Newsletters Made For You- Exceptional Living

Don’t worry… berserk violence isn’t required.

People today are mailing less.  A lot less.

As Americans turn from paper to electronic communications, the amount of mail handled by the Post Office continues to drop.

From 213 billion pieces in 2006 to 177 billion last year.

BTW:  Those numbers are staggering. Now you know why our mail occasionally takes a ‘left turn’ on us. Overall, the U. S. Postal Service is incredibly reliable.

Anyway, this means that your marketing will stand out even more in your prospects and clients mail boxes.

And it will get even better. Volume is expected to drop to 150 billion by 2020.

This is good news, indeed.

Now is the time to step up your print marketing. While everyone is falling back to email-only marketing, your mail will definitely get noticed.

This is why newsletter marketing is so hot. No one is doing them… including your competitors.

Some biz owners think they’re hopelessly old school. Others may have tried client newsletters and failed (they’re harder than they look).

Most entrepreneurs think of printed newsletters as quaint old things, like handwritten letters or electric typewriters. So while marketing certainly isn’t exempt from fads, client newsletters are absolutely evergreen.

And if you do it right, your customers will actually look forward to getting their client newsletter each month.

Exceptional Living is now only $1.49 each – printed, personalized, addressed and mailed first class.

Activate your free account and jump in. You can play with the cool editing features, upload images to your account, etc.

You don’t pay a dime until you decide that you want to place an order. In the meantime kick the tires on our free newsletter templates.

If you do choose to order, for less than 18 bucks a year per client, you can keep in touch every month and build your customer relationships.

I’m hard at work on April’s issue of Exceptional Living. It should be ready for viewing in the next few days.

I’ll keep you ‘posted (pun intended).

Taking action just feel right.

-  David Gruttadaurio
“The Print Newsletter Expert”

PS: Save $77! I’ll waive your first month’s subscription of Exceptional Living print newsletter!

————————————————————————–

Copyright 2010

This post is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any portion of this email is strictly prohibited without the express written consent of David Gruttadaurio

Newsletter, client newsletter, client newsletters, customer newsletter, customer newsletters, free newsletter template, marketing, newsletter marketing, newsletter template, newsletters, print newsletter, printed newsletters client newsletter, clients newsletters, customer newsletter, customer newsletters, David Gruttadaurio, exceptional living, free newsletter templates, marketing, Newsletter, newsletter templates, newsletters, print marketing, print newsletter, print newsletters, printed newsletters

Have you ever been someone’s regular customer and then stopped doing business with them? Anyone ever ask why you stopped?

Probably not.

The average company loses up to 40 percent of their clients every year. And they don’t come back.
Sure, we all lose customers.

But here’s the REAL problem: Most businesses blame the customer for going AWOL.

The truth is, only 5% boycott your biz because they were unhappy with you. The vast majority (95%) of customers had a pleasant experience with your company.

So the fault belongs to YOU. The customer didn’t come back because they were ignored.

Reclaiming a lost customer is actually easier than gaining a new customer.

Studies show a 60-70% success rate selling to a current customer; a 20-40% chance of winning back a former customer; but only a 5-20% chance of turning prospects into customers.

The IPA client is the easiest one to rescue.

An Intentionally Pushed Away customer (IPA) was neglected, ignored or simply fell through the client contact cracks. He or she was profitable. But they were not pursued (or romanced) after the initial sale.

Your best chance of regaining an IPA’s business is through regular client communication and better customer service.

Note: Lost customers do not live in a vacuum. If they aren’t doing business with your, they’ll be doing business with somebody.

These two simple steps can get them back:

1. Ask the customer, “What can we do to win back your business?”  Listen closely to what they tell you.

This takes courage.

No one likes to be criticized. And most likely the IPA customer isn’t going to take the blame for not coming back to you. Whatever reason they give, being ‘defensive’ negates the reason for asking them in the first place.

Just listen patiently… and learn.

2. Stay in touch with the lost customer; earn his or her business every day.

This takes discipline.

Finding them and keeping them are two different things. You have to be committed to maintaining constant client contact.

