After a few email exchanges to determine how she was approaching clients, I was a bit stunned to learn the way Donna was going about it. In a nutshell, she would send her clients thank you notes and include about a dozen of her business cards, asking them to hand them out to others who might need her services.

Yikes!

Now, let me first say that the thank you note is a great idea. But the sincerity of appreciation is kind of kicked to the curb by asking the client for something in return. At the very minimum, when asking for referrals keep the same client-benefit perspective in mind that you had when you first attracted the client to you.

Donna is a seamstress, so here are just three things she might do differently:

1.  Use “give to get” enticements.

Instead of enclosing business cards, Donna could enclose a few small postcards that offer a 20% discount on services – for BOTH the referrer (your client) and the referral (your potential client).

The message she would be sending would say, “thank you” in a beneficial way by giving something to get something: the offer benefits your client, and it allows that client to pass on a benefit to someone else.

2. Partner with a complementary business.

Donna’s business would share clientele with (without being a direct competitor of) a nearby dry cleaning service. The two businesses could simply agree to place business cards at each others’ place of business. Better yet, they could each print up discount coupons for customers to take.

3. Propose a direct mail joint venture with a complementary business.

Donna could seek out one or more complementary businesses (like the dry cleaner) to propose sharing the costs of a promotional mailing. Each business contributes an equal number of contact addresses and they share the printing and mailing costs.

Asking for referrals doesn’t have to be elaborate and it doesn’t have to be difficult but it does have to be well thought out. Think through the process and place yourself in the other person’s chair. What would entice YOU to pass along a referral? Then act and react so that it becomes effortless and profitable.

We give it out to (almost) anyone who asks for it.

We conduct research and gather valuable information with it.

We rely on it for communication with associates, friends and family.

“It” is e-mail. And there’s no denying that e-mail is as common of a communication tool as telephones — maybe even moreso. Regardless of whether or not you have a Web site, if you are NOT using e-mail marketing for your products and services, you are ignoring a very low cost (and often no cost!) marketing tactic with high-return (and profit) potential. Why not squeeze every ounce of communicative powers e-mail has when dealing with clients and customers?

How? By using this easy four-step process:

Step 1. Develop a list of Frequently Asked Questions

Every business receives telephone calls from customers/clients or potential customers/clients asking for the same information over and over again. Retailers get questions like “Where is the business located?”; “What are your store hours?”; “Do you sell such-n-such brand name?”; “What is your return policy”, etc. Service businesses field calls asking for a description of services, pricing, and credentials or references.

Make a list of the calls your business gets most often and use this list to document these frequently asked questions – along with the answers.

Step 2.  Add an opening and closing paragraph to each document.

For each response:

1. Add an opening paragraph that specifically thanks the customer/client for requesting the information,
2. Provide the information, and
3. Add a closing paragraph that, again, thanks them for requesting the information.

Sign off with a specific contact name and phone number with an invitation to contact you directly for further assistance, to place an order, set up a meeting, or whatever else might be a “next step” to continue the communication. If you have a Web site, be sure to list it here and invite readers to visit it to find out more about the company, products, services, you, etc.

Step 3.  Develop a follow-up e-mail.

Just as you would initiate a follow-up phone call with a prospect, so should you prepare a follow up e-mail. Prepare a message to be sent a day or two (or longer depending on the information requested) after the first one. This e-mail should ask recipients if they received the requested information and if there are further questions you can answer. This would also be an appropriate time to announce a current special or sale, offer a limited-time-only discount, or introduce a referral program.

Step 4. Create a computer file containing the questions and answers.

Set up a folder on your computer that contains as many Q & A documents and follow up e-mails that make sense for your business. Some of the information may be best combined into one document, like store location and business hours. Other documents will require separate files.

The objective is to be able to easily access these response files so you can quickly send them to people asking for the information.

Once you have these documents ready for use, USE THEM! The next time you get a phone call asking for information you have created in your Q&A file, you can say, “I’d be delighted to give you that information. Do you have e-mail? I can send it to you right away!”

As your list of email addresses grows, so does the opportunity to reach a targeted group of current and potential customers with updates, promotions, or special offers. This kind of list is a small business marketer’s goldmine. Start building your list today!

Note: The above article is an excerpt from a more in-depth how-to for using this marketing tactic. The remainder of the article can be found in “29 Ways to Increase Profits and Productivity” – the FREE eBook available by entering your name and email address in the above right-hand box.

– Abraham Lincoln

Abe was probably talking about leadership, but the above quote is excellent advice for marketers. Go in the direction your customers want to go, and it will be an easier sell. In other words, make sure the marketing you do for your products and services reflect what your customers want, not what you want them to have. Marketing based on convincing someone he or she “should” have something is less effective than marketing focused on what your customers are already convinced they want. If you’re struggling with a SHOULD marketing strategy, heed Honest Abe’s advice: “ride a horse in the direction it’s going.”

Specific marketing techniques are not exclusive to either offline or online businesses … and that’s the GOOD news for those of us who have previously relied on expensive direct mail and advertising campaigns that quickly suck the life out of a marketing budget!

Here are just five profit-building reasons to use online tactics as one of your targeted marketing methods:

1.  Cheap, Cheap, Cheap!

When it comes to costs, online marketing can’t be beat. You can test a promotion, get results, and then tweak and test again – all in a matter of days – and for a fraction of the cost of a direct mail campaign. Once tested, your final campaign is launched and, again, within a matter of days, you’ll have results.

What typical direct mail campaign can offer that?

2.  Hands-off Personalized Attention

I suppose you could argue that it’s contradictory to say you can be ‘hands off’ while still giving personalized attention, yet it bears some truth. Ever wish you could make personal calls to all of your customers or clients whenever you had something new or fabulous to tell them? Email lets you do that. A personal letter from you with timely information, valuable offers, and helpful tips is convenient for you to write and send, and convenient for your customers and clients to receive. Personalize each email with the customer’s name, and you have a simple, hands-off, time-saving contact with each and every one of your customers.

3.  A Virtual Upselling Machine

How would you like a salesperson that flawlessly performs upsells and back end products/service sales without demanding the lion’s share of commission? Online marketing is your answer. It can become a highly successful back-end product (or service) promoter that piles repeat sales at your doorstep. With a little upfront planning, you can create a virtual “sales force” that does all the follow up and promotion for you. Your customers open and read your offers or visit your website when it is convenient for them – a time that they’ll be most receptive to your message.

4.  No-Brainer, Instant Referrals

Have you ever tried to initiate a referral program with your customers? In the print-and-paper world, it’s expensive, and it requires your customers to take action – the kind of action that needs a conscious effort, like handing someone a promotional offer or “chatting you up” around the office water cooler. Even your biggest fans will unlikely carry through on their good intentions. It’s just not their priority for the day. With email, a referral is often as easy as the click of a “forward” button to their personal email list. All you have to do is provide them with a product or service they’d gladly recommend, and ask them to do it. No cost. No hassle. No brainer.

5. “Set It and Forget It” Automated Marketing

If you’re like me, you don’t have time to continuously oversee every intricate step of a timely, well-executed marketing campaign. And most of you already know I’m a huge fan of using business systems to free up time and keep overhead costs low. I want to “set it and forget it” – and that’s exactly what you can do with your email campaigns and online marketing efforts. Systematic implementation lets you do all the planning upfront, set it in place, and let ‘er rip!

How much easier can marketing get?