AMiable Solution #176: Is Your Relationship Dead?

You know who they are: the accounts on your contact list who haven’t responded to your marketing in months, maybe years.  But you keep marketing to them because you know it’s easier to get a previous buyer or donor to give you money than a prospect.  And because sometimes you know, no matter how long it’s been since you’ve had contact from them, it’s hard to say goodbye to a client.

So how do you know when it’s over?  How do you know if a customer or donor or former member is just waiting for the right offer or if they’ve already moved on?

Like many answers in marketing, it depends.  It depends on your market.  It depends on your organization.  And it depends on your industry.  Here, however, are five points to consider when you evaluate the viability of inactive accounts:

1.      Your competitors.  Take a look at their offers, their new products and services, and their leadership.  Have they made changes that could be drawing your customers away? 

2.      Your offers, products, and services.  Are you marketing the same old stuff?  If you haven’t dangled anything new--new services, new benefits, new features, new products, etc.--in front of your previous buyers, then you haven’t given them any reason to buy lately.  An updated product, a new service, or a new group to help could reignite the buying fever.

3.      What type of buyers they are.  Look at your inactive accounts’ previous purchasing habits.  Were they strictly transaction buyers?  Were all their orders made at discounted rates?  If so, you may want to send them your best, discounted offers only.  If they have a history of regular purchases, however, you may have relationship buyers--your most loyal customers--at stake.  Before removing them from your mailing list, call them!  Find out what changed for them and what you can do to improve or win them back.

4.      Current events.  Sometimes, particularly with donors, the urge to contribute to a cause is driven by current events.  If the benefactors of your charity haven’t experienced a disaster or well-documented need in some time, then your “inactive” donors may be missing the desire and urgency to help.

5.      What you can afford.  Realistically, you can’t mail, email, or call your entire universe with every campaign.  You have to pick and choose which buyers--and how recently they were buyers--for each offer.  At some point, you almost have to treat unresponsive former buyers as prospects.  And that means applying that same line of reasoning when it comes to deciding how much you want and financially can invest in marketing to them.

Saying goodbye to a customer shouldn’t be easy.  Make sure you know the facts.

AMiable Solution #175: Are Your Customers Faithful?

You pour as much love on your clients, customers, members, and donors as you can.  You refer to them by first name.  You not only personalize all of your communications with them, but you also hand-select the products and services you offer them.  You make sure you call or write at least twice a month.

But is that enough to keep them faithful?  Do they love you as much as you love them?

It depends on the customer.  Paul Wang, co-founder of the Database Marketing Institutes, classifies buyers into three categories: program buyers, transaction buyers, and relationship buyers.

Program buyers are rarely influenced by marketing.  They follow set procedures to make purchases for their business and usually use one of several suppliers, as dictated by their manuals or processes.

Transaction buyers care less about brands and loyalty and more about prices and deals.  They respond to sales and discounts but will abandon one company for another at the drop of a price.

Relationship buyers, however, not only respond to marketing, but they thrive on it.  They want to build a history with you and develop a trust in you.  They don’t want to waste time or energy finding an organization they can count on every time they need to make a purchase.  When they find a company or organization that provides a quality product or service, employs friendly and helpful people, and supplies them with information when they need it, they’ll make that company or organization their go-to.  Relationship buyers will stay with you for a lifetime if you treat them right.

If relationship buyers seem to be the best type of buyers, does that mean you should focus all of your attention and budget on them?  Not at all.  But it does mean that you need to understand which customers fall into each category and market to them appropriately.  And marketing to relationship buyers, when done right, is something everyone will love.

AMiable Solution #174: How to Write a Great Love Letter

Nowadays, it’s easy to express your love in five minutes or less.  All it takes is a trip to the greeting card aisle and, voila!  Instant affection.

But if you really want to capture someone’s heart, you need to put your own heart into the effort.  Taking the time to make it personal can do wonders for any relationship, including the one between you and your market.

So how do you write a great direct mail letter?  The same way you write a great love letter:

·        Address the recipient by first name.  Everyone likes to see their name in writing: to know that a message was intended just for him or her.  This is true in relationships and in marketing.  Get personal.  Be on a first-name basis.

·        Be honest.  Most people, whether in love or in a business transaction, know a load of baloney when they hear it.  They know when something sounds too good to be true or when someone’s feeding them a line.  Don’t play games or try to manipulate your words.  Be honest.  Show your customers—and your love—that you understand them and their needs.

·        Be specific. Just as your loved one will be moved when you recall the details of your first meeting, the first time you realized you had feelings for him/her, etc., your market will be moved to respond favorably to your marketing when you provide specific information about your offer.  Show them that you understand their problems and can provide concrete solutions.

·        Speak your recipient’s language.  Every couple is unique.  They have their own histories and stories and inside jokes.  Your markets aren’t much different.  To be able to communicate effectively with them, you need to know their histories.  How they communicate.  What motivates them.  Whether they’re persuaded by benefits or features.  You need to know how they think and speak to them accordingly.

Everyone loves a love letter.  Make yours great. 

AMiable Solution #173: Love Lengths

Love is in the air.  This month, as you try to woo new or existing customers, remember one thing: no one likes a stalker.

Communicating frequently with your customers and prospects is more than a good idea: it’s essential.  But it’s also important not to overdo it.  You don’t want to leave your customers feeling trapped or powerless. 

So how much is too much?  Unfortunately, only you can determine (through testing) what your market’s threshold is: the frequency that they not only tolerate, but also respond profitably to.

Whether you’re testing out your frequency schedule or following a carefully timed plan, make it easy for your recipients to opt out of phone calls, emails, mobile marketing, and direct mail, and make instructions for doing so obvious.

When a customer does want to “break up,” follow-up on opt-out requests quickly.  But don’t just hit “delete” and move on.  Figuring out why individuals opt-out can make it easier to determine how to keep them.  If you offer an online option for opting out, take the opportunity to ask questions.  Prepare a very brief questionnaire and ask for feedback.

Learning how and how often to communicate with your market will make everyone happier and your relationships stronger.