To win the hearts & minds of your customers, I want you to out-think those big-spending competitors of yours... starting now.  

 

To do that, begin looking for a way to give your consumers an offer that:

-  Adds significant value to them;

-  Costs you little or nothing;

-  And that can be offered as a * SURPRISE *.

 

Let me show you this idea in action:

 

- Drugstore.com sent me a “Happy Anniversary” e-mail & discount last week in appreciation of the 10-yr anniversary of my first purchase.

- Several days after I signed up for his newsletter or purchased one of his resources, Sean D’Souza of www.psychotactics.com sent me a surprising email- -  a free link to an exceptional report.

- Every quarter, Kroger sends me personalized coupons (including ‘free’ ones) based on the grocery items I buy every week.

These pleasant surprises work so well because they're entirely customer-driven. Most businesses are in sales overdrive, and customers expect that. What they don't expect is a show of appreciation after the sale, when there's no obligation for them to buy or pay you back.

Here's the irony of it all: when a throughtful "freebie" or personalized discount is given with no strings attached, it can create an emotional connection and something money can't buy: true customer loyalty.
 
So how can you leverage this concept? Start by looking for just one thing that wouldn't require a great deal of time or money but could be a valuable surprise to your customers. Once you've found it, take the steps you need (training, printing, sourcing, creating a database/ email auto-responder) to put a system in place so “surprises” can become a regular part of your marketing mix.          

- Marie

P.S. And yes, I've got a few surprises lined up for you, too- - I'll be sneaking them into SPEED DIAL in the weeks & months ahead!

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