This post is part of an article with tips on how to develop an email marketing strategy.
Building block 1: People buy from people they know, like and trust
How you apply the age-old sales mantra is what makes the difference. But you cannot get to know all your customers, right? Using the internet, social media and PR, you can address the “know” part. If your market is local, go to networking events and get to know people. Look for a marketing person who can help you with announcements in publications relevant to your industry.
It may seem that that the “like” is logically next, but I’d suggest that you can build “trust” first. And one of the easiest ways of doing this is by giving your prospects something for free. Not just a gimmicky trinket, but something of value. Make sure that the product you give away (physical goods or information) is in the product stack referred to in the next building block. Consider a PDF with information, a white paper, or if you sell physical goods, a low-cost item in your range.
Rule 1
Make sure you get AT LEAST the prospect’s email address when you give something away.
Rule 2
Consider the “friction factor” when you ask them to part with details. Is the value so high that they will part with name, telephone, email and physical address? If not, revert to major principle 1, and build trust by getting the minimum – perhaps a first name and email address. Once they know and trust you, they will happily give you the other details.
If you are not sure whether giving something away for free is a good idea, think about your cost per lead. How many leads do you need to create a new customer – 10, 100, 1,000? Say your marketing spend per year (to generate 100 leads) is £1,000. That means that your cost per lead is £10. So NOW, are you prepared to give away something for £2 to obtain a lead?
Building Block 2 will follow in the next few days.
In the meantime, consider our free email marketing workshop – we'd love to see you there.
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Peterborough CRM expert to help businesses make smarter email marketing decisions
Save time, money and effort with local email marketing workshop
A new, free email workshop designed to help businesses keep their most profitable customers, develop stronger relationships and nurture prospective customers will take place at the Holiday Inn, Peterborough West on September 23. (More workshops are planned in future – register here)
Developed by local businessman and CRM expert Don Wiid, the half-day Beyond Newsletters workshop will cut through the email marketing hype to leave delegates with a 10-point email marketing plan that they can use straight away.
It will help delegates focus their time, effort and money on those customers who are most likely to respond to their email marketing campaigns, in the way that is most effective.
Delegates will learn about the different type s of email marketing campaigns that are available, how to focus their email marketing in the way that is most appropriate for them. The workshop will then help them to fine tune their email marketing strategy.
Finally the workshop will give delegates a 10-point email marketing plan packed with top tips and vital email marketing skills. The plan will contain a summary of the 10 most important points from the workshop, written in Don’s punchy style. Don has a real understanding of the issues that face businesses and will tailor the summary in such a way that the delegates will be able to implement the key points that same day.
CRM expert Don Wiid said : “Over the past three years, my clients have shared many of their email marketing experiences with me. All too often companies make costly mistakes when creating campaigns. Occasional email newsletters may seem a good idea, until your customers start unsubscribing. What I’ve tried to do with ‘Beyond Newsletters’ is take all the best practice I’ve acquired and condense this into a short, informative presentation that gives attendees real, practical information that they can use on the same day. I want attendees to come away feeling they have learned something that will help them get the phone ringing and make them money.”
The workshop is free to businesses in and around the Peterborough area, but places are limited and allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. To book your free place contact Don Wiid on 01780 480031 or register on the website.
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We all hate SPAM.
Yet email is such an effective means of communication. It is unthinkable not to use email to communicate with our prospects and customers. No-one wants to be considered a spammer, so how can email be used effectively while avoiding the “spammer” tag?
Read on to discover the 5 building blocks that support every successful email marketing strategy.
Let’s face it: The whole point of communicating with customers and prospects by email is because we want the recipients to “buy our stuff”. You may send emails to nurture a prospect or keep in touch with a customer, but ultimately the aim is to get the prospect to buy their first product, and the existing customer to place a repeat order.
Now think about your own inbox: You probably don’t mind getting an email with a message that conveys a useful fact or two. The email may promote something you are vaguely thinking of buying, or maybe some information about a product or service you use. On the other side of the scale are the emails that you receive but don’t even think of reading. They simply get deleted, or you unsubscribe.
