What I’m reading: Sweet Thursday by John Steinbeck
What’s on the iPod: King of Diamonds by Motopony
Wow, just head off to lunch thinking you have tons of time….the emails must have come in instantly after I left the house. Five urgent requests, all of them a priority. I sorted through quickly and got to the easiest ones first. Then I exhaled.
Today it’s blog posts and more newsletter work. I meant to get on the phone yesterday and chase down some missing newsletter copy, but the afternoon ran away from me. Plus I have one smaller project I’ll start (and hopefully finish) today.
I spent some time putting together some mailings for clients I’d contacted and met with. It got me thinking about how many ways we can build a presence and created a lasting impression.
So how exactly do you do that? You contact them as often as possible, and in many different ways. For instance, when I went to the trade show recently, I contacted potential clients twice. Those who responded to my queries I met at the show. When I got home, I thanked them via email and gave them yet another quick summary of my background. Then I sent some things out this week to those who requested the info. In all, I touched base with them five times. Each time was unique and in most cases, different.
So here are some ways to increase your points of contact with clients:
Introduce yourself. I did it with emailed LOIs sent a few months before the show. That allowed me ample time to plan booth visits and schedule meetings during those two days I was attending.
Meet in person. Obviously, this one isn’t happening much. But if you have the geographic opportunity presented to you, do it. No other impression you’ll leave will be as powerful as a face-to-face with your client.
Send stuff. Start with a brochure, a sales letter, an email, a phone call – something that puts your name in front of the client in a good way.
Follow up. Send that follow-up email or postcard in about a week. I’d say if you’re doing email communication, why not follow up with a mailed postcard or note? Mix it up a little. Maybe email isn’t your potential client’s preferred form of communication.
Send more stuff. I met with potential clients at the trade show three weeks ago. Yesterday, the ones who requested them were mailed portfolios. The portfolios also included another brochure and business card along with my CV. That was after I followed up via email once I got back.
Tag them with news they can use. Don’t make it all about business. Try sending them an article that reminded them of their business, or an industry story that relates to what they do. Show them you’ve heard what they have to say. I like sending blog links – it gives them something they’ve not seen in their own news feeds.
The idea is to stay in touch without pestering. Be useful to your clients, not that person who simply will not go away. Initially, keep the communications close together – note, follow up, additional info. Then space it out so that every one-and-a-half to two months your potential client hears from you.
What favorite ways do you use to increase your contact?
3 responses to “Many Points of Contact”
I always like meeting in person because I feel like I show my best self that way. Of That's probably the most difficult way, though – catching people when they have free time, and of course, proximity. But following up afterwards is much easier for me. I send a nice hand-written note and a business card if it was more of a casual meeting, letting them know what I do and how I could help them. Sometimes I also follow up with a phone call if I get the impression that's a good form of communication for them. I think evaluating people and being perceptive to their needs is very important – both when offering your services and methods of follow up. Not every form is good for every client. And they appreciate it when you treat them individually.
I love using postcards. I'm a big believer in handwritten cards for the Yuletide season, too, just saying, "Hope you had a great year & that next year is even better — thinking of you!"
While a lot of the actual work is done electronically, as both a customer and a provider, I like regular contact via post.
Ashley, I like in-person, too. It's tough and I get to do it so rarely, but I really enjoy that personal connection. Oddly, Twitter gives me a pretty good substitute. 🙂 Hand-written notes are wonderful – they're so rare anymore that it feels like a novelty!
Devon, I agree. Contact beyond work is so important. You've sold me on the power of postcards.