Build Your Business

Today is my 16 year Anniversary

Today I was sitting here thinking about my business, and my clients business. I was talking to a client on the phone, and he was asking me about being able to KEEP his clients. I gave him some ideas, as usual, then got off the phone.

The more I sat and contemplated our phone conversation, the more I began to think. I thought about my anniversary, and comparing that to business….and I thought….you know – for my husband to KEEP my *business* in our marriage, he had to WORK at it over the last 16 years. He had to KEEP in TOUCH with me. Many businesses, they think that they can do the sale, take care of you whenever you call them for something, and that is it! And you will STAY FAITHFUL to being their client for 16 years! What do you think???? Do you think if my husband only took care of me when I called him for something or asked him for something – do you think I would have *stayed his client (wife)* for the past 16 years??? No! So WHY would you expect your CLIENTS to do the same???

If you want to KEEP your clients for 16 years, you need to KEEP in TOUCH with them….you can do this many ways, via email, via telephone calls, via webinars, via greeting cards, etc – There are many ways that you can keep in touch with your clients, build rapore with them, as well as give them ideas to increase their business, and just remind them who you are and say hello to them!

I heard it once, people do business with those who they know, like, and trust. Well it’s true! The thing is, after you GET your clients, you want to KEEP them don’t you? Just think about it. If you only send them your sales special once a year, and nothing else all year long, or their invoice once a year…How loyal do you think they are going to be to you? What reason would they have to stay with you – rather than go to the next person that comes along, that offers them a better deal, a better offer, a better sale, etc.

One of the things I do, is help people to KEEP in touch with their clients – all for about $5 a year per client. I can help you set up with email autoresponders to keep in touch with your clients, as well as greeting cards – we can design CUSTOM cards for your business, as well as CUSTOM campaigns for your business – where you hit CLICK – and cards are sent to your client over the next 5 months, or even 5 years, all with one click from your end. I talk to you, find out about your business, what you want to do, as well as give you ideas that I have seen be proven with other people in their business that I have already helped them with.

So you CAN KEEP your clients and customers for 16 years…..and longer…..

See some greeting cards and post cards I have done for over 600 other clients – ILoveCards.net

The Fire and Forget System

(A metaphor for any businessperson who seeks loyal clients & quality referrals.)
Once upon a time, the commander of an F-15E Strike Eagle squadron was issued a warehouse full of *fire and forget* missiles.
Surely, a no-brainer. Simply acquire the contact, launch the missile, then concentrate on the next target.(Like I said, an easy decision.)
Strange as it may seem, the squadron commander decided against employing this massively effective weapons system.
His reasoning?
It takes too much effort to attach those things to the aircraft.

You will recognize that this story, of course, is a fairy tale.
In reality, any manager or business owner (or salesperson) who fails to acknowledge that all business is a type of warfare, just doesn’t get it.
But they will – eventually.

Why in the world would any businessperson leave to chance, whether or not a client decides to return (and refer friends)?

But, we gave them courteous service and a fine product, is the lament voiced too often by good and earnest businesspeople. Without question, service and product are essential to success. But they are not enough. And the statement is a little naive.

The answer obviously is to go after them (your clients). Make sure that they come back, again and again. Make sure that they want to come back (and refer their friends).

Nagging and cajoling won’t work. Postcards, brochures and letters rarely prove effective. The average consumer receives dozens of these each week.
(Personally, I rarely even open the ones I receive. Although, I sometimes read the postcards.)

The 7.5 billion dollar greeting card industry has spent hundreds of millions of dollars to indoctrinate every living American that those who care enough, send greeting cards.
(Why not take advantage of three decades of their successful, and extremely expensive, advertising stratagem?)

When you send your new or best clients a greeting card they know you care, because the greeting card giants have taught all of us that this is true. And we believe it, without exception.
Nobody leaves a greeting card unopened for long. In fact, studies show that a person is 11 times more likely to open a greeting card than any other piece of mail.

Your customers will respond, naturally, with greater client loyalty toward you, if you do this correctly. (Just as customers have responded since 1400 A.D.)

Transcendental Marketing Magic

You never know when the person you meet by chance will help your business in ways that you cannot imagine.

Some people call this synchronicity. “Business Networking” is the more common name.

And building a network of business contacts (expanding your circle of influence) is a “no-brainer.” That’s why you have business cards.

The big question, what’s your next move, after you exchange business cards with your new contact?
You need an edge, something to set you apart from every other person with a business card.

The ideal solution has a 600 year history and remains the world’s favorite form of written communication – send your new acquaintance a greeting card.

