Consulting Newsletters

Write a short blurb, hit send and get a client. Sounds like marketing hype, right? It’s not. Here’s why:

Some of my best clients came from a newsletter I used to send out. One case in particular demonstrates the power a consultant can wield with a newsletter.

A true story
I met this business owner, let’s call him Wesley, at a cafe.

Just one meeting, hearing about his business and telling him a little of what I did. Then, I didn’t speak with him for years.

In fact, I was in Japan consulting for Panasonic, Sumitomo, The Financial Times and others. After nearly 5 years in Japan I returned home. The day I set up my new office I sent out a quick newsletter to clients and business friends letting them know what I was up to.

A couple of hours later I got an email in my inbox from Wesley. He wanted to meet and was looking for marketing help. We met the next day and started working together the very next week. This lead to many thousands of dollars in projects.

There’s more to this story than you might first think
This wasn’t the only time I had been in contact with Wesley. No, I had sent him a holiday card, a happy new year card, and short updates from time to time – but all through online newsletters.

Far too many consultants meet clients and business owners, they may or may not work together but often they don’t keep in touch. That’s a real shame. Because if you’re guilty of this you’re flushing potential business down the toilet. Really.

Sending out a simple message or update from time to time does wonders to keep the relationship going. Sure, it’s not as good as picking up the phone or meeting in a cafe to catch up – but it is an extremely powerful way to keep top of mind awareness.

He wasn’t ready right away, but…
Just like in Wesley’s case. Maybe he didn’t need my services when we first met. Or maybe he did but wasn’t quite ready to pay what I charge. Regardless, I kept in touch with him and when he was ready I was top of mind on his list.

In my next article I’ll explain how consultants can set up an use email newsletters effectively. In the meantime, if you can’t wait and want to get going right away, I’d recommend Aweber or iContact.