For those of you have subscribed to my newsletter and have started the free course, you know that I started with the concept of avoiding cold calls by building relationships instead. I wont go into that long article here, but do have a few comments and would love to hear from you.
Given how much we all hate cold calling or dialing for dollars, why aren’t we spending even a fraction of that time getting much more creative in how we bond? It amazes me how far behind the times so many industries are- The staffing & recruiting industry is just one example. I would love to hear some feedback on some of you regarding how you have stayed ahead of the curve. Additionally, I would love some feedback as to why our industry, in particular, is so behind the times! Has my first newsletter given anyone any ideas of how they can use the web to better build a bond with candidates and clients? Please post any feedback or comments or tips!
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6 comments
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April 24, 2009 at 4:18 PM
enerhax
well i am a tiny biz in second life, but is use second life to hire my peeps. added 2 to our staff last week (total staff: 9). works out very well, peeps cant BS about their skillz (just right click on what they say they made and voila). my peeps need to have scripting skillz too and the same is true about seeing if they can do it
Kelly services used SL to do recruiting and so does IBM and Cisco. its a diff dynamic with little avatars talking to you, but def ahead of the curve
i like the handwritten card and it makes me think of that strategy of sending an empty Veuve Clicquot box via FedEx to prospective clients via FedEx and saying if they meet with ya you’ll give them the bottle
before you think $65 is excessive for this, consider the value of that client if they go with you. i value my clients a lot, and it’s not lip service. just saying it is, but action on it like this is the real deal
April 22, 2009 at 10:03 PM
Darlene Lamoureux
Hi Michelle,
Your product is certainly a high-tech wonder, and it probably will get a recruiter noticed, especially after several “touches.” I would like to offer my own thoughts on this kind of selling strategy, though, and I hope this comment doesn’t come across as argumentative or rude because it definitely is not given in that spirit. But maybe my thoughts as a recipient of what you have described can offer another perspective that might help salespeople in some way…. True, we are living in a professional world of social networks, and connecting with a wide variety of people tends to deliver promising results in the recruiting industry. However, as I’m sure everyone will acknowledge, the larger a network, the less personalized outreach can be. Automation appears the only way to go. Still, whether the recipients of our emails, notes, calls, and hand-written cards are GenY or Old Classics, I think everyone appreciates sincerity. As for myself, whenever I get a handwritten card in blue ink (for example) from a car salesman or whomever…I often toss it without even reading it, and when I do read it, my eye scans the entire thing for clues about its genuineness (or lack of). There are usually a few, and I do not appreciate the effort of sending me the “personal” message when it seems automated. I may appreciate the…birthday wish, but honestly would think more of the salesman if the card was obviously rote and not disguised as personal.
Warm regards,
Darlene Lamoureux
April 17, 2009 at 2:04 PM
michelle Robey
One of the simplest ways to build and maintain relationships is a very old fashioned concept – the handwritten greeting card….Think about it, when trying to market to a new client – how can you really distinguish yourself with an email or a voicemail? Clients are being bombarded with dozens of them everyday….But imagine that they receive a campaign of personalized, handwritten cards from you with your picture in it – in the mail…. Do you think you would stand out?
And we all know that it is much easier to maintain relationships with your current clients than to get new ones….but what happens when your client has a hiring freeze and there’s no activity for months at a time…how are you maintaining that relationship so that you are guaranteed the first call when there is a need? At times like this, we spend most of our time chasing leads and working “closest to the dollar” – but that is a very short –term view with no guaranteed results!
We need to make sure that we are continuing to build relationships throughout the year – regardless of the market…..that’s how we distinguish ourselves….and that’s how we get more referral than we can handle.
But how do we do it? Sales trainers from Jeffrey Gittomer to Zig Ziegler to Neil Lebovits have all spoken about how the important the handwritten card is – and Joe Girard, the greatest salesman of all time (as listed in the Guinness Book of world records for 12 straight years) attributes his success to the fact that he sent each and every customer a greeting card every single month. He sent so many cards that he had to hire two full-time assistants to address, handwrite and stamp them all!
…and that’s the problem isn’t it? Who has the time or the money or the organizational skills to send all those cards?
What if I told you I found a system that does it all for you! What if I told you there is an AMAZING on-line card catalog and contact management systems that allows you to send a beautiful, professionally printed greeting card with your personalized message in your own handwriting, with your own signature – in less than 60 seconds – directly from your computer!
…and what if this system allowed you to create your own custom cards, create campaigns to send out cards in intervals, remind you of important dates (never forget a birthday again!) and even send gifts and gift cards with your cards…..without ever leaving your desk???
Well, I’ve found it – and it’s as easy as 1 – 2 – 3
1. Choose your card from the over 13,000 in the card
catalog in dozens of categories (or create your own)
2. Write your message – (you can upload your own
handwriting and up to 8 different signatures), and add a photo, a logo or both!
2a.Add a gift (or not!) (if you think it’s fun to receive a card in the mail – imagine getting a box of delicious brownies or cookies to go with it!!)
3. Click send
That’s it!!
The company then prints it, stuffs it and mails it (with
a first class stamp!), all for less than a greeting
card at the store! (Average cost of a card is $1.04
INCLUDING postage!)
I have found this system to be the perfect marriage
of hi tech meets hi touch!!
Check it out here http://www.robeycards.com and click on
“Send a Free Card” to see how it works!
I’ve seen amazing results by following up with clients, candidates – and references! Send a client a card on their birthday, congratulate them on the birth of a child (or grandchild), send a Happy St. Patty’s Day card, congratulate a candidate on a their new job (whether you placed them or not!!!), thank a reference for taking the time, ask for referrals….the possibilities to connect and expand your network are endless…and it couldn’t be easier!!
Let me know how you like it!!
Michelle Robey
Solomon Page Group, LLC
July 20, 2010 at 2:07 PM
David
Website suspended. When it sounds too good to be true? And related website on LinkedIn does not work either???? Please Advise.
August 6, 2010 at 10:36 AM
Michelle
Hi Darlene,
I certainly appreciate your comments, and I would agree that there is nothing better than a sincere, handwritten card without any hidden agenda. The truth of the matter, however, is that most people just don’t do it. Even the best intentioned will buy the cards, have the reminders in their calendars, but at the end of the day, the cards do not get out. The important thing to understand about sendoutcards is that it was not designed to be a mass marketing tool – it was designed to make it easier to “act on your promptings” – when you think about someone and want to send a card, now you can do it in a matter of minutes without ever leaving your desk. These cards are meant to be personalized – so anything you would write in a store bought card, you can “write” in these cards – and you can write them in blue ink (or any color you like) , in your own handwriting! The sincerity and personalization is all you – it’s how YOU decide to use the service. If you want to use it as a mass marketing tool to send out a standard holiday card to all of your contacts, you can…if you want to set up a personalized birthday card to go out automatically on your client’s birthdays, you can….if you want to send a personalized card and a gift to every candidate you place, you can…if you want to send a “one off” thank you card, sympathy card, congratulations card, etc….you can!!!! The personalization comes from YOU – the service just gives you a convenient way to actually get the card from the “idea in your head” to the mailbox!! I hope you’ll check it out and then perhaps add another comment after you’ve done so!
Feel free to contact me directly – you can find my contact info, and the link for the service at http://www.sendoutcards.com/robey
Thanks!
Michelle
April 13, 2009 at 11:38 AM
Katherine Cicciarella
Excellent as usual Neil………
Love your Material will keep reading.
thanks,
Katherine Cicciarella