Simon Payn's Effective Customer Newsletters

'Bore me and I block you' - how to make your newsletters interesting

About a year ago I got really into Twitter.

Maybe a little too much into it. Huge timesuck.

I'm still on it, but I ration myself. Now I waste time on Facebook.

But I tell yer - it's rough and tough in the Twitterverse!

Some people on there really work it. They post many times a day and, most importantly, they add value when they post. They don't share what they had for lunch, but they post interesting, provocative, useful information. All in 140 characters.

I got twittering (I think that's the right verb) with one of the twitterati (I think that's the right noun) and she came out with this zinger: “Bore me and I block you.”

I felt like I'd been put on notice.

You can imagine the stress.

But she was right.

In today's mega-multi-channel universe, attention is at a premium. People will decide in five seconds if you are worth another 30. It's like a bar in Manhattan.

Bore them and they block you.

The same goes for newsletters, of course. Bore them and they ignore you.

The good news is, most newsletters are boring - and that means you don't have try that hard to be interesting. The bar is pretty low.

So here's 5 ways to avoid being boring:

1)    Don't be that guy at the party who just brags about his latest triumphs. The harsh truth is that nobody cares about you - all they care about is themselves.
2)    Think about what interests your readers and what will make their lives better.
3)    Be yourself, not some dull corporation. People like people, not organizations.
4)    Take a risk. Be brave. Get naked.
5)    Engage in conversation, not a monologue.

Still with me? Good. Glad I haven't bored you yet.

Feel free to share your ideas. If they're interesting, I promise I won't block you :)

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The Vatican's Astronomer

If you read the title of this post, you might have had the same two questions that popped into my head when I first heard about the Vatican's astronomer.

First, I didn't know that the Vatican had an astronomer.

And second: What is the Vatican doing with an astronomer anyway?

Then maybe you had a third question: What is Simon doing writing about the Vatican's astronomer?

CURIOUS, ISN'T IT? At least it was to me.

It turns out that the Vatican has had an observatory since the 1500s - and to this day its astronomers work at a giant telescope in Arizona.

Kind of overturns assumptions that some people have about religion and science, doesn't it?

For 500 years, good scientific work has been undertaken by the Vatican's astronomers, acting as a bridge between the scientific community and the Catholic Church. Right now they're looking into quasars.

That whole Galileo thing, which didn't do a whole lot to promote the church's scientific reputation, was a hiccup in centuries of important work.

They've been trying to walk that one back ever since. God and science aren't in conflict, the Vatican's astronomers say.

SO WHY AM I WRITING ABOUT THIS? And what does it have to do with newsletters?

Because curiosity is a powerful thing.

And if you can build that into your newsletters, you'll be more interesting - and you'll get more readers.

SO HOW do you add a dash of the curious?

You'll need to do some detective work - and also create some unexpected connections.

It involves looking at your business through a different eye to find the curious and the unique.

And then it involves pulling out that which is curious and unique and weaving it into a convincing tale that will inform and entertain your readers.

I think it's something worth spending time on.

PS. You can find out more about the Vatican Observatory at http://vaticanobservatory.org and http://www.walrusmagazine.com/articles/2009.10-profile-the-glad-scientist/

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Five Days to Success with Newsletters: http://getreadynewsletters.com

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Arrogant newspapers, upstarts in t-shirts, and the practice of resilience

If I owned stock in one of GPS companies - like Garmin or Magellan - I'd be crying into my cup holders right now.

Why? Because Google has moved into the neighborhood with a better, cooler sat nav system for cell phones.

Oh, and it's free.

Notice how this kind of thing seems to happen a lot nowadays?

You've been happily owning an industry for decades and then some t-shirt wearing upstart from a garage in Silicon Valley comes along and smashes your market.

The owners of The New York Times know what I mean.

It's one of the reasons why I left the inky world of newspapers to learn all about online marketing and to set up my own business.

From the inside, even several years ago, it was clear that newspapers would be in trouble.  And so in particular was my job.

I was like a monk with a manuscript.

