One of our most lucrative mini marketing systems in the retail sector (and which can be used in any industry or sector), is the lost customer letter.
The way we found and retained customers who had not done business with us for a while was to search our data base for customers who had not purchased anything from us in 6 months or more, and then mailed them a sequence of letters and postcards.
The secret to the success of our system was that we sent a series of three letters and postcards, and each one had an offer and a deadline date. The deadline date remained the same and we noted the approaching deadline in each letter or postcard.
The other secret was to use an attention grabbing headline and photo with creative ad copy to be sure it had the best chance of being read by the recipient.
Below is a sample lost customer letter that you can use as a model for your first letter. This is not the one we used. It’s very generic and could use a little bit of personality perhaps, and of course a headline and a photo.
But it just may work as is, but you absolutely must use the sequence strategy, especially if you are going to keep it generic like this lost customer letter:
Dear (Name),
(Name of Business) is quickly becoming the #1 choice for discriminating clients who expect – and deserve – the very best in high-quality (name of products and superior services).
We are currently reaching out to customers who have expressed an interest in our business in the past with the hope that you will take advantage of our ‘welcome back’ specials. You will find that our dedication to excellence has not changed and that we have expanded our capacity to include new options in our portfolio of services.
We are here to serve you – and if you are not completely satisfied with the results, we will make adjustments at no extra cost. Our hope is to develop long-lasting, trusting relationships so that you will feel completely confident in our ability satisfy your needs. All of our staff members take pride in their work. They are exceptionally skilled and fully embrace our dedication to customer satisfaction.
Call us today at (phone #) so that we can rekindle your interest in our business. You won’t be disappointed!
Warm regards,
(Name)
Here Is An Example Of A Lost Customer Letter For A Salon or Spa:
Dear (Name),
(Name of Salon) is quickly becoming the #1 choice of salons among discriminating clients who expect – and deserve – the very best in high-quality products and superior services.
We are currently reaching out to customers who have expressed an interest in our services in the past with the hope that you will take advantage of our ‘welcome back’ specials.
You will find that our dedication to excellence has not changed and that as a full-service salon, we have expanded our capacity to offer new services to even more clients.
From advanced haircuts and styling to facials, massages, spray-tanning, lash extensions and mani-pedis, we are here to serve you – and if you are not completely satisfied with the results, we will make adjustments at no extra cost. Our hope is to develop long-lasting, trusting relationships so that you will feel completely confident in our ability to transform your personal ‘vision of beauty’ into a ‘reality.’
All of our staff members take pride in their work. They are eager to learn the newest techniques; are highly skilled; and fully embrace our dedication to customer satisfaction.
Make an appointment today, and enjoy our sparkling clean environment and our free coffee, warm tea or minted water while you wait. We guarantee results; offer loyalty rewards for valued clients, and will even coordinate group events for your office staff, wedding party, or special occasion.
Call (phone #) to schedule an unforgettable experience!
Warm regards,
(Name)