Jeffrey Gitomer, author and international speaker, says it best in his Little Red Book of Selling. “Make a sale and earn a commission. Make a friend and you could earn a fortune.” Jeffrey makes the point that top performers and top paid salespersons recognize the importance of building relationships. They don’t worry about quotas – they concentrate on the value they provide to their customers. When all things are equal, people want to do business with their friends. And, if all things are not quite so equal, people STILL want to do business with their friends.

So ask yourself this question: Just how important is repeat and referral business to your success? If you’re a top notch professional the answer is – It’s not just important, it’s crucial!

Building customer loyalty is the bridge that leads to repeat and referral business and has its underpinnings in the personal touch you bring to your business relationships. When Jeffrey Gitomer says you can make a sale or you can make a friend the difference is that friends buy from friends. But customers will look for the lowest cost, best delivery time, or will even be wooed away by someone else who recognizes the importance of adding a personal touch to business relationships and is actively following up with each customer. Demonstrating the value you place on your customers’ business is the proven method to establishing in your customer’s mind’s eye that he or she is not just another account, not just another potential sale but a valued customer whose loyalty and satisfaction is the key to your success. The dividend, the unexpected bonus is that your customers who recognize how much you appreciate their business will keep returning and remain loyal. Not only will they remain loyal but also they will want to encourage others to become your customers. Remember, returning customers provide lifetime value and a high return on your marketing and sales investments. In fact, the cost of acquiring a new customer is approximately 6 times more than the cost of retaining an existing one. And, when those customers refer a lead to you the lead is 60% more likely to buy from you than from a cold call. So the importance of building the bridge to customer loyalty is really a matter of dollars and cents.

The 2 most important ways to retain customers, beyond knowing your customer’s needs and providing exceptional service and products are:

1. Add a personal touch to your business relationship, and

2. Stay in touch on a regular and frequent basis.

A proven method to establishing this relationship is to send notes and greeting cards to your customers and prospects. Jay Levinson, author of Guerrilla Selling, writes about Joe Girard, an automobile salesman in Detroit, MI who sold more cards per day than any other car salesman in America. He’s not shy about sharing his secret to his success he regularly sent greeting cards to everyone in his sphere of influence. Of course, Joe was successful at closing sales but because he built and maintained relationships he was VERY successful at getting new car buyers in the door. Joe recognized that everyone was a potential customer – not just those he sold an auto too. So, everyone in Joe’s sphere of influence received 13 greeting cards per year. His consistent follow up through regular greeting cards insured that his name was in everyone’s mind when it was time to buy a new car.

Joe’s checklist for success includes:

• Regularly stay in touch

• Send thank you notes

• Send holiday greetings

• Send news and information that will be beneficial

Bob Burg also talks about the impact of sending notes to customers in his book, Endless Referrals, 3^rd Edition.

Here’s what he says:

“People who send notes get remembered…

They stand out from the competition, because they are one of the few.

Personalize it by not putting a mailing label on it and use a large, commemorative stamp … If it looks like junk mail, it may well be thrown out without even being opened. I want the person receiving the information to know I really care.”

“I have people who consistently refer business to me, and they’ve made it a point to tell me they always appreciate my thank-you notes. I’m convinced it’s a major factor in why they continue to refer business my way.”

So here’s the case for regularly sending personalized greeting cards to your sphere of influence

• Greeting cards are unique

• They get opened and read immediately and are even frequently displayed on someone’s desk

• Cards communicate a non-intrusive message of appreciation

• “…Cards are never interpreted as an interruption or a hard sell, but they do let prospects know that you’re interested and available when they’re ready to do business.” Entrepreneur Magazine

• And the thing that seals the deal - Your personal signature shows you care and that you value their business

With increased use of computer generated reports and communications, faxes, email, voice mail and text messaging; adding the personal touch to your business relationships is not only a good idea it’s imperative in a world that is becoming ever-increasingly more impersonal.

In summary:

• Keeping in touch with your customers is a dollar and cents decision vital to your long-term growth and success.

• Friends buy from friends.

• Sending personalized notes and greeting cards demonstrates the value you place on your customer’s business.

• Greeting cards are a unique expression of appreciation and value that are read and remembered by your customers.

• Envelopes should not have address labels or metered mail postage. A commemorative stamp makes the card a personal message otherwise its just more business mail.

• Greeting cards and notes are never seen as hard sell. Rather, as reminders of how important your customers are to your business and that you are available when they’re ready to do business.

And:

• Returning customers provide lifetime value.

Staying In Touch designs greeting card programs to serve your business interests and needs that are easily customized to fit your personal tastes and styles. And, as a complete fulfillment service, you get all the credit - we do all the work.

We design mailing programs to fit your needs.

Client Appreciation Programs

Thank You Programs

Holiday Greetings

Customized Programs

Stay In Touch Programs

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