Are You Connecting with Your Audience?
By Jill Pfefer
These days it is very important to keep in contact with your customers and future prospects. One of the biggest mistakes people make is that they want to jump into a sale before the relationship has actually evolved. In fact, a great parallel is that there has to be a courting period before a marriage. Developing a relationship takes TIME and ENERGY! Outlined below is a natural progression to keeping your audience connected and interested.
Target Audience- Know your target audience and market to them. Actually visualize who that ideal person is. Is it Sally who is 42 years old, has two children, drives a SUV, owns a house and lives in the burbs? Marketing to that person would be very different than marketing to Alice who is 23 years old, lives in the city, doesn’t own a house and a car and is single.
Attract- Give examples of how your information or product may benefit your audience. Buy giving out tangible information you will support customer trust and loyalty. Participate in writing a blog or newsletter and give out free information.
Nuture-speak to your audience as if you understand them and can relate to them. By knowing how they are thinking and what they want you will keep them excited and interested.
Convert- By creating loyalty, trust and understanding – your audience will convert their focus on you and your product. Most of the time it is YOU that they like and the reason why they buy YOUR product.
Continue Serving- continue contacting your audience and servicing them. This shows that you are commited and value their business which people really appreciate.
Studies show that it takes at least 7 times to reach a potential customer before converting them. Companies like Aweber and Constant Contact have very simple programs to help you keep up with your mailing lists, events and newsletters. These prograns start for as little as $15.00 a month and can help you generate a successful following. I recommend using photos to enhance visual interest and to send out 2 contacts month- this will keep your name infront of them without inundating them.
What are your thoughts and tips to staying connected?
Tags: aweber, constant contact, Direct Sales, direct sales tips, home-party, Networking, social networking
July 3rd, 2010 at 1:55 pm
Loved this blog entry! I completely agree with the importance of the personal connection. As a customer, I tend to shop in the stores that have friendly, approachable staff – people that I interact with during my purchasing process. And if they remember me when I return, I feel very special and happy that I returned to their shop.
It’s the same with my home business. Here are some of my little things that do:
- I keep track of previous purchases so when they are repeat customers, I can mention what they already have so they might choose something that could coordinate, espcially if they ask my opinion on their choice.
- I send thank yous or quick little notes if they made a purchase for someone as a gift – i.e. …I hope your mother has enjoyed wearing her new bracelet.” These notes are a genuine way to keep in contact with my customers.
- When I complete a party, I give the hostess gift bags with tags to use when delivering her friends purchases. The silver boxes are already so nice but I feel that it’s an additional way for the hostess to put everything in a bag and hand it to her friend. Sometimes I find inexpensive little bags at stores – Target had about 30 of the same kind for 22 cents with an additional 50% off, so I bought them and used them when first got started – they were a real hit. I have also used lunchbags that I have quickly stamped or decorated with their name. All of my hostesses have appreciated this idea. Funny story – my husband has two ladies at work who had placed orders and he wasn’t sure about walking in with these “cutsy” bags, but once he saw how thrilled they were to recieve a treat at work, he said he didn’t mind as long as they don’t get too “foo-foo!”
- Lastly, I feel that a friendship is more important than a sale. The sales will come and go (and hopefully come again!) but a relationship with a new friend can last a lifetime. And if she becomes a friend who enjoys wearing Sydney Andrews jewelry, than that is the best of both worlds!