Quote of the Month

"Aim high but stay on the level" ~ anon

Your Business' Best Kept Secret Weapon

We all know that in any given group ten percent are the active members who keep things together.  But, what does this mean to a business owner?  It equates to your bottom line being sustained by ten percent of your client base.  Sure you will generate income from all your customers or they wouldn't be your customers.  However, repeat purchases are made by a select few.

We have also heard that retaining a customer is more profitable than acquiring one, because a loyal customer is easier to market to and less costly.  On an average a business owner will spend six to seven times as much to gain a new customer than to reinvigorate a current one.

What these statistics say to me is that staying in constant contact with your existing client base is a 'must-do' for any savvy business owner.  The easiest, and most cost effective, way to do that is to use an autoresponder.  An autoresponder is your business' best kept secret arsenal.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with auto responders let me explain briefly what they are and how they work.  An autoresponder is a means of setting up notices to b e delivered on a set schedule to your mailing list.  This may be in response to an event, such as purchasing a product ore service from you or even just signing up for your company newsletter.  You do have one of those, right?  If not, I highly recommend you start one.

There are numerous providers of autoresponder software.  However, I won't get into those in this article. Check into the available sources and choose the one that is right for you and your business.
As you can see this is an excellent marketing tool.  With them you can send out sales letters, confirm receipt of a customer's e-mail or order, and even follow-up with past customers.  Then there are always customer surveys to consider.

The best part is you "set-it-and-forget-it!"  This allows you to stay in communication with your client base while leaving you free to grow your business, rather than running it.

Here's some quick ideas on how you can use your autoresponder to stay in touch with your client base.

1. Confirm a subscription or purchase
2. Send a thank you note
3. Offer an incentive to 'come back'
4. Send out a discount voucher
5. Remind them of an upcoming event or sale
6. Send a short survey
7. Ask for feedback on a product or service
8. Offer a helpful tip on product usage
9. Send a tracking information on products they have ordered
10. Set up a FAQ e-mail and give them a way to contact you if they have a question that has not been addressed in your FAQ

A/V Tip of the Month

Last month I changed things up a bit by adding A/V to the Tip of the Month. I received such positive feedback that I have decided no matter how 'ugly' I feel in front of the camera that I would continue until you all holler, "STOP!"

That being said October's Tip can be found here...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNTuIELapDc