More and more of my clients are getting leads from their Google Business listing. The reviews are powerful in building credibility and trust. This article walks you step-by-step through how to build a great profile. You can always call YCL for help!
Monotonous Monday
Customer Reviews
Customer reviews are becoming more important on social media platforms. It isn’t just Yelp for restaurants! I started my research for a new dentist at Yelp last weekend. More and more of my retail clients are telling me about business coming in after reading reviews on Facebook, Google or many of the other sites. You need to respond to good reviews and to bad ones. Don’t be afraid of bad reviews. If you have 20 5 star reviews and 1 griping curmudgeon, people are going to downplay the complainer. We all know people like that. But note in this article how few people respond to good reviews and how responding increases sales!! If you need help putting together your action plan, call Your Computer Lady.
Are You The Expert?
How does your prospect or client KNOW that you are the expert they’re looking for?
#1 Reviews on your website plus social media platforms.
#2 Information on your website. Show your credentials, your education, your experience right up front on your site. Make it easy for the prospect to trust you. Use blog articles to go in depth about your topic(s). Get into the nitty gritty. Go wide on a topic to show the whole breadth of your knowledge. When the visitor finds information readily on your site, they develop trust in you.
Writing Effective Follow Up Emails
Thank you, Houzz, for a look at a rarely discussed type of communication – follow up emails to prospects. The author gives some very good ideas of how to contact prospects and maintain their interest in your products and services while turning them into a client. Click here to read the worksheet.
Announcement Emails
Announcement emails are an overlooked opportunity. They build excitement about your event, your new product, your new personnel. This article talks about the best way to write announcements. Like all of our marketing efforts, we need to make the announcement from our clients point of view, not our own. Why should they be excited with us? Click here to read the full article.
Reviews
Speaking of client reviews – Make it easy for people to give you a review. Put icons/links to review sites on your Home Page. Put icons/links in your email template. Put them in your email signature. People want to give reviews. They just get distracted or busy. So asking once probably won’t work. Ask multiple times in multiple ways so it’s easy for them.
Read more about reviews here.
How To Evangelize and Create Advocates
“The difference between evangelism and sales is an evangelist typically has the other person’s best interest at heart. It’s not about fulfilling a sales quota and earning commission.”
I want to be an evangelist, not a salesperson. I’m not knocking salespeople. Raised by one. Married to one. Surrounded by them. Always looking for one at Lowe’s. BUT… being an evangelist is better because it is more satisfying in the long run. As a salesperson, I might make 1 sale. As an evangelist, I make a client for life.
Both Michael Stelzner and Guy Kawasaki understand this. In this podcast, they share their knowledge. I encourage you to listen in! It’s an older podcast but timeless information.
The Importance of Follow Up
I have seen similar numbers before but these just really hit me hard while I was reading “Conquer the Chaos: How To Grow A Successful Small Business Without Going Crazy” by Clate Mask and Scott Martineau. So I wanted to share them with you.
| Percentage of People Who Buy | Number of Contacts | When Companies Stop Contacting Prospects |
| 2% | 1 contact | 48% |
| 3% | 2 contacts | 24% |
| 4% | 3 contacts | 12% |
| 10% | 4 contacts | 6% |
| 81% | 5 contacts | 10% |
So almost half of us as salespeople stop after only 1 contact with a prospect. But we know only 2% actually buy at that first contact!!
Only 10% of marketers have a system in place to make 5 contacts with that prospect. But we know 81% of the buyers are making their buy decision on or after that 5th contact!
Contact means in person, by phone, voice mail, email, social media post, direct mail piece, etc. Anything that puts me and my services in front of the buyer.
You and I have to develop a marketing plan and system to ensure that we reach those prospects multiple times!
There is an additional benefit to this type of marketing system. When people do make a purchase or do business with us, the follow up helps build a relationship so they will do business with us again. The second or third sell to a client is always more profitable than the first sale.
How do you develop your system? You can plan the steps then set up them in a Customer Relationship Management software (CRM) such as Outlook, Google Contacts or Zoho. You can use a sales automation software like InfusionSoft or SalesForce. You can set up task templates in software like ToDoIst.
I don’t know about you but I’m going after that 81%!!
How Data Turns Into Marketing
Look at this excellent email from Southwest Airlines. They’ve used data they have in their system already to encourage you to travel more.
We’re halfway there!
There goes my competitive nature! I want to BE there!
3,152
Tell me what I’ve done.
Where we’ve been…
Not where have YOU been. Where have WE been. Now we’re a team.
Fees? Bag ’em.
One more positive point to make me feel good about flying Southwest.
Where to next?
The soft close!
Book now
The real close.
What data could you use to build a relationship with your clients?
Number of widgets purchased this year compared to last year.
Percentage of increase in business together this year.
Number of projects completed together.
Number of years working together.
Send at least a thank you card! How surprised will they be to get a nice piece of mail?? Or put together a graphic like this one that can be used with multiple clients. Do a Facebook video of you and your team shouting thank you.
People will respond to your thoughtfulness and your unusual approach.