Without question, it’s the most vibrant way to say:

“I’m glad I met you.”

It’s also a stunning way to tell a new or favorite client “Thank you.”

You say this sounds too simple (not as transcendent as promised)?

Think about it. When was the last time you received a “glad I met you” greeting card from someone you just met?

Try this experiment. Send a “glad I met you” greeting card to the next ten people who give you their business cards.

The results will knock your socks off.

Greeting cards have a powerful impact – far beyond their pretty exterior.

But greeting cards present their own set of challenges~
buying the cards, writing the message, stuffing, stamping, mailing!!!
It takes determination, but wait….a radical new idea in business networking.

A national greeting card company has solved the problem.
No greeting card company has ever offered anything like this before.
In fact, this technology is new, just in the last few years.

Never again address, stuff, stamp and mail another greeting card.
In less than 60 seconds, enter your contact information online
As easy as sending an email, except that your contact receives a “photographic quality” greeting card in the mail.
The company prints, stamps and mails the card for you.

Choose from over 15,000+ cards. Custom cards are easy to create.
Even upload your entire contact list in mere minutes.
The online data manager never lets you forget a birthday or anniversary.
Send multiple cards as a follow-up campaign, automatically, whenever you say…..even months or years from now.

Add your signature, even use your own handwriting font.
Add a picture or image from your computer – they print it next to your message.

An aggressive and radical new idea in business networking – the easy, effective way.
This works – beyond your expectations~

How much would you be willing to pay to keep customers each year? $5?

The $5.00 Solution?
It does not matter whether you market yachts, fix teeth or trim trees. With enough loyal clients (customers or patients) you will exceed your financial goals.
A basic concept.

Will a single birthday card transform your clients into loyal, raving fanatics, who paint your business phone number on the side panels of their SUVs?

It seems very unlikely. (Although, even one card makes a difference.)

If you want fanatically loyal clients picture this scenario.

Scene #1: Shortly after she becomes a client (customer, patient, etc.), Mary Johnson receives a greeting card from you, thanking her for her business. Nice touch on your part.

Scene #2: Then Mary receives a birthday card on her 36th birthday. She’s growing more impressed with your professional client follow-up. She shows the card to a girlfriend.

Scene #3: Then Mary receives a greeting card wishing her a happy anniversary. She is stunned with your professional courtesy. Mary mentions your business to a couple of her friends.

Scene #4: Then, while finalizing the birthday party details for her pride and joy – who will turn nine-years-old in a week – Mary notices a birthday card from you to her son. Beyond stunned, Mary has never before experienced this level of thoughtful professionalism.

Scene #5: Finally, Mary receives your standard six-month follow-up greeting card, offering a discount, or something similar, if she refers a friend. How will Mary respond?

——————————————————————————–
This is The $5.00 Solution?. You sent 5 greeting cards, which cost you $5.00, plus postage.
Did you get your money’s worth? It seems like you did.

While greeting cards are always the first piece of mail people open, because they always contain good news…. a single greeting card is merely a great idea. But greeting cards exert a remarkable snowballing influence on people.

The amazing part is this. In less than a minute (when Mary first became your client) you scheduled an automated follow-up campaign. The Greeting Card Company printed, stuffed, stamped and mailed the cards for you.

Impressive, to say the least.

Aggressive client follow-up the easy, effective way.

($5.00, plus postage, and a minute of staff time makes good economic sense for a business program that works, especially when it works beyond your expectations.)

This works – beyond your expectations.

Examples of The $5.00 Dollar Solution?

Through this site are a few excellent (and quite successful) examples of The $5.00 Solution? in action. The companies that commissioned these custom cards can send them out individually or by the thousands. They can send them immediately, or schedule each card to go out on a different date, whenever they decide, automatically.

Let’s imagine, for a moment, that greeting cards will help your business grow and increase your income

Let’s imagine, for a moment, that greeting cards will help your business grow and increase your income in every way that we have outlined.

This means that greeting cards are the ultimate business tools in three critical areas:

1. Converting new business contacts into active clients (customers, patients, etc.)

2. Transforming casual customers into loyal clients.

3. Making sure that your best clients remain your best clients.

Hurray for greeting cards!!! What could be better?

How about this concept? Any photo on your computer can be uploaded in about 20 seconds. The greeting card company prints the image inside the card, in bright vibrant color, next to your message.

If you want fanatically loyal clients, and multiple referrals, picture these possibilities:

Scene #1: You take a digital photo of your clients standing in front of their new house. You ask them “Why don’t we send this picture to 10 of your closest friends?”

