2009 Essentials for your Marketing Calendar by Richelle Shaw

[Karen H. Baxter]

Believe it or not, I am not making this up – December is National Write A Business Plan Month

Check it out here: http://www.holidaysforeveryday.com/caldec08.shtml

As an official business plan on a napkin girl, I hear the whiners now. If you do nothing else in December, why not prepare a Marketing Calendar for 2009. I’ve used one since 2002 and it was instrumental in re-building my million dollar business. The calendar took all of the guess work out of my business. Each month, we had an action plan to implement. So much better than, what should we do this month? Or, oh no, sales are down 30% from last year, what can we do to increase sales? Be proactive for 2009!

What needs to be included in your marketing plan for 2009? Over the next 30 days in honor of National Write A Business Plan Month, daily I will provide my Email Marketing Plan Course to help with the planning.

Good Luck

Essential Item #1

Retention Strategies:

In this economy it is most important to hold on to what ya got! You have heard me say many times that there are only 3 ways to grow a business and the most expensive way is new client acquisition. So, one of the most important components of my marketing plan for 2009 is RETENTION of my existing clients.

How do I keep them from leaving my service? How do I put an iron fence around them so that my client feels obligated to continue using my product or service. My favorite and old stand by – the Newsletter!

I finally did what Richelle told me and made my newsletter more personal, with action items and tons of information. Within 10 days, my schedule was full of tax planning clients – normally, they wait until after the New Year, plus this newsletter added a significant amount of unexpected December cashflow. Kelly Welter, CPA www.kklw.com

TIP: A print newsletter is the best and optimum way to stay in contact with your existing customers. It can be as simple as an in office designed postcard printed at Staples or a 28 page full color professionally printed newsletter. NO whiners. This must be done monthly. Not quarterly! Or Random. Monthly is BEST. For every month that you do not keep in touch with your clients, you lose up to 10% of them and the relationship. AND this economy calls for a relationship with your customers to make money.

Much Success!

Richelle Shaw
Author, How to Build A Million Dollar Business in Las Vegas – Without the Casinos

[Karen H. Baxter]

Essential Item #2, still concerning Retention of the existing clients.

by Richelle Shaw
Author, How to Build A Million Dollar Business in Las Vegas - Without the Casinos
www.richelleShaw.com

There is nothing worse than counting a sale, only to have the customer return the item, cancel the program or appointment. How to reduce cancels? Create a Welcome Letter for each new client.
Shortly after the customer buys your product, you must send them a confirmation as well as a detailed step by step description of how doing business with your company is going to work. Be sure to include language in the letter telling them that this was a great decision and how they are to contact you if there is a problem.
At my company, FreshStart Telephone, we implemented a Welcome Letter that actually extended with telephone follow ups, direct mail postcards over a 90 day period to make sure that the customer was happy. We found that if the customer stayed longer than 90 days, they would rarely cancel service. So, our job was to make sure that we stayed in contact with them over the crucial 90 day period. Is there a time frame in your business that is crucial? If you don't know that, add it to your list of things to do this December. Normally, standard is 30 days and the customer is pretty much yours until you screw up. Give answers to frequently asked questions, as well as describe things in your business that you do differently from others in your industry to alleviate buyers remorse.

TIP: Don't send a generic letter. Try to personalize it as much as possible mentioning the product or service purchased, who is the customer's primary contact person and your hours of service to fix any problems that may arise.

In the telephone business, all carriers SUCK. What matters most? Who fixes your problem and understands your needs. Make sure you make it simple for your clients to reach you and do business with you again.

Bonus TIP: Don't miss the opportunity to upsell everyone on an additional product or service

[Karen H. Baxter]

Essential item #3 in your 30 day E-Mail Marketing Plan Course

by Richelle Shaw
Author, How to Build A Million Dollar Business in Las Vegas - Without the Casinos
www.richelleShaw.com


It's Day 3 and we are still working on RETENTION. Look what I have found in coaching lots of entrepreneurs over the last 3 years, is that helping them build a million dollar business lots of times has to do with fixing their internal systems and working on the basics. Another no brainer but somebody's gotta remind you!
Yesterday's tip about sending a detailed welcome letter is so important to keep existing clients and learning how to properly thank your clients can make a huge difference too.

Essential Item#3 - Thank You Cards and/or Gifts
My favorite story to tell is about my friend Carolyn who purchased a $300,000+ house here in Las Vegas and was given a pizza coupon from her realtor and mortgage broker. They did not even give her 2 coupons.
Logically, a pizza coupon is a good gift for a new mover, who wants to unpack boxes and find dishes...however, the commission on the transaction was minimum $9,000. Can't they buy pizza coupons for a year??? Carolyn tells me that she would have rather received a heartfelt card with a personalized message other than an $8 pizza coupon.
My realtor gave me a washer and dryer when I closed on my first house. That was in 1997. 11 years later, I still refer her.
Make sure that you think about a proper gift and how much a customer is really worth to you.

Much Success!
Richelle Shaw
Author, How to Build A Million Dollar Business in Las Vegas - Without the Casinos