I don’t know who first said these words, but I’ve been borrowing them.

Over the weekend a video link flashed through my twitter feed. I don’t remember where who first posted it, and I didn’t have time to see the whole thing, but knew it was good. Today I had to go back and search YouTube for the original, which I’ll post here. Validation by Hugh Newman

Watching this reminded me so much of what we do with SendOutCards. One thing we are taught is to send a heart felt card daily. It could be a thank you card to someone for something kind they have done for you. A joke, a laugh, and cool picture from that trip you and your kids took together. Your kids teacher, coach, an employee, co-worker or client. Funny thing happens when you do this. People give you back a great big smile when you see them next. Some will call and thank you. I’ve even heard it has brought tears to their eyes and posted the card on their fridge, near their computer, in their office. The smiles we send through cards works just like this video. I’ve had down days and gotten a happy call from a friend, telling me how much they appreciated me.

A few years back I started a game with myself. While shopping, smile at others, start conversations, be helpful, hold doors open, etc. See how many smiles you can collect. Works especially well in the hectic holiday shopping season, more of a challenge.

Or you can pick up the phone and spread smiles that way too. Smiles are viral. Spread a few.

Just do it!

And if you’d love to send a heartfelt card, I’ll give you a couple to send out for free, I’ll even pay the postage. Just visit HeyClickHere.com or contact me.

Photo by Greg Westfall

My air conditioner is failing, not a good thing in East Texas. We were going to replace it last year for a more efficient one, but my husband wanted to wait one more year. I’m guessing the current system is over 20 years old, and it has served our family well. Seldom have we had to have it serviced. The company I use gave me a magnetic business card years back that I kept on my fridge.

Now that we are ready to purchase a new unit, Dang It! The magnet is gone. Missing! I’d rather use someone who has done a wonderful job for me, than play “eenie minee mo” with the phone book. I’m brain dead, can’t remember their name. I do remember the name of a company I won’t use. They replaced our heater once and did a sloppy job. Funny how that works.

Unless I get a good referral from a friend, I’ll resort to calling various places, sounding like an idiot, “Excuse me, are you the guys who worked on our AC?”

I am not alone. Million Dollar Followup lists 6 things that is needed to make a sale. The air conditioner business meets all but one of the necessary items.

• I know what they offer, in fact we even picked out exactly what unit we want.
• I know them
• I like them based on past experience over the years.
• I trust them, they have always treated me right.
• It is the right time to buy. The one point we were missing last year.

But I’m missing the last part:

• I must remember who they are when I’m ready to buy or when someone asks me for a referral.

And I can’t! Ugh!!! You have any idea how many pages of air conditioner listings are in my phone book?

But there is a lesson here to learn in each of our businesses. The fortune is in the followup. I know it has been said many times. One of those true business principles that endures through time.

Many ways to follow up, and I suggest that you use a variety of tools depending on your situation. Sherrie St. Cyr gives some quick marketing follow up tips. Visit her site, give her a call. Don’t forget to grab your free 7 Keys to Claim Your Follow-up Fortune while visiting.

“Where oh where did my air conditioner guy run off too?”

Long before there was even an internet, in fact even before our modern day postal service, many successful businesses have written countless greeting cards, notes of appreciation to their clients. Building relationships through that personal touch which sets them apart from the crowd.

Today we have so many ways to communicate. Technology has grown so much, not only has the mail service, which we take for granted, can get a letter across the world in a week or less, but we have so many other ways to keep in touch. Phones, cell phones, VOIP, emails, online groups, blogs, twitter, text messaging. . . No excuse not to keep in touch.

I was talking last week to Justin Walters from Arizona. He is very tech savvy, helping businesses connect with their clients online, even through text messaging. Justin told me about how while talking to a client he’d heard when that client’s birthday was. He wrote that date down and the next time that birthday rolled around he sent a birthday card through the mail. His client was so appreciative, thanked him. He’d only gotten 2 cards that year, one from his wife and one from Justin. It really meant a lot. Justin has continued to spend time each month sending out cards to clients. Timeless advice.

If you’d like to meet Justin and check out how he is sending out cards today, click here

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I’ve always been told that the fortune is in the follow-up. One of my favorite newsletters is by Felicia Slattery, Communication Consultant, Speaker & Coach. Today I was pleasantly surprised, (well maybe not totally, I know she writes good stuff), to read Felicia’s article on how to ask for more business. For Felicia’s examples and tips on how to follow up and ask for more business, click on the more button and read her sage advice.

