Increasing Client Retention through contact marketing 

Many software programs have the ability to look for information in your database based on a variety of search criteria, and report on this information through lists, custom mail merge letters, and emails.

Clients need to feel that their business is appreciated; this can be done in numerous ways.  Below find typical marketing scenarios used by many that use quality software.

Recognizing and thanking new clients 

By default newly entered clients are set as Status “New” in most software.  You can recognize new client and thank them for their patronage by creating a letter that can be mailed (in a hand written envelope) to them.

First, create an appropriate letter to your new clients in MS Word using the software mail merge features as:

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Dear (Mail Merge field)

All of us at Happy Day Spa would like to thank you for your recent visit to our Spa.

It is our objective to provide outstanding service to our clients; your comments on the services you received are greatly appreciated.

Was the service what you expected?

What do you think of the quality of the service received?

Do you believe it was a good value? 

When you call for your next appointment, please mention you received this Welcome letter and receive a 10% discount on any service received.  

Bonnie Scott, Manager Happy Day Spa 888-555-1212

If you would like to make an online appointment for your next visit, go to www.ClientMagic.net/oa/HDS.htm . You may also reschedule your current appointments if desired at this website.

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Save this document as a HTML file or Web page in you’re My Documents folder as “Welcome”

Next create a query for all your new clients and print out a list of them to address envelopes from.

 After you have addressed the envelopes, globally change the client status to “Active” in the software.

Next month go through the same process.

 Custom printed hand written birthday cards are also a way to endear clients to you.

First create a birthday card as you did with the new client thank you above, in Microsoft word. 

Creating birthday cards 

We assume you have created a new client check in form and have collected the clients email addresses, text message address, phone numbers and birthday. You also need to set the preferred phone number and message on the bottom right.

Create a custom birthday card using MS Word:

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We at Happy Day Salon would like to wish you a very happy birthday and many more to come.

In recognition of this joyous day, please present our receptionists with this Letter the next time you make an appointment with one of our staff and receive a free bottle of your choice of Nail Polish.

Happy Birthday (First)

                                       (Insert mail merge field here for first name, remove this)

You continued patronage is very much appreciated, Thank you.

 Alice Smith, Manager Happy Day Salon 1-800-583-3786

To make an on line appointment; go to our website and click on online appointments, enter your email address and a password of the number 1.  (most software offers this inexpensive option)

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Save this document as an HTML (web page) in you’re My Documents directory.

Run a query for all birthdays from the First to the end of next month and print out the list. Hand address the envelopes for a more personal touch.

 Marketing to the top spending clients (did you know that 20 to 30% of your clients give you 80% of your income?)

Create a Document in Microsoft Word offering an incentive to come in and purchase a product or service.

Create a query to identify all clients that spent more than $1,000 with you last year and print out this list, or print mailing labels for them

Working with Mailing lists 

Mail lists can be purchased from various organizations including Dun and Bradstreet http://smallbusiness.dnb.com/  and Sales Genie or www.Salesgenie.com. These lists may be imported into most software in order to use the marketing and tracking features.

You have the option of creating a new database to put these new prospective clients in (recommended), or importing them in your current database.

After importation of your list you may create a special mailing, or use the included phone numbers for a telephone marketing campaign using a service like www.Callfire.com . Be sure to record any client contact so you may determine the value of the leads and track them.

On some servers or internet service providers, software can merge email messages and send them. Using the same methods above, give the email a subject name and send your emails.

Many internet providers block sending bulk email due to span laws. Be sure you have your client’s authorization or consent to send them emails..

We recommend you use Plain text emails to avoid email blockers. Setup your HTML document as described above then send emails.

To email your clients using www.constantcontact.com  or other list managers, first export your client list, File, Utilities, Export, and ClientList. This file will be in the form of a Comma Separated list, so you must open Excel first then the file. Choose Delimited, then Comma separated.

WP_Increasing_Retention.htm 

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