There is only one type of marketing guaranteed to work
Posted March 20, 2007 11:05 by Hoard Client Systems CEO.
About Hoard Client Systems CEO
Hoard Client Systems CEO's affinity for investing and financial matters began more than 20 years ago when he began investing in the stock market through a class in high school. Now, in 2006, he is being looked to for his innovation in altering the efficiency in which financial professionals communicate with clients.
Understanding the handwritten note as a marketing and direct mail tool is the first step to using them effectively in your business. Instead of just jotting a note and mailing it to a client or prospect (which is better than 99.9% of other professionals that don’t bother), why not put together a strategic, coordinated marketing plan leveraging their marketing power?
***Why Should you send handwritten notes?
People buy from people they know like and trust.
Unfortunately, the 3,000 or so marketing messages that the average American gets hit with everyday has dehumanized the consumer. They are treated as just one of the masses. Your message is no louder, no brighter and no better than your competitors unless you do something special.
To build the credibility necessary for someone to turn over their life’s savings to you takes time. Unless you have a fortune 500 brand it’s unlikely your prospects have heard of you before they hear from you the first time.
Numerous direct marketing studies have shown it takes 7 or more exposures of a marketing message before a consumer makes a decision to buy. (Exposure means that the message has been seen and read. If you send a mass mailer piece or form letter that is trashed and not read, that does not count as an exposure.)
What’s happening during those 7 exposures? They are building credibility, authority, likability and consistency. 4 of the 6 Principles of Influence Dr. Cialdini talks about in his ground breaking research on how people are affected by influence.
It’s not rocket science, but it’s a key concept that many advisers miss. You’re are extremely smart for utilizing the handwritten method to increase the effectiveness of your marketing.
But who has time for writing handwritten notes? I spent 6 hours a week writing handwritten notes when I was making over a $1 million a year in my financial planning practice. Why 6 hours? Because that's how I built the $1 million a year income! But I know few people would be able to put that kind of time aside which is why I invented Hoard to do it for you. In the click of a mouse you do what took me 6 hours.
***How Hoard Handwritten notes work
You might think this handwritten note process is going to be time consuming, but it is not. It works like this:
- You give us your list of clients and prospects and we download it for you.
- You then receive our kit that has all the messages and the alphabet for you to write in your own handwriting. When you are finished, you return the pen to us in the FedEx we provide to you.
- You then simply choose the cards and messages you wish to send out, the list of clients you want to send them to, click your mouse and off they go
- Over a period of weeks and months you will begin to receive more money, more referrals and frankly more loyalty from your clients and prospects. Slowly at first but by the time the get the seventh touch you will be making far more than you are investing in the system and weaning yourself off of far more expensive and less effective marketing.
Discuss
Comments
505 days ago Steven Baker wrote:
The biggest problem I find is blocking out the time in my schedule to sit down and write out the cards. I know my clients and prospects appreciate it when I send them something, I just need to get better at doing it. I do see HOARD being a benefit to my practice as it will not only save me time and money but will also keep my assistant doing what I would rather have her doing which is setting up appointments with my clients and prospects and taking care of their needs. Enjoyed the article, thanks!
502 days ago Marc Heinz wrote:
seems to me that this type of marketing is lost in all the noise of my mail. it just doesn't seem unique enough to me. i'd rather work my clients for referrals by delivering them top service.
475 days ago Tracy Smith wrote:
How often to you send a card/mailing to clients - weekly - or is monthly better? Is it the same for prospects? I couldn't spend that much time each week. Do you have different handwritten messages for clients and prospects?
515 days ago Bob Morris wrote:
I agree completely!! I write 5 handwritten notes a day for people I have just met and also write over 150 notes for each holiday. I receive so many thank yous and cards in return, not to mention referrals that I cannot imagine (nor could my clients) not sending them out. I am going to try your system because my client and prospect list is now so large that I am working about 14 hours a day between the cards and meetings. I am very excited to try the Hoard system just to get my life back!!!!