 (1) (1).png)
Digital marketing is great, but there’s nothing like receiving a handwritten letter in the post, right? Making the most of old-school marketing techniques can really help you stand out from your competitors.
It’s National Fountain Pen Day on 3rd November, which makes it a perfect time to start writing to your customers!
A handwritten postcard to accompany a new offer, or a compliment slip with perfect calligraphy inside the packaging for an order, are two great ways to connect with your customers on a personal level.
Use The Phone
If you’re interested in maintaining your customer relationships, remember to schedule regular phone calls to check in with them. You don’t have to make these sales calls. Simply have a quick chat to see what’s going on with their business and remember to take a personal interest in your main contact, too.
This will help to build a long-lasting partnership with your clients, and will keep your ear to the ground for potential opportunities. It’s not just about the immediate financial opportunities: during your conversations, you may realise that two of your customers would do well to be connected with each other. By acting as the medium through which they’re introduced, they’ll remember that your networking skills are what brought this new partnership together, and are likely to return the favour later on when they can.
Top Tip: Make sure your phone number is clear on your business cards – and include your mobile and landline too, so that people can get in touch whenever they need.
Send Thank You Cards
When a customer has bought a product from you, or you’ve completed working on a project with them, don’t forget to say thank you.
You can be sure to stand out with branded postcards or greetings cards which display your own design and company logo – without seeming salesy. People will often keep hold of their thank you notes, and pin them up somewhere for all to see. That’s because it’s unusual these days to receive a compliment in business, and it’s a great ego-boost when someone has taken the time to handwrite a letter to you.
Top Tip: Save time with some pre-printed messaging – but make sure to handwrite something (even your signature) – to keep the card personal.
Use Loyalty Appointment Cards
If you run a salon, or any other service where customers need to book an appointment with you, consider using loyalty cards with space for appointment times to be included.
You can then handwrite each new appointment on the card, and use an ink stamp on one side to help your customer collect loyalty rewards. For example, a hair salon might offer 10% off after three haircuts, a free colour after five appointments, or a special conditioning treatment with ten stamps. Keeping the appointments on the same card will ensure your customer always has your details to hand, and that they can easily see how close they are to their next reward.
Top Tip: A folded business card gives you plenty of space to include an appointment chart on the inside (across two pages), while the front and back could include your contact details and logo, and a page for loyalty stamps.
Remember Birthdays For That Personal Touch
Get to know your customers: be sure to ask them to include their birthday when signing up for your service. If you don’t want to hold lots of personal information, you can always just ask for their birthday month instead of the actual date.
Send out handwritten birthday cards each week (or each month), which include a special birthday discount code or offer. It’ll help your customers feel more connected to you, and a handwritten card feels so much more personal than a generic birthday email.
Top Tip: Change up the offer depending on the month or season: perhaps a Halloween special in October, a festive deal in December, or a spring sale in May.
All of these old-school personal touches can help to build a reputation with your customers as an engaged, honest, and trustworthy business. They’re more likely to then refer your services to a friend – and as word-of-mouth is the most powerful sales tool around, it’s worth investing in these small personalised print marketing touches for increased lifetime value (and more customers overall!).