Customer loyalty today is nearly nonexistent. Earning it requires vigilance, dedication and determination.

Who knows, one day an IPA customer could turn out to be one of your top clients.

Brett and I can lend a hand. Click here to get help.

Taking action just feel right.

- David Gruttadaurio
“The Print Newsletter Expert”

Copyright 2010

This post is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any portion of this email is strictly prohibited without the express written consent of David Gruttadaurio

client newsletter, customer newsletter, marketing, marketing newsletter, newsletter template, newsletter templates, patient newsletter, print newsletter client, customer, David Gruttadaurio, exceptional living, marketing, newsletters, patient, print

I just spent two very full days (9 a.m. to 9 p.m.) with 15 extremely sharp and savvy entrepreneurs in the Andrew Lock Magical Mastermind group.

This is the last of five marketing strategies you can use in your own business.

The Lone Wolf Syndrome is a sure-fire way to failure.

That’s what I call the tendency to avoid seeking help in your business. That’s the hard way… doing it all by yourself; thinking you don’t need anyone else

This is why I’ve been in mastermind groups since 2004. I realized no great man or woman has ever achieved any real success all alone.

Think of a mastermind like a bunch of batteries. When connected together, they provide more energy than a single battery by itself.

Likewise during a mastermind session, when your mind connects with other minds, the group has more energy than any individual member.

– Why 99.99% Of People Won’t Do This:

They let their fear and insecurity or their stubbornness prevent them from even getting started.

– HOW To Get Started:

1. Think about a few people that you respect and who respect you. Consider those whose experiences could add to yours.

2. Look for highly-motivated people who are willing to ask for – and give – help and support.

3. Chose those committed to moving forward in their business and personal life.

4. Mastermind groups can meet in person, on the telephone, or by using online message boards.

5. For groups that meet in person or on the phone, usually a monthly meeting is scheduled.

It’s really amazing when you see this work in person.

When several people focus on your goals, your dreams and your opportunities, it’s like putting lightning in a bottle…

Taking action just feels right.

-David Gruttadaurio
“The Print Newsletter Expert”

PS: Don’t go it alone with your marketing! Click here to check out my FREE OFFER.

client newsletter, customer newsletter, marketing newsletter, newsletter template, newsletters, print newsletter andrew lock, David Gruttadaurio, exceptional living, newsletters, print

One of my businesses is a service company.

I got a call last Friday from one of my clients. Her name is Betty.

She called to answer the trivia question in the December newsletter.

Customers will usually leave their answers in voicemail or email to me. I recognized her name on Caller ID, so I picked up.

After Betty gave me the correct answer, we talked for a few minutes. It was nice chatting with her… I enjoy my customers a lot.

Then she literally shocked me speechless.

Betty was telling me how much she loved reading Exceptional Living (that wasn’t the shock).

Then…

She referred to a little story I told in the monthly “My Corner’ column. It was about texting and how a clerk was texting the entire time we were checking out at the register.

Anyway, while we talked, Betty related this story back to me like she had just read it…

… but I wrote it FOUR MONTHS ago. It was in the August newsletter.

Either she still remembered the story or she had saved the newsletter and read it again recently.

I think it was the former. Betty simply remembered my story from way back in August.

BIG marketing lesson:  Include stories in your marketing ’cause stories get remembered and make you memorable.

Why is that? Psychologists tell us stories form the basis of how we think, organize, and remember information.

Telling a compelling story is an art. But don’t worry about being an expert. I’m not. I discovered telling ANY story is better than no story at all.

Give it try in your marketing – be a story teller – become memorable.

BTW: I almost forgot. Betty got her December Exceptional Living 2 ½ weeks ago… and saved it. Kinda interesting, huh? Do your customers save YOUR stuff?

Taking action just feels right,

- David Gruttadaurio
“The Print Newsletter Expert”

PS: Click here to tell me where to send your 3 sample issues of Exceptional Living… if you’re one of the few that haven’t requested them.

