Surviving the Business Jungle

Send thank-you cards after completing an order. Taking this a step further, consider sending a personal note for other circumstances, such as when someone you know in the business community achieves an award or a notable accomplishment. This would include clients, as well as prospects. We recently sent a handwritten note to compliment a client on the remodeling of their business. Two days later, we received a call from this client looking for items.

Another idea is to consider the "kid connection." When you are doing apparel items for clients, don't forget their kids! Years ago we came upon this novel idea while imprinting shirts for a customer. We knew that the owner's son, who worked in the business, was having a child. So, during the order, we decided to imprint their logo on an infant onesie. The impact was astonishing! While the clients were happy to get the company shirts, they flipped for the onesie!

It instantly took the business relationship to a deeper place. We now keep a few children’s garments with our logo in stock as gifts for associates and their families. It sure doesn't hurt our relationship when a client's child wears an All American Marketing shirt! Something like this transcends the business relationship and puts it on a more personal level. This is something your business predators may not understand, thus giving you a competitive edge.

To further stress the importance we place on relationships, we have created a marketing piece that clearly documents the elements that make up a quality business relationship. This marketing tool acts as a mission statement, explaining our company's values. We address integrity and truly caring about being of service to our clients, whom we also consider friends.

In addition, this marketing tool also acts as a business-qualifying vehicle. The idea is that you can weed out those clients that are perhaps looking for the lowest price and nothing more. These would be those prospective customers who are not at all interested in the important principles that make up a quality, mutually beneficial business relationship. How much time do you have to give away to these people?

Jeff Solomon, CAS, BCF, is the president of All American Marketing Group and Promotion Solutions, an affiliate of HALO/Lee Wayne Corp., and the founder of freepromotips.com. For more information, visit www.freepromotips.com.