Winston's e-Newsletter - 4 November 2008

Rewarding Clients at Christmas

Here are a few comments on this rather vexed subject. I know it is one that has many business owners scratching their heads so here is a collection of suggestions, in no particular order of merit.

1. Just write a simple and sincere note to all of your clients wishing them the compliments of the season and thanking them for their support.
2. Send Christmas cards but make sure that they are from some worthy cause that benefits by the purchase of those cards.
3. Give a donation to a worthy cause and let your clients know that you've chosen to do that rather than spending money on cards or gifts.
4. Remember the power of Pareto and analyse your clients by the total of what they've spent with you over the year. Then determine the 20% of your clients who give you 80% of your income and vice versa. Resolve to reward them for their support accordingly (the top 20% should get larger or more meaningful rewards than the bottom 80%).
5. Send a copy of a book or DVD you've enjoyed to the top 20%.
6. You might send a packet of sweets or other small token to the bottom 80% or ignore them completely.
7. Tickets to the cinema are always a great reward and really appreciated, particularly if they are for Gold class.
8. Talking about movies, you could always do what dentist, Mark Hassed, did in conjunction with a chiropractor recently when they shared the cost of hiring a cinema and each invited 100 of their top clients to the screening of a first release movie as a thank you and introduction to the other professional. It worked a treat.
9. A very convenient, low-cost and welcome gift for clients is a voucher to spend on any of your products or services. The value can range from $10 - $50 that they could spend in your business.
10. A great source of inexpensive Christmas gifts is the firm of Clouston & Hall who specialise in remaindered books. That means you can buy great books at publishers run out prices for literally cents in the dollar. To arrange a catalogue or see what they've got visit book remainders.
11. A very popular gift is the "free restaurant meal" which has proved hugely popular when used by the many different professionals. A great adventure this! The meal will not cost you a brass razoo although it appears you have paid for it. If you'd like details and the letter that goes with it, please e-mail marg@businessgrowthcentre.com.au

I hope that this gives you a small indication of the range of options that are available to show clients your appreciation. Of course gestures in the festive season should be just one of the six to 11 contacts (excluding normal business dealings) that you should have with your database during a year.

 

Help to get more done

If you need more people to help you get more done, here are some recommended resources for finding outsourced team members.

1. Elance.com to get the lowest prices on outsourced services, you really need to make contact with people in other countries that are looking for work and willing to do it for much less than American service providers. There are excellent copywriters, programmers, designers, etc. in India, the Philippines and many Eastern European countries. Elance can be good for everything from copywriting (sales letters, articles, e-books, press releases etc.) to programming to link getters.
2. Rentacoder.com is usually thought of as a place to find programmers for short term projects. But my sources tell me that it can be a good place to find copywriters as well.
3. Workaholics4hire.com this service has been developing an excellent reputation and is an excellent resource to get more done while doing less yourself.
4. Guru.com - 160 categories of service providers, free access. You pay 5-10% of the project at the end.

(Source of this article unknown, apologies to whomever I plagiarised it from.
The information is valid.)

 

Stunts pull publicity

I've reported occasionally about the stunts that PR outfits pull to get publicity for their clients... like midnight nude shoppers and any one of a host of things that Richard Branson had done for his Virgin brand. Well, another one got a heap of publicity recently when Gillette staged the event for the most competitors in the 80 metre dash in stiletto heels for women. They pulled a great crowd and got heaps of media coverage as this Daily Telegraph slide show reveals. You may not have the wherewithal for such a large stunt but think about what you can do on a local level. In fact why not the local 80 metre stiletto dash or midnight nude stunt? We had a bloke a while ago who regularly holds the "portable dunny race"!

 

Persistence

"You ought to feel highly honoured," said the businessman to the life insurance agent, "so far today I have had my secretary turn away seven insurance agents." "Yes, I know," replied the agent, "I'm them."

Life insurance agent to would-be client: "Don't let me frighten you into a hasty decision. Sleep on it tonight. If you wake in the morning, give me a call then and let me know."

 

A powerful television commercial

Now here's a very powerful commercial that really gets its point across. Unfortunately a reflection of something that is all too common and one wonders whether it'll reach those who should heed its message.

 

Business Growth Centre
ABN: 96 709 037 261
Postal: 110 Coleman Road, Boronia, Vic, 3155, Australia
Phone: +613 9887 5511   Fax: +613 9887 5581

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