SEPTEMBER NEWS LETTER Paul J Da Costa and Associates, Inc.

Hello All! I hope you and your families have had a great summer! Now it's time to buckle down and finish the year strong. Christmas buying season is almost here (yes, I've seen displays in some stores already: "Only 103 days left before Christmas!")
I know what you're thinking CHRISTMAS!? Are you nuts?! Maybe, but that still doesn't change the fact that Christmas is coming and your smart competition is already scheduling holiday advertising promotions.

    One of the biggest complaints I hear is that after Thanksgiving some owners say their business just about stops. If this is you, ask yourself this question: Does your business really stop or do people just have other priorities? I would say they just aren't thinking about your product!! Here's the next big question: Is it your customers' or your responsibility to make sure they remember your business? C'mon, you know this one... that's right: IT'S YOURS!!!

Now that we have that settled let's look at how we can move your business from dead to profitable this holiday season:
1.      We've talked about your list of customers before. Take a good look at them and see how often they use your service or product.
2.      Separate your customers by how often they buy a product or use a service from you. (How often should they be using your service?) Now that you have a clear picture of who uses your service and who doesn't let's tackle each one differently.
Let's start with the customers that you are working with on a regular basis. What do they buy from you? How much do they spend? Do they buy on line, via mail or in your store? We know how to approach each customer to improve sales and the bottom line.
For customers who buy in your store only: What if you sent them an E-Mail and a direct mail piece inviting them to the store for a special gift which you have selected 'just for them' ( describe the gift in detail). Remind them that no purchase is necessary. Also include all the terrific specials you are having and invite them to spend a few minutes browsing your store.
You can repeat this for Internet buys and direct mail buys with just a little tweaking.
Now let's go after those lost customers. When was the last time they purchased from you? (This is a must- know in any business) How often do you contact or remind them they haven't been in to see you in a while.
You need to put together a complete "we want you back" marketing program. But don't worry it's not as hard as people make it out to be. Next month I will go into some detail on getting those customers back. Paul