Scene #2: You take a digital photo of your customers standing in front of their new car, or their new boat or their new recreational vehicle. You ask them “Would you like me to send this picture to a few members of your family?”

Here is the really fun part
-check back with your clients in about 10 days.

This is what you will discover:

* Most of their friends and family have called to offer their congratulations.
* Your clients are overflowing with enthusiasm about a simple photograph that you sent to their friends and family in a greeting card.
* They think you are the greatest. (Consider the future referrals.)
* You, in turn, contact your clients’ friends and relatives (who are now turbo-charged referrals.)

Could anything be more simple and effective?
Not really.

The potential is limited only by your imagination:

* A picture of you shaking hands with your clients, printed inside your personal “thank you” card that says, “I appreciate your business.”
* A picture of you and a new business contact at a luncheon or business event, printed inside your personal “I’m glad I met you card.
* A picture of your son or daughter playing a sport or a musical instrument.(Just for the fun of it.)
* A picture of your vacation in Maui, uploaded from the hotel computer (in Maui) “Wish you were here.”

Armed only with an inexpensive digital camera, a shrewd businessperson could double his or her bottom line, if they utilized greeting cards correctly.

Is this merely hyperbole?
To the contrary, this is not only possible, it is being accomplished all across the country as you read this.

This works – way beyond your expectations.

Do you want to be like everyone else?

If you want to be good, do your job – like they tell you – like everyone else….
If you want to SUCCEED – do your job BETTER than they told you – BETTER than everybody else…..
Eventually your INCOME will surpass EVERYBODY else……

So many people SAY they want more money – I mean – who doesn’t???

But the thing is, what are you doing to GET MORE than everybody else? Like the saying goes – “if you keep doing, what you have always been doing, then you will keep getting what you have always been getting.”

What are you doing to stand out from the crowd?

You do not have to be bold, daring, arrogant, proud…. team task management software.You can be successful – and still be truthful, honest, professional, humble….etc. Many people throughout life, I have heard think that people that “have it made” are very arrogant or rude…(and yes, I do beleive SOME are) but I beleive MOST are not. There IS a difference in being self-confident and egotistical.

You could own your own business, or you could work at a job somewhere – but in either case, you should go above and beyond all measures of what is expected of you. People who become millionaires, did not become millionaires because they sat around doing nothing – they became millionaires, because they wanted to live a different lifestyle, they did not want to “be like everybody else”

I am sure we have all mostly had a job where we knew someone at that job – that did what they were supposed to do, and even did it well. But that is ALL they did – JUST what they were asked. Which, in a way, is fine, I mean – they will keep their job, probably, and they will earn their salary. But – what about the ones that do that same exact job….but go ABOVE AND BEYOND what the boss asked them to – even though they would not get paid any different. Who do you think that boss is going to look towards, when they decide to promote someone?

Same thing in owning your own business:

If you are a carpet cleaner, and you clean carpets VERY well. That is great. But if say you are not available when I need it the next time, so I get someone else….and they do VERY well also – BUT they go ABOVE AND BEYOND what I asked and do a better cleaning, or a little extra spot – or extra time on a stain I did not even mention, or….who do you think I am going to call on next time?

If you are a car salesman, and you sell cars VERY well. That is great. But if say you are not available when I need to buy the next time, so I get someone else….and they do VERY well also – BUT they go ABOVE AND BEYOND what I asked and do a little extra, add a few perks, send out card to me after the sale to keep in touch with me, send out newsletters to me of neat ideas and events I might be interested in, call me every 6 months to just check in, or….who do you think I am going to call on next time?

If you are an insurance agent, and you sell your policy VERY well. That is great. But if you only send me a bill once every 6 months or a year, but I never hear from you any other time, or you might even send me a cheese *blanket* birthday card once a year….What do you think is going to happen when someone else starts approaching me to get my business…do you think I will take a look at what they are offering and compare it?
Do you think I would if you sent out a card every month or even every few months – just to keep in touch……or even had some sort of contact in between the yearly bills?

The thing is – anyone can do a JOB – it takes a GREAT person – to do a GREAT job – and stand out above the crowd. “People will do business, with people they know, like, and trust”. You might get a client once, on a “by chance” ad through the paper or something like that – but will they STAY with you?

The secret to KEEPING your clients – and getting your clients to give you ENDLESS REFERRALS without even asking – is to keep in touch with them, and be BETTER than everybody else – that is providing the same service that you do.

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