Get your emails opened (AND read)
Perhaps ask yourself this question before you click SEND to launch your next bulk email: Is this email relevant to each person in the distribution list? Put the shoe on the other foot, and imagine you are the recipient of your own emails. Compare your emails to the stuff that clogs up your inbox… how does it compare? Would you open it and read it?
Making emails relevant is a huge challenge. On the one hand the email should be written in such a way that it communicates directly with the recipient. On the other hand, sending the email to several people seems to sabotage this principle, and the emails tend to become general, and well… boring.
We clearly cannot send each recipient an individually crafted email; this would take far too long, especially if you sell a low-value / high-volume product. Yet the message should be about benefits of a product or service the recipient is interested in.
The solution is market segmentation: Finding a group of people with similar needs and buying characteristics. If you want to send each person a message that is relevant to them, then it means you have to have many lists – each list with a group of people who share the same interest. Big companies have the resources and marketing departments to segment their markets, and create lists of people who have the same characteristics. Smaller businesses have to up their game, and this is simpler than you think.
By using the 5 building blocks, you can make a start at catching up with big business. Maybe you won’t win a marketing award this year, but it will give you a platform to build on, while your business grows in a predictable manner.
Over the next few days, I will post the 5 building blocks. Thanks for reading!
In the meantime, why not register for the free email marketing workshop?
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Contact Edge CRM is hosting an email marketing workshop.
| Date: | 23 September 2010 |
| Time: | 8.30-10.30am |
| Venue: | Holiday Inn, Peterborough West |
Read more about the Email Marketing workshop on this page.
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Microsoft Dynamics CRM is one of the solutions gaining acceptance by midsized and large organizations looking for a flexible solution with fast time to value.
REDMOND, Wash. June 22, 2010 Microsoft Corp. today announced that Microsoft Dynamics CRM has earned recognition from Forrester Research Inc., a leading independent research firm, as a Leader in The Forrester Wave: CRM Suites for Midsized, Q2 2010 (June 2010) and The Forrester Wave: CRM Suites for Large Organizations, Q2 2010 (June 2010) reports. According to Forrester, vendors in the Leader category have both a strong product and strategy.
Although many CRM technology projects were deferred or cancelled in 2009, our latest research spotlights that organizations of all sizes are now investing again to improve the customer management capabilities they’ve neglected during the past 18 months. If you are a business process leader in a large [or midsized] organization, you’re challenged to pick the best CRM solution to enable your company to capitalize on the upturn, wrote William Band, vice president and principal analyst, Forrester Research, in the reports. Microsoft Dynamics CRM shines by offering flexibility for large and midsized organizations. As a result, Microsoft is pursuing its strategy for penetrating the CRM market through offering buyers the ‘Power of Choice’ so that companies may choose how to deploy, how to pay, and how to use the application.
The Forrester Wave reports evaluated the strengths and weaknesses of 19 customer relationship management (CRM) suite solutions against 516 criteria reflecting the requirements of midsized organizations and 18 CRM solutions for large organizations against 516 criteria reflecting the requirements of large organizations. These criteria included, among other factors, offering a multifunctional CRM application suite, a solution targeted to multiple industries, and a product now in general release and in wide use by customers.
Forrester research found that large and midsized organizations have many technology options to sift through. In Forrester’s evaluation of multiple CRM solutions, Microsoft Dynamics CRM was one of the solutions to which the research firm gave high marks for ease of use and relatively fast deployment times. The report further states, Microsoft owns a SaaS solution Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online and buyers value the solution’s native integration with Outlook and being able to work within the familiar Microsoft technology stack. Buyers also like Microsoft Dynamics CRM’s usability, lower price and its quick time to value compared with traditional CRM applications.
