Digg it UP - Your Most Valuable Business Asset

What information should your database contain:

* The names and addresses of all your active customers, that is anyone who has made a purchase from you in the past year. Your file should also include the phone and fax numbers, and e-mail addresses of all your active customers. To keep this data up to date and accurate, make sure you review it a least once a year.

* The names, addresses, phone, and fax numbers of all your inactive customers, that is, those people who haven’t purchased anything from you in over a year.

In addition your database should have a section for good customers and one for customers who are not good. For example, customers who are not so good would be those who don’t pay their bills on time, who complain a lot, and people who order but cancel. When you who know who these difficult people are, it’s easier to avoid wasting time or money on them.

You should have all this basic information in a secure database on your computer. If you don’t have this information in your database, then you need to reconstruct it from invoices or any other records you’ve kept regarding people who have purchased from you.

If you haven’t kept good records and can’t reconstruct the data about your customers or clients, then start from scratch and ask every customer you deal with to give you their name, address, phone and fax number, and e-mail address. You must do that with each customer.

When you are capturing there information it is always good to ask them for their birth day (not year) as well, because when you know their birth day, you can send them a gift of some kind each year, or at the very least, send them a birthday card. It’s a nice personal touch that will set you apart from your competitors.

It is very important that your database also includes a record or each purchase a customer has made, what they purchased, and the date when they purchased it. This information is very valuable because it will show you a person’s buying habits, and once you know their buying habits, you can position yourself to sell into and around the pattern.

For example, if you notice that Customer X bought many of the vegetable-seed packets that you sold in your nursery last year, you should call, send a letter, or e-mail to Customer X a week or two before you take delivery on next year’s seed packets. If customer X is really into gardening, he or she will love you for giving him or her an early alert, and this customer will probably make an even bigger purchase of seeds the second time around. In addition, Customer X might buy some gardening tools or perhaps one of the new gardening manuals that you hope to have on display next season.

You need to know who buys more than anyone else. But it’s important to separate out the names of those heavy buyers because they deserve more of your personal attention. High volume customers are the people most likely to respond to an add-on offer or an up sell or cross sell on a special promotion. Those are the customers or clients you should put in the hands of your strongest salespeople.

In addition your database should have a section for good customers and one for customers who are not good. For example, customers who are not so good would be those who don’t pay their bills on time, who complain a lot, and people who order but cancel. When you who know who these difficult people are, it’s easier to avoid wasting time or money on them.

You should have all this basic information in a secure database on your computer. If you don’t have this information in your database, then you need to reconstruct it from invoices or any other records you’ve kept regarding people who have purchased from you.

If you haven’t kept good records and can’t reconstruct the data about your customers or clients, then start from scratch and ask every customer you deal with to give you their name, address, phone and fax number, and e-mail address. You must do that with each customer.

When you are capturing there information it is always good to ask them for their birth day (not year) as well, because when you know their birth day, you can send them a gift of some kind each year, or at the very least, send them a birthday card. It’s a nice personal touch that will set you apart from your competitors.

It is very important that your database also includes a record or each purchase a customer has made, what they purchased, and the date when they purchased it. This information is very valuable because it will show you a person’s buying habits, and once you know their buying habits, you can position yourself to sell into and around the pattern.

For example, if you notice that Customer X bought many of the vegetable-seed packets that you sold in your nursery last year, you should call, send a letter, or e-mail to Customer X a week or two before you take delivery on next year’s seed packets. If customer X is really into gardening, he or she will love you for giving him or her an early alert, and this customer will probably make an even bigger purchase of seeds the second time around. In addition, Customer X might buy some gardening tools or perhaps one of the new gardening manuals that you hope to have on display next season.

You need to know who buys more than anyone else. But it’s important to separate out the names of those heavy buyers because they deserve more of your personal attention. High volume customers are the people most likely to respond to an add-on offer or an up sell or cross sell on a special promotion. Those are the customers or clients you should put in the hands of your strongest salespeople.

Nine Essentials Tips for Hiring Good Employees
There are never any guarantees that you will always hire the right employee. However, there are ten important areas that you must cover that will give you the best information to use in your hiring decisions. We will assume that you have posted the open position, and you have some applicants that seem suitable for the job.The first important tip is be thoroughly prepared for the interview. The second important tip is that you draft your interview questions before the interview considering the job responsibilities, whny other records you’ve kept regarding people who have purchased from you.

