* A clothing store sends a letter to each person in its name bank as soon as the new season's line arrives; it invites people to come in and try on any new outfits that catch their eye.

* A nursery communicates with its customers by letter or by card whenever it's a good time to plant new trees and shrubs.

* An art gallery writes to its patrons to tell them of new acquisitions, and to alert them to upcoming art exhibitions.

If you haven't yet begun capturing your customers and prospects by name, address, phone number and by designation of their buying interests, please do it now! Once you have a customer list, you can start working it regularly. You can make monthly mailing and/or phone contacts to announce new products, services, pricing and sales.

If you have a good mailing list, mail it often. It doesn't take any great writing ability to make a great offer. All it takes is a simple understanding of what people want. They want a promise of a desired
result or benefit to them. That could be an advantage, protection, saving, enjoyment or even prestige. They want to be and feel special, more important, or favored. You accomplish that for them when you address them in letter form, as well as in person, in a special, respectfully distinctive way. For instance, "Dear Preferred Customer," or "Valued Friend."

Also, it is very affective to alert them in advance to a buying opportunity, or to give them expanded understanding, or information that they didn't previously possess. And when you communicate with your customers, clients or patients, make certain that the information you share helps improve or protect their situation, not yours.

If an offer has value, people will appreciate hearing from you. So if you take the time to put enormous value into each communication you have with your customers or clients, you can't communicate too often.

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