[Barry Livingstone]

Now that New Media has blown the Print marketing media out the water in terms of ROI, how are you at keeping in touch with customers and more importantly getting repeat business and referrals from it.

I did a e-shoot today its been opened by 29% and had 3% unsubscribe to it, the other 68% has still to be opened.

Now these email marketing tools are great for people selling products,ebooks or online subscriptions but how do they really fair when selling a service? At the end of the day If a carpet needs cleaned a customer thinks about it and wants in done asap.

All this Nurturing a client BS is ok if you got a product or you want them to buy a monthly subscription to something!

Whats your thoughts?

[MAX Carpets]

I'm guessing this was to existing customers with those rates. I tried it to a purchased data base, different results, useless!

Cheers


Justin 

[Timmy Boy]

I would say that most people have a work email and a home one ( I know I do). If I have to subscribe to something to get an offer I will use the home one. I then don't clog up my regular email so much. I would say a email a year after no contact is about right and then a newsletter that has something on it useful such as a stain removal tip or money off a service will keep the person engaged with your service. Just my thoughts though!

[wynne jones]

Email marketing shouldn't replace any other method, it just gives you another contact point and its free. Your subject line and the fact it's from you are the biggest factors as to whether it is opened or not. Although tempting, don't always email offers, send something to reinforce the relationship with your customer.

[Allan Simmons]

Exactly as Wynne said above.

I'd just add that it's not about the 68% that didn't open This time.  This time it's about the 29% that did open THIS time.  Some of the 68% WILL open it next time, where some of the 29% that opened this time won't next time.

It's about making sure you are "Front of mind" when the client is possibly thinking about using you again, to just nudge them.

[Max Campbell]

Ticked "don't do it" because we're just starting, but we expect to mainly target small groups with offers - including "we're in your area next Tuesday" types. Now we're so much busier than previous years and booking further ahead we're getting pretty efficient at minimising driving time, and it's surprising how much more you can take in a day, but this could take more work.

[david@zap-clean]

I ticked 'don't do it'... 

How do you harvest customer email addresses anyway?
I'm not happy with asking every potential customer who calls up for a quote what their email address is - I think it's a put-off.

I've thought about having some kind of 'opt-in' special offer service on my website - I've not done that yet.

I've recently seen some kind of 'add-on' to google search results, showing a pre-filled email subscription text box... But I can't find out how that works.

Anyway, no marketing seems to work on a cold, snowy January weekday!

[Max Campbell]

I'm not happy with asking every potential customer who calls up for a quote what their email address is - I think it's a put-off.

Maybe - but we feel it's acceptable to ask everyone you actually do a job for, and we have been doing for a while now.

[wynne jones]

Some people play Angry Birds, I much prefer playing get the email addresses off prospects, adde and mobile number. Its often a challenge but more profitable.

[AshWhite]

Some people play Angry Birds, I much prefer playing get the email addresses off prospects, adde and mobile number. Its often a challenge but more profitable.

How about 'get the birds phone number'?

Much more fun. Completely unrelated to carpet cleaning, mind.

[wynne jones]

Similar technique - rebuttal turnarounds. Although sometimes these become Angry Birds. 

[Allan Simmons]

How do you harvest customer email addresses anyway?
I'm not happy with asking every potential customer who calls up for a quote what their email address is - I think it's a put-off.

When you've made the booking on your diary just say "Oooh, can I just take an email address to send a quick confirmation to please?" Ta Da! It's not pushy, or high pressure and most just immediately give us an email address.

Other way to get it is if you leave a questionnaire card/letter add the statement "If you'd like to know about amazing last minute short notice offers please pop your email address here: ___________________________"  then you have a resource of clients who you know are interested in offers at short notice to fill a gap tomorrow morning etc.

Hope that helps.

[wynne jones]

A few months ago I had to call the RAC out.

At the end of the job the nice RAC man gave me a tablet computer and said would I mind giving his company feedback on his performance. Sure I said. I gave him five stars for service, politeness etc but then after a few questions it was asking me, when is your next car insurance due, do you have a vehicle warranty... and it went on and on.

In the end I was looking for a quit button but there wasnt one, I was forced to go through to the end or turn to the chap and say I wasn't filling it in.


Very naughty.