The Dog (and Cat) Days of Summer
By Kathy Horn
 The summer of 2011 has been another scorcher. We’ve had many days with temps over 90 degrees, a number of heat records have been broken and there’s no relief in sight. In fact, it’s been so hot that my cat spends her days sleeping and the dog is refusing to go for a walk while the sun is out! Who wants to burn their paws on the sidewalk?
So, it’s time to reminisce about summers past and some of the things I remember about the long, hot lazy days of summer:
• The Italian Ice stand housed in a garage about a mile away. Choose your flavor!
• The ice cream truck – brain freeze! I heard a truck come through my neighborhood last week with that notable music and had to suppress an urge to grab some cash and buy a cone.
• The sound of the waves crashing onto the sand at the beach.
• The traffic getting to the beach!
• A house without air conditioning. It’s really hard to sleep when it is hot!
• Back to school shopping in August.
• Drinking lots of Kool-Aid (soda was only for parties).
• Reading in the shade.
• Cutting the grass in the heat (UH!).
I hope you take the time to think back on those fond memories of summers past. Remember, there’s still a bit of time in 2011 to make some new summer memories—even if they all involve air conditioning! Enjoy the rest of your summer!
Relationship Building | Marketing to Current Customers
In last month’s issue, we challenged you to look at your business and evaluate how your company approaches relationship building and how well your employees build those relationships. We wanted to follow this month with more tips to make your CRM&M work for you!
Tip #1: Our favorite reminder—avoid the hard sell! If you communication is always about your business and products, people will tune out.
Tip #2: Let your personality shine through. We mentioned before that a personal voice is much more effective than a corporate voice. How do you make this happen? People like to do business with those they like. Make it personal—show that you’re not “all business,” (though you do want to keep it on the professional side and not offend anyone!). Your newsletters and social media posts might include things like:
a. Spotlight employees and include some personal info or achievements.
b. Include favorite recipes from your staff.
c. Post employee and animal photos and have a matching contest!
d. Add photos and descriptions of the company picnic.
e. Remodeled the office or moved recently? Add before and after photos.
f. Sudoku or a game, anyone?
g. Welcome new clients on board; thank current clients for referrals.
h. Planning a team building talent show? Record it and post the video!
Tip #3: Communicate in different ways and through different channels. Change it up by using written content, pictures, and video delivered via mail, e-mail, text and social media. Include an occasional phone call to check in with clients.
Tip #4: Regular communication is a must. This isn’t a one-time thing. That’s a little like a friend who only shows up when there are party favors. Think a minimum of 16 touches a year, using a combination of electronic and print pieces. Always make opting out easy and never “stalk” your clients!
Finally, please re-read Tip #1: Avoid the hard sell! If most of your communication is educational, informative and personal, the occasional sales pitch will work better. I hope these tips have given you some ideas for new ways to approach clients and keep them interested and engaged. Want to learn more about CRM&M? Give us a call at 919.850.0605 or send an e-mail to cs@vitalinkweb.com.
Calling All SSDI Attorneys
vitalink has partnered with Lawyers Marketing Agency to produce a Social Security Disability Hearing Video. This video is geared toward SSDI clients and explains what they can expect during the hearing process. The video was created as an educational tool to be used by law firms and may be customized for your law firm.
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