Clients for Life, Newsletter, client newsletter, company newsletter, customer newsletter, direct response marketing, marketing, newsletter marketing, newsletter template, newsletter templates, newsletters, print newsletter client, customer, dan kennedy, David Gruttadaurio, marketing, Newsletter, newsletters, print, template, templates

Do you have any missing customers that need to hear that?

Probably.

95% of businesses today have missing clients.  These are people who bought our stuff once… but have never been heard from again.

According to the Harvard Business Review, 91% of small businesses do absolutely nothing to retain their existing clients.

As a result, the average business loses 50% of its customer base every 5 years.

It’s pretty darn simple: Ignore your customers and they go away… as in gone forever.

Sometimes the pace is a slow trickle. Sometimes it’s a thundering tsunami. The bottom line is they found another offer and took it.

Really… if they haven’t been given a good reason to stay… why wouldn’t they leave?

But here’s the REAL question: What do you do when you realize a customer is ‘lost’?

#1  Let them know that YOU know they’ve gone missing.

#2  Put them in a missing client rescue campaign.

#3  Use sequential mailings – a series of three or more marketing pieces over a 30 day period.

IMPORTANT:

There is no such thing as a one hit wonder in marketing.

So don’t give up on them if they fail to respond the first time you try to rescue them. You’ll want to run these at least twice a year.

CONSTANT CONTACT

Why not just avoid the entire problem?  All you need to do is have constant contact with your customer. Let them know you appreciate their business.

It cements the relationship. It creates customer loyalty. Most importantly, it separates you from the other 95% of businesses that do nothing to stay in contact with customers.

Guess what? A client newsletter accomplishes all of the above… and a heck of a lot more.

A customer newsletter will generate more referrals and sell more of your products and services to your existing customers.

Plus, you avoid that pesky problem of the milk carton thing…

Taking action just feels right.

-  David Gruttadaurio
“The Print Newsletter Expert”

Newsletter, client newsletter, customer newsletter, direct response marketing, newsletter template, newsletters client, customer, David Gruttadaurio, exceptional living, Newsletter, newsletters, print newsletter, template

Yep… a lesson from the Golf God himself. But it wasn’t about golf.

Here’s the skinny: You probably know Tiger is a notoriously media-shy guy. So when I saw his name in the news – so scandalously – it was quite a shock.

I want be real clear: I don’t give a rats heinie about what he did or didn’t do.

But Tiger DID teach me an important lesson…

Good, bad or ugly – just tell the truth…full disclosure, baby!

It’s impossible to hide ANYTHING from 1000 bloodhounds on your trail. They’ll probe, pick and downright dissect you until they find something.

Here’s how my lesson taught by the Tiger affects YOU:

I’ve been telling you for awhile now about Exceptional Living, right?

–  How it’s a different kind of client newsletter.
–  That it’s a print newsletter that could be considered a ‘newsmagazine.’
–  It creates clients for life and generates tons of referrals…

…blah, blah, blah.

It’s time for full disclosure ’cause I’m not sure you believe me.

I want to prove it to you. I want to mail you… not one… not two… but THREE real, hold ‘em-in-your-hand issues of Exceptional Living newsletter.

FREE… as in no strings attached. Absolutely zero obligation.

I’ll never mail you anything again… ever, unless YOU ask me to.

Here’s what you need to do to get three hard copy issues of the best customer newsletter on the planet:

Just click here.

This is what will happen: You won’t leave my website. You’ll just go to another page.  Then, just tell me where to mail your free three issues.

That’s it. Simple and easy. I’ll send them to you at my cost – but NO cost to you.

Just click here. Aren’t you just a ‘teensy bit’ curious what Exceptional Living newsletter REALLY looks like?

Just tell me where to send them. It’s in the interests of full disclosure… right, Tiger?

Taking action just feels right,

- David Gruttadaurio
“The Print Newsletter Expert”

PS: Click here now for your totally no-strings-attached 3 FREE newsletter samples.

Clients for Life, Newsletter, customer newsletter, marketing newsletter, newsletter template, newsletters, print newsletter, relationship marketing client, Clients for Life, customer, David Gruttadaurio, exceptional living, marketing, Newsletter, newsletters, print newsletter, service for life, template

Don’t have one?  You better not wait too long.

