It's all about relationships

This Christmas you?’re sure to be doing something special for your customers to say thanks or perhaps something to prospects to say please. Whether it?’s inviting them to an event, sending them a gift or a Christmas card, you should consider how online channels can help you meet your goals.

A while back I posted about an email I received from Burger Fuel. The emails?’ main message was to tell me to expect a card in the mail the next couple of days with the wrong name on it. As well as warning me of their error, it made me look out for the card in the mail ? something you?’d want your customers to do for your Christmas card or gift.

Here?’s my solution:

Integrate any offline communications with an online counterpart
Email is a perfect tool to follow up on RSVP?’s or let a customer know there?’s mail coming for them to improve your response rate. Email is an excellent way to get a message across quickly, measurably and cheaply. It does a pretty damn good job of reinforcing and following up on other messages.

Run event registration online
Dealing with excel spreadsheets can be painful. Hundreds of RSVP?’s email coming in through different sales reps, phone calls, emails can waste a lot of time. If you are SalesForce.com customer then we have a simple solution but I?’ve also stumbled across a service called Eventbrite which does everything you could need, and it?’s free so long as you?’re not selling tickets. You can also change colours and add your logo. You could run an email campaign informing your customers to look out for their invite in the mail and to book the date in. A week after they receive the printed invitation you can follow up those who have not already registered with an email, just to improve that response which is after all ? exactly what you need.

Use email Christmas cards
It?’s an easy job to email Christmas cards which will cost much less than a printed Christmas card. Sometimes you may still want to send physical messages to key accounts, so email can fill the void and make your entire customer base feel loved.