Here’s a good idea that could help you build stronger relationships with prospects: turn your best prospects into an advisory board and consistently ask for their advice.
This idea is especially effective if you’re selling a service or marketing in a business-to-business environment.
Here’s how it works. You send your key prospects an official-looking, personal mailing inviting them to be part of your Advisory Board. Print something like this on the outer envelope: ADVISORY BOARD MATERIALS ENCLOSED.
This “non-selling” approach will generate a lot of curiosity and get opened at a much higher rate than a more typical mailing that is obviously selling something.
Inside, in a personal letter, you’ll invite them to be a member of your Advisory Board. You’ll tell them you put a high value on listening to customers and that, from time to time, you would like to get their response to some ideas and questions that relate to possible improvements of your product or service.
You might offer them a special discount or some other small gift in return for being a member of your Advisory Board. Perhaps you could share some inside information with them.
Include in the mailing a brief survey, with no more than five or six questions that they can respond to. You could ask for their response to a specific idea you have for improving your products or services. Or you could show them an ad you’re thinking of running and ask what they think about it. (This is a good way to get them to read your advertising!)
Make it easy for them to respond: include a postage-paid, pre-addressed envelope and/or a fax number so they can fax it in if they want to. You might even tell them that you would like to call them and get their response to these ideas or questions over the phone, if they are willing. Then, make sure you actually follow-up and call them!
The beauty of this approach—apart from the fact that you’ll be getting input from actual prospects—is that people are much more likely to pay attention to this mailing than they would to a typical selling message. People usually like it when someone asks for their advice.
And even though this is not overtly “selling” them on your services, it is, in fact, making a very powerful impression for your company. It’s getting you into their minds in a huge way.
And even those who don’t send the survey back will be much more likely to open this mailing, read it, and remember you than they otherwise would.
This approach takes time. So keep sending them. And keep following up. Persistence will pay off here. And people will be impressed that you keep asking for their advice—even if they are often too busy to give it.
Of course, you can also be upfront with prospects and tell them that you would naturally welcome any opportunity to serve them.
You can also send the Advisory Board package to your customers, as a customer retention tool.
This idea isn’t for everyone. But if it fits your situation, it can be a powerful relationship builder over time.
To your success and enjoyment,
Geoffery
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