And then it was mid-November… How did that happen? Turkey Time!
I don’t know about you, but I feel like the months have been flying by. Here we are in November of 2012 and the holidays are upon us. If you do advertising, I’m sure you’ve already submitted your holiday advertising. Maybe you even know what sales you’ll be having when. Maybe your schedule is already filling up. But, have you thought about what type of clients you’re hoping to get during this season and for the New Year?
The good kind, right?
Last year I made a list of my top ten clients. This didn’t mean that they were the highest grossing clients. Some of them were just great clients. You know the type. The ones that realize you’re the expert. The ones that pay on time. The ones that want to be part of the process (to make their lives better with technology). Some of them were just great people that I enjoyed doing business with. I made this list and decided—instead of a generic holiday card or gift, I would do something different, something special for these clients. If birds of a feather flock together, I wanted these specific clients to sing our praises to their friends.
What could I get for people who were in a higher (some much higher) tax bracket then I was? What could I do that was personal? My sister is the head chef at a local village restaurant, and I know the owner pretty well. I wrote each client a letter thanking them for their business and asking them to keep us in mind in the future. We included a customized gift certificate and informed them by presenting it they would be taken care of—personally. Who doesn’t love personal service?
A few of the clients not only thanked me upon receiving the gift, but again this year when they went to the restaurant and enjoyed a great meal. Another ‘warm and fuzzy’ was that I was helping out a fellow local business. The gift certificates were marked so the restaurant could track that they came from us. This didn’t cost a bunch but really made us stand out. It was more personal than just a card or a gift. It was an experience. And isn’t this what we want to provide to our clients-an experience?
These are clients I can call upon for a referral any time. This stuff that we do—technology—it’s personal. Water heaters, roofs, and refrigerators are not personal. Flat panels, speakers and touch screens are. Music is personal. Remotes are REALLY personal. Don’t believe me—think about how important it becomes when it doesn’t work! It’s important that the client is not only happy with the system, but happy with the company, with the people. We want to be the ‘piece’ they show off to their friends, so that their friends call us tomorrow. Reminding them that we are out there at the end of the year and during the holiday season is a great way to encourage them to call us when they are ready for that next step.
So what are you doing this year for your clients this holiday season? How will you attract the right prospects? Tell me in the comments below.
Heather L. Sidorowicz is project manager/designer for Southtown Audio Video in Hamburg, NY.
