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The easiest way for designers to send email newsletters for themselves and their clients.
Someone else's customers
Posted by Mathew Patterson on August 27, 2007 12:21 PM
It's a problem in the "nice to have" category — people who want to use your products, but that you know are not suited to them. Most of our customers are web designers themselves, or at least in companies and agencies with HTML skills available, and the products are targeted quite specifically at that market
However, with both Campaign Monitor and MailBuild we have been fortunate enough to get quite a lot of word of mouth referrals, and publicity in different areas. This has sometimes meant enquiries from people who are not in that target market, who don't have html skills or helpful web designers around. They've heard good things about Campaign Monitor and are excited to get started, and just have 'one quick question' about online editing or templates or...
It's fantastic that they've got such high expectations for our products, but we know that they will not have a great experience using them, because they don't have the necessary background. One of the key differentiators of Campaign Monitor and MailBuild is that they don't get in your way with restrictive templates and form based editing. You can 100% control the HTML you send.
For these non-HTML people, that kind of flexibility is not a benefit, it's a major stumbling block. Trying to use the systems will only frustrate and disappoint them, which is the opposite of the experience we want them to have.
So how do you handle these situations in a polite way that doesn't damage the goodwill they have already about Freshview and our products? Our approach is always to gratefully acknowledge their feedback, explain our target audience and then recommend to the customer a company that might be a better match for them. Generally this is one of our competitors who have a slightly different focus. Different people are more suited to different services, and we try to give a specific recommendation when we can.
Hopefully, that gives the customer the best experience - they end up with a system that better matches their needs and expectations. It helps us maintain that goodwill they held for us, and hopefully clarifies our position as the email service provider for web designers. If that customer later recommends us to someone else, they will be able to mention our target audience too.
Finally, it may help us build better links with competing services, and could result in those competitors sending to us customers that would have a better experience using our systems.
It can seem counter-intuitive, but sending potential customers away can be the best result for everyone, saving them frustration and pain, and helping us avoid unnecessary support and loss of focus on our core customers.
Charles Cuninghame
wrote on August 30, 2007 4:40 PM
Hi Matt
I think your approach is correct. It's a mistake to jump on every passing buck. By recommending a product that's better suited to the person's needs you help them solve their problem and maintain (if not increase) your goodwill.
Grant
wrote on September 17, 2007 11:25 AM
Hey Mat. I agree - definitely better to forward them on.
We actually have a number of clients we'd love to recommend for Campaign Monitor/Mail Build but need that template editing capability (which is frustrating, 'coz I'd love to pass on the business). I'd be interested to know what sort of services you'd recommend?
G
Mathew Patterson
wrote on September 19, 2007 7:28 PM
Thanks Grant. What kind of editing capabilities do those clients need?
Jae Gillentine
wrote on June 30, 2008 1:26 PM
To me, good business is about treating the client with respect (and giving them value and service). That being said, one way to handle this is to keep it simple and send the client to that of another provider who might have an appropriate scale of services for this particular client.
However, I hate to miss opportunities like this because that means someone else, maybe a competitor, could scoop it up and dominate the market (before I do). One way to handle this might be to setup a referral program with those agency clients that you already provide services too. I’m sure that you have clients in the business of servicing these very specific, high-needs clients. But, if you can recruit the client and educate them, you will win their loyalty!
Consider the idea of how to cost-effectively leverage an already interested professional’s community, and bring them opportunities that result with revenue that involves more sales of Fresh View services and products. I bet you have several agencies on the client list that would love to get access to that incoming funnel of prospects.
Got anything to add?