The holidays are approaching with the accompanying greeting venues, both snail mail and email. Do you think the holidays is the best time to make contact with a former client?
If you’ve not had contact with them over the past few months, is there a chance that your communication will be lost in the rush of many others?
How close to the actual busy holiday time is the risk highest for your communication becoming lost? Actually, I think your happy former clients will be glad to hear from you. The greeting should be soft; not a big hit for using your services. This is a respectful reminder that you are still around and available. The soft approach can be a useful marketing tool. Suddenly that client remembers how much value you brought to their business. If they don’t have more work for you now, maybe they know someone else who could benefit from your services.
The client may be ‘former’ because their work load has not required you. But you are still a recognized valuable colleague. The holidays are a perfect time to make contact without making the heavy marketing push. No matter how much complaining you hear about the load of holiday cards or newsletters, people do like to have the attention, especially at the stressful time of the holidays.
The winter holidays are during the low-light time of the year. They come at the end of the business year for many. There is extra expense just operating households and offices in cold weather. There is a great deal of commercial pressure for over the top gift giving. The season is complicated by flu, colds, pneumonia and chapping/chaffing to name just a few burdens. This list is only a few of the stressers that work on people during the holidays: light deprivation, facing the truth about the business for the year, getting all the paperwork under control to close out the year, higher utility bills, gifts, illness.
Again, I maintain the complaining is simply more noise. People really do need some attention during the holidays and your friendly contact with former clients can make the difference in how you are regarded and where you are on the list when they do need outsourcing services like yours. Contact for present clients with gift ideas or contact processes to use is often discussed among virtual assistants at VAnetworking.com. You can learn a lot about working with clients; best practices, experiences of others and more as a member of the free network for people who are working virtually. Check it out today.
At Particularly Virtual or on @ Bar JD Virtual Professionals, VAnetworking.com is an acknowledged valuable network that offers information, inspiration and encouragement for virtual professional members.
