The job of the Walmart greeter is to create a more friendly and personalized experience for the Walmart shopper. The greeter will say hello when you enter the store, provide you with a shopping cart if needed, add a little smiley sticker to any children that may have accompanied you and even say good bye as you leave the store with your cart full of goodies. This is Walmart’s way of letting their customers know they appreciate them. It’s relationship marketing. If you are a frequent Walmart shopper, the greeters may even learn your name and address you appropriately each time you come to their store.

Other retail establishments are also now offering greeters of a sort. Restaurants have their hosts/hostesses, hotels often have a greeter, even health clubs make sure to say hello and offer you a towel when you enter. All of these places learn your name and use it when you have become a good customer. Have you ever had the opportunity to have dinner in a country club with a regular member? The entire staff knows who they are, what their favorite meal is and what they like to drink.

What this all comes down to is how these businesses are showing their customers they are appreciated by using relationship marketing . This process builds loyalty and loyalty brings many benefits.

So how can you create a relationship marketing program if you don’t have a walk in business?

Consider ways you would like to say thank you. Don’t think about ways you can increase your business. It isn’t about that. Walmart doesn’t get customers to buy more by having a greeter at the door, they just say thanks! Think about ways you can tell your customers or clients that you really do appreciate their loyalty or purchase.

Here are some do’s and don’ts.

o Do send thank you notes or cards immediately upon purchase.

o Don’t include a discount coupon.

o Do send random thank you cards or holiday appreciation cards.

o Don’t tell them about your latest sale or special (at least not in this campaign).

o Do offer them gifts for referrals.

o Do make phone calls thanking customers for their business.

o Do find other ways to refer other businesses when your company can’t meet their specific needs. While this may seem counter productive, a customer will come back and refer more business to you when they feel you have their best interest in mind.

o Do get to know your customers. Take notes if need be to remind you about birthdays or special events. Keep track of their personal interests and listen to their personal stories. They will look on you as a friend, rather than as a necessary evil.

Relationship marketing is probably the least expensive way to market your business. It will take time and requires more from you on a personal level but the rewards will be well worth it.

Cynthia ~Social Cowgirl
www.SocialCowgirl.com

The average person sends ten cards per year. There is a need to send at least one card per day in order to stay in constant touch to show your appreciation. Appreciation is key in any relationship whether it is in the business world or in your personal life. Appreciation will help you build and establish better, stronger relationships.

Set yourself apart from the rest by adding a personal touch to your communication and marketing by showing your appreciation with real greeting cards. Take the time to show you are truly thankful with a personal greeting card. You will be first on the minds of your clients when it comes to referrals. Act on your prompting with a greeting card. Sending a card is a convenient and low-cost way to stay ahead of your competitors. Showing appreciation will help build your business.

Why send out cards? Because for every month that you do not communicate with clients you lose ten percent of your influence. Having loyal clients will help your business grow. We tend to take our relationships for granted. If you take the time and send thank you cards, birthday cards, holiday cards, or a card just because, you will be set apart from everyone else.

Send an unexpected card today and see how you can change someone’s day or life. Can you make a difference with a card?

Cynthia ~Social Cowgirl
www.SocialCowgirl.com

What is Transactional Marketing?

The focus of this method is getting Point of Sale transactions by exercising methods commonly referred to as the four P’s.

Product – Making a product that meets the demands of the consumers. Pricing – Establishing a price that is both profitable and attractive to customers. Placing – Setting up an efficient distribution system for the product. Promote – Creating an appealing image and advertising it.

The most common place you see this type of marketing is when a company claims that their product X is better than anything offered by the competition. Sometimes these claims are unsubstantiated and rely only on their hype to catch the attention of prospective customers.

So what is the answer?

Relationship Marketing

This method can be applied when there are other products competing for customers to choose from and when there is an ongoing demand for the product or service offered. You need to focus on offering a good product and exemplary service to your customers. You want people to walk away thinking about the next time they will buy from you, or when they are going to tell all of their friends and family about what it is that you offer.

This is not to say that transactional marketing needs to be cut entirely from your arsenal of marketing techniques. It is still a necessary and essential tactic that should be used to build a client base. Even though the people you recruit from this type of marketing may not be repeat customers, if you treat them well and give them a good deal on a great product, they may carry your relationship marketing for you by word of mouth.

Cynthia ~Social Cowgirl
www.SocialCowgirl.com