[Matt Gibson]

Hi fellas,

I thought i'd ask this on this side of the forum, as it seems you guys tend to do this more than other cleaning trades. I'm looking to start putting together a database of email addresses for previous customers. Not going to send them too much, maybe just a Christmas email, or a half yearly/spring clean type email.

What is the best way to do this? excel spreadsheet? At the moment, all the email address's are all over the place, some in my phone, some on business cards, some in my email program. Looking to just get them all in the one place and make it easier to see where I'm at.

Any tips?

[*Hector*]

how about creating a new email address from the likes of gmail, dedicated just to your business, and then put all the custards details in the contacts.

They will all be in 1 place, you can block email with the one message, and best of all........ This will appeal to Shaun as well........................



FREE£EEEE....

 

[Matt Gibson]

I did think about that, but would prefer it to come from the company email.

[jim mca]

Matt

If you don't mind spending take a look at cleaners mate or get booked up

[Jamie Pearson]

Mail Chimp or Constant Contact may also suit your needs.

[Matt Gibson]

Cheers guys. Ill check them out.

[Shaun_Ashmore]

I did used to email customers reminders 3-4 times a year the up take was very poor the fact that it was free I persevered with it but looking at myself I delete most of my emails in the same way.

Shaun

[Simon Gerrard]

The take-up isn't the point. What matters is taking every possible opportunity to put your name in front of your customers. They may well delete them, possibly without reading it, but only because they don't need you at that particular time, but they have been reminded who it was that did such a great job for them and that is what matters.
It is easy to get lulled into a false sense of security and think because you did such a great job for your customer, especially for those who had a bad experience last time around, that they will remember you and use you again. They might well want to use you again but forgot who you are and so use someone else and that someone else may do just as good a job as you AND stay in touch so when they have the need again....
If you look at this type of marketing purely on immediate sales then it may look disappointing, that's it is not a sales generating operation as such and let's not forget, people aren't going to ring you following any marketing effort unless their carpet happens to be dirty at the time. So plug away and over time you'll find customers coming back to you and your repeat rate should start to climb.

Simon

[Matt Gibson]

The take-up isn't the point. What matters is taking every possible opportunity to put your name in front of your customers. They may well delete them, possibly without reading it, but only because they don't need you at that particular time, but they have been reminded who it was that did such a great job for them and that is what matters.
It is easy to get lulled into a false sense of security and think because you did such a great job for your customer, especially for those who had a bad experience last time around, that they will remember you and use you again. They might well want to use you again but forgot who you are and so use someone else and that someone else may do just as good a job as you AND stay in touch so when they have the need again....
If you look at this type of marketing purely on immediate sales then it may look disappointing, that's it is not a sales generating operation as such and let's not forget, people aren't going to ring you following any marketing effort unless their carpet happens to be dirty at the time. So plug away and over time you'll find customers coming back to you and your repeat rate should start to climb.

Simon

This is exactly the reason why i want to start doing this. Not necessarily going to send them offers and discounts etc.. just wanting to touch base and as Simon says, put myself in front of them again. Even wish them a merry Christmas at this time of year. 

[neil 47]

This is a very instant gratification society that we live in today .
Everybody wants things instantly and as fast as possible.
They see their carpets are dirty and look for the quickest way of sorting that problem which would be googling or looking through Yellow Pages or if your leaflet happens to come at the exact time.
The best bet is to run all forms of marketing campaigns in conjunction and be everywhere.
Marketing isn't something that you should be done when we are quiet , it's a full-time job if you want to be successful , and should be done at all times.

[Craigp]

I find the best customers do not want instant gratification, nor do they want offers and cut price cleaners.

No they plan well in advance, these people are organised and discerning.

Not like us

[Shaun_Ashmore]

I agree with Craig sometimes you can lower you're standing by pestering or looking desperate I have tried to get myself into a position of wanting them to call me because they 'need' me only it takes some cultivating.

Shaun

[neil 47]

You could have a point Craig
Harrods
4 Nov 2013 - But the accounts, which are for the year to 2 February 2013, revealed total profit after tax was £632m,  ...


Asdas . Was £400 million

[Simon Gerrard]

Oh no, not the, ' I don't need my customers, they need me stance.' That's a recipe for disaster if ever I heard one.
It's not about pestering people or bombarding them with offers and seeming desperate, it is about good business sense to simply keep in touch.

Simon

[Radek Jablonski]

My last customer, the last this year before christmass said to me, I do not want to contact you next year, I want you to contact me before christmass to remind me to clean carpets again if you say they should be clean every year.
This is why I investested in software, to know what and when i did.

[Mike Halliday]

I see email marketing as a way too keep in touch with past customers who might not  be hit by your normal marketing, I use leaflets often I will get a customer from a recommend who does not live within my normal area, these customer will never get my leaflet so will usually be lost.

If I had thier email address I could get in touch with them every time I had a job booked in thier area

" hi mrs jones just a quick email to say I working in your village twice next week, have you got any stains you need dealing with while I'm close by? "

An email like this would look like you are a nice guy trying to be helpful.  it does not look desperate or needy

It seam like some people feel an email is akin to a begging letter, where it's really can look like your are doing the customer a favor

[garry22]

[quoteOh no, not the, ' I don't need my customers, they need me stance.' That's a recipe for disaster if ever I heard one.
It's not about pestering people or bombarding them with offers and seeming desperate, it is about good business sense to simply keep in touch.

][/quote]

Spot on.

It's about BUILDING A RELATIONSHIP with people.

I (conservatively) estimate that NOT doing this cost me well in excess of £ 10 k in lost sales from a site that ranked top ten in the USA for large volume searches (before it got whacked). having a better relationship would have meant the site getting hit would have been largely irrelevant.