6 Ways To Stay In Touch With Your Clients
Staying in touch is an effective marketing tool because it keeps you at the top of the list with your clients and prospects. Here are six simple low cost ways you can stay in touch with your clients or customers:
- Create an eNewsletters
Build on your relationship by sharing industry news, special offers, or invitations to events. Importantly, eNewsletters contain links to drive traffic back to your website. This means people will see more of your brand image, and can read about your products and services. - Sponsor Events In Your Community
If the opportunity presents itself, sponsor your community church, school or sports team. Your contribution does not have to be monetary. Give of yourself—give your time. - Use Postcards For Announcements
Postcards are not used for coupons or sales only. Send a birthday wish or boast about an industry award. There are an infinite number of things to share with your customers using the postcard. - Share Articles
You can stay in touch with your clients by reading newspapers and magazines. Be aware of your clients’ interests to occasionally clip an article or a quote that might interest them. Don’t forget to forward pertinent Internet stories (no jokes or chain letters please). - Send A Hand Written Note
Never underestimate the power of a simple thank-you note, remembering a date or a place that’s important to a client, or a note of congratulations. - Take Your Client To Lunch Just Because
No sales pitch, no pressure—have lunch (or breakfast or coffee) just to shoot the breeze. Catch up on new interests, problems, additions to the family, etc. Then follow up with a note saying “it was fantastic to catch up with you today, here is an article on preparing your child for college…”
Website Design: Template or Custom (Part II)?
Last week’s post discussed the pros and cons of using a template for your website design. Let’s now review the pros and cons of a custom website design.
Custom Web Design Pros
- Custom layout
- Search engine friendly
- Built for your needs
- Scalability
Custom Web Design Cons
- Takes longer to design
- Higher Costs
With a custom website coding and page design is done from scratch. Therefore it takes longer to create. However, a professional designer will give you a website that will grow with your company, blend with your printed marketing collateral (enhance your brand) as well as give you credibility with your target audience.
The more professional looking your website is, the better your chances of attracting customers, producing leads and phone calls. When deciding if you should use a custom or template website design, keep in mind that you want your business to stand out from the crowd and be memorable.
Having a website that looks nice is only part of the marketing package. Custom or template you will have to work on search engine optimization (SEO). So how do you choose? Ultimately you should find out the cost of each method. Include the time it is going to take you learn how to use a website template and compare that to the cost of a custom website design where you will have time to market or build your product in the same time frame.
Whichever way you decide to go, template or custom design, remember that websites are an extension of you and your business. While templates may save you time and money in the short-run, a personalized design will always be more beneficial in the longer run.
Website Design: Template or Custom (Part I)?
I recently sent out a proposal for branding the company of a small business owner. For illustrative purposes we will call the client Joan.
Joan was on a very tight budget as all start-ups are. I mentioned to Joan that instead of a custom website we could cut cost and time considerably if we customize a template for her. I told Joan a website is like building a house from the ground up or purchasing a ready-made new home. Here is what I shared with Joan to help her decide.
Template Web Design Pros
- Customizable
- Wide selection of premade and turnkey templates
- Quick turnaround time
- Very low cost
Template Web Design Cons
- Design not unique
- Customization may be limited
- Coding errors that prevent SEO (reducing chances that visitors can easily find you)
- Generic look of design (not branded)
With templates, the graphic design part of the work has already been done; you pay a licensing fee to use that template, as long as you comply with the terms of the license. Website templates are cheap, but like everything else you will get exactly what you pay for.
If you are a client looking to save money and time, we suggest going with a website template and finding a professional web designer that will customize a pre-made template design for you. Beware of web design scams from designers who sell premade templates as unique custom designs!
Next week I will share the pros and cons of custom website designs.
Client Perception is Everything: Avoid Bad Sales Collateral
Making a good impression is the top secret weapon of choice for salespeople. Sales collateral is a major part of a salesperson’s “good impression” toolkit. Sales collateral include business card, brochure, promotion gift, sell sheet, and anything designed for a salesperson to increase his/her client base.
Have you ever looked at a business card, flyer, website or postcard and immediately said I would never do business with this company or you simply dismissed the company and said next? That is your client perception working.
Some companies use collateral that hurt sales. According to Alexander Hiam, author of Marketing For Dummies, in choosing your sales collateral, avoid the following:
Plastic: cheap plastic folders, clear plastic page protectors, or big, ugly plastic sample cases all say tacky and cheap to prospects. Use high-quality papers and favor cloth or leather cases and bindings, if at all possible.
Amateur designs and layouts: Sure, anyone can design sales and marketing materials in this era of high-quality laser printers, but most people shouldn’t. Amateurs often create poor-looking, confusing layouts. Their work just doesn’t have that special look that characterizes fine design —and the better prospects notice.
Errors: An amazing number of factual and spelling errors exist in sales collateral. Salespeople perpetually have to make corrections or explain errors in front of prospects, which is like saying, “Please use our business. Of course, we can’t even type a spec sheet accurately, but we can muddle through your order somehow.” Right.
Omissions: Most salespeople go on calls without all the collateral materials and information they need to do a great job. They don’t have a good brochure. Their business cards don’t have the current address or the company’s fax number and website. The price list is out of date. Their order form is a cheap pad bought at the local stationery store.
As you send your salespeople out in the field, arm them with good collateral. Help them to be sucessful so that your company can inturn be succesful as well.
Choosing The Right Color For Your Brand
This article was inspired by President Obama’s first State of the Union address. I noticed he wore a red tie with white stripes and Vice President Biden wore a blue tie with red and white stripes. I laughed at myself as I knew the colors were chosen by someone who knew the meaning / symbolism of color. What did our leaders’ tie scream at me? Red, White and Blue—“America”!
Colors are non-verbal communication. They have symbolism and color meanings. Therefore, as you create your brand identity it is helpful to keep in mind how the eye and the mind perceive certain colors and the color meanings we associate with each color. Here is a list of common colors used in business identities and their meaning*:
RED
Warmth, Love, Anger, Danger, Boldness, Excitement, Speed, Strength, Determination, Desire, Courage
ORANGE
Cheerfulness, Low Cost, Affordability, Enthusiasm, Stimulation, Creativity
YELLOW
Attention-Grabbing, Comfort, Liveliness, Cowardliness, Hunger, Optimism, Overwhelm, Summer, Comfort, Liveliness, Intellect, Happiness, Energy
GREEN
Durability, Reliability, Environmental, Luxurious, Optimism, Well-Being, Nature, Calm, Relaxation, Spring, Safety, Honesty, Optimism, Harmony, Freshness
BLUE
Peace, Professionalism, Loyalty, Reliability, Honor, Melancholia, Boredom, Coldness, Winter, Depth, Stability, Professionalism, Honor, Trust
PURPLE
Power, Royalty, Nobility, Elegance, Sophistication, Artificial, Luxury, Mystery, Royalty, Elegance, Magic
GRAY
Conservatism, Traditionalism, Intelligence, Serious, Dull, Uninteresting
BROWN
Relaxing, Confident, Casual, Reassuring, Nature, Earthy, Solid, Reliable, Genuine, Autumn, Endurance
BLACK
Elegance, Sophistication, Formality, Power, Strength, Illegality, Depression, Morbidity, Night
WHITE
Cleanliness, Purity, Newness, Virginity, Peace, Innocence, Simplicity, Sterility, Snow
Before you launch your brand identity, consider your goals and what reaction you hope to receive from your target audience. Also keep in mind that culture dictates color meaning hence subtle variations in the international business world.
Look at your brand identity…Did you choose a color that represents you, your culture, and your beliefs?
