This is an end of year clean up message. Once again, as we approach the holiday season, I submit for your consideration a proven technique to build your prospect/suspect list for 2020.
This idea can generate scores of qualified leads for you to put into your prospect pipeline. It only takes a few minutes of prep and a few dollars to get it done.
Ingredients:
Recipe:
Identify your favorite clients with whom you have a friendly relationship. Prepare a short cover letter with content such as this:
Dear Sally:
With the holiday season around the corner, I was hoping you can help us with a small project we are doing for charity. Many senior citizen centers, preschools, etc. like to use Christmas/Holiday cards for decoupage and arts and crafts. We want to gather them all before they go into the trash.
You can help by putting the cards you receive into this envelope and mailing them to us or giving me a call for pick-up.
Along with a note thanking you, we will bring all the cards we collect to the kids, seniors, and others who will use these for many creative projects.
So, it is a simple request that recycles cards you will ultimately toss away and make a lot of people happy.
While the letter is computer generated, the envelope should be by hand. Write your client’s return address on the envelope and your address in the center. Doing it with a marker and by hand, shows that this is a personal effort. It makes your customer more likely to help you with your charitable idea.
You will need to contact a hospital, preschool or nursery school, rehabilitation center, or senior center to ask if they will take a donation of cards for arts & crafts. You might also donate some glue or scissors to enhance the deal. When you get your cards together, simply send them or deliver them along with the names of the companies who participated. You will probably get a thank you letter you can share with your customers.
With the most honorable of intentions, gather the cards in January as they come in. Then, place the inside of the card on your copy machine or simply start a contact file with the name on the card. You now have a name that becomes a prospect. You may have a logo as well. They are qualified because you know they send something branded, even if it is only a card. The most obvious thing you can sell them is a greeting card next summer but, there may be so much more waiting for you after contact.
Obviously, there is research to be done. The copy in the card will give you a tiny fragment of information such as Joe Jones, First Bank. Someone, it could be you, an intern, or employee, needs to do a search to better identify the prospect with a phone number, address and, if lucky, an e-mail. If you have a LinkedIn relationship with the client who gave you their cards, you may find Joe Jones on their LinkedIn and it will greatly expedite your recon.
So, there was nothing complicated about this idea. I have been teaching and preaching it in Santa’s Workshop for decades. The only thing that stands between you and success is the desire to get this done. In previous columns I have often suggested that one day a month you turn off the phone and block out everything except “self-marketing”. That is the day you can accomplish this program and once done, it makes it easier year after year.
The writing is on the wall
Did you ever stop to think that in front of your nose on you customer’s wall may be a lead? Calendar advertising is as strong as ever so look for the calendar anyone and everyone is using. Is it your local bank, funeral parlor, home service? Simply record the name and make a cold call.
End of year sweep
The last thing to mention for your end of year sweep are co-op funds. If you have taken my course or listened to a PPAI webinar, you will know that at 12:00 midnight on December 31, the loudest “flush” in business occurs. That is when billions of dollars of unused co-op money is flushed down the toilet and much of it could have been used to buy promotional products from you. If you don’t know what I am talking about, listen to my webinar in the PPAI library. There is a fortune to be found.
Finally, be a turkey
This year, discover a great idea. Be first, be noticed, and be nice. Send a Thanksgiving card to your client list.
Joel D. Schaffer, MAS is CEO and Founder of Soundline, LLC, the pioneering supplier to the promotional products industry of audio products. Joel has 48 years of promotional product industry experience and proudly heralds “I was a distributor.” He has been on the advisory panel of the business and marketing department of St. John’s University in New York and is a frequent speaker at Rutgers Graduate School of Business. He is an industry Advocate and has appeared before the American Bankers Association, American Marketing Association, National Premium Sales Executives, American Booksellers Association and several other major groups. He has been a management consultant to organizations such as The College Board and helped many suppliers enter this industry. He is a frequent contributor to PPB and Counselor magazines. He has facilitated over 200 classes sharing his industry knowledge nationwide. He is known for his cutting humor and enthusiasm in presenting provocative and motivating programs. He is the only person to have received both the Marvin Spike Industry Lifetime Achievement Award (2002) and PPAI’s Distinguished Service Award (2011). He is a past director of PPAI and has chaired several PPAI committees and task forces. He is a past Chair of the SAAGNY Foundation, Past President of SAAGNY and a SAAGNY Hall of Fame member. He was cited by ASI as one of the 50 most influential people in the industry.