Next month do the same thing.
Send 100 or more of your clients and customers a two page added value newsletter once a month.
Do this by good old fashioned 'snail mail' and not email.
Enclose a cover letter with the newsletter.
Have the cover letter explain why you are sending the added value newsletter and mention (in a low key way) one product or service that might be of interest.
Invite the client receiving your newsletter to make contact (or give you a referral) if they have an interest in the product or service you mention.
Step Four:
Keep using this simple strategy every month.
Here's what happens when you use this simple strategy consistently.
First of all you create 100 clients and customers who will really appreciate the added value that you send them each month.
(And by using 'snail mail' instead of email you will get close to a 100 per cent readership rate of your added value newsletter and cover letter.)
Secondly you make it very easy for these same clients and customers to give you repeat or referral business.
The underlying principle here is called 'Reciprocation'.
This just means if you do something nice for me I want to do something nice for you.
The end result from using this strategy consistently is that you now have 100 clients and customers that want to do something nice for you each month.
• Some may choose to give you repeat business
• Some may choose to give you referrals.
• Some may even give you positive feedback and helpful testimonials.
All you need to do is keep using the strategy with at least 100 clients or customers each month.
Why do I suggest 100 clients or customers?
Posting a two page added value newsletter to 100 customers or clients is relatively simple and inexpensive to do.
Printing and postage will cost you around $200 a month to mail a two page newsletter to 100 people. And $200 a month (or $50 a week) is relatively affordable for many businesses.
What type of businesses is this strategy useful for?
I think that this strategy can be used by most businesses as long as the minimum profit you make on one new sale is at least $200. That way you only need to make one sale a month and you will break even using this strategy.
Make two sales a month and you are now making a profit.
In my experience, if you consistently add value like this to 100 existing clients it is common to get 5 or more new sales or good quality referrals every single month.
The real key here is consistency.
Every month you send by 'snail mail' an added value two page newsletter to 100 clients and customers.
And tell them about one product or service you have that may be of interest.
One of the best things about this strategy is that very few businesses use it.
So it's also a handy way to give your business a positive point of difference from many of your competitors as well.
'The well-satisfied customer will bring the repeat sale that counts.'
James Cash Penney
Action Exercise
For Herald readers that would like more information on this strategy just email me using the email link at the top or bottom of this column.
Tell me the type of business you have and the city or town you are located in.
I'll give you a free information pack that explains exactly what should be in an added value newsletter, a sample cover letter that you could use with this type of newsletter and how to have the whole thing 'done for you' to save you time.
Chris and Lee-Anne Minturn talk to Tom Raynel about the Jewellers Collective.