As a business coach, I specialize in helping people in promotional product sales sell smarter using proven strategies that help them make more money with less time and effort.
One of the first things I recommend to my coaching clients, to increase their sales, is an ongoing “keep in touch” strategy or drip marketing strategy. That’s because you need to connect with prospects and clients many times (and in many different ways) to stay top of the mind and get them comfortable with doing business with you. It can take from 5 to 7 touches or more to get an order.
The problem for many of us, and I know I’ve been there too, is that we don’t have an organized system for making it easy to keep in touch. And without a system, things fall between the cracks and the best of intentions don’t happen.
I use a simple Outlook calendar and task bar to remind me when to follow up. I also write bi-weekly blog posts, offer free Webinars, speak at industry trade shows and send a monthly newsletter to my target market.
The key to staying top of the mind is to follow up in a variety of different ways and provide value with every contact. Calling prospects and clients and saying some variation of “Are you ready to order yet?” grows old very quickly and is a drain to you and on your clients.
Here’s an easy way to get started following up and providing value. When you meet a prospect or client and they aren’t quite ready to buy offer them free monthly or bi-monthly promotional marketing tips and ideas. It’s a great way to increase your pool of potential clients, stay top of the mind and get prospects calling you.
I know that time is your most valuable asset, and putting together a drip marketing strategy can be time consuming, that’s why I was excited to discover a new company, http://www.promolabs.com, that makes staying top of the mind easy. They provide turnkey sales and marketing tools for promotional products distributors, including email blasts with fresh product ideas and how-to use marketing tips, that keep you top of the mind and in front of your best prospects and clients.
This week I would enjoy hearing from you about the different ways you’re staying top of the mind with your best prospects and clients. What shortcuts have you discovered? What strategies are working best for you? Please leave a comment below.
Want more fresh ideas to sell smarter and make more money with less time and effort in your promotional products business? Get a FREE Skyrocket Your 2012 Sales audio download and a special report “10 Big Mistakes Promotional Professionals Make and How to Avoid Them and Double Your Sales,” at www.promobizcoach.com. Contact Rosalie at [email protected].