Want More Business? You Have to Ask!

As you get settled into 2008, you may be wondering the best way to get more of your ideal clients. Communicate with them through asking questions.

Recently, I posted a question on a forum about technology which drew a lot of helpful responses, some to the group and some privately to me. One of those private responses was exactly what I was looking for. A few days after that, she followed up to see if I had any more questions. After talking with her I decided to do business with her and purchase a product she offered. But the relationship didn’t end there.

A few days after sending me my order, she called to follow up, and ask me if I received my order and was it working ok? It was. And that was a nice bit of customer service through asking a question. Still, the relationship didn’t end even there.

About a week after that, she sent me another message asking my opinion about something she is working on. (Hint, people love to give you their opinions!). During that conversation, she added a quick aside that went like this “by the way, have you considered using an assistant for your scheduling needs?” That one question led me to ask more about her services. If she never asked I would never consider it. In your business you have to ask, too. Here are a few lessons you can learn from my experience with this excellent business person:

1. Follow up with prospects: When someone expresses an interest in what you offer, add that person to a “tickler file” to follow up with personally. A tickler file is what is known in the sales business as a simple way to manage your contacts. You can use your Outlook program, purchase a contact management system, or simply use an old-fashioned hand-written calendar. But set up a way to follow up with those who expressed an interest. Ask, “Can I help you with anything else?”

2. Follow up with current customers: When someone does business with you, ask them about your product or service. If it’s something you sent via mail, ask if they received it ok. If you deliver digital products, ask if the link worked for them. Ask, “How else can I help you?” You may be surprised at how many people tell you what other areas they need help with.

3. Follow up with past clients: Want to know the fastest way to get more business? Ask those who purchased from you in the past. These people are already familiar with the quality of your work. If you personally contact them regularly via phone or email, you’ll automatically boost your bottom line. It’s all about timing. When you call, express an interest in them as a person. Use your tickler system to record personal and business-related details such as birthdays, family notes, and work anniversaries. Ask, “How are you?” And LISTEN to the answer. Then, “What projects are you working on now?” “What is coming up soon for you?” And finally, “How can I help you?”

Asking questions is a powerful way to get new business, keep your current clients happy, and generate business from your past clients and customers.

This article may be reprinted with permission. Copyright 2007. Felicia J. Slattery

Enjoy the article? Head on over to Felicia’s Communication Transformation and learn more.

More than just words, it is one of those universal laws. Think about it for a minute who would you rather refer your friends to, a business that sends you a bunch of junk mail, or the one that did a super job and let you know how much they appreciated you? And who would you rather buy from, someone who treated you as a friend or a company who saw you as just one more number?

Watch this video about Relationship Marketing Today!

These tips are for the rest, whether you are a new and quickly growing company, so busy expanding that you forgot to properly thank your business friends who helped you reach success, or those who simply prefer putting things together at the last minute.

• Check your corporation’s gift policy. Are you allowed to give gifts? How much?
• Check IRS’s gift policy, how much gift giving do they allow you to write off as business expense?
• Don’t stress, if you hurry you can still get your gifts out for Christmas. Just don’t wait any longer.
• Think about the person you are giving a gift to, what would they appreciate? Enjoy? What would make their day?
• Send gifts. (Be sure to check back tomorrow to learn a simple time saving shortcut to do all of this)
• Or be different, send out holiday cards now and give gifts throughout the year, a thank you gift for a referral, a one year anniversary gift thanking a client for using your services for a year, give gifts celebrating a different holiday.

Whatever you do, make sure that your clients, business associates, employees, know how much you appreciate them. Don’t take them for granted.

To find out why using Send Out Cards is such a great business tool to keep in touch with your clients, especially during the holidays, I’d like to invite my readers to an online webinar:

1. As a reward, my readers can have a free gift account. Think of it as a week’s free pass to test drive the system and make a couple of friends happy. Get yours set up by clicking on my banner at http://GetYourCardsHere.com and send a card to a friend.

