Stop calling customers and sending group messages on WeChat

Why is it that marketing services that cast a wide net are not suitable for "fishing" customers? This article will show you why, and it is also recommended for companies or individual business owners to read.

Do you feel that there are a lot of strange phone calls recently?

People who lend money, sell houses, promote courses, and invite people to conferences all popped up at once.

At the same time, there are more and more WeChat group messages, most of which are about recommending one’s own new projects and new businesses.

My email and text messages have also been overwhelmed. I receive at least hundreds of messages every day (luckily, I don’t read them often)…

During an online gathering of the weekend notes group, when talking about customer operations, a friend complained: "The boss asked us to call all the customers whose contact information is in the database. The reason is to wake up old customers. What if there is a demand?"

Does it sound familiar? The general idea is that business is not easy to do, but the cost of making phone calls, sending text messages, and emails is not high, and there is no loss...

But, the result is that customers, like you and me, refuse to answer the call or hang up directly.

Some companies’ telemarketers are quite ambitious, and have learned some mediocre sales skills, and started to use clumsy greetings to get close to customers. Some companies are even more ruthless, and directly use AI robots to make calls, and it is said that they can make tens of thousands of calls a day...

But consumers and customers are not fools. Can you really “catch” customers by casting a wide net?

It is possible.

But the greater possibility is that it will damage the brand and even make customers who were originally interested in purchasing feel ignored or even offended.

The era when you could work miracles just by getting contact information is long gone.

I have written about this topic many times before, talking about precise customer operations, such as "Don't contact me, I will find you when I need to buy" and "Marketing Notes | How to Lose a Customer"

In other words, marketing also requires "mutual consent". The professional term is "Permission Marketing".

This concept first came from Seth Godin, who said, "You must first gain the customer's trust. Only when they voluntarily communicate with the brand will they pay more attention to relevant information."

The principles are understood and the benefits are obvious.

For example, it can stimulate expectations for products and services (Anticipated) ; the information provided is targeted at the individual (Personal) and is willing to know; it is highly relevant (Relevant) because it is exactly needed and is more acceptable.

He said, "No matter which method is used, by providing valuable incentives, actively attracting potential customers to interact and build relationships, from strangers to friends and then to buyers, permission marketing can effectively reduce meaningless losses and quickly narrow the distance between each other."

As data privacy and security regulations are introduced, there will be more serious consequences for harassing customers, such as huge fines...

So how do you get the client’s permission?

I think it's nothing more than the usual clichés:

1. The best way is to communicate in a targeted manner according to customer segments

For example, if you already have SCRM and CRM systems, and have marked customer portraits and experience journeys, then don’t be lazy in terms of content, say different things to different people, and ensure restraint and accuracy.

For example, for customers in the power industry who have participated in many marketing activities but have not yet converted transactions, we can send the highlights of past marketing activities and the latest industry customer cases via email or corporate WeChat to customers who have authorized "willing to receive new information."

After the system shows that it has been viewed or opened, try to ask if further communication is possible.

Second, attract customers to come to you

Some people say that To C plants grass, and To B plants trees. No matter what you plant, you must first sow the seeds. Try to make the grass and trees look better and more diverse.

For example, interesting videos, pictures and texts are continuously updated on social media, and appropriate search keywords, soft articles, hard advertisements, etc. are placed to attract interested customers.

Customers who have done business with or are in communication with the company will also feel the company's strength when they see this content, making it easier to achieve cooperation or renewal.

3. If all else fails, referrals from familiar customers

If your content capabilities are a little weak and you don't have spare money to invest, but your product is very strong, then mobilize more referrals from past customers and work hard on case studies.

Even if you have to promote it, you can also share your products and solutions honestly in your circle of friends and customer groups...

4. If it doesn’t work, you should also promote it offline and sincerely

Even in the worst case scenario, when there is no group and customers are unwilling to introduce you, you can still go to industry exhibitions. In the rest area, you can actively hand a bottle of water to a stranger and ask if you can let them see the information, which is also a polite permission marketing.

This method is not advanced at all, it is blind and even backward. But it is easier to find customers than bombarding calls.

Finally, I still want you to help persuade those leaders who are obsessed with casting a wide net. Stop making random calls and sending random text messages/WeChat messages. It's really useless.

Marketing interaction also requires "mutual consent". Don't you think this is the truth?

Author: Hanni

Source public account: Time Notebook (ID: 1089517)