Cue the Music: You Must Remember This

How to Help Your Customers to Remember You

He always remembers his events, his meetings, and his appointments. But does he always remember mine??

I'm talking about my wonderful, amazing husband Tom. Recently, I planned to substitute at a 7 AM Business Networking International (BNI) meeting. Since I am the one in our family who is responsible for the shuttle to camp, if I need to make an early morning meeting, I've got to clear it with Tom (my not-so-silent business partner). And, just like most business partners, he's great at stepping up to the plate.*

What I've come to realize is that even though he's my partner, it's my meeting, my appointment, and my event. And it's ultimately it's my responsibility to make sure that everything is in place to allow me to attend. If I don't get all the ducks in a row, feathers may fly (and they could be mine). So instead of being grounded due to loss of wing feathers, here's the process I prefer to use:

• I introduce the date and event. I make sure the calendar is clear (via email or in person).
• If the calendar is clear, then all systems are go for the next steps.
• Ask for buy-in, "What do you think about doing this honey?"
• And so begin the fine touches. 
  • I add the event to the house calendar and use a logo or an icon for easy look
  • I email it so it's easy to add to the online calendar.
  • One week beforehand, I check to be sure it's still feasible. Sometimes it's as simple as something like, "I'm preparing my mini-commercial for next Friday morning's BNI meeting. What do you think about this."
  • The day before, I confirm his support.
  • The night before, I take care of preparations for the morning camp shuttle.
  • The morning of, I sail to my BNI meeting, deliver a memorable commercial, and start my day with a bang.

My husband is very well intentioned. In fact, he's amazing. But what I have come to realize is that sometimes my stuff is BIG to me. That's big with a capital B-I-G. However, to him it's only big to him, with a little b-i-g. And that's if I let him know it's important to me. I have to be careful, I can't over inflate it. But if I apply gentle touches and gentle reminders, then it works. I'm not nagging, I'm not pushing. I'm just following up in a way that is respectful and appreciative. Everybody's happy.

The same is true for event announcements in e-newsletters. It usually takes multiple touches to get the message to stick. Some say it takes seven touches, some say it takes more. Whatever the number of touches, here are some rules to apply:

• Respect your audience.
• Don't nag. Don't brag.
• Let them know what's in it for them.
• Use the number of touches that is in sync with the frequency your subscribers have come to expect. Don't suddenly start sending them weekly emails to promote an event when you normally publish quarterly.
• Present the pitch and respect their time at the plate.
• Use a multimedia approach. Woman and men cannot live by email alone.

  
  * The photo above is a "touching" event. We attended a Rotary night at the Lowell Spinners. It was an event he definitely remembered!

If you're advertising an event, say a free Nia class with my friend and colleague Joan Turnberg of Live-Life-Well, I recommend that you

• Send out an e-newsletter to announce it about a month in advance.
• Include details and a description (and registration information if needed) on your website.
• Next send out at least one reminder about two weeks out.
• Sent out a brief reminder in the week of the seminar.
• If you can, and this is a nice touch, send out a "thank you for attending message" and let participants know about future classes.
• Attend! Joan's next class is Saturday, September 8 at 8:00 AM.

So this is my multi-step media approach for getting Tom in motion. The cool thing is that it even works for businesses too. Try it out and let me know how it works for you!