Do they Count?

[clifpa]

Good morning!

Customer DB?

Do you add to your Customer database only prospect that have bought something or if you get a lead, say from a mailing list, would you add these n/a to your list even if they aren't a buying customer yet? Maybe not as customer but as mailing lead?

If a framer needs at least 400-500 customer n/a I will have gone into the next century or at my rate into the next 3 years anyway?

I bought my mailing list which contains 3K n/a addresses and I bought it using things like Income, distance, homeowner, women, married, age, etc. Would you add these n/a to your prospective customer list, guess I'm thinking you have framing software, and continue using these names to mail to and try to turn them into a customer?

I'm not on track here. It's nice to mail to only your customers, it's nice to get referrals, but that doesn't happen overnight so would you treat the n/a list the same as your customer n/a and send mail like newsletters, etc to them until you have built a nice customer db? Wouldn't this speed up the building process or is it just costing a lot of money with no return?

I know, I haven't explained myself well but heck, we're framers, we know what we're talking about...right, well, right? :rolleyes:

Have a good day my friends.

[Ron Eggers]

If somebody calls to inquire about my hours or to ask if I sell telephones, they go into my database (caller ID.)

The database knows if the record is of a paying customer or someone who has never set foot in the shop or someone who ordered some framing and never picked it up.

In other words, it's making a list and checking it twice. I'm gonna find out who's naughty or nice.

I don't think it's possible to have too much information as long as you don't spend too much time maintaining it and you can filter your data when you want to send out a mailing.

[B. Newman]

Since I don't have one of those cool POS thingies, (yet) I keep my db on Access. I have several of them actually. I have:
the master list - db with everycustomer's name (well, at least everybody since I started keeping lists.)

reply card list - those who sent back the reply card from the thank you card they received after their order. (This one has all kinds of cool info about the customer - birthday, etc..)


newsmailer list the full list to whom a newsmailer is sent (when they're sent...)

local newsmailer list - the full newsmailer list includes some folks out of state, these are just the local customers.

And I do have a referral list those names that were given to me on the reply cards. When these are contacted and heard from and/or become customers, they are moved to the other lists.

Folks aren't put on lists unless we've had some sort of contact.

Hmmm, I guess I don't have a "prospects" list...

Betty

[gemsmom]

The only people in my database are paying cutomers.

I suppose if I bought a list, I would send out a mailing to those individuals in hopes of making them payimg customers. Then they would get added to my database.

Betty, I send thank you cards, also. I never thought of adding a reply card. What is on yours?

[Ron Eggers]

I send thank you cards, also. I never thought of adding a reply card. What is on yours? It says, "You're welcome."

[Elaine]

right now, mine includes any paying customer and any customer that we have given a quote to - I did add a few names to the list of "prospects" - those people who live in the "high end" neighbor hoods that I have had personal contact of some nature, but hoping to get them in the store along with many of their friends; I guess I would call that prospecting without spamming!! They get my direct mailings.

I'm still fairly new, so my list is short, but I keep checking it twice.

Does anyone do any good promos for January/February????

Thanks

Elaine

[B. Newman]

I do the usual "thank you for allowing us to work on your beautiful... I hope you're pleased with the craftsmanship, etc..." Then I add a PS (studies show that the PS often gets read first!) PS. "Would you mind filling out this postage paid postcard? We're always looking for ways to serve our customers better."

The reply card has: (as best I remember since I'm at home now)

name
spouse name
address
phone
e-mail
birthday
spouse b/d
anniversary

Would you be interested in receiving:
Art & Antique newsmailer
e-mail newsletter

Work we did for you:
framing - needlework/shadowbox/print, etc

Were you satisfied with:
quality workmanship price design

If not, how can we make it better?

I just recently added a space for 2 names and addresses and said "Do you know someone who would like to know about our services?"

For as long as I've been doing this, I usually get about 90% returned. After adding the referral part, I'm getting about 50%. I've only sent out one batch of those, so I don't know if it was the referral or just those particular customers.

I don't always get these sent out, but when I do, they work great. They give me the info I need for customer profiles and all the "goodies" I want to use in the future, like sending birthday cards, etc.

As I've often said, "so many great ideas, so little time!"

Betty
(Pam, if you'd like to see one, let me know and I'll mail one to you. Also, do a search on "reply cards" as I've written about this before.)

[MEH]

>>I bought my mailing list which contains 3K n/a addresses and I bought it using things like Income, distance, homeowner, women, married, age, etc. Would you add these n/a to your prospective customer list, guess I'm thinking you have framing software, and continue using these names to mail to and try to turn them into a customer?<<

Mailing lists are usually rented not bought. If it is a rental you are probably contractually forbidden from entering the list into your own customer database.

If you bought it, who sold it? smile.gif

[Bill Henry-]

I would suggest you keep it separate so you'll have a "cold" and a "warm" database. With a store-boughten mailing list you can assume at least 5-8% of the names are “old” i.e. people who have moved or whose addresses are no longer valid.

But as tempting as it is to incorporate your paid list and make it permanent, what MEH says is correct; you have most likely “rented” the list for a one time use. Often direct mail companies seed their lists with a few “ringers” so that if you send them something the company will know and you could be fined or get sued or something unpleasant like that.