2. Sign up and attend a free online seminar and learn how to send out your holiday cards in 15 minutes or less:

Wednesday November 14, 2007 – 2 PM Eastern – 11 AM Pacific
How to send your custom Holiday Cards in 15 minutes or less!
Register now at:
https://www.gotomeeting.com/register/396050406

Thursday November 15, 2007 – 10:30 AM Eastern – 7:30 AM Pacific
How to send your custom Holiday Cards in 15 minutes or less!
Register now at:
https://www.gotomeeting.com/register/720446209

Thursday November 15, 2007 – 11 PM Eastern – 8 PM Pacific
How to send your custom Holiday Cards in 15 minutes or less!
Register now at:
https://www.gotomeeting.com/register/251515915

Friday November 16, 2007 – 3 PM Eastern – Noon Pacific
How to send your custom Holiday Cards in 15 minutes or less!
Register now at:
https://www.gotomeeting.com/register/189270112

Questions, feel free to contact me.

Heidi

Here is where I missed out. I’d downloaded the calendar, understood the value, but really missed the boat. I knew that the 50th anniversary of the launch of Sputnik was coming up. So the night before I was searching for info to add to my blog as I thought it’d make a great post. Weird, I searched on Technorati for the term sputnik and came up blank, nothing current on the news channels. How could this day come and go unnoticed. So the next morning, I added my post and searched online, and the news articles were rolling in, thousands of blog posts about the event, even Google appropriately changed their logo in celebration.

As I went through my blogs stats the next day, I saw that a few were searching for 50th anniversary Sputnik cards. My site came up about 1st in a google search. Why? Because I sell a card system, where you or I can make custom cards on the fly, and I talked about Sputnik. Then the ideas came. Sputnik was the first satellite, I offer various communication services, where would our communication be today without satellites? I could have had cards made up a week in advance, articles related in the article directories, a special promotion, contest etc. But not when I start planning about midnight the night before, and ideas come a couple days later.

So today I’m printing out my marketing planning sheets. Picking a few ideas each month that will work for me. Then fill in the details as I brainstorm in advance.

Thanks again Heidi Richards for more great info from the Women’s Media Summit.

Heidi Caswell

I enjoy being outdoors, and can often be found walking near the duck pond. There are several geese who enjoy the park. No matter which direction one of the geese goes in, the others all follow, looking for the choicest breadcrumbs, corn.

Now one goose really got my attention. I was sitting on a park bench with my daughter, when the goose snuck up behind, stuck his head between the seat and back of the park bench and let out the loudest honk! Talk about flying off the park bench. Yep he was loud and got our attention, but did we share our crumbs with him?

Think about it. How is your sales page connecting with prospective clients? When they land on your page how does it make them feel? What is your marketing message? How does it fit with your marketing campaign? Do you even have a campaign?
Do they get what you are all about, or is it same old, same old, salesy marketing pitch?

“We’ve got all the secrets!!!!”
“We have the answers you want!”
“Join and our experts will spill their guts for you!”

On how many pages do you find such words? Like the pack of geese, copying each others’ messages, all going after those same choice breadcrumbs. And how can something be THE SECRET, when everyone else is also promoting the same secrets? What kind of secret is that? And I don’t really want to see your guts all over my computer screen. Don’t be so loud I jump off that park bench. One more pet peeve, about those who are building a list of subscribers, if I was going to sign up for your seminar, I would have, you know I didn’t sign up, so don’t send me an email titled “Did we lose your registration?”.

It is always great to have a marketing and copyrighting specialist around. I learn much from Dina Giolitto. We were discussing the sales copy on a website I’d shared with her. And being the expert than she is, she immediately saw some ways the marketing message could be improved. Dina can go into details and fine tune any marketing message. It all boils down to how to put a new spin on your message and set yourself apart from all the other marketers.

To illustrate the point Dina continued:

Seth Godin’s project spread like wildfire because he spun the same old thing in a different way. Another company offering lots of bandwidth for you to upload your stuff, spread their link around and make advertising revenue. Yes. And yet he put a social spin on it with the charity thing. And he did something as goofy as put a squid as his mascot and call your page a “lens”
- this is “different” to people – you’re the expert again, yes, sure. But nobody else out there has a “lens” or one that is so “hooked up” to RSS and all, and nobody else gives you “points” for linking to other people’s lenses (note that also benefits Seth’s page rank) – genius, really. Something different.

Run out of ideas, does your mesage sound like everyone else, check with Dina, her creative mind if full of ideas.

Thanks Dina,

Heidi