Have you ever watched in fascination as a dog buried a bone or toy in the yard, or even under a blanket, as a way to save and protect it? This instinctive behavior, retained innately, would have been used by wild dogs to preserve extra food. Modern, well-fed dogs seldom experience the extreme hunger that encourages them to find it again. So, most often, these buried treasures are left forgotten.

The same is true in the business of sales, where the buried treasure is a valuable referral. Ask any successful salesperson where their best new customers come from and you’ll hear the same thing: word-of-mouth. True customer loyalty is perhaps the greatest asset you can develop, because loyal customers provide repeat business and—equally important—referrals of new customers. It’s the least expensive source of the best customers you can ask for.

So how do you make your mark on the world—and not just in your own backyard? While your dog may fetch newspapers, a great newsletter can fetch more sales and increased profits. And a newsletter that is done right can do the trick of encouraging repeat business. (Think of that old familiar stimulus-response behavior.)

It’s mind-boggling, but true: last year the Standard Periodical Directory count of online and print newsletters in the United States was 12,280. If you laid a single page from each of them from end to end the distance would cover more than two and a half miles of paper trail—a statistic that could either increase your bank account and profit margin or provide paper for potty training a whole lot of puppies!

Depending on their content, newsletters can become either cash or trash. The bad news is that most newsletters never get read because they are deadly boring and self-congratulatory. An adage in public relations says that the only person who wants to hear how great you are is your mother.

If the thought of parking yourself in front of your computer trying to put together the right combination of articles every month after month makes you cringe, there is an alternative. You don’t have to start from scratch and work like a dog creating an exceptional newsletter; we can do the work for you. Hot dog!

STAY (in touch) and FETCH (more business) are newsletters with great bones. How can they help you dig up more business?

The answers are in the acronym BONES...

Be consistent and approachable, not stuffy or bland.
Occupy a welcome spot in the home of your clients.
Never bore the reader, let your newsletter speak well of you.
Engage, entertain and educate your readers, in that order.
Save you time and money, and sell YOU each issue.

At WORKING LIKE A DOG, we know the tricks of hitting pay dirt with newsletters. Give us a call at 864-878-8580 and we’ll fill you in!