Database management
Database management + Virtual Assistant = good marriage
Monday, November 22nd, 2010 | Blog, Database management | 1 Comment
You are probably familiar with the term ‘Virtual Assistant’. They provide a support service to business owner/operators in the daily running of their businesses. Anything of an administrative or secretarial nature can generally be managed by a Virtual Assistant (VA) on your behalf.
Databases are just one of those very items that can be outsourced to a VA. Whether it be a computer based database that can be synchronised/updated via email or upload/download or an internet based database such as Constant Contact, aWeber or 1shoppingcart.
How many people send out cards to their database of clients? If you have a business coach you may well have been encouraged to tag your clients as A, B & C clients and then maintain contact with them in accordance to their category.
A business coach I looked after for many years would have me handwrite greeting cards to her ‘A’ clients 3 or 4 times a year. Had we known about Send Out Cards at that time, I’m sure we would have used the service then.
If you have a database and it’s important to maintain customer relationships, then you could get your Virtual Assistant to manage that contact for you through your Send Out Cards account. If you don’t have a VA or an SOC account then why not contact me for further information?
The importance of keeping contact
Thursday, August 12th, 2010 | Blog, Business building, Database management | 1 Comment
I want to tell you about an attorney in the US. He looked at the system I’ve been using and he instantly saw the value of sending cards and was one of the first clients who ever capitalized on campaigns.
Greg created a birthday campaign for each client and their spouse.
He also created a child 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 birthday card campaign.
He created “thanks for stopping” by campaigns and “new client” campaigns.
Greg is the campaign king!
Every client that comes in the door he has a form they filled out with all the information he needed to start sending these campaigns to his clients and even prospective clients. In a 3 year period Greg had tripled his income in his attorney practice.
What systems do you have in place to triple your income in your current business? Do you think it’s time to take this further? Then perhaps it’s time to drop by SeekingSuccessTips.
Customer Relationship Marketing
Monday, June 7th, 2010 | Database management | Comments Off
Customer Relationship Marketing is regarded as a form of marketing designed to develop relationships with your database.
Wikipedia says: Customer relationship management is a broadly recognized, widely-implemented strategy for managing and nurturing a company’s interactions with clients and sales prospects. It involves using technology to organize, automate, and synchronize business processes. Read more…
So, you have your database but do you have a strategy for building relationships with those on your database? It’s not only learning about what they might like, but it’s also about letting them know you are thinking of them.
Several networking books I’ve read over the years have spoken of the value in sending cards to people on your database to let them know you appreciate them, to thank them for something, to give them some information about something they showed interest in (and that doesn’t mean it has to be about your business) and so on.
Send Out Cards is the perfect partner program to operate with your database. It allows you to send ad-hoc cards or to set up a campaign and reminder systems to maintain regular contact with those on your database. And if you feel you don’t have the time to manage it, then engaging the services of a Virtual Assistant to manage the program for you is the perfect answer. A trio of great things for your business: CRM+Send Out Cards+Virtual Assistant.
Do you find Mail Merge a bind?
Friday, May 14th, 2010 | Database management | 1 Comment
Recently a Virtual Assistant posted to a forum a request for advice for a job she was asked to do for a client.
She had to give two quotes to her client. One for printing directly onto the postcards and the second to print labels to stick on the postcards. She wanted to find something that would print and merge at the same time. She also mentioned that the postcards were going to be printed at Vistaprint – they were doing their own design.
I emailed her offlist and told her about Send Out Cards. I told her she could do the following:
- Upload their own design to a postcard or choose one from the catalogue of over 15,000 designs.
- Upload the database for the client.
- Write the message on the card.
- Click to send.
This means she would save time and effort, and the client money. It would all be done easily for this Virtual Assistant without having to buy labels, set up the mailmerge, check the printed labels, stick them on the cards or be checking the cards as they came out of the printer. Plus they wouldn’t have to wait for the cards they designed to be delivered before they started the process.
Her response to my suggestion? It sounded like ‘a dream come true’.
Get a Virtual Assistant to help you
Thursday, May 6th, 2010 | Database management | 2 Comments
Does this describe you and your business?
- Pieces of paper with names and addresses, phone numbers and/or email addresses written on them.
- Business cards in piles, or with rubber bands wrapped around them, or thrown in a drawer or box.
- Some entries in a spreadsheet or a database started but not maintained.
- Perhaps you have them all in your cell phone?
It does sound like you? How would you like this all sorted and entered into an online system that has built-in reminders and allows you to send cards and gifts to those you choose from the list at any given time? You would?
Then contact me today for assistance. A Virtual Assistant is exactly what you need to help you get your database sorted, along with a reminder system for making regular contact with those on your list. You do know that it is a good thing to maintain contact with your prospects and clients a minimum of once every 90 days, don’t you? Some choose to send newsletters and some choose to send cards. You can, of course, do both, and I can assist you with that!
Need to build a reminder list?
Tuesday, May 4th, 2010 | Database management | 1 Comment
Do you have an existing database or have the need to build one?
In your work, do you need to send out thank you messages, birthday cards, build a Christmas card list or similar?
Perhaps you want to develop a system thanking for referrals?
Whatever the need, if it means sending a postcard, card or gift then I can help you create the system. Fully organised online, you won’t need to organise the printing of cards or purchase of postage – I can handle the lot of you.
We can even upload your photo or business logo or other images to personalise the cards. Why not contact me today to find out how?
