You are dead on again as usual.

Both in regards to personalization (hand-written notes) and the need for constant and regular contacts with our customers & prospects. Fact is, one letter or card per year just won't have much of an effect.

Personalized cards, postcards & notes are very powerful not only in acquiring new customers, but in retaining, reviving and growing existing and inactive ones.

Form letters or anything resembling a boilerplate letter will not “reach” your customer on a personal level, it just won't reach his heart. It very likely may even p*ss him off.

That personal connection just isn't there.

Think about communications you've received from your vendors, suppliers, service professionals, etc. If you get a form letter in the mail asking for your business (or for repeat business) there's a high probability it will end up in the round file. Realtors and mortgage professionals, while well-meaning, are notorious for this.

Yet, consistently send (at least six times per year is recommended) personal notes of gratitude or appreciation to ALL of your customers & prospects and magic will start to happen. They will reward you with more business and, even more exciting, more referrals.

Nothing beats a referral from a happy customer or associate for this simple reason: IT COSTS YOU NOTHING TO ACQUIRE THIS CUSTOMER! Of course, there are many reasons why we should work on getting more referrals, but this reason alone is priceless (no pun intended).

Just think if there were a system that could enable business owners to follow-up with customers on a regular basis with personalized hand written notes…and allow them to schedule these mailings to be sent out in a time-sequential order of your choosing, throughout the year. Automatically. Talk about dominating your market…

Now, there is.

Thank you Ray, for the privilege of contributing to your tremendous source of marketing knowledge. I'm always a better marketer (and business person) after reading your articles.

For that, I thank you. Until next time…

Best always,

Jim
http://twitter.com/Referral_Pro

First, because the initial post in this series was bound to get the bulk of the comments.

Second, because today is one of the biggest holidays in the US — Thanksgiving Day. Only on Christmas Day will there be fewer people a their keyboards.

Glad to hear from our Oz contingent!

It's really about listening to, and caring about, what your market wants and thinks.

I've noticed your business pushing out more in this direction — Instant Business Answers is a good example of your responding to what your market really wants from you.

Keep it up!

In my last post I said I would watch this series with interest –here I am..

By the shortage of comments on this article it appears the bulk of readers see the written word as of little consequence in cyber selling ; however the point you make has real significance to the “intention” word — May I enlarge as follows :-

In my bricks & mortar coaching I impress this mantra upon my students— ” Your prospect s don't care that you know until they know that you care” — This can be solidly brought home by reversing the situation — putting one's self in the prospects “shoes” — feel the road through their moccasins !! Totally appropriate in any form of ethical selling !!

The appropriate handwritten means of expression carries one's “energy” which can be acknowledged by the unconscious mind of the recipient (given that it is engaged).
The phrase “in good faith” springs to mind.

I 've added “Downunder” to my sig.because I am located in Australia — More later.

Excellent post and I love the detail you provided in how to follow up after the thank you note.

Even though it's something we have thought about, the reason it's so effective is because so few people will actually take the time to do it.

Great job Ray – looking forward to the rest of the series

All the best.

Stu

First, Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.

I'm grateful for the service you give to all of us
who eagerly consume what you willingly share.

This poignant post, along with the first in this
series, points out the value of the simple things
business owners and managers can do that are
so often overlooked or taken for granted in our
culture of just buying more ad space to try to
grow a business.

These are indeed “secrets from the lost art of
common sense marketing”, a phrase that was
used as the title of a book and a newsletter many
years ago that taught similar techniques.

I look forward to seeing the balance of the gems
in this series.

Your friend in and out of the trenches,

@MichaelMillman ~ Twitter