In honor of the United States Post Office being established on this day in 1789, I thought it would be a great day to send out cards to thank customers and clients for their business and referrals.
Today is also the last day of Make a Referral Week so if you have received a referral from anyone in your sphere of influence, now is the perfect time to thank him or her for doing so.
Referrals are like GOLD. Once you find the person(s) who send a referral your way, the chances of them doing so again and again are quite high!
In fact, I like to call these referral sources, CHAMPIONS. Because once they find a company or person they like doing business with, they love sharing the resource with others. It makes them look like heros.
So just how do you cultivate those Champions? I suggest you pick 15-20 of your top clients and start a Referral Campaign. Develop a Stay-in-Touch program to cultivate those referrals and keep them coming.
Here are three tips to get started:
• Send greeting cards for all special events listed on the information cards previously filled out by atte
ndees. Retailers might want to include a note for the recipient to stop by for the 25-cent tour and a small gift. I use SendOutCards for all my client appreciation programs. It is simple, automated, time-saving and perfect for my fast-paced life. You can actually go to SendOutCards.com/Heidi and grab a FREE card of your own to try it out. Go ahead, its on me!
• Send postcards a few weeks before each holiday or event listed offering a free consultation on other services you provide, discounts on purchases, or some other promotional item. It is important to keep you at the ‘top of their mind’ when they might be planning another event or know someone who is. You can also use SendOutCards.com/Heidi to create first-class postcards that will keep you top of mind with any and all referral sources. Here is a postcard I created that people tell me they keep long after they receive it. It is fun, kinda quirky and oh by the way, is me at 4 years old!
• Fax, mail or email ideas for events two or three months prior to their corporate, or milestone events. Offer a special consultation rate to help them plan a successful event.
For more tips on how to cultivate your referral resources read: HOW TO CULTIVATE FUTURE BUSINESS – FINDING CHAMPIONS AMONG YOUR FANS
While you are at it, be sure to pick up your FREE card at SendOutCards to get started.
More great marketing ideas can be found in the Quirky Marketing Calendar ~ How to Use Zany and Non-traditional Holidays to Promote Your Business 365 Days a Year!
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