It is the one time of year when we all feel the need to stay connected to our family friends and associates by sending out a holiday greeting card. Not only does it feel good to send out these cards but it also feels great when our mailbox is filled with people wishing us well.

For your business, don't wait for a special occasion, stay connected with prospects and customers will keep you top of mind so that when they are ready to do business, they remember that you are there to help. Everyone wants to buy, but no one wants to be sold. While networking is important, so is building relationships. You are much more likely to do business with someone you know and built a relationship with rather than a cold prospect.

More than ever, with today's easy and fast access to information, products and services it's so important to have a system in place to foster relationships with the people in your network. Imagine what would happen to your business if you focused on staying connected to everyone you meet! When it comes time for those people to buy what you sell, who do you think these people will think of first?

Keeping in touch helps you achieve top of mind awareness and establish better relationships with the people in your network, ultimately you will sell more!

1) Follow Up - Follow up promptly after meetings. Let people know that it was nice to meet them and that you enjoyed learning about their business. Thank them for their time.

2) Stay in touch with notes and cards to prospects at regular intervals - frequently - at least 4-6 times a year.

3) Send unexpected cards. There's a lot of power in sending a card to someone just to let them know you were thinking about them.

4) The Attitude of Gratitude. Thank customers when they buy from you. Thank those who give you referrals. Thank people who give generously of their time and effort. Say thanks when people give you their time for an appointment. Thank the media when they do a story on you. And say thank you when someone gives you really exceptional service.

5) Re-ignite relationships. If you haven't heard from a customer in a while, let them know that you miss them and wanted to see how they are doing and if you can help.

6) Celebrate their lives. Whether it's a birthday, anniversary, promotion, new baby, new home, or getting married, send notes to recognize the important milestones in your customer's lives.

7) Show appreciation. Let your customers know you appreciate their business and that you are grateful they chose you.

8) Give value. Send your customers helpful tips and reminders of things like when the clocks change, new tools they will find helpful, recommendations for vendors whose services they might need, and articles and clippings they might find interesting.

9) Make them feel important. Recognize and reflect back the genuine qualities you admire about a person. Complement them on their abilities and skills.

10) Choose a Top 100 List. It's the 80/20 rule. Choose your best customers and most influential people in your network and get them a special dose of attention. The easiest way to grow your business is thru repeat business and referrals.

By targeting the most influential people in your network and your top customers, you can get the most results out of your efforts. Tell them, "I sincerely thank you for our relationship and would like to work with other people just like you. Please don't hesitate to refer friends, family and colleagues. I appreciate your referrals!"
Gail Watson has an extensive background in the Corporate North American business community as a highly successful entrepreneur. Gail's success is directly attributed to her skill and ability to create a buzz around a product or service and to develop and implement successful brand strategies that achieving multi million dollar sales within a short period of time. Her creative genius, her intuitive understanding of the psychology of sales and her sales & marketing management skills make her sought after in email marketing.
http://www.extracontact.com

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