How to increase revenue in the down market with email
As business owners, we often wonder, rather than daydream, what can be done to increase sales. Most business owners are past the shock stage and into the state of “I’m worried and I have no idea what to do!” – appearance of anxiety.
A few months ago I was having lunch with a client of mine who runs a very successful golf cart dealership and repair shop (success in 2007). Ten minutes into our lunch, he said, “You know, Vanja, things aren’t like they used to be. My sales are down, my foot traffic is light, and I don’t know when it’s going to change. People aren’t buying.” cars like before!
This sounded funny but true. Funny because we live in Palm Springs, California and there are more golf courses here. In your case, regardless of the economy, consumers who play golf are generally retired and have good savings. But it’s true because even these consumers aren’t buying like they used to.
Consumer buying patterns have changed dramatically in the last 18 months. They want MORE VALUE than ever, but unfortunately business owners are WASTING more time worrying than adjusting to their buying patterns.
I smiled at him as he answered me with a puzzled look. Without trying to educate him on why and how, I asked him to list 10 things he had changed about the value of his products and services in the past few months. Surprisingly, he came up with some good ones. I asked him how they worked, he replied “They didn’t”.
Long story short, they didn’t work because you didn’t apply them correctly. We rolled up our sleeves and came up with a plan.
Last Thursday, I saw one of your delivery trucks pull up in front of my office. I went out to look and there he was, unloading a new golf cart…for me. Surprised, I asked what this is. He said this is his commission for all the income he has helped me earn in the last two months. He is a very generous client, I am happy to say more than a friend than a client, but what we did was so simple and cheap that many would not believe it.
I had your accounting department pull out a list of all the clients you’ve dealt with in the last 12 months. We developed an email marketing campaign for 70% of those with a very strong value-based message. The results were amazing. This ad ended up costing him around $100.00 for two months and generated a little over $37,000 in revenue.
The goose that lays the golden eggs in your backyard is your current customers. They already know you and most likely they trust you. Now, more than ever, they are not looking to be sold, but will continue to buy if you approach them correctly. From this experience, I have had many of my clients send email advertising to their current clients and EVERY ONE of them generated revenue.
After a week of research, searching for the best email marketing software, I found one that has worked wonders for us. It’s easy to use, develop, affordable (about $20.00 a month) and track results, even for the “not so web savvy”. My clients now run their own campaigns, but call from time to time when they need a new message.