MARKETING ARTICLES

Improve Your Sales with Email

To use your opt-in list as the valuable business asset it is, you have to communicate regularly with the contacts on your list. Sending email to your list on a regular basis keeps your name in front of potential customers establishing a relationship that can lead to many more sales of your products or services. In addition, regular communication with current clients or customers builds customer loyalty and establishes you as a leader in your industry. This increases the likelihood that customers will refer your company to friends and family because they not only remember your name, but trust the business relationship you've established with them.

So what's the best way to use your opt-in list for maximum impact? First, establish a regular schedule to send out product announcements, information or other useful tidbits. You can organize the information you wish to send to your list into a weekly or monthly newsletter or you can simply send a more informal email announcing new products, specials or other information. What's important is establishing a SET schedule and then sticking to it!

Once you establish a regular schedule to mail out to your list, you should decide what topics, announcements, specials, or other information you'd like to provide to your list members. Here are a few ideas:

• Provide information on how to choose a product or service like yours. Discuss what to look for, any obstacles to finding the right product or service and any other advice you can think of.
  
  
• Solve a problem that a customer or potential prospect may have. For example, if you run a dry cleaning service, you might provide useful information on how to remove difficult stains from clothing. Think about the specific knowledge that you have about your industry that might be helpful and start putting together a useful article.
  
  
• Announce limited time specials or special savings offers.
  
  
• Show the members of your list how to save money using your product or service. There may be features and benefits your product or service has that your customers or prospects don't know about.

No matter what topics you choose to cover, be passionate about your subject. Inject a little personality and sincerity into your writing and avoid sounding like you're making a sales pitch.

Once you establish a schedule to send your emails and determine what topics you want to cover you will be well on your way to using your opt-in list to its full potential. If you offer great content and helpful information, your email list will look forward to reading your latest issue and your sales will increase in kind.