How to get an email list and start building now. We tell you why this is the best marketing available and how to get names for free
Why have a customer email list anyway
I had a customer who owned a nice aquarium business. Due to circumstances the business had to close down and she sold what she could on eBay and trashed the rest.
Poor Helen was left owing money and without a way to pay her debts. However, a savior came forward and said he would buy the customer list at a very good price and no questions asked.
I wish the story had a happy ending however she had no customer list at all, nothing. A few hundred names would have paid all her bills, she had nothing to sell after years of hard work.
This simple story has stuck with me ever since reinforcing how important this one asset is.
What will you do with your customer list?
Certainly not hide it in the drawer, we will start to make money from day one if we do things correctly.
Your list may be a simple excel spread sheet or a $500 a month CRM program with many bells and whistles that keep your customers coming back month after month.
What you have on the list will be determined by what you want to do with it.
| Customer name | Both christian name and surname |
| Mr, Ms, Miss, Master | You don't want to get confused |
| Mobile phone number | For your SMS List |
| Email Address | To contact with |
| Company Name | A nice to have |
| Industry | Important. A hairdresser is different to a crane hire |
| Address | You may want to snail mail |
| State information | Branches etc |
| Website | Useful but not paramount |
| Date installed | Age will be handy |
It may seem like a lot however you can pick and choose what suits your future marketing. However things change so be ready.
Where will you start getting names
We will do more on this but let's get started with the basics.
If you have any customers ask them for the details.
Sounds easy but it is not always so. A friend of mine has a clothing shop, does retail and online sales and uses a customer management system. Recently she asked one of her staff who the last customer was, a new face so a potential new name. The staff member replied “I don't know because it was a cash sale and I did not record the details” My friend changed the system so even cash sales need to give some details.
Yes she also offers an incentive with her VIP club and sends out information on the latest range.
The most common method is a sign on box within your website. This is where you offer something of value that people want and they will provide you with names and addresses.
You can run a survey a competition, offer an eBook, training or any number of things that people want.
Attend trade shows and offer to send them something of interest for giving you a business card or have your own booth and collect names.
I had a telemarketer call small businesses and simply asking if they had a support message service, if they said no then the marketer would simply say “to save you time why don't I send you details?” They generally jumped at the chance to get rid of the marketer and I had a potential client.
The hourly rate for this was quite low so it was well worthwhile. If money is short you become the marketer.
Joining clubs
There are so many organisations you can try where you can meet people that may want your product. I have used breakfast meetings, local small business groups and many others to get a local client base. I am not a good social mixer but do make myself do this on a regular basis. Surprisingly you would generally pick up a client in each new group because they want to be involved.
I also find staying in the same group for a long period of time becomes more low performing overtime.
A VIP club and more
This is probably the most valuable part of the exercise. I would be sure you have a loyalty card of some kind from one of the major corporations in your area. I would also be sure you hear from that company on most days of the week. They do this because it works.
When I go through the checkout at my local supermarket I am always asked if I am a member. I have stored all my loyalty cards onto a mobile app on my phone so it is easy to produce the right card at the correct time. A few bucks here and there always helps.
The important part is to be seen as offering value and be consistent in your approach.
How to get an email list the easy way
More training on this
This is such an important subject that that everyone must fully understand to be successful.
Clients are your business. Your list has a real value and you build a life time following.
They teach a lot more on this at Wealthy Affiliate with many different ways of approaching client acquisition.
By clicking above you can start the training for free and learn a lot more about the importance of client collection.
The importance of having a no spam policy
Spamming is the act of sending unsolicited material to any person or company. All countries have pretty strict laws on this and in some cases very harsh penalties. For that reason, you should only contact those that you have obtained consent from.
I am not a lawyer so my advise is general and not to be used as an excuse. However, if you have implied consent this is generally good enough to get by.
The major email engines are paranoid about this and generally use a double opt-in method. The carrier will email and ask for consent before adding them to your list. They do this because the regulators' are always watching for irregularities'
Therefore I always recommend recording how you came across a new client.
The art of multi touch marketing
The more often a client sees your brand the greater the chance of them buying from you.
Therefore every name you get is important and entertaining them is essential.
Use as many tools as you can to keep in touch, social media, emails, newsletters, SEO, phone calls, eBooks, helpful hints or what ever suits the occasion.
Blogging will attract followers
The reason we blog is to inform, to educate and gather a following that will buy from us or others on our page. Blogging does take time to build a good portfolio of posts however the results will build overtime and last the distance.
Nothing works without a plan
Leaving your ideas in the air will never see the light of day. Write them down and organise a step by step approach to customer collection.
Set your targets and track your progress making adjustments where you can.
Remember you are building an asset that will pay for itself many times over.
Conclusion
The art of gathering followers can be as easy or as hard as you choose. However it is a job like any other that must be pursued to get results.
However every customer you add to the list represents real value .
Work your plan with consistency and review the results to make changes to suit the service.
If something is not working then double up on another that is giving results. This is not shades of grey, you can count your subscribers so the results are clearly shown.
For any internet journey you will need subscribers so treat this as a priority.
How to get an email list and start building now by Peter Hanley
