Imagine a prospect walks into your place of business and offers you a card. “I’m not ready to buy, but I’d be happy to receive more information about special offers, new products, or other news. Here’s my contact information,” the prospect says. Would you refuse to take the card? It’s not a trick question. Every [...]
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Your Lists Are Assets, But Only If…
If you want to sell your business, one of the questions your suitor will undoubtedly ask is: What is the size and quality of your “list?” The buyer is not asking about your grocery list here, they want to know if you have a “house list” of existing customers and prospects that you are actively [...]
How to Build a Long- Lasting Relationship with First-Timers
In a previous post, I applauded online coupon vendors that deliver a flood of new customers to you. But after the first-time customer redeems the coupon, then what? Your challenge is to maximize the lifetime value of customer relationships. These goals apply whether you acquire the customer through couponing or some other tactic. Turn first-time [...]
Nonprofits Need to Separate Prospects from Suspects Before Pressing “Send”
My 18-year-old cousin received an email from a non-profit last month, promoting the organization’s new planned giving web site and inviting him to register for a free webinar about the topic. After opting-out from the non-profit’s mailing list, my cousin emailed me and asked, “Why would they send me this junk?” My reply, “Because you [...]
Tom Ruwitch Featured on Tiny Business, Mighty Profits
Our friend Russ Henneberry has a great blog called Tiny Business, Mighty Profits. I was honored to have Russ invite me to be intereviewed on his internet radio show that he includes on the blog. In the 40-minute discussion, archived on the site, we discussed: Learn: The 3 reasons you shouldn’t be using Outlook, Gmail, [...]
Marketing to the Maybes – How Non-Profits Should Court Prospects
Imagine you’re single, looking for a new long-term relationship. You enter a room full of strangers and see someone whom you find attractive. You walk over, introduce yourself, and converse. You deliver some of your best material—funny anecdotes about yourself, details about your high-powered career, evidence of your passionate, yet sensitive side. The stranger is [...]
The Wisdom of Yogi: Segment to Sell
Yogi Berra once said, “If people don’t want to come to the ballpark, how are you gonna stop them?” I love that quote, and I think about it often as I work with clients on their marketing campaigns. In his charming, convoluted way, Yogi presented a very basic but essential marketing principle: It’s far easier [...]
Focus On List-Building To Strengthen Your Greatest Asset
A friend of mine recently was on the verge of selling his small business, but the deal collapsed. The business was profitable and growing, and the prospective buyer liked the numbers. But the deal tanked when the prospect asked to see the customer list. When my friend replied that he had not been collecting emails and other contact information from most of his customers and prospects, the prospective buyer bolted.
The prospect knew that a business is only as good as its list. Sure, your business may be making money and even growing. But you limit your potential to grow your business if you do not have a good, clean, homegrown list of prospects, customers, and former customers.
