Keeping In Touch

Law of Esteem – Ego

The Law of Esteem recognizes that all humans need and want praise, recognition, and acceptance.

Acceptance and praise are two of our deepest cravings; we can never get enough.

William James once said, “The deepest principle of human nature is the craving to be appreciated.”

You can give simple praise to a child and watch them soar to the top of the world.

We know how a simple thank you can make our day.

Human beings have a psychological need to be respected and accepted.

We need affection to satisfy the need to belong, we want praise so we can feel admired, and we want recognition to satisfy our need for personal worth.

Take time this week to give someone sincere praise and thankfulness and watch their spirits soar.

This is where SendOutCards comes in ~

The History of the Greeting Card

The custom of sending greeting cards can be traced back to the ancient Chinese, who exchanged messages of good will to celebrate the New Year, and to the early Egyptians, who conveyed their greetings on papyrus scrolls.

The first known published Christmas card (1843), by artist John Calcott Horsley
Courtesy of the Hallmark Archives, Hallmark Cards, Inc.
By the early 1400s, handmade paper greeting cards were being exchanged in Europe. The Germans are known to have printed New Year?s greetings from woodcuts as early as 1400, and handmade paper Valentines were being exchanged in various parts of Europe in the early to mid-1400s.

By the 1850s, the greeting card had been transformed from a relatively expensive, handmade and hand-delivered gift to a popular and affordable means of personal communication, due largely to advances in printing and mechanization, as well as the 1840 introduction of the postage stamp.

The first known published Christmas card appeared in London in 1843, when Sir Henry Cole hired artist John Calcott Horsley to design a holiday card that he could send to his friends and acquaintances.

Although the first known valentine card can be traced back to 1415, it wasn’t until the early 1800s and the Penny Post that they became popular and affordable. Esther Howland, a young woman from Massachusetts, was the first regular publisher of valentines in the United States. She sold her first handmade valentine in 1849, eventually establishing a successful publishing firm specializing in the elaborately decorated cards.

The American Greeting Card
Louis Prang, a German immigrant who started a small lithographic business near Boston in 1856, is generally credited with the start of the greeting card industry in America.

Within 10 years of founding his firm, he had perfected the color lithographic process to a point where his reproductions of great paintings surpassed those of other graphic arts craftsmen in both the U.S. and Great Britain. In the early 1870s, Prang began publishing deluxe editions of Christmas cards, which found a ready market in England. In 1875, he introduced the first complete line of Christmas cards to the American public.

Prang’s cards had reached their height of popularity in the early 1890s, when cheap imitative imports began to flood the market, eventually forcing Prang to abandon his greeting card publishing business. Between 1890 and 1906, there was a marked decline in U.S. greeting card production.

In the years immediately following 1906, the domestic business climate for greeting cards improved, and a number of today’s leading publishers were founded. Most of the cards by these fledgling U.S. publishers bore little relation to Prang’s elaborate creations. The expressed sentiment was the predominant element; the illustrated portions were incidental.

Following World War I, new publishers continued to enter the field and healthy competition produced important innovations in printing processes, art techniques and decorative treatments for greeting cards.

In the early 1930s, publishers increasingly adopted the use of color lithography, a move that would propel the U.S. greeting card industry toward continued growth and expansion.

During World War II, the industry rallied for the war effort, helping the government sell war bonds and providing cards for the soldiers overseas. This period also marked the beginning of its close relationship with the U.S. Postal Service.

By the 1950s, the studio card – a long card with a short punch line – appeared on the scene to firmly establish the popularity of humor in American greeting cards.

During the 1980s, alternative cards began to appear – cards not made for a particular holiday or event, but as a more casual reminder of our connections to one another. The popularity of “non-occasion” cards continues to swell.

Explosive growth in electronic technology, and burgeoning consumer use of the Internet, gave birth to the electronic greeting card or E-card in the late 1990s. The development of this entirely new medium for card-sending served to further expand the industry, producing new E-card publishers as well as E-greeting product offerings by traditional publishers.

Although studies have shown, that most people prefer, the actual heart felt card, in the mail, that they can cherish forever.

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.