Newsletters-The 10-Ton Customer Magnet

Marketing Prescriptions Bi-Weekly Newsletter - 10/31/08

It's Halloween and it's really SCARY what we miss in our businesses that could keep us from SCREAMING at the end of the month.

One of my Power Circle members, April Lund, owns a business in Northeast Albuquerque, Sweet Blessings Cafe & Bakery. She was telling me earlier this year that one of the most profitable areas of her business was catering to businesses. They need food for parties, celebrations, and business meetings, etc.

She was looking for a way to get more of this type business. There were a number of clients she had done events for before, but taking the time to keep in contact with them was tough. I think she'd rather have blood sucked out of her neck by Count Dracula than make all those cold calls every month to get business.

I recommended she add a newsletter to her marketing. After much labor she published her first E-zine. That's an email newsletter about her business vs. a hard copy, mailed newsletter.

After a couple of months, she started having old clients call her to book catering jobs. Several of them volunteered the following paraphrased conversation that should drive a stake into your entrepreneur heart.

"I forgot that we used you in the past and we've been using someone else. They aren't half as good as you, but we had just forgotten to call you."

Does that give you a sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach? It did April. She was really excited about the new business she didn't have to make phone calls or premise sales calls to get.

However, she also had this knot in her stomach thinking about all the income she missed when they had called someone else. And if that wasn't bad enough, the customers thought she had the better service and product.

They were being catered by the "wicked witch of the west" catering company and would rather have used her.

Everyone makes this mistake when they are first in business. 'If as a small business owner, I give great service and a superior product, my customers/clients will love me and come back over and over again.'

Here's the truth. THEY DON'T. Some do, but many float away down the fast flowing creek of life on to the next bright glowing object that attracts their attention.

One of the BEST Solutions? The business communication newsletter! If you don't publish one at least every month, you are missing a big growth opportunity in your business.

I know it takes time, right? But I guarantee, it will be the best investment of time that you ever make in your business. Communicating with customers through your newsletter is a fertile way to engage your customers/clients/patients in every day communications and remind them that you are still here willing to help them.

There are some short cuts that you can use to make this process faster and easier. I will share some of them with you in the next bi-weekly issue. Here are a several resources that I like that help you understand how to do newsletters.

Jim Palmer is the author of a great book on writing newsletters. It can help you make amazing strides in your newsletters. Go Check it out at this link:

Awesome Newsletter Strategies Book.

Jim is also a GKIC - Dan Kennedy student like we are and does a great job providing you Kennedy style content for your newsletters. At one time, I used his Done-For-You newsletter for our monthly mailed Power Circle newsletter. I'm doing my own now, but he helped get me started when I didn't have enough time.

Jim also offers several Done-For-You newsletters or a subscription to monthly content that you can use as you want in your own newsletter. If you decide to use any of these after you read Jim's book, be sure to come back here to find the link so he knows I referred your business.

Jim's Done For Your Newsletter System

Jim's Monthly Newsletter Content and Coaching System

The best thing you can do for your business is add a newsletter to your marketing mix.

I will continue talking about newsletter publication and some secrets to publishing your own each month in my next Bi-Weekly Edition of the Direct Marketing Strategies Prescription Newsletter.

Wayne Story
505-260-4663
http://www.marketingstrategiesrx.com/

USPS Says Mail Volume Dropping Like a Rock

I know, I know, you think mailing offers and sales material to your clients and customers is a waste of time, right? According to an article in DMNews Magazine, "The US Postal Service expects to end the current fiscal year with a volume decline of 9 billion pieces and with at least a $2 Billion loss."

I know you've said to yourself, self, 'direct mail doesn't work and this proves it.' The truth is that when the economy goes south, large corporations cut their advertising budgets. One of the first to go is direct mail. But this is a big opportunity for us.

Why do you think they stop filling your customers mailboxes? Because, they are driven by advertising agencies. Ad Agencies hate direct mail and love TV, radio, billboards, newspapers, and yellow pages. That's because they make more money when their clients use these medias.

So what's our opportunity? If the mail box is becoming less cluttered, our message is more likely to stand out. We won't be competing with as many others for our client's attention.

So now's the time to start creating clever, interesting direct mail pieces that get their attention and cause them to respond. Help keep the US Postal Service afloat and your business growing. In my next few issues of the "Marketing Prescription News," I'll be covering the key elements of a successful mail piece.

Wayne Story
Direct Marketing Strategies Rx