Here’s one technique you can use which will make your marketing 10 times as effective:
FOLLOW UP
But VAs by nature are shy and retiring – we don’t like to bother people, and the people we need as clients are usually chaotic and busy with very little time to take action and hire your services. They need reminders and follow ups.
Here are five different ways of following up without the smarmy sales patter, ways that your clients will like to be contacted, and which just remind them quietly but persistently of your presence:
- Send them an article which relates to their industry. So if your client deals with the finance sector, you might send them some information on some new research on people’s pension plans. “Saw this and thought of you” It takes two minutes and shows them you understand their industry and are interested in it. (Top cheat: set up a Google alert to give you a feed on news which relates to their industry!)
- A silly postcard. This one can be graded according to how sales-y you want to be. Getting something physically in your client’s hands can be a powerful tool. It might be a postcard relating to your services, but equally it might just be something daft or pretty you saw and picked up. Top bonus points if you manage to send this the same day you speak to your new lead by second class post – it’ll arrive just as they begin to forget about you 2 days after speaking to you.
- 2 line email. We all have mountains of emails to wade through. Instead of bombarding your client with more information, send them a quick two line email asking how they are and how business is. Keeping it general means they can respond honestly without pressure to either fend you off or give you some work. You’ll find out more about the climate they are working in and this in turn will help you understand their needs.
- Make a note to call them. Again this one sounds very simple, but is really effective. The very day you speak to the client, make a note in your diary for the next day (to check they received the info and answer any questions), the next week (to ask if they’ve had some time to make a decision), and next month (to just see how things are going with their business). If they tell you “I won’t be in a position to hire until next month/next year” etc. then schedule your follow up calls to that timetable.
- Be persistent. On average it takes 7 communications with a company before people buy from them. That might be phone calls, adverts the client has seen, someone recommending you, meeting at a networking event… But you need to plan your marketing to include that all important seventh “touch”.
Some really great tools to help:
- www.aweber.com – There are other autoresponders out there, but this one delivers every time. Schedule follow ups emails easily according to your own schedule – 1 day, 1 week, one month, even a year afterwards.
- www.moo.com – fantastic cheap postcards/greeting cards for sending to clients. Don’t buy a pack of all the same, mix and match the pack so you have a variety of cards. 10% SVA Discount until 15th March – quote “VIRTUALMOO” at checkout!
- www.doughdough.com – Haven’t mastered virtual coffee, but virtual cake and biscuits we can do! But if your heart is set on sending your client coffee, try a Starbucks pre-paid card?
PREVIOUS SVA PREMIER POSTS:
- https://www.societyofvirtualassistants.co.uk/?p=391 Sept 2010 “101 Ways To Market Your Business” Password: cornice
- https://www.societyofvirtualassistants.co.uk/?p=307 August 2010 “Clients A-Z (or how to kick the Z clients to the kerb)” Password: apples