I'd sit there and spend what seemed like hours tweaking a story to get it to fit just right in the inches of space allocated to it in the newspaper. Sometimes I'd have to switch a six-letter word for a five-letter word to make a story squeeze in.

It was painful. And with the internet, it was unnecessary.

And this, of course, was with news that happened during the day... but wouldn't be read until the day after.

My skills - I could foresee - were becoming redundant. And soon I would too.

(Indeed, just a couple of months ago the last newspaper I worked on in the UK was cut from daily to weekly, a move that left behind a bloody sea of laid-off editors.)

And if you think you're immune, you'd better think again. Healthcare, education, banking, insurance, real estate. They're all on the block.

Now, I don't mean to scare you. (If you read Wednesday's email you know that's not my style.)

I'm just being realistic.

So rapid is the world as we know it disappearing (think 9-11, the economic slump) that anyone with hopes for the future is doing all they can to get future-proofed.

So how am I getting future-proofed? By building resilience into my business - and into my character.

And so should you.

First, get used to the fact that change is the new norm. And in this environment, the worst thing you can do is be shocked by change...and yet still do nothing.

You'll end up like a rabbit frozen by the glimpse of a fox. And that doesn't end well.

The newspapers - I could see - were so used to having things their own way that they were deliberately and arrogantly dumb to what was happening. So they did nothing - and the world moved on.

So being resilient means expecting change and being ready to bend with that change.

So how do newsletters fit in with all this?

Two ways.

First, they open up communication.

It's awfully quiet if you live in a bubble. And then one day the oxygen runs out.

If you use a newsletter, you will get feedback from your clients. You find out what they need, what they want, and what they are thinking.

It's like getting live intelligence from the market.

The key, of course, is to act on that intelligence.

Second, you're building your personal brand - you are nurturing a relationship with your clients and prospects.

And when the world changes, that relationship is still there - because a relationship is 100x more powerful than just a transaction.

Your newsletter is like an insurance policy against rapid change.

[Picture credit.]

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PS. Get your insurance policy against change today: http://www.getreadynewsletters.com

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Worst Parking Job and a 'Random Act of Kindness'

At risk of sounding like one of those annoying people who bombard you with links to funny and cute stuff they've found around the Internet that you've "just gotta see..."

.... Well, you've just gotta see the video at the bottom of this post.

But don't go there yet.

Here's the story.

A security video posted on YouTube that shows a driver's reckless (and I mean really reckless) parking lot activities became a viral sensation.

The story would have just been another five-minute office chuckle, until a Friday, when it was revealed that Hyundai, the company that made the car that the reckless driver trashed, had given that victim a new car.

So what happens.... It's on the front page of the Toronto Star website.

Which gives us all another chance to see the video.

Which extends the story and makes it truly mainstream.

And which provides a truly positive mention of Hyundai Canada.

This quote form the story made me chuckle: "We wanted to help the guy," said Hyundai Canada representative Barb Pitblado. "This was our random act of kindness."

Yeah, right.

It was a very smart marketing move. For the cost of a new car they've got hundreds and thousands worth of media coverage and millions more in fuzzy goodwill.

So my question: how you make a "random act of kindness" and win points for your business?

OK, OK, here's the video.

The Day of the Dead

The cemeteries of Spain will be busy today.

I've always found Iberian graveyards curious places.

I never visited one when I was living there, but I saw many from the outside.

You see, in Spanish cemeteries, many graves are set in high walls. The dead are stacked on top of each other, with stones marking their positions.

Reminds me of giant filing cabinets that will never be opened.

Today, November 1, those cemeteries will be busy. Because today is Todos Santos - All Saints' Day - when traditionally Spanish families visit the graves of their dead and leave offerings of flowers. It's a tradition common in many Catholic countries.

While deceased relatives are no longer living, they are with us in some way. A simple annual ritual helps us connect with them - if not physically then at least in our thoughts and our memories.

I often call - perhaps rather crudely - lists of prospects and clients you haven't contacted for a while "dead".

Without out a regular ritual of remembrance, they may as well be. They're gone and forgotten.

And unfortunately, they've probably forgotten you too. Or at least you're not at the top of their minds.

