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One of the best pieces of advice I ever received on customer retention was this: "Never forget a customer. Never let a customer forget you."

But putting that maxim into practice is the hard part. How do you stay in touch with someone who is not ready to buy this quarter? How do you stay in touch with a customer who just made a purchase and is not likely to make another one for a few years (car sales comes to mind)?

The answer is drip marketing. Drip marketing is the process of sending repeated, relevant messages to your prospects and customers until they are ready to buy. Drip marketing is like drip irrigation, where farmers and gardeners apply small amounts of water to plants over long periods of time instead of all at once.

Drip marketing is direct mail marketing with a calendar. The key to success is to mail or email your customers and prospective customers things that interest them throughout the year at planned intervals.

So what, exactly, do you mail? Here are some ideas.

Announcements
New product or service, or changes to existing.

Annual and quarterly reports
Include a cover letter directing reader's attention to relevant pages.

Article reprints
Written by your firm on a topic of interest to your customers.

Blogs
Email a link to recent posts that will interest your readers.

Book summaries
Like those published for re-sale by Soundview Executive Book Summaries.

Brochures
Must be relevant and customer-centred.

Case studies
Always useful to prospects and clients because they show how similar organizations are solving similar challenges.

Holiday greeting cards
Joe Girard, the world's greatest salesman, mailed a greeting card every month to prospects and clients, including St. Patrick's Day and other off-beat holidays.

Customer satisfaction surveys
Everyone likes to give their opinion, plus, you'll learn something.

Dimensional mail
A printer in Seattle, Washington, sends a box of Washington apples to prospects and loyal customers as a way to stay fresh in their memory.

Emails
Informal, informational, not promotional.

Invitations
To attend a trade show, industry event or customer event (golf, anyone?).

Letters
Informal, informational, not promotional.

Media clippings
Articles written about your firm.

Newsletters
Print or email, or both, with articles that address customer challenges.

News releases
Just as long as they present news that readers will value.

Product catalogs
With cover letter directing reader's attention to product pages and articles that are relevant to them.

Reference guides
Glossaries of industry terms, directories, how-to guides.

Research reports
Presenting findings from your research or that conducted by third parties.

Special reports
Think industry trends, what's hot, buying guides.

Technical bulletins
Brief, relevant, helpful.

Webcasts and podcasts
Send a link in emails.

White papers
Discussing industry trends and challenges, and solutions.

This article you're reading is drip marketing in action. I'm the faucet. If you need help with your drip marketing, give me a call at 877 SHARPE COPY (742-7732).

About the author
Alan Sharpe is a direct mail copywriter who helps business owners and marketing managers generate leads, close sales and retain customers using direct mail and email marketing. Learn more about his creative direct mail writing services and sign up for free weekly tips like this at www.sharpecopy.com.

2007 Sharpe Copy Inc. You may reprint this article online and in print provided the links remain live and the content remains unaltered (including the "About the author" message).

posted by gektal  # 7:04 PM 0 comments

The cost of university education continues to outpace the consumer inflation rate, putting an even greater burden upon the shoulders of financially squeezed families. With annual education costs exceeding $30,000 or more at some universities, the financial burden is particularly profound even when some sort of assistance is made available.

Government student loans have long been an important way to help students complete their education with private student loans now gaining in importance too. Let's take a look at the advantages and disadvantages of funding higher education through private student loans.

When it comes to college financing, often the sticker price is one thing, but the actual cost of education is something different. Depending on the aid offered, students can expect to receive anywhere from a full scholarship to not being offered any financial assistance. In most cases, the cost of education lies somewhere in the middle once family income, assets, and other factors have been taken into account.

The amount remaining after financial aid has been factored in is what must be paid to the school, an amount that can vary each academic year. This gap is what often prompts families to consider financing options, with government-backed student loans being one option and private student loans another one.

Private student loans have several advantages to them including:

• Quick approval process:
  

  In as little as five business days, a loan approval can be given with the funds made available directly to the student. With government student loans, processing is completed through the college.

• More money:
  

  Usually, you can borrow more money privately than you can receive through government sources. The loan amount is usually capped at $30,000 annually or $40,000 when education costs exceed the $30,000 limit.

• More options:
  

  Students can use private student loans to pay for a laptop computer and other education-related expenses. A government student loan is more restrictive.

• No government involvement:
  

  A private student loan is just that an agreement between you and a private lender. No government paperwork is filed because the funding is strictly private.

Although a private student loan has certain inherent advantages, the following disadvantages should be considered:

• Credit check required:
  

  Only creditworthy individuals are eligible for a private student loan. In many cases a co-borrower (usually the parents) will have to co-sign the loan.

• Higher interest rate:
  

  Private student loans charge a higher interest rate than government student loans. Rates are also variable, which means they can change up or down each month. Government student loans are fixed rate loans.

• Multiple applications required:
  

  A private student loan must be applied for each academic year. That is also true for government student loans.

Unlike other forms of personal borrowing, a private student loan does not have to be paid back until after graduation. Just like a government student loan, grads have a 180 day grace period before the first loan payment is due.

Students should apply for the maximum amount of government student loans available. But when government student loans do not cover the entire cost of education, private student loans are a fast and flexible way to finance the remaining cost of higher education. While a government student loan is an attractive choice for many, private student loans offer a competitive alternative worthy of further exploration.

View more information about the SayStudent Private Student Loan

Copyright 2007 all rights reserved
http://www.SayStudent.com

Krayton M Davis is the Executive Principal of nBuy Associates, which owns and operates the SayStudent College Financing Guide. For more information about our services, link to: www.SayStudent.com

posted by gektal  # 5:05 PM 0 comments