I’m not making this up. There is a real-life Director of Wow.

He works at High Point University. HPU is a private liberal arts university in High Point, North Carolina. It has about 4000 students.

The position was created TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN STUDENTS.

Gee… I wonder if applies to your business…

HPU explains why the position was created:

“Without students, there is no university. To continually move forward, we must always ‘wow’ our students, our faculty, staff and friends. We must ‘wow’ anyone who comes into contact with our university.”

The top three things they did to create WOW:

1.   Brought in an ice cream truck and put up kiosks for free ice cream, food and drinks. This sells the value of generosity.

2.   Free car washes on the weekend. With all of the construction, this sells the value of respect for the students’ property.

3.   Valet parking for students after 9 PM. This sells the value of safety and security – even on an already-safe campus.

There’s a concierge desk, a hot tub and free snacks. Classical music wafts through the grounds. If it sounds more like a five-star hotel, HPU discovered when students know you care, they reward you by doing well in the classroom.

The list goes on and on. It’s really remarkable.

The bottom line: Enrollments have high skyrocketed and these students don’t want to leave.

How could this work in your business?

Be extraordinary. Be memorable. Knock your customers damn socks off.

Offer impossibly great customer service.  Let your customer know you and LIVE AND DIE by your guarantee to them.  WOW them so much they feel OBLIGATED to tell people about you.

YOU are the Director of WOW for your business… and I can help.

A full, edge-to-edge newsletter will create an amazing WOW factor for your company.

I do all of the heavy lifting for you. Exceptional Living client newsletter really is 97% done for you because our template is online.

It takes about two minutes to activate your free account.  Click here for WOW!

Taking action just feels right.

-  David Gruttadaurio
“The Print Newsletter Expert”

Clients for Life, client newsletter, customer newsletter, marketing newsletter, newsletter template, newsletter templates, patient newsletter client, customer, David Gruttadaurio, exceptional living, marketing, Newsletter, newsletters, print newsletter, template

“Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.”

Mark Twain said it first. Print newsletters have been saying for the past ten years.

Why?

1.  The internet. “We don’t need newsletters anymore. All we need is content on our web site. All we have to do is post our content online, and everyone will flock to our sites to read it.”  And it’s FREE!

2. Email is king!  Just send an ezine. It’s FREE!

3. Postage keeps going up along with printing costs… but email is FREE!

Yep… print newsletters should have died a long time ago.

But a funny thing happened on the way to the funeral…

The print newsletter suddenly became Lazarus and a resurrection took place.

BTW: I love the internet. And email is the greatest thing since sliced bread.  But it’s not the ‘be all and end all’ of MARKETING.

In fact, it’s got some definite downsides.

Everyone is bombarded by email overload. And 91% of it is spam. That means 1 out of every 1.1 emails is junk.  Do you really think your ezine is being read?

A Nielsen Norman Group Report revealed that the typical email newsletter gets 51 seconds of your reader’s time.

That was four years ago. Today, many say its closer to 20 seconds. And, that’s if your email even gets  opened.

YOUR NOT AS POPULAR AS YOU THINK

While you believe YOUR ezines are special and opened like gifts on Christmas morning, in truth emails are routinely wiped out by the dozen in one swoop with the push of the delete key.

Even if the reader recognizes your name, you risk being expunged just because your email got caught in a large block of spam.

Now, I’m not suggesting that you stop doing email newsletters. In fact, I advise you to do an email newsletter on a weekly basis. But, I also suggest doing a monthly print newsletter.

Three Reasons Print Newsletter Are Still Breathing

1.  Printed mail gets delivered – It’s never blocked or caught in spam filters.

2.  Print newsletters have more perceived value – Think about it: How many companies are willing to do this?

3.  Print newsletter are sticky – Print newsletters have great ‘hang-time’. Not only are they likely to be read from start to finish, they usually get passed around.

Exceptional Living does all of this and more.  Check it out and click here now.

