Sharpe & Direct. The Direct Response and Email Marketing Newsletter

One of the best pieces of advice I ever received on customer retention was this: “Never forget a customer. Never let a customer forget you.”

But putting that maxim into practice is the hard part. How do you stay in touch with someone who is not ready to buy this quarter? How do you stay in touch with a customer who just made a purchase and is not likely to make another one for a few years (car sales comes to mind)? (more…)

If your direct mail lead generation campaigns are typical, the majority of people who respond to your sales letters aren’t ready to buy. That’s why one of the most important tasks in direct response lead generation is qualifying every inquiry, assigning it to one of four groups. (more…)

The most important tool in online marketing isn’t your website. It’s your email list. Most of your customers and potential customers won’t visit your website today. But they will check their email. (more…)

My wife bought a new Honda Civic 13 years ago and still talks about the salesman who sold it to her in Columbus, Ohio. She never bought from that salesman again because she married me and moved to Canada. (more…)

Do you snub 25 percent of your potential customers? If your business is typical, you do. (more…)

One of your most valuable assets is people who won’t buy from you—today. They are the majority of your prospects. But if your business is typical, and I hope it isn’t, the majority of your sales leads slip away and never give you their business. Drip marketing is the way to win them. (more…)