Advisors On Target Creating a Customer Communications Plan

Advisors On Target Creating a Customer Communications Plan On Target Group Coaching 1

The most overlooked and underused marketing opportunity for small businesses… 2

The Gold in Your Database Steps to developing and implementing a CRM strategy Creating a communications plan for staying in touch with your customers, prospects and referral partners

What is CRM? • CRM = Customer Relationship Management • Its about: • Knowing your customers, and • Using that knowledge to form profitable relationships • Systems & Technology help us do that: • CRM software applications • Customer Communications Plans using multi-media

CRM Is A Strategy • Systems: • Collect information and segment customers to know their needs • Collaborate with them to plan and create new value, • Technology: • Integrate the customer's various touch points with the business • Develop a single, real-time view of each customer • Know what to offer customers/customer groups and when they will be ready to buy it • People • Train for customer-centric service

Keeping Customers Can be Challenging • Customer behavior can shift rapidly as markets create new purchase opportunities and alternative means of obtaining satisfaction • Value propositions have changed significantly as competition across all markets has increased • Customer loyalty relationships are vulnerable when a competitor offers a better solution

Customer Driven CRM • • • What will this customer/customer group buy? When do they buy it? What will encourage them to buy it? How much will they pay for it? What creates value for them, and if we create this value will this increase their loyalty to us?

Getting The Answers • Not all your customers have the same needs but to be able to establish the different sorts you need information • It makes sense to build up a profile of your customers and group them according to their different requirements because this will give you a good idea of how likely they are to purchase what you are offering

And The Benefits Are. . • The benefits of CRM can be substantial and include: • Increased sales to new and existing customers through better timing, identifying needs more effectively and cross selling of other products • More effective marketing communications using a more personal approach • The development of new/improved products/services • All of which result in the payoff of: • Enhanced customer satisfaction and retention • Increased value from your existing customers - and reduced costto-serve them

Creating Your Own CRM System • • • Collecting information about your customers Creating a customer information database Providing a way to access the information Analyzing the customer data, and Using the information to meet customer needs; market more effectively; and enhance the customer experience

Collecting Information About Customers • Look at your entire business to establish what customer data already resides where • Don’t leave any source out of consideration. They all contain customer information, often on the same customer for different aspects of their dealings with you that might later be useful to profile their value to you and determine their needs.

What Information Do You Need? • To segment customers and build a picture of what might appeal to them you need more than just contact details: • Responses to campaigns • Sales and purchase data • Account information • Complaints record • Web registration data • Service and support records • Demographic data: age, occupation etc.

Selling B 2 B? • Selling B 2 B requires collecting information about your business customers – firmographics: • What industry sector they are in • Public or private • Size of company • How they buy from you and the size and frequency of their purchase • Also rate how valuable they are to your business • All this information gives an idea of who are your best and worst customers, and what they buy from you

Create A Customer Information Database • Centralize your information by bringing it together in a database of some sort • Standardize your information by making sure you have a consistent way of recording it • Keep it centralized as a database so other team members can access it and be up to date on that customer

What Sort Of Database Do I Need? • Consider: • Number of customers and amount/types of data you want to collect – and the possibility of scaling up in the future • Your budget • Your in house expertise • The need or the benefit of integration with other business systems

Analyzing Customer Data • Data mining can now start to give some really useful information about your customers to: • • Develop targeted marketing campaigns Sales offers Identify trends in product likes and dislikes Develop new services for the customer • Result - increased customer loyalty

Using The Information • It’s five to seven times more expensive to acquire a new customer than to retain an old one • Do more business with your current customer • Use customer data productively to: • • meeting your current customer’s needs, marketing more effectively to them, identifying cross selling and upselling opportunities to them enhancing their experience in dealing with you

Improving Your Marketing • Typically, 80% of profits will come from just 20% of your customer base. • If you could identify that 20% and gain an understanding of what it is they like about your product or service, you can develop personalized marketing for them • With this knowledge of customers you can: • Develop targeted marketing campaigns aimed at your most profitable customers • Cross sell and upsell to them • Identify what marketing channels are most successful

