Remember Your Manners-Say Thank You!

9/8/2014

So, you’ve planned the event to a T. You’ve promoted your event through social media, radio, newspapers, and through word of mouth. All of your hard work has paid off and you’ve made one heck of a fantastic event. It’s over, right? Wrong! You’ve still got one more thing to do before you can call your event a wrap. You must remember to follow up with your audience.

Following up with your consumers is extremely important when it comes to keeping up with your clientele. After the rush of the event is over, it’s easy to forget about this crucial step in retaining those on your contact list. “We may have every intention of calling our prospect but we get caught up in our business,” states Kelly Robertson for About Money. “…This is a common dilemma but one that can be avoided by considering the follow-up like a scheduled appointment.”

Also, don’t feel shy when it comes to thanking your clients for attending your event and supporting your cause or business. You’re probably already worried about the amount of times you’ve called or emailed your clients already, but even if you’ve called or emailed them many times before the event occurred, one simple email of thanks will endear you to your clients.

“Following up consistently is one of the most productive marketing activities there is, but it won’t work if you don’t do it,” states C.J. Hayden, MCC, CPCC and author of Get Clients Now!, Get Hired Now!, The One-Person Marketing Plan Workbook, and 50 Ways Coaches Can Change the World. She writes that putting off thanking your clients due to shyness or fear that they won’t answer your calls will be a detriment to your business in the long run.

Hayden offers many different ways to follow up with your clients. Providing a personal note, sending a birthday or Thank You card, offering your services during a coffee or lunch meeting, linking them an article you’ve written, and asking them questions related to your event are just some of the ways you can effectively engage your clients.

Employing community-building techniques such as following up after a big event will keep your client base ready to support you and your next endeavor.  For instance, Maureen Hogan from Dillards-Southgate Plaza in Sarasota, Florida, called on the store’s loyal client base to spread the word about the store’s Diva Day. And Jeff Friedlander, who held a biblical workshop, “Essential Oils and the Bible”, not only promoted his workshop through his network, but gave free copies of his booklet, 120 Uses for Biblical and Essential Oils to attendees to keep them engaged and has translated many of his clients into members of his Young Living Essential Oils distributors team. This list of participants-turned-influencers will help spread Friedlander’s message even further.