It is an honor to be recognized as a Leader in the CRM industry that is helping customers seize new opportunities and grow their businesses, said Brad Wilson, general manager, Microsoft Dynamics CRM. We deliver innovation and value to companies around the world through our focus on end-user productivity, business process flexibility and agility, and the ability of our customers to leverage public and private cloud deployment models.
About Microsoft Dynamics
Microsoft Dynamics is a line of easy-to-use, integrated and adaptable ERP and CRM applications that enable business decision-makers to quickly respond to market shifts, take advantage of new trends, increase their competitive edge and drive business success. Microsoft Dynamics solutions are delivered through a world-class network of reselling partners providing specialized services and additional innovation to help customers excel in their industries.
To find out how you can implement Dynamics CRM, go to www.contactedgecrm.com, or call us on 01780 480031
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The overriding reason is that CRM enables smaller companies to level the playing field with larger competitors.
This is achieved by focusing their sales and marketing efforts on the customers that will give them the biggest return on their investment. Small organisations have limited budgets and need to get the “biggest bang for their buck” for their Sales and Marketing expenditure.
Business intelligence tools on the CRM systems enable small organisations to identify which customers are the most valuable, (because they buy more, and cost less to manage), based on previous purchases and contacts with them, and target just them. It’s much cheaper than targeting everyone.
And of course, in the current climate where eveyone is networking like mad, keeping track of the new contacts you meet is essential. A colleague of mine attended a recent CIPD meeting and was astounded to be the only one to put her hand up when the speaker asked of the 40 attendees "How many of you have a CRM System to keep track of your contacts?"
The good news is that there are some quality and cost effective CRM packages available for SMEs.
For more information, contact Don Wiid, Managing Director of Contact Edge CRM on 01780 480031 or don@contactedgecrm.com
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So how do you spot a business that needs CRM?
In my experience, the easiest way is to look for operational issues. In other words, if a business is operationally challenged, you can be sure that their customer relationships also suffer.
Here are 4 pointers you may recognise on your travels:
1. Spreadsheets
A few clever knowledge workers maintain a number of complex spreadsheets. The business owner does not know how they work, but recognise that they are of critical importance to the business.
2. Bespoke Database
There may be exceptions, but generally a "home-grown" Access database will contain business logic that makes operations easier. So is Access a bit like a series of clever spreadsheets that are shared more easily? No, not really – this is of course an over-simplification. I would expect though that the Access database does not cover even some of the basic, core functionality of CRM – yet is regarded as the "Customer Database".
3. Emails CCd
I am sure at some point in your life you have experienced it: Person A sends an email, and CCs a number of team members with a proposal or project. Person B makes some changes, and clicks "respond to all". Ditto person C, D and E, and everyone spends ever increasing amounts of time to try and figure out what the latest release of a document is.
4. Paper
If processes are efficient, documents will be attached in a database or document management system, where everyone can access it. Therefore no need to print. If you notice paper passed from one person to the other, or if there are lots of filing cabinets and dedicated filing staff, you may have a problem.
Some other facts and figures:
Implementation of a CRM solution will result in:
- 52% increase in leads
- 34% boost in revenues
- 23% decrease in service and support costs
- 30% improvement in customer retention
The figures above are the expected results that the clever people at Salesforce measured. Over the last 10 years I have observed some other, unexpected results following a CRM implementation:
- Dramatically improved processes & efficiency
- Increased team cohesiveness
- Improved company culture
- Saving paper 
For further information on achieving operational efficiency using CRM contact Don Wiid on 01780 480031.
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Leading CRM expert Don Wiid has been invited to address the Chartered Institute of Marketing in Peterborough on 30 September 2009 and has put an exciting programme together.
He will cut through the hype and 'techno-speak' to implement customer relationship building programmes that really work.
Don will demonstrate how with the right tools in place, profiling your customers and the relationships you have with them becomes much easier, enabling more effective marketing communications.
These tools and processes let you share information more effectively across the organisation, and manage the sales pipeline to generate and rigorously follow-up more leads. Performance in retention, referrals, up-selling and cross-selling can all be greatly improved when CRM is working at its best.
