by George Duncan

For Customers
In addition to seasonal sale announcements, special events, promotions, etc.

1. Send timely reminders of needed services: doctor/dentist appointment, oil change/tuneup, "your letterheads/memo pads will be depleted soon, order now with the attached reply form..."

2. Send a card or letter on the anniversary of a purchase.

3. Send customers' kids birthday cards, if you can get that on your database.

4. Periodic surveys.

5. Invite customers/prospects to a product demonstration or educational seminar. (Free to customers, slight fee for prospects.)

6. Using careful segmentation, send:
- Price changes, product changes, policy changes.
- New product announcements ("Preview" for customers).
- Product samples to customers--or OFFERS for product samples for prospects with qualifying information.

7. Contests and sweepstakes opportunities. (Supports mail-order sales and in-store traffic building programs.)

8. Frequent-buyer programs. (But YOU keep the paperwork. Don't trust the customer to do it.)

9. Newsletter (especially as part of Frequent-Buyer Program).

10. Annual Report.

NOTE: In addition, ALWAYS include such items in the products you ship to customers along with discount certificates, etc., designed to spur repeat business.


For Business-to-Business
Always include in ads — and press releases - an offer for something other than "more information." Items you offer through space or mail should be of intrinsic value, tangible, and carefully targeted to the status of the recipient: Suspect, Prospect, Customer, Client, Advocate.

1. Special Report or "White Paper" on technology or industry dynamics related to your product. Give it a title and offer it by name.

2. Case studies of successful implementation of your product. (Get permission early and have these on file.) "7 Ways xyz Widgets have saved companies like yours more than $x million!" Note the specificity of "7 Ways" and "$x".

3. Profiles of successful client companies. "Meet the pros who are making a difference in astrophysics today!" (Can be any level, CEOs, engineers, etc.)

4. Test results of product performance--trade publication reviews and articles on such performance.

5. Conduct an annual industry survey on some vital issue (exec salaries, corporate marketing practices, product or corporate performance benchmarks). Publish the results and mail to customers.

6. Send press releases on new product announcements to customer/prospect segments. Include info for requesting product brochures.

7. Reprints of articles on your company or products.

8. Reprints of your ad campaign with note. (In case you missed our ads when they ran in xyz and abc, we're sure you'd want to see them.)

9. Contests (customers only). Integrate with sales incentive contest for sales reps.

10. Invitation to informational (product or industry) seminar.

11. Product videos (this can be integrated into all of the above mailings and offers, when properly targeted).

12. Newsletter.

13. Annual Report.

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This resource (c) and compliments of George Duncan of Duncan Direct Associates