Tis the season to write loads of holiday cards to family, friends and clients, but do you ever wonder why we’re all still sending messages in such an old-fashioned way? If snail mail is as outdated as everyone says it is, why don’t we just write up emails? Even more interesting from a sales perspective: why is getting a card in the mail so much more exciting?
For anyone working in sales, the answer is essential. A card sent by mail feels authentic. Sure it’s outdated, but for that very reason it’s also unexpected. Alternatively, it’s become the most mundane thing in the world to check our email. And no email, however sincere it sounds, can match the power of a handwritten letter.
Would you believe me if I said that a phone call in today’s internet-driven world bears a striking resemblance to a card? Phone conversations often lead to upselling opportunities and increase client engagement, yet almost none of your competitors take the time to do it. They’re fully given over to online sales. They’ve forgotten how much of an impact something as simple as a phone call can be.
I send email blasts out all the time to find reps or reach stores I want to sell.  However, I find that phone calls in addition to the emails increase my results dramatically.  So by marrying off line and on line efforts create a strong synergy.  I have a client that had better results in a spending a morning reaching out to people then in weeks of emails.
Clearly online marketing is exploding. You can’t run a sales campaign without social media, email and online advertising anymore. But one of the most common mistakes I see my accounts make is to ignore older forms of communication and throw 100% of their sales pitch online. They’re forgetting that sincerity doesn’t often translate as well online as it does offline.