Let’s get to work,

-  David Gruttadaurio
“The Print Newsletter Expert”

Clients for Life, Newsletter, client newsletter, customer newsletter, direct response marketing, marketing newsletter, newsletter template, newsletter templates, newsletters, patient newsletter, print newsletter client, Clients for Life, customer, David Gruttadaurio, marketing, Newsletter, newsletters, patient, print newsletter, template

My parents divorced when I was in my early teens. That didn’t happen much in those days, but it did to us.

Dad ended up in Florida. He had a sister living in North Miami Beach and went there.

8 miles up the road he discovered the dog track in Hollywood, Florida. The first summer I spent with him he took me there.

I was amazed these magnificent animals could run so fast.

The reason they ran so fast is because they were chasing this little mechanical rabbit.  It was impossible to catch; but race after race the dogs would chase it relentlessly.

Do you feel like you are trapped on the marketing dog track?

Here’s what I mean…

Most (about 95%) of you spend all of your time, effort and money chasing a target that’s running away from you!

Did you know you can double your profits by retaining just an extra 5% of your existing customers? This is according to Lisa Ford, best selling author and industry expert on customer service.

Plus:

1.  Acquiring new customers costs 5 to 7 times more than retaining a current one.

2.  It’s 8 times easier to sell to an active customer

3.  Increase in customer retention 2% and it’s like cutting costs by 10%.

4.  78% of your customers are lost after six months of no contact with them.

Personally, I find these statistics exhausting!  It makes me think of those dogs chasing that little rabbit around the track.

Obviously we all need new clients.

But…

There is a much easier and less expensive way to grow your business into the one you’ve always wanted.

Make a list of all of your customers – go back three years. And then market the hell out of them. Set up a marketing calendar and list what you will send and when you will send it.

Use postcards, letters, flyers and newsletters.  This is what will happen: They will begin to buy from you again – and do so often.

A monthly customer newsletter is important because you want to build a relationship with them – not just sell them stuff. You want clients for life… right?

Remember, it’s a heck of a lot cheaper (and easier) to market to people that have already raised their hand once and said “Yes, I trust you enough to buy from you.”

Exceptional Living client newsletter is done for you. Really. The template is online. Takes about 27 minutes to get ‘er done.

There are five places you can customize. I even give you a ton of ideas on what to put in those spots with our Idea Generator TM.

Activate your free account – stop chasing the rabbit.

Taking action just feels right.

- David Gruttadaurio
“The Print Newsletter Expert”

Clients for Life, Newsletter, client newsletter, customer newsletter, newsletter template, newsletters, print newsletter client, Clients for Life, customer, customer newsletter, David Gruttadaurio, marketing, Newsletter, newsletters, service for life, template

Really… are you sure?

The last time I checked, ALL businesses:

1. Have competition.
2. Must advertise to get people to know about them.
3. Must convince people to buy.
4. Must keep their customers.
5. Must avoid failure on the path to profits and success.

Plus: Consumers are just like me and you – with the same dreams and desires as everyone else.

So how the heck is YOUR business different?

It’s big temptation to think this way…

But even more than that – it’s also a roadblock to your success.

Take client newsletters.

It’s a given you need to keep your clients from wandering off. Plus, you want your customers to buy more and to buy often.

Client newsletters will do this.

And it doesn’t matter what business you are in.

I don’t care if you have a restaurant, sell insurance, pump gas or dig ditches. It doesn’t matter if you live in a big city or a small town.

All businesses either make stuff or they do some stuff. And then we all sell said ’stuff’.  We keep score by seeing how much stuff we can sell.

So don’t rip yourself off.  Don’t use this excuse to let you off the hook from actually trying a customer newsletter.

You’re selling to humans, not Martians.  We use those emotions daily to make buying decisions – no matter what is being sold.

So yes, Exceptional Living Newsletter WILL work in your business. Click on the link to see why our newsletter template is simple to use.

Taking action just feel right.

- David Gruttadaurio
“The Print Newsletter Expert”

Newsletter, client newsletter, customer newsletter, marketing newsletter, newsletter template, newsletters, print newsletter client, customer, David Gruttadaurio, exceptional living, Newsletter, newsletters, print newsletter, relationship, template