But that doesn't mean that connection has to be broken forever. It can be repaired.

New members of my newsletters service often ask me what to do about old lists of prospects they haven't contacted for a while. Can they contact them again?

I tell them yes, but they have to be careful - and they shouldn't expect miraculous results.

A message of atonement is required.

I suggest they send a friendly email, apologizing for their lack of contact but promising to do better in future.

They then should offer a new way to subscribe to their regular newsletter.

To encourage these past clients to continue to agree messages, I advise they describe how useful and entertaining their future emails will be...and perhaps offer a something extra - a downloadable bonus - in return for agreeing to receive further emails.

It's a difficult maneuver to make, but there's nothing to be lost by doing it.

And once that connection is made again, a ritual of regular contact will help ensure it never dies.

[Picture by Cayetano]

30 Days in November, 30 Interesting Messages

Want to take part in an interesting experiment?

Want to see me potentially humiliate myself in front of thousands?

I've been challenged by copywriter John Francher to hone my email writing skills.

He has pledged to create one auto-responder message each day.

What is an autoresponder? It's computer software that automatically sends emails to your prospects and clients. You pre-load the content, which could be months' worth of newsletters and email messages, and the system does the rest. If you want to try one, go to my website and complete the box there.)

Why is this challenge worthwhile? Auto-responder email sequences are a great way to build relationships  with prospects and customers without you having to do a lot of manual work - and the best way to get good at writing them is to practice.

So...to get my own practice (to get ready for a new product I'm launching early next year) I too am pledging to write one interesting email message a day for 30 days in November.

What will I write about? Well, it will be roughly related to the content of this blog. But we'll see...

Will I succeed?

Will I have anything interesting to write about?

Will I be able to add value to the lives of people who read them?

It's up to you to decide.

Just complete the form below and you'll get signed up to receive them. You can of course unsubscribe the moment you get bored or the moment I annoy you too much (although I hope that doesn't happen.)

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So what's that new project you're talking about?

Well, it's related to my 30 days of emails. I'm not ready to give you details yet, but I can tell you that anyone who signs up will be eligible for a discount or some other kind of bonus.

[Picture by Lincolnian]

Why I’m Not Making 'Newsletters' Anymore

Listen up. I’m not making "newsletters" anymore.

Let me tell you why.

I guess I was bored. And I was boring.

I was embarrassed when people asked me what I did for a living. “I make newsletters for real estate agents and other people,” I would tell the ground.

Then silence.

Well, there isn’t anything else to say, is there? Except maybe a sigh of disappointment. This guy used to work on big-name newspapers. Why the heck is he wasting himself on newsletters?

Was he fired or something?

I was beginning to feel the same. Newsletters. What a snore!

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Then one day I read some blog or something – can’t remember where. And it talked about looking at your business a whole new way.

More metaphysical, lawofattraction, naïve claptrap, I thought. Sheesh!

But I read it anyway, and this is what it said – more or less.

We’re all here to make some kind of contribution to the world. And if you’re running a business, that includes you, mister.

You’re not here just to sell a bunch of stuff (so you can buy a bunch more stuff).

You’re here to make a contribution. To help people.

So when I’d done reading. I took a shower…and started pondering.

Yes. I can do that too.

I can make people’s lives better.

I can be on a mission too.

And this is what I came up with:

I will make thousands of business owners’ lives better by giving them the tools to create real relationships with their clients, to bring in more money…and therefore to make their businesses more successful.

Because when their business is more successful, they will be happier, their families and friends will be happier – and the world will be a better place.

So my mission became: A Newsletter for Every Business (Even Funeral Homes).

And tell you what? Without a doubt, from that day onward, I felt good about my business again.

I wasn’t just making newsletters; I was making a valuable contribution.

And here’s where it gets strange. When I started to think like that, my business started to grow rapidly.

My enthusiasm and my desire to help must have rubbed off on the people I emailed and spoke with. I didn’t try to sell…I just tried to help. And so I made more money.

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So how does that relate to you?

Easy really.

Whatever business you are in, you can discover what kind of contribution you can make.

If you are in real estate, you are helping people find environments that will allow them and their families to thrive.