Enhancing The Level Of Service • Offer special services to specific segments • Offer improved service level • Offer new services

Marketing to your Customers • Most under-utilized marketing • Largest source of business • For many small businesses, 65 -70% of business comes from • • Existing or Past Customers Referrals from quality Referral Partners Referrals from Business Networking

Your Customer Communications Plan

Start with Your Database • Customer List • Prospects • Referral Partners

Tools to Manage Your Contact Data CRM Software • • ACT! Goldmine Salesforce Microsoft Outlook Google Apps Zoho Custom Software Others Other Tools • Quick. Books • Microsoft Excel • Microsoft Access

Key to Success – Commitment!!! • Keep Your Master Database Up to Date • EVERYONE who handles customer information must be committed to maintaining the database • Auxiliary Lists in other software must be updated from the Master Database • Email Newsletter Software (Constant Contact, etc. ) • Quick. Books • Maintain Segmented Lists so you can reach out to a subset

Database Segments • Define Groups • Customers • Individual Customers • Business Customers • Your defined segments • Prospects • Did a proposal • Inquired about your services • Referral Partners • Related businesses who have the best opportunity to refer • BNI Power Team • Business Contacts

Classify Your Customers • Classifying Your Customers • • • Characteristics Buying Patterns Interests Types of Services purchased When services were performed

Rate Your Customers • Rating Your Customers • • A - Best (Ideal) Customers B – Pretty Good/Average Customers C – Substandard (Upgradable? ) D – There shouldn’t be any (Fire them)

Develop a Communications Plan – 1 • Who • Customers • Prospects (Prior Proposals) • Referral Partners • How Often • Depends on the “Who” • At least 4 times per year, probably no more frequently than monthly • When • Peak interest periods • Slow business cycles • Natural touch points (holidays, at the end of a job, at “X” period following a job)

Develop a Communications Plan – 2 • Media – What’s best for your “who” lists? • Direct Mail (Postcards, brochures, flyers) • Letters • Newsletters (Print or Electronic) • E-blasts (Specific Purpose – Special Offer) • Greeting Cards • Telephone Calls • In Person Meetings (lunch, coffee) • Social Media (Linked. In, Facebook, Twitter) • Variety – Mix up media • Reach more people where or how they like to participate • Manage costs with less expensive media

Develop a Communications Plan – 3 • Cost • • Review Annual Budget If needed, time larger expenditures to projected cash flow Choose marketing media that fits your budget Refine Monthly Budgets to reflect marketing plan costs • Action Steps • Set Action Plan so you can deploy communications on schedule • Keep Marketing and Keep Your Brand Alive!

Develop a Communications Plan – 4 • What do I say? • • • Relevant information to customer’s needs/wants Highlight timely services Provide value (Educate, Inform, Inspire, Entertain) Offer specials Ask for referrals Call to Action • How do I say it? • Be customer centric – make it about them • Be yourself, use your own voice

Email Marketing • Use a Email Marketing Service • Constant Contact, Mail Chimp, Chamber Zoom, Aweber, Get Response, I Contact etc. • • • Share Value – Don’t just sell Be Consistent – Monthly, Twice a month, Weekly Use Great Headlines Remember WIIFM Build your list

Conclusion • CRM really comes down to this – it’s a way to store the sort of information that adds value for your customers when they do business with you • It needs to be supported by a team trained in a customercentric approach • You must be committed to the process • With a solid CRM system, you can create a customer communications plan that’s easy to implement • When you communicate with your customers you get more business!

Implementation steps • Create or refine your client list • Write out a simple plan for when you will communicate with your customers and what message you plan to convey • Test drive an email marketing system • I suggest free trial for Constant Contact, Mail Chimp or try Chamber Zoom if you are a Chamber member • Upload your list to email marketing system • Create an email & get feedback from Linnea and group members • Send your first customer communication email • Review Tools on Group Coaching website 34