It has been twelve weeks since I joined TSA (Tribe Syndication Association) and I have to say I am blown away by all the attention my blog has been getting since joining this amazing tribe.  Before joining TSA my blog posts averaged one or two retweets, now I am averaging 32 retweets.

My daily traffic has jumped 1,000 percent – yes that is one thousand.  And the most exciting news is my first page Google listing for “Send Out Cards”. There are over 98 million competing pages and I am now showing up on the first page.  If you are questioning the power of tribes, these stats should put any and all doubt to rest.

The large boost my blog is getting didn’t really come free of charge. Don’t think it’s as simple as joining and poof – you will start seeing the results that I am now seeing.  You have to “put out”, if you will – to receive, it’s just that simple. I started out with very low expectations; I simply focused on helping my fellow tribe members.  And to my surprise, my fellow tribe members gave back.  On average I am spending two to three hours each week reading blog posts, watching videos and then syndicating to my network of followers.

The really interesting thing is that I have been learning a ton about marketing my own business all while I have been helping other tribe members syndicate their content, it’s a win win without question. 

I want to thank everyone that has syndicated my content and I must give special thanks to Dave and Dawn Cook, Gavin Mountford, Matthew Neer, and Edward Elliott without slighting any other members these individuals are the driving force that has made TSA the powerhouse tribe it is today.

Tim Somers
Send Out Cards

I have always struggled to keep in touch with clients and follow up with prospects on a regular basis.  My intentions were there, but time was always against me so I hardly ever sent Thank You Cards to my client’s.  About three years ago that all changed, I was introduced to an online Greeting Card Sending Service called Send Out Cards.  With over 15,000 stock cards I was able to send thank you cards and nice to meet you cards, even birthday greeting cards to my clients with a simple click of my mouse.

These were not ecards, or cards I printed myself, but high resolution cards printed on recycled stock, stuffed in an envelope, stamped with a real postage stamp, then mailed via the postal service for under a buck.  Send Out Cards also game me the option to upload my own pictures for a minimal additional charge – making the greeting cards more personalized.

The system also allowed me to set up multiple greeting card and postcard campaigns.  So I could keep in touch with clients and prospects throughout the year with several cards.  I simply set up a campaign and hit send and the cards are sent out on auto pilot for me, based on the distribution times I set up.

As a business owner it is easy to forget about the simple little things that really matter.  Using a Greeting Card Sending Service can make all the difference in keeping old clients and gaining new ones as well.  If you have employees you can also recognize their efforts by sending the occasional card of encouragement and you will never forget an employee’s birthday again with the automated reminder system that Send Out Cards provides.

If you send out cards of appreciation your business will grow, it has been provide over and over again.  Appreciation Marketing using Greeting Cards is a very effective tool for the success of any business.

If you would like to send out a couple of cards on me – contact me here.

To your success!

Tim Somers
Send Out Cards

I am not a fan of cutting grass by any means; in fact you could say I despise the entire two hour process.  However after every weeks two hour life loss, I feel a very brief sense of accomplishment.  After I have cleaned up the mess and put away all the lawn tools, I wipe my sweaty brow with my shirt sleeve and gaze at how amazing the yard looks, like a nice green carpet.  It’s only seconds later that I am over the amazement of my efforts only to hit the shower and never give the well groomed turf another thought…that is until next week…when the process starts all over again…ugh.

This is a picture of my yard back in May (2010).

I must say it looks pretty nice, and it is this time of the year when Mother Nature does most of the watering and nurturing for me.  Sure I installed the sod when we moved in 12 years ago, just like I network and plant seeds with business prospects.  I fertilize the lawn every month like clock work and water her every couple of days, just as I stay in contact and follow up with my customers each and every month…or do I ?

Here in Michigan we have had some great weather over the past few months, it has rained regularly so I didn’t even have to fire up the sprinkler system this year and here we are in mid-July.

This is a picture of my yard today (July 13, 2010).

WOW – I can’t understand what happened, it seems like only yesterday the kids, the dog and I were running around barefoot on a plush soft beautiful lawn (2 weeks ago to be exact).  As I scratched my head this morning it hit me…I NEGLECTED MY LAWN!  We have had somewhat of a heat wave the past week and a half, mid 90’s and it even hit 100 a couple of days in a row.  I think it only rained once in that time frame but only a minimal rain that dried up as fast as it hit the ground.

That burned neglected grass image haunted me all day, I started wondering what else have I been neglecting all while I thought everything was hunky dory -  Oh #$%@  it’s my clients.  Sure enough I let a couple slip through the cracks during last weeks rush of business.  I got on the phone this afternoon and dialed up the few neglected customers to let them know it was not my intention to neglect their requests last week.  I offered no excuses only to put there request on high priory this afternoon, two out of three understood.  The third…well lets just say with lots of water and time (cards and gifts) I hope they will come back to life within the next few months.

So I hope the image of my burnt grass will stay with you in regards to never neglecting your clients, keep in touch with them, follow up with them and you will never have to work extra hard to get them back.

To Your Success!

Tim Somers
Send Out Cards – Distributor

A well seasoned salesperson knows that building rapport with a prospect is a vital factor for developing and building business relationships that lead to sales.  Funny as it may sound you must consider every single facial expression, how you stand and the tone of your voice when communicating face to face with a prospect.  While these are important rapport building techniques you really need to focus on your human compassion when it comes to building business relationships.

If you are able to identify a prospects problem, current challenge or a goal they are trying to achieve you can then capitalize on what drives them on a daily basis. You must have a sincere desire to understand a prospect and what’s going on in his world, it is then and only then you can contribute to helping your prospect in one or more of these areas.  

You are going to have to ask questions, many questions to fully educate yourself on your prospects circumstances.  As hard as it may be you are NOT selling, your first order of business is to understand the how, what, why and when your prospect is facing.  Your prospect wants someone to listen to them and understand them, they will appreciation a salesperson that interacts with them on a personal level and is not in it for the quick sale.  Do this first and foremost and the sales and referrals with come in droves.

Here Are Some Other Relationship Building Strategies To Consider

Communicate Regularly. How often do you reach out to your customers and prospects? If you are only making contacts that focus on product offers and sales you are missing out on a relationship building opportunities.  It is very important to communicate regularly and vary the types of messages you send. Instead of a constant onslaught of promotions, send helpful tips using your newsletter or a simple greeting card. You should also consider a simple e-mail, phone contact or face-to-face communication that is not sales related at all.

Hold Special Events. Events like company-sponsored golf outings are very popular these days. Showing your appreciation to current customers and prospects via company-sponsored special events are great ways to build relationships on a more personal level.  It doesn’t have to be golf; it could be something family oriented like a BBQ at the local metro park.

Visit The Trenches. If your company sells products or services to other businesses through a team of salespeople it is very important for you the CEO of your company to get out and visit your clients.  There is no greater marketing tool to build a lasting relationship than a face to face meeting with your clients just to listen to their concerns.  Think about it, when was the last time you took the time to spend an hour with your most valuable asset – your paying customers.  Get out there and look your clients in the eye, shake their hand and listen to their concerns.  Then go one step further after you have listened, actually address their concerns as quickly as possible.  Then be sure to send them a Thank You Card for their business and for taking the time to meet with you.

Tim Somers
Send Out Cards Distributor