If you are in insurance, you are protecting people from disaster, making them happier because they have the peace of mind that insurance coverage provides.

If you are in the mortgage business, you are making it possible for people to achieve their dreams and put a roof over their heads.

If you are a financial planner, you are taking the fear out of old age poverty by ensuring that people have adequate savings and investments.

If you are an accountant, you are helping people live more fruitful lives because you are saving them money that they can spend on things that really mean something.

And so it goes on.

And with your newsletter, you are sharing that contribution by showing how you can make people’s lives letter, proving that you are there for them and building a real relationship based on service, not on sales.

Your newsletter becomes part of your contribution. It's content is something you really want to share...because it makes you feel good.

When you think of it that way, every act of marketing, every transaction is a way to make the world better.

And when you’re making the world better, you’re making yourself feel better too.

And the money comes.


[Picture by acbo]

How Repeat Customers Add Thousands in Income

Here is a chart that every business owner should print out and paste above their desk.

What does this chart show?

The bottom line shows the cumulative income of a business that has zero repeat customers.

The higher line shows the cumulative income of a business that has 20% of its customers returning.

Interesting, isn't it? That top line continues going up and up - like compound interest in a bank account.

Yet here's the funny thing: most businesses do NOTHING to encourage customers to come back. Instead, they're continually going after new customers.

That's why most businesses have incomes that look like the lower line in this chart.

At the least this strategy is shortsighted; at worst it's negligent. What would the investors, partners and spouses of these business owners say if they knew so much money was being left on the table?

What's even more crazy is previous customers are the easiest to sell to. After all, they already know and trust you.

When you look at this chart, there's only one conclusion: can you afford NOT to at least spend a few bucks a month sending a newsletter?

Just sayin'.

Give Before You Take: the Art of Nurturing Leads

So much of business is common sense, it pains me to write about it.

Yet so much that business owners do goes against simple common sense that...well... I guess I just have to point out the obvious.

Here's today's topic: give before you take.

Imagine you meet someone for the first time and they say, "can you lend me a hundred bucks?" or "can you write me a character reference?"

You'd think they were crazy, right? And, frankly, you'd think they were...to say the least... lacking social skills. Lacking finesse.

After all, these kind of favors should only be asked once the two of you have some kind of relationship.

Psychologists have a concept known as the emotional bank account. The idea is to make  deposits into this bank account before you start to make withdrawals.

That means people give first...before they start to take. (After all, we all know where getting into debt leads us...)

So why do so many business owners think they can take BEFORE they give?

Why is the first communication they have with prospects a solicitation asking for business?

Why do so many real estate agents ask for work (that could be maybe $10,000 in commission) without first providing some kind of value to their prospects?

Why do so many insurance brokers expect you are going to trust them to find you good insurance at a reasonable price without first demonstrating that they are willing to do something for you?

The Art of Nurturing Leads

Relationships with prospects need to be cultivated carefully. The emotional bank account needs to be full before you start making withdrawals.

That means you need to offer value before you start selling.

• When, for example, you send a newsletter, make most of it valuable content.
• Provide value in your communications before you start selling.
• When you ask people to sign up for your newsletter, show that you will give them something of value.

Give before you take. 

[Picture by John Nettleship]

How to Use a Newsletter to Position a Neighborhood Bar as a Community Hub

I was was chatting on Twitter this week about what you would put in neighborhood bar's newsletter.

I said (in 140 characters or less, of course) that it's about positioning the bar as a community hub.

After all, that's the role of many neighborhood bars. They're the place where everyone knows your name.

So that's the role the bar would need to take in its newsletter.

With that in mind, here's some ideas for content:

• Listings of community events
• Stories from the customers
• Stories from the staff
• Local news (because there's unlikely to be a newspaper that local)
• Good news about neighbors doing interesting things
• Sports reports and results
• Listings of local community groups
• Coupons for money off at the bar and at local businesses
• Profiles of local businesses
• Campaigns for local issues
• Profiles of interesting neighbors

What better way to solidify the bar's role as a neighborhood hub than becoming - in many ways - the local community newspaper?

Photo credit