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How to Compete with the Big Box Stores Or Have You Built a Fence Around Your Herd?

Written by: Elizabeth Ruiz

Article Overview: The biggest mistake business leaders can make is only sending out sporadic mailers once or twice a year. Doing this will leave them open to being lured away by our competitors.

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How to Compete with the Big Box Stores Or Have You Built a Fence Around Your Herd?

Your customers need to be constantly reminded of everything you offer. Their first purchase may have only touched the surface of your available products or services. You need to let them know on a regular basis what they are missing and may need.

The biggest mistake business leaders can make is only sending out sporadic mailers once or twice a year. Doing this will leave them open to being lured away by our competitors.

A big part of direct marketing is involving your customer in your company culture, making it a positive and fun experience doing business with you.

You’re creating a continuous and constant relationship with your email, ezine, print newsletters, sales letters, postcards and other direct marketing media. Keep it interesting. Boring is the ultimate marketing sin.

Keeping in touch breeds repeat business. Dan Kennedy the Renegade Millionaire Maker recommends contacting or “touching” customers 25-52 times minimum a year. This is done by sending out emails, ezines, postcards, flyers, sales letters, greeting cards and more to your customer list.

By doing this you are building a fence around your herd of life time customers. Don’t give them a reason to wander away from you and do business with someone else. Stay on the forefront of their minds when they need products or services like the ones you offer.

Consider this example from Bill Glazer’s retail menswear business. He thrives while competing with BIG retail chains by using direct marketing. He makes sure that every customer that comes into one of his stores never leaves without his sales associates asking them for their complete contact info – name, address, phone, email, etc.

He communicates with them regularly depending on customer spending habits. Certain customers will receive from his store yearly:

18 mailings
4 personal calls from their sales associate
4 Voice broadcasts
52 weekly emails.

In marketing this is called “marketplace dominance.” No matter how many expensive TV spots big box stores buy they can not compete or make the impression that Bill Glazer’s store makes with his customers. Think about ways you could do this for your customers and keep them in your herd.

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Home > Marketing > Elizabeth Ruiz > How to Compete with the Big Box Stores Or Have You Built a Fence Around Your Herd

Article Tags: Bill Glazer, business, business leaders, customers, Dan Kennedy, herd, mailers

About the Author: Elizabeth Ruiz
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Elizabeth Ruiz owns Direct Marketing Rx. She helps businesses manage their social media profiles to build lifetime customer relationships and also writes advertising copy to sell goods and services. Check out http://www.directmarketingrx.com if you would like more information on social media marketing or need help with your social media marketing

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