Question

Topic: Strategy

Adding Valu To Myself - By Threating My Cusomer

Posted by Anonymous on 2/11/2010 at 5:35 PM ET 125 Points
like a VIP?

Status:
1. I am working today in sales - for A/V industry/video conferencing (as I would like to say it - working with communication between my customer and partners, their customers and employees). I am working for a private owned company.

2. I would like to use my contacts and customers to promote another service I am really passionate about - events, travel (incentive/customer/etc) and VIP travel. ( In the future - I want this travel related services to be my main income.) It’s all about communicate with employee, partners and customers.

3. I have a web-site - called www.traveldesk.no, where I would promote the services from my partners. I would like to use - already existing customers - and be honest, and say I could provide them with a few more services. I have a few agreements - where it’s possible for me to represent several companies - and offer travel related services.

4. I have also a web site – www.vipdesk.no (have to be changed a bit). This web-site – or my position as an owner for vipdesk.no, is what I want to use to build a lifelong and strong relationship.
I have all the data for all customers – even their date of birth. I want to send them a card at their birthday. I might even send them a nice gift at their 40s, 50s and so on.
Note: It’s just the most important of my customers list – that will get any messages from VIPdesk.

Now – to my question – or rather, want comments from you:
In regularity – send my “VIP” contacts, a mail or print from VIPdesk. The message here, is something that you would recognize as for VIP. The message would consist of something important and “good” for the customer, and could exist of from 4-10 messages from different companies – in example a nice restaurant giving a rebate, free ticket to a sport event, travel services only for the leaders, “come and try our new Mercedes” from a car company, etc.

What I want to accomplish – is that the receiver of the message think he/she is important, that they would like to receive more of this, recognize MY name and more willing to do business with me, because I give something back.

Yes – it’s a little a bit complex, and some work. But – because I could not quit my number one job, I need to work parallel to this.
Any comments to this – or could I do it more simple? “ Keep it simple – stupid” ??
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by CarolBlaha on 2/11/2010 at 8:07 PM Accepted
    People buy from people they like. I can't read your site, but if you are creating value--convenience, save time and money, personal service-- that is your value. Just keeping in touch with clients on a regular basis puts you in the top 10%.

    My main concern with your post is to understand your ethical boundaries.

    No employer can legally disallow moon lighting -- a 2nd job. But using their CRM and files is their intellectual property. They can buck you on that.

    Also, make sure all your correspondence is not done during normal biz hours - -the hours you are being paid to work your current employer. Emails have a "sent date", leaving a trail.

    I caught an employee moonlighting on me during my hours -- meaning he was being paid a salary by me and had a 2nd biz-- that he ran during my hours. I nailed him and was awarded reimbursement of the full salary I paid him during that time. I still lost, think of the lost opportunies I missed while he was peddling for himself. He never paid it, declared bankruptcy. Neither one of us were "winners" -- my only point is don't compromise yourself.

    Sell Well and Prosper tm



  • Posted by michael on 2/11/2010 at 9:14 PM Accepted
    John,
    If you are being paid a salary by a company and they are ok with you representing others, you're ok. Carol has a good point in that your current employer expects you to devote full time to their business.

    Just a few thoughts:
    1) Make sure you're honest with the company. If you can't be, then you might want to think about how you market this service.

    2) I think travel and videoconferencing can be competitors. If your employer offered both, that's ok. If one employer offers one and the other the other, then you have a conflict.

    3) Never put yourself in a situation where bad service from your owned-company would cause the client to leave your employer.

    (See how I have to keep clarifying who is who? That's a fine line you need to be sure to walk)

    4) If a customer of your employer asks you for a recommendation for travel, then you can reference your service. I would not approach them.

    All this is contingent on what your employee contract says.


    Michael
  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 2/12/2010 at 8:31 AM Accepted
    If your eventual goal is to sell (VIP) travel, then focus on that in your marketing. Your information/gifts should all be travel-themed to connect what you're giving them with what you want them to do (travel).
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