Your call to action this week is to implement at least 1 new marketing idea (or improve upon one that isn’t being done in the most effective way).

1. Join Twitter
   Designers have been slow to join in on this incredibly effective marketing tool. But you don’t want to miss out on this great way to get more hits on the web. Search engines pick up on all your short posts, and you can drive a lot more traffic to your website. Plus it’s a great way to build relationships with your ideal clients.

 

2. Set up or update your email signature
   This very quick update may catch the attention of an ideal client. Many designers tell me that they got a new design job within one week of adding an email signature with a link to their website.

 

3. Start your email newsletter (or send another issue)
   E-mail marketing Is still the king of relationship building
. E-mail is personal. It’s professional. It’s not going anywhere. Get on board now. Send out an email newsletter.

 

4. Create a free tip sheet, or special report, to put on your website
   You need to give your prospects an irresistible sample taste of your incredible talent. And a free report is a great way to build your newsletter subscriber list.

 

5. Have a professional photograph taken
   While you are building your Internet presence, you must make sure that the photo of YOU reflects your branding. Don’t take an old snapshot and crop out the other people (yes, I see this all the time!). As a business owner, you need to have a professional photograph to use in all your marketing material: social network profiles, website, brochures, etc.

 

If you are a professional in the Home Fashion Industry and you are struggling to get new clients, join me for a free EMERGENCY INTERVENTION CALL on March 24: www.nikastewart.com/attract-more-clients-today.htm

 

 

Statistics show that it costs SIX to SEVEN times more to acquire a new customer than to get business from a past one. So why are we spending more time chasing the strangers?

People buy from people who they know, like, and trust. Your past customers already know you, like you, and trust you. So you don’t have to spend time selling yourself. They are already sold on you! You just have to remind them you are around.

Here are my favorite ways to “remind” past clients about me. I always see results:

1. Custom Holiday Gift
   Thanksgiving is coming up, so what a great time of year to thank your clients and remind them about what you offer. Can you send a small token gift that coordinates with the design project you completed? How about a throw pillow made from their fabric scraps, or a small accessory that matches their room? I recently heard an amazing idea for this time of year: a Christmas tree skirt sewn from matching fabric. How excited your client will be to have that match their sofa or window treatments!
2. Call Me!
   I like to make it a point to call one past client each week. I call to say hello, to ask if they’ve seen a new store, to get permission to use them on my referral list… never to sell. But I often hear, “Oh, I’m so glad you called. I’ve been thinking about starting my living room…” And I set up an appointment.
3. Email Newsletter
   This is my favorite way to keep in constant contact with my clients. I get a lot of repeat business and warm referrals because of the loyalty that is built from consistent communication.

Loyal, happy, repeat customers make your business not only successful, but a joy! And what could be better than a joyful business?

To your joyful success!

 

I know marketing. I study what works, and what doesn’t. I teach techniques for getting more calls. And then I watch my clients put these strategies into practice, and I gather their results. Want to know what I hear over and over again? “I get calls for new business every time I … …send out an email newsletter.” I have found this to be the most effective way to increase your design business: sending an email newsletter – an article or simple tip that you send through email to your clients, friends, and prospects on a regular basis. If you can write an email, you have the ability to dramatically increase your success. Writing an email newsletter helps you:

• Achieve expert status
• Increase sales
• Gain new clients
• Improve customer relations
• Get more referrals
• Make More Money!

It’s true. Writing just one simple email, as little as once a month, can do all that for you. But here is the challenge: It has to be done right, or you won’t see these spectacular results. It took me several years – and thousands of dollars – to learn the most effective way to launch a successful email newsletter campaign. And within one year of doing it the right way, my business tripled! Ever since, I have been on a mission to teach designers about this incredible business-boosting strategy. Here are some basic tips to assure that your email newsletter helps boost your business quickly: READ MORE

I’m just getting back to work after an incredible week in Las Vegas. I’ll be sharing a lot about my experience and inspiration from that powerful workshop in future posts, but for now…

Many questions are still coming in about my new Email Newsletters “Done For You” program, so I wanted to answer them for you in this post.

READ MORE

Several years ago, when I launched my email newsletter, I was among a small handful of designers to be using this amazing tool. I had the opportunity, early on, to learn from the experts and experiment to find out exactly what works (and what absolutely doesn’t). Over the years, I have seen the email newsletter craze really take off in our industry, as designers caught on to the incredible value they provide. It has gotten to a point where it is no longer a novelty or an advantage to have a newsletter – it’s become a necessity. READ MORE