If you haven’t kept good records and can’t reconstruct the data about your customers or clients, then start from scratch and ask every customer you deal with to give you their name, address, phone and fax number, and e-mail address. You must do that with each customer.

When you are capturing there information it is always good to ask them for their birth day (not year) as well, because when you know their birth day, you can send them a gift of some kind each year, or at the very least, send them a birthday card. It’s a nice personal touch that will set you apart from your competitors.

It is very important that your database also includes a record or each purchase a customer has made, what they purchased, and the date when they purchased it. This information is very valuable because it will show you a person’s buying habits, and once you know their buying habits, you can position yourself to sell into and around the pattern.

For example, if you notice that Customer X bought many of the vegetable-seed packets that you sold in your nursery last year, you should call, send a letter, or e-mail to Customer X a week or two before you take delivery on next year’s seed packets. If customer X is really into gardening, he or she will love you for giving him or her an early alert, and this customer will probably make an even bigger purchase of seeds the second time around. In addition, Customer X might buy some gardening tools or perhaps one of the new gardening manuals that you hope to have on display next season.

You need to know who buys more than anyone else. But it’s important to separate out the names of those heavy buyers because they deserve more of your personal attention. High volume customers are the people most likely to respond to an add-on offer or an up sell or cross sell on a special promotion. Those are the customers or clients you should put in the hands of your strongest salespeople.

Work From Home As An E-Mail Customer Service Agent
Who is an e-mail customer service representative?This is a management or a company agent that does customer relations via the internet or e-mails. His principal duty is to represent his employer and the company at large. He does this by replying e-mail inquires and answering customer questions.As businesses expands and organizations breakeven, the need to complement growth with adequate management becomes inevitable. As we all know, poor management is at the bottom of most business failures. The bank of America in

It is very important that your database also includes a record or each purchase a customer has made, what they purchased, and the date when they purchased it. This information is very valuable because it will show you a person’s buying habits, and once you know their buying habits, you can position yourself to sell into and around the pattern.

For example, if you notice that Customer X bought many of the vegetable-seed packets that you sold in your nursery last year, you should call, send a letter, or e-mail to Customer X a week or two before you take delivery on next year’s seed packets. If customer X is really into gardening, he or she will love you for giving him or her an early alert, and this customer will probably make an even bigger purchase of seeds the second time around. In addition, Customer X might buy some gardening tools or perhaps one of the new gardening manuals that you hope to have on display next season.

You need to know who buys more than anyone else. But it’s important to separate out the names of those heavy buyers because they deserve more of your personal attention. High volume customers are the people most likely to respond to an add-on offer or an up sell or cross sell on a special promotion. Those are the customers or clients you should put in the hands of your strongest salespeople.

What to Expect From a Top Flight Trade Show Exhibit Company
But what can you expect to find at the prototypical, top-of-the-line trade show exhibit house? Look for a complete single-source, hassle-free, full service trade show exhibit capability from design concept to final production. Search for a company that offers a wide range of trade show display options from cost-effective, custom modular and custom portable trade show booths to custom designed exhibits that may occupy thousands of square feet.As a single resource, this fully-integrated trade show exhibit house would be aiving him or her an early alert, and this customer will probably make an even bigger purchase of seeds the second time around. In addition, Customer X might buy some gardening tools or perhaps one of the new gardening manuals that you hope to have on display next season.

You need to know who buys more than anyone else. But it’s important to separate out the names of those heavy buyers because they deserve more of your personal attention. High volume customers are the people most likely to respond to an add-on offer or an up sell or cross sell on a special promotion. Those are the customers or clients you should put in the hands of your strongest salespeople.

It’s important to realize that your database is universal. Once you know who your biggest and best customers are, you can contact them by phone, letter, fax, or e-mail, or by a personal visit and sell them things even before you have to lay out money for inventory.

Database marketing means classifying the customers you have by studying what they buy. It means marketing in a targeted way to your big customers, your little customers, your multiple-purchase customers, your single purchase customers, and to the people who haven’t bought yet. Target each of those segments separately, and tailor your selling messages specifically to that segment.

Start focusing on your biggest and best customers today, because that is where you will make the easiest and most profitable new sales.

Copyright© 2005 by Joe Love and JLM & Associates, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.

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