What is the best way to approach clients?
I'm a transportation broker. Should I be using mass e-mails or individual? What shouldn't be used? What is the best approach for shippers? Do you recommend continuing with cold calls?
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Apr 28, 2015
First, start with blogging about the needs of your clients. I would encourage you to create a blog schedule and begin publishing regularly. The topics of those blogs should be very, very specific to the needs of your ideal customer. For example, "3 Ways Your Transportation Company Can Save You Time" or "3 Ways To Ship Your Product Cheaper" (these are just examples, you'll obviously need to weigh in). The point is, a blog title like this is likely to catch the attention of a busy operations director -- if he is looking for cheap/fast/on-time, you can step in with your expertise to offer ways he can achieve this goal. I am not familiar with the industry, so please excuse my broad assumptions.
If you have a way of selling lanes, loading trucks differently, changing drop-off/pick-up times, etc, etc, etc -- you can offer this advice to your ideal customer. By you demonstrating this experience, you create value in their eyes and don't come off as a sales person, but an advisor. You are telling them ways of improving their business without asking for anything.
Once that blog post is done, share it on your LinkedIn profile with some comments. This brings people from LinkedIn to your blog where you can convert them.
Next, to reach a wider audience, pay LinkedIn to boost your post to be seen by a targeted audience (only promote to folks within your industry AND with the job titles that can make decisions).
Further, have the ability for visitors to your website to subscribe to your blog. The mail list is THE. MOST. VALUABLE piece of marketing profiles right now. When you publish a new post, email your following with something similar to:
*****
Subject: Title of your blog post
Hey [first name],
I just wanted to share with you the latest [Insert your blog name – and make this a link to your post] blog post. Let me know what you think.
[Insert the title of your blog post – and make this a link to your blog post]
[Insert the first paragraph from your blog post]
[Insert the second paragraph from your blog post] Click to continue [make the “click to continue a link]
Thanks.
[Insert your name].
P.S. [Add a promotional message here]
Repeat.
Simultaneously, start adding these ideal folks as connections on LinkedIn. In the connection request message, type something personal (not just the "I'd like to add you to my professional network")
Create a feed to monitor their brand's activity on Twitter, LinkedIn, RSS feeds for industry terms, etc. I recommend HootSuite or HubSpot for this type of social listening.
By doing all of this, you'll see your connections and influence skyrocket. You can judge your efforts by the number of visitors from LinkedIn to your new blog posts. On those posts, you can have a lead conversion form (a downloadable offer of value to these targeted people).
Again, this is a high-level blueprint. You can take it and run, or we can sit down and really create a detailed plan of attack.
Apr 28, 2015
Use individual email but prepare your self by learning about trigger events in the company. Send email and follow up with the phone call. Your calls will no longer be cold. Good luck!
Apr 28, 2015
I would recommend a mix. You should track calls and emails to see what messaging is working. I would send a mix of mass e-mails with direct messaging relevant to the client. I would then follow up those emails with telemarketing.
The key is whats in the emails. You need to have an engaging message that will initiate activity. If you create a lead scoring platform it can assist you in understanding close rates and contact points before an opportunity closes. Once you close a new lead, focus on customer experience. This will allow you to get referral opportunities, which is the best way to get business. The key is to not burn out your data. So spread your emails out over time.
Apr 29, 2015
Dear Carolyn,
Cold calls are hard work and rarely productive.
Many receivers would consider mass mailers as offensive and would not reply to you. The impression they get is that you are too lazy to connect with each one individually.
The best way is to approach through someone the person you are approaching knows and trusts. If you can get some such person to forward your writeup with a brief covering note you have your best chance of getting heard.
Thereafter its up to you.
regards,
RCD
Apr 29, 2015
Hi Carolyn It�s about directing your strategy to fit your client market, One hat doesn't fit all /or all the time. I agree blogging could assist you. Have you thought of using a twitter campaign?
I noticed on the website that they manage the freight, and use many types of equipment and capabilities.
You could set a twitter campaign to highlight these with a hashtag #
Even if you only have a few characters, you can still attach a link to the website or an image or article related to the capabilities. You could also highlight the online quotes Service that is available.
Apr 29, 2015
Cold calls remains a proven method to contact the business You want. In today's world, many people do not answer their phones unless they know who is calling. So, go ahead, briefly introduce yourself and your services, and let them know you'll be emailing them with some brief info about your company and your services or products, asking them to call you back after they've receive the info. Then call them back in approximately 2 days, simply asking if they received the info and if they have any questions. If you have to leave a phone message, announce your name and phone number clearly and somewhat slowly; personally, I state my phone number twice, to make certain they can understand it.
Apr 29, 2015
You need to get your market's attention, and they are likely still depending on the telephone as their main marketing tool. However, YOU SAID the best approach; the best approach is to take them out for a good time.
Apr 30, 2015
Hi Carolyn,
Email marketing in general tends to have low conversion rate due to spam filters. You will need to continue cold calling until you get enough people coming to you and that is where digital marketing comes in. We are a digital marketing company. I would recommend starting with SEO for your website. Let me know if you ant to speak in detail.
Apr 30, 2015
There's too little information for me to provide an answer to your questions.
Apr 30, 2015
Mass emails have become the new junk mail. I would recommend personalized visits, phone calls or mailings. It is very rare to get a handwritten letter or note anymore and it stands out tremendously to receive one. If you are going to continue with cold calls, just remember to show the value of the call without giving all the information up front. With this mindset you can set up an appointment and get your foot in the door easier.
Jun 1, 2015
The method of approach is less important than the message they perceive. Ask yourself if you offer a strong enough draw to entice the client. Is the message clear, and potentially helps overcome objections before they are made? Would you trust the message if someone delivered it if you were the client. Ask people you trust to role play a little with you. Even if they don't understand the business, they may be able to strengthen your message just on tone, or delivery.
Jun 1, 2015
I have one small online business in where I do ship. What is a transportation broker? what do you really do? that questions may help set up an idea of what to answers to people like me maybe. Educate your potentials first before trying to contact them.. it saves time. If find interested, then market to them, give promotion and show them how you can leverage their work.
Take care.
I'm not a fan of cold calls. I would rather meet the person. Would you believe this, but I was out networking in my home area yesterday, and ran into a lady who does clothing alterations. I gave her my business card and told her what I do. And wouldn't you know it - she took a nice-sized stack of my cards and told me she gets lots of people visiting every day, not only in her store, but in the place where her store is located.
I wrote a blog post about how I feel about cold-calling, here:
http://www.cpcwebsite.com/stop-cold-calling-meet-potential-clients-in-person/
There is a video associated with this video.