Last weekend I came across a great example of what happens when you don’t market consistently.

The local house builders had booths at the Olympia Fall Home and Garden Show. They never do that.

In years past, all they’ve had to do when a home is finished is to put up a For Sale sign, sit back and collect the cash. Not so much any more. Now they are having to go out and woo buyers. They’re offering vacations, cars and delayed payments as signing bonuses. You can smell the desperation.

So this weekend they were out to “re-introduce” themselves to potential home buyers.

It was the “re-introduce” that really caught my attention.

When these builders were doing well, they spent next to nothing on marketing. Now that business is practically non-existent, no body is out there saying anything supportive or distinct like, “Yeah, the Box Store Builders have the best kitchen layouts,” or “You’d like Ticky Tacky Developments, their finish work is excellent.”

Builders are now having to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to tell people who they are and why these people should buy their houses. They are having to figure out who their target audience is and how to attract and appeal to them.

What a stinker.

My point to you, though, is that no matter how much of your budget you need to cut, keep back enough time and money for your marketing.

A client may love your work and truly intend to tell the world about you, but once they’re out your door, they begin to forget. When the memory of you starts to fade, the chances of them booking another appointment fades with it. That client cost you some dollars to attract. It will cost you pennies to maintain a relationship with them and keep them coming back.

Keep in front of them in any professional/ethical/nice way you can. Emails, check up calls right after a session, newsletters, postcards, thank you cards, birthday specials. Ask if they would like to schedule another appointment as you complete the session. Give useful advice and follow it up with an instructional handout with your contact information on it. Be there. Become the expert. Be the solution to their problem. Show them you remember them. Show them you care.

You can’t afford not to.

If you’d like more details on Marketing in an Economic Downturn, check out Diana’s article from May 2008.

All my best,
Eileen

PS: As always, while Natural Touch Marketing has just about everything you need to keep in contact with your clients, I strongly encourage everyone to ask for samples (for specific samples, contact us), visit other bodywork marketing companies, and make decisions that are best for your business.

And, as always, let us know what you think. We are in business because we’ve been responding to your business building needs for 20 years.