Just last week, I used the last receipt form
on my counter, and went in search of a new receipt
book. It was a fruitless search... I had just
used the very last one in the office. Grumbling,
I berated myself for not paying closer attention
and went to check the mail.
Surprise, surprise! In my mailbox, was an advertisement
with my name scrawled across the top. It asked
if I had forgotten to purchase receipt forms,
and gave simple directions to get them overnight!
It was like a message from heaven! How did
they know my name, and the fact that I was out
of receipts? Of course they have computers that
keep track of regular orders... they know approximately
how long it is between your orders, and take
advantage of the knowledge, but the impact of
a personal message at just the right time astounded
me.
What’s
in a name?
Power, for starters. When someone says your
name you stop what you’re doing and respond.
When you see your name in print, you perk up
and pay attention. Yeah, a name is a powerful
and magnetic tool that gets the attention of
your customers.
Don’t be afraid to use your customer’s
name. Address any mail to them personally. Put
it on their emails. Your correspondence is much
more likely to get read when it has their name
scrawled across the top.
Real name vs.
screen name.
Sometimes it’s hard to get the real names
of potential customer who come to you on the
Web. With a little research, you can usually
find their name somewhere in the email address
or on the header of their emails. Can’t
find it? A screen name will work, but won’t
have the power their real name would have.
Set the example. Sign all of your emails with
your real name, and see how many customers respond
with their real names. It’s almost automatic.
Once you’ve captured a name, store it
with the email address so that it’s ready
to be used in future mailings.
Be careful not
to OVERDO it!
The key here is to be natural... you wouldn’t
say my name 6 times in a conversation that consisted
of about 3 paragraphs. Don’t annoy the
heck out of your customer by doing it in print.
A good rule of thumb is to use the first name
2 - 3 times per email.
Personalize your way to greater success, by
using customer names.
Who is Allyn
Cutts, and why should you care?
Allyn has spent over 24 years helping businesses
like yours find new customers and increase sales
to current customers. Allyn is a marketing and
sales fanatic, providing measurable marketing
solutions that drive huge results for small-to
mid-size business clients. Allyn works personally
with clients to design and deliver off-line
and on-line direct marketing strategies that
focus on metrics and measurable results. You
can learn more about Allyn Cutts at www.AllynCutts.com
and you can call 610.437.4106 between 10 AM
and 4 PM Eastern Time Tuesdays and Thursdays.
