The latest issue of KIWI News is hot off the press. This issue our focus is on Nurture Marketing. It's become quite a buzzword the past few years. Even though this isn't a new concept and has been around for about 20 years or so, it is a very important marketing strategy that will help you build lifetime customer relationships. It is more important than ever due to the fact that our style of communication has changed so drastically the past few years. With all of the social media sites, it is so easy for your customers to "talk" about your company in either a good or bad light. So, it behooves you to nurture, maintain, and retain those customer relationships.

Relationship marketing is more than just customer satisfaction. It's about moving the lead to become a customer and then retaining that customer for life. But, how do you do that? Here are a few tips:

• Study your customer's behaviors. There is excellent CRM software available today. So, there's no excuse not to analyze the data. Find out how, when, and why your customers purchase. Then target prospects who have the same profile. They most likely will become loyal customers.

• Provide something "free" to those prospects. But, make it something valuable, that is, something they need. Show them  your expertise. They will keep your company top-of-mind when they are ready to buy.

• Don't forget your existing customers. Concentrate on them just as much or more than you do on prospects. Analyze their past purchases. See where they are in your product life cycle. Listen to their needs. This will also help your product development strategies.

Download a copy of our latest issue of KIWI News and read the complete article on relationship marketing. You can access this information at our Website.

I think we are all familiar with the old adage "You reap what you sow", so why don't we use this principle in relationship to our marketing strategies and tactics? Too often our prospects or lifetime customers are forgotten. Too much time is spent on generating fresh new leads versus maintaining and retaining our existing customer base. So, why don't we nurture our customers? Because it's too hard, it takes too much time, or you don't see the profit in it. Management is too worried about "what did you do for me today?" syndrome. Nurturing is  a long-term strategy. The sales cycle is now on average 2 years from the first touch to the first purchase. So, it behooves your sales and marketing folks to work together as a nurturing team. Marketing's job is to generate leads and sales personnel are supposed to close the deal. What if you looked at this more as a symbiotic relationship. Marketing can help quality the leads so the sales force doesn't waste their time and the sales force can provide a lot of important marketing data that will help marketing target and focus unique messages to each prospect or customer. Think about turning your marketing budget upside down. Instead of using 80% of your marketing budget to procure new leads; use 80% of your budget to maintain your existing customer base. Once a prospect becomes a customer, it seems that they are soon forgotten. Reviewing the customer's purchasing behavior, which marketing messages they responded to, and how often, will provide a wealth of data to help you determine what and when to touch each customer.

Read the entire Marketing Information Bulletin on Nurture Marketing Tips on our Website. If you have already signed up for our marketing tools, you can access this information immediately.