The February 2014 meeting of the GKIC London Chapter was held yesterday at “The Anthologist” in Central London. Another full house was treated to an afternoon of great marketing information and tips along with the opportunity to meet and chat with like-minded business owners and marketers.
The afternoon kicked off with host David White giving a presentation of the importance of a marketing calendar…but with a twist! I’ve long suggested that having a marketing calendar of scheduled promotions is one of the best things you can do to boost your business. I confess that I’ve not viewed this explicitly as a way to improve customer and client retention.
Think of it as a way of creating a “pain of separation”. If people know of all the things that you have scheduled (at least in outline if not all the detail) they’re going to be less likely to leave without having a very good reason to do so. My good mate master copywriter Pete Godfrey puts it a slightly different way when talking about maintaining relationships with clients. He recommends always having in prospect the “next” project.
After the first break came the main GKIC presentation asking the question “Is Direct Mail Dead?” No surprise that the answer is a resounding “No”. What is surprising is the number of marketers who probably should know better who have cut back on direct mail in a foolish and ill-considered attempt to cut costs.
I say ill-considered because if you’re properly tracking results from a promotion, the ONLY reason you would cancel a promotion is if it’s not producing an acceptable return. Of course if the campaign is producing any kind of positive return, cutting it will actually reduce income!
Direct Mail remains a highly effective media for many businesses. The current fashion for all things digital may mean that it’s even more effective than before for businesses that continue to use it. Less competition in the prospects mail box, for example.
After the second (food) break…
…we were treated to another great presentation from Moe Nawaz, this time on the importance of taking good care of existing clients. Even for those of us fully versed in the principles of direct response, it’s surprising how easy it can be to direct the bulk of our attention to getting new clients. That can even be counter-productive as in many cases current clients can be the best source of leads for new business. Moe illustrated this with a very informative case study about a retirement community.
Along the way, wealth coach and renegade investor Graham Rowan (www.GrahamRowan.com) reported on how his monthly “Wealthwatch” newsletter plays a pivotal role in his business. No coincidence that his best clients all get his (hard copy) newsletter.
And another useful and insightful exercise from Fergus McClelland to help know when someone is telling you the truth…
…and when they’re not.
So another meeting packed with useful business building tips, techniques and strategies…
…and providing a great opportunity to meet, swap ideas and have a chat with like-minded, success-oriented business folks.
Next meeting of the GKIC London Chapter is on Tuesday 18 March. All the details and register your place here.