‘Tis The Season To Be Sales Smart . . .
T.O.M.A. Principle:
“Start Counting the People Who Count Versus Counting The People You Reach!”
Every fall at this time of the year I get astonished looks from my audiences when I tell them to STOP sending holiday cards to their client’s. That’s right, STOP sending holiday cards. Instead, super charge your holiday sales and START sending very personalized holiday cards that utilize TOMA (Top Of Mind Awareness) principles that will get you noticed!
Think of it this way. As fall arrives, most (please note that I said MOST, not ALL) salespeople, companies, and entrepreneurs DREAD the thought of HAVING to send holiday cards to their clients or clientele. Those who dread this task are often consumed by the daily grind of business. They WILL not (or DO not) want to take the necessary time it requires to really supercharge their Holiday Touches. Yet, you can implement some simple and practical ideas, starting today, so you can have the best holiday season ever.
But before we begin supercharging our Holiday Touches, let’s put some STOPS in place!
As we supercharge our Holiday Touches, I want to bring to your attention some major philosophies that I need you to understand and embrace.
First, understand the game you are in. When sending holiday cards, you are up against the busiest time in the world for mail. The more holiday cards that are sent, the less effective they become. You, just like everybody else, are competing for your clients’ attention. If you want to win your clients’ attention, start sending them 4th of July cards (in July, of course!) instead.
Second, you must stop treating all your clients the same way. Some of you watching this video or reading the article have client database numbers that vary from just a few to thousands. The challenge that you face is to stop treating the entire database the same way. Regardless of your database numbers, treating them all the same way is highly ineffective. Nor is it a way to utilize proper time management skills.
In an effort to get you to work smarter, here is a rule that you can apply and make work for your database numbers. Take the top 10% of your client base … you know, the 10% that REALLY means the most to your revenue. That is the group of clients you want to target with PERSONALIZED holiday cards!
So, if you have 100 clients, you’ll send 10 cards out. If you have 1000 in your database, then you’ll send 100 PERSONALIZED holiday cards. If the 10% figure doesn’t work for your circumstances, then figure out the percentage that does work.
You keep hearing me state: “PERSONALIZED HOLIDAY CARDS!” That’s correct, they must be personalized. If you don’t personalize them, then don’t send them. It is that simple. Why would you send a very impersonal card to a client when it has no TOMA (Top Of Mind Awareness) … huh? Hint: You GUILT yourself into sending the cards because it is the holidays. STOP the guilt – stop sending lousy holiday cards!
Okay, now let me give you your STARTS to a supercharged and effective Holiday Card Campaign.
STARTING on November 1st, START your one-card-a-day campaign.
The one-card-a-day campaign looks like this:
Daily, starting on November 1st, hand write a short and personalized note inside the Holiday Card to that client. Your note might be just a couple of sentences or as much as a paragraph or two. The main idea is that you hand write it and personalize it. After finishing your note on the inside of the card, seal it and hand write the client’s name and address on the outside of the envelope. Add your Holiday Stamp and your cool Holiday Sticker. Place in a secure area or box. Repeat all these steps the next day. PRESTO – after 30 days, you will have 30 Holiday Cards PERSONALIZED! If you need more time to complete your list, continue this pattern through the first half of December, and that will give you about 45 personalized cards.
Now, what to do with the other 90% in your database? That’s simple: Send them a nice Holiday Electronic Card via e-mail, one that you can send to all of them with one click of the mouse. Remember, these are the clients who are important to you, but are just not as significant as the other 10%.
You can certainly modify these ideas. One of my students who is a successful financial planner modified her program for this method of operation: Her top clients received a huge block of Hershey’s chocolate with a personalized Holiday Message. Her secondary clients received a smaller Hershey’s Kiss with a personalized Holiday Message. (See http://www.hersheygifts.com) The rest of her database received a special Holiday Electronic Card.
Another client a few years back personally delivered customized calendars to his Top 20 clients … unannounced, I might add. He took the time to “just show up” in the late afternoon, and many of his clients were pleasantly surprised. This technique he attributed to a best ever December business because the Law of Reciprocation took over with the result that many of those who received the customized calendar freely gave him more business or referral business.
The biggest payoff rests with the fact that you went the extra mile to reach out to your special clients. Your thoughtfulness was distinctive. You took the time to do something special for them. Believe me, when the onslaught of non-distinctive Holiday Cards start hitting the mail, your cards and envelopes, if done as I have outlined in this article, will stand out from the pack! Furthermore, when they read your personal comments, they will certainly take notice of your effort, and their esteem for you will rise to higher levels of trust and appreciation. Better yet, when that client is ready to enter into your market – or they hear of someone who is – they will automatically think of you.
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Questions and/or Comments?
Please respond to my blog at the bottom of this article!
Higher PROFITS and higher levels of Sales EFFICIENCIES - typical results that are experienced by Chuck Bauer's clients. Chuck has over two decades of sales experience and on a daily basis you will find him consulting with many sales organizations and salespeople nationwide. He is a highly sought after speaker and a member of the National Speakers Association. His information is widely published in many print and internet based publications. He is an instrument rated-private pilot, committed body builder, and mountain biker. Chuck is typically in the following cities: Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, Austin, San Antonio, Arlington, El Paso and does sales consulting in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
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"Situational Selling made me realize I need to change. I felt it was useful and I fully plan to use the techniques in my on-going sales efforts."
Kent Geary
DebtXS, Dallas, Texas
January 13th, 2009 at 11:50 am
Wonderful ideas. It really makes sense. The personalized message means so much more than the generic.
January 13th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
Just to add . . . the personalized mail should become a “sales habit” on all communication. Mail is a great tool, is can be working for you while you sleep. Yet, we are so bogged down my machines and processes that we forget that personal touch to our very most important clients. A new video training on this will be made available in the next few weeks.