Don will also provide you with a framework for choosing between the plethora of CRM systems available, and demonstrate why CRM is more about satisfying your customers' needs than it is about software.
To book your place visit the Chartered Institute of Marketing's LinkedIn noticeboard.
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Contact Edge CRM hosted a seminar on 13 August 2009 to inform and educate an audience of business owners on how to hold on to their customers.
Delegates were treated to a lineup of 4 speakers who are experts on the subject. Don Wiid, CEO of ContactEdge CRM, Lindsey Hall Director at Sentinel IT, Chris Joyce an expert on CRM Modelling and Richard Dodds Director at RD Associates.
Places were limited to 15 to ensure the audience got the opportunity to ask questions relating to their own business problems. The evening extended somewhat as delegates networked and made useful contacts!
Feedback from delegates
A great evening – thanks for my exclusive invitation to a CRM Masterclass! John Baldaro, Practice ProfitThank you for the event the other week – thoroughly enjoyed it and found it thought-provoking! Bob Hogg, Marketing Ability
Keep an eye open for our next event or register your interest in receiving an invitation by emailing or calling us on 01780 480031.
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Do you have "data silos"?
Think about the users in your business: is anyone reliant on a specific spreadsheet alongside your internal database to do their job? Any Access Databases? If the answer is yes, then read on… you may have a problem.
The bright and innovative users in your business will often create additional 'data silos' in the form of spreadsheets or Access Databases. This may be simply to enable them to do their job. Or it could be that they are extraordinarily helpful individuals,and they simply mean to help their colleagues. Or they may be bright and enthusiastic, and get a kick out of designing databases and programming spreadsheets.
Why is this a BIG problem for any business?
The individual who creates the data silo (Excel, Access etc), will almost always have the best of intentions. And it probably suits management, since this person does something pro-actively that solves a problem. Sound familiar so far?
Now comes the point where the application that is external to your chosen database builds up a head of steam – in other words, it becomes more complicated and comprehensive. And difficult to maintain. In fact, so difficult that the original creator of the data silo is the only one who can maintain it. But that is not all…
Consider what happens if a small thing like Contact History is entered in two places. This may not be an issue while you have a small team, since everyone knows to look in two places. Then you employ a sales person who is out on the road or someone who is not in the office all the time. And before you know it, your customers are asking why they are getting different messages. Worse still, they don't get a message, think you don't care, and go elsewhere.
I know of an accountancy firm ( who shall remain nameless ) that has seven different customer databases, none of which talk to each other. Their procedure when an address changes, is to print the details, then get the "owners" of each database to make the update and sign it off !
Risk
I bet you have spotted the next problem already… the employee ( who maintains the spreadsheet ) leaves. And your business-critical processes are bound into an Excel spreadsheet which only he/she can maintain. Worse still, the employee leaves on bad terms, and he/she has the master password, which renders the spreadsheet useless.
5 Steps to avoid Data Silos
- Always be vigilant for data silos. They inevitably end in tears. Spend the time NOW, find out why they were created in the first place, and make sure that the data deficiency is plugged (and the spreadsheet archived !!).
- Encourage your staff to share the difficulties they have when they do their jobs. In this 'sharing' culture, you will encourage the data silo wannabes to own up; the other 90% of your staff will become more engaged, AND more productive as a result of solving the data / process deficiency problem.
- Speak to your CRM solutions partner to find a way to address the problem. With their experience, they have 9 times out of 10, seen it all before.
- If the solution cannot be created with a CRM system's native functionality, then consider an add-on product. (There are literally hundreds of little applications out there that add tremendous value).
- If you cannot find an add-on and you need to store additional data, make sure that you have one primary source of data, and LINK (not duplicate) the additional information to it.
If you think you need to implement point 5 above, then you probably need to talk this through with a professional.
Call us now on +44 (0)1780 480031 or email us for a no-obligation chat about how you can empty your data silos.
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