[Chris R]

The following info may be of interest to anyone needing to boost trade at this traditionally quiet time of year.

Last January I sent out the letter below to my customer database of 2000 previous customers. I spent £400 on stamps, £22 on envelopes, and £50 on computer ink and paper(non genuine ink cartridges)

I monitored all of the work that came from customers using the vouchers to claim a reduction on the cleaning bill.

The total return was £4950 in the months of January and February.

Hope this helps a few of you lads.
Chris


Previous Customer Reminder and Special Offer Letter[

From Clxxxxxx Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Specialists.

Dear «Title» «Surname»,

I last cleaned your Carpets / Upholstery on the     «Date_Last_Visited»
………………………………………………………………………………………..
£10.00 Off !
(Valid until 29/02/04, on orders of £50 and over, and only on production of this letter)
………………………………………………………………………………………..

I would like to offer you £10.00 off my cleaning services if you have the work completed before the end of February 2004. This offer is only valid on production of this letter, and on orders of £50.00 or over.

No Letter – No Discount! So please save it somewhere safe!

·  Hot water extraction or Quick Dry (1 Hour) Carpet Cleaning Systems now available.
·  An Extra £10 Off if you have a Suite and Carpet cleaned at the same time!
·  Leather Suites Expertly Cleaned and Conditioned
·  Domestic and Commercial work welcome
·  Carpet and Fabric Stain Protection Treatments available
·  Insured and Uniformed Staff.
·  Excellent Results and a Quality Service Guaranteed!

Telephone:

(I will need to know the size of your Carpets and Rugs to give you a quotation over the telephone.)

9.00am to 9.00pm (7Days)

                      (0xxx2) 22xxxxx2

[martin19842]

hello there,

fantastic, i think sums it up, too many people sit and wait for the business to arrive.  quite simply market the business and make it work for you.

well done

regards

martin

[neil 47]

Chris well done at last someone who will show every one hows it,s done and what to do

Neil 

[Mike Halliday]

You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink :

here's a way of making 5k in Jan & Feb, I wonder how may will do it, not many, because most people want the work but would faint before spending £472

Mike

[mark_roberts]

Nice return.  Just over 10-1.  Thats what I aim for with letters.

Now tell us how to get 10-1 from new business marketing as not all of us have 2000 clients.

Mark

PS. Chris, do you find people still want the discounted price in July when they decide to ring.  Are you strict with the deadline?  Just wondering.

[woodman]

well done chris

A lesson to us all

[Fintan_Coll]

It's fantastic Chris, such a return on a simple offer is hard to beleive but then you have the results to prove it. The lesson to be leaened here is it is better to do something than sit doing nothing at all.
What is your quick dry method that you mention?

[Shaun_Ashmore]

I've been database marketing for 12 years, it's a brilliant way of kick starting your year, I stagger the time I send my newsletters out 1 area at a time but only allow 30 days cut off date, then I will do the next area a week or so later and so on. First 2 months of the year looks after itself then I have a month off from database as I am well booked and then do it all again, a quarterly newsletter works for me, I now have 3821 on my data base going back to 2000, but am about to shed year 2000 names.

Shaun