Top of the Mind Awareness (TOMA) is a term used in advertising. TOMA means the customer thinks of your company when they are considering their options for filling the need your product delivers. TOMA happens through repetition (think “Coke” when you considering satisfying your thirst with a soda or “GEICO” when you’re considering car insurance.)
So how do Dealers stay on top of their customer’s mind? One of the most effective tools is distributing a newsletter on a regular basis to a database of current customers along with the potential customers who may have said “not at this time” or have seen you at the home show and given you their name, etc. The first key to creating this database is asking the customer for their e-mail address when you’re filling out their information.
Once you have their e-mail address, the first thing you’ll need to do is put it into some sort of digital format so you can create an e-mail list for your newsletter. A simple Excel spreadsheet will do the trick, but if you want a more complete database, you can use Sage ACT which is a comprehensive database that offers you a number of ways to stay in touch with your customers track their buying habits and locate where to find more customers just like them.
Now that you’ve created your database, it’s time to create a professional newsletter that will interest your customer. A couple of online companies can help you create these newsletters easily by providing templates and an easy way to link them up to your customer’s e-mail addresses. The first one is Vertical Response www.verticalresponse.com. The second option is Constant Contact. Both are very effective and easy to use.
So you know who you’re going to reach and you know how you’re going to reach them, the last question is what are you going to tell them? While many subject areas are appropriate to use for follow up, the most common with the CTI Dealer network are:
* High Profile jobs you’ve done recently
* Adding on new employees
* New products you’re offering
* New training, licensing or certifications you’ve received
* Asking them to come see you at an upcoming home show
* Photos of your latest installations
* Informational articles to help educate your customer on concrete repair, sealing, etc.
* Any awards you received from Associations or groups you belong to.
How often you send these newsletters out depends on a number of factors. You want to keep the newsletters fresh and full of new content. It also depends on the amount of time you have in creating them. A good rule of thumb would be to send one out once per month. This time frame will keep your company on top of the customer’s mind and keep you in their speed dial when they’re ready to pull the trigger on concrete resurfacing.
