Today, in marketing, we hear common terms like “email blast”, “mass fax”, “mail campaign” and many other terms that describe ways to reach many people at once. We rely on the written word to express our thoughts, convey our message, share our specials and generally to do the work for us. These types of client outreach, whether the goal is to target existing customers or to drum up new business, are not always effective, or appreciated.

“Not once in my life have I bought anything from someone who sent me an email,” said Jon Gainer, President of CampaignPros.com, an online producer of campaign and business marketing materials, “but, if someone calls to follow up after I have been on their site, there is a much better chance that I will.”

Companies like CampaignPros.com, while implementing email quotes and correspondence, believes that there is much more to it than simply firing off an email. “It is very hard to be personal in an email. A client can’t get a true gauge for how you feel. Often times, emails are misunderstood and taken the wrong way,” shares Wade Baffa, CEO of CampaignPros.com, “so what we try and do is to always follow up with a phone call.”

Can you feel what I am saying?

Personal touch is the key. While a little more time consuming and often uncomfortable, the phone call eliminates the “delete” button. Plus, once you have the client on the phone, you can bring information out of them that might help you figure out other ways you can help. If you can get your potential client chatting about his or her business or campaign, you should be able to quickly identify multiples services or products you can offer.

As an example, you call to offer a new candidate your great pricing on yard signs and banners. While talking with him, you find that he hasn’t had time to order them because he is too busy working on a mail piece that he needs to get out to announce his candidacy. Bingo! You now can tell him that you can design, print and mail those pieces for him. The trust that you have just built in 60 seconds has opened up the door for just about anything you want to pitch.

One in a million and a dime a dozen

Not only is the phone call more personal, it is also more unique. Today, candidates and business owners receive dozens, if not hundreds, of mailers, email blasts and faxes each month. Each correspondence looks about the same and offers nearly the same promotions. Sure, you can hire a graphic designer to create a fancy piece, print it on expensive paper and package it with sparkles and bows, but see what that does for your budget. See what your return is on this piece while it is taking up space in someone’s trash can.

“I received a mailer from Marlboro once. It was beautiful and had to be about 5” by 6”. It unfolded 3 times and was all full-color. The package contained coupons. I ripped out the coupons and threw the packaging in the garbage,” commented Mike Mathews, Sales Manager for CampaignPros.com.

Granted, this example is not quite the same as pitching yard signs to a campaign since Marlboro is probably ordered by law to spend incredible amounts of money on advertising, but the fate of the packaging is still the same. Had a smoker received an advertisement from 10 different cigarette companies, each would look very similar, contain the same information and the wrapping would end up in the same place.

You Da Man!

Simply put, you want your clients to believe that you have unlimited time to help them out. Of course, you don’t, but the time you put into actually speaking with your clients is priceless. It is to them and you will find that it is to you. It has been said that good service from a company is shared with 5-7 people while poor service is shared with 12-15 people. Do the math and you’ll easily conclude that your personal relationship with customers will only benefit your bottom line. Your initial sale with a customer may be the only time they buy, but that customer will now tell colleagues that he “knows a guy.” You can be that guy.

Fill up your coffee cup, get your legal pad ready and crack your knuckles…you have some dialing to do.