Keep in touch with your customers

Keeping in touch with your current and past customers does more than keep you at the front of their minds, it builds trust.  Trust is the cornerstone to any relationship.  Building these relationships doesn't mean you will instantly get more sales, but it does promote loyalty.

I recently talked with a company that has been collecting emails for their newsletter list for over a year.  The signup box says something to the effect of, "Signup for our newsletter to keep up with us and receive special offers."  They've been collecting emails, but they haven't sent a single one.  Most people have probably forgotten that they signed up for anything at all.  But worse, the company didn't keep their promise.  They didn't send any news or special offers.

In trying to encourage them to send out a bulk email, I was met with objections that some people may not like getting the email and would opt-out.  

1. These people asked to receive emails.  It's rude to second guess them.
2. What's better, a growing list of 20,000+ emails, or a list of 1,000 loyal and interested customers?

Not sending emails isn't just a waste of a good list, its a missed opportunity to build a relationship.