The Tribune

By D’Arcy Rahming

To get the attention of a client I will often spend what some might say is an exorbitant amount of money. It is not that I am being extravagant. It simply means that if I am pursuing a client who will yield hundreds or thousands of dollars for me, I am willing to take my time and money to make him or her go: “Wow! This guy is really serious and I should be doing business with him.”

A lot of people think chief executives and sales people spend too much time on the golf course or at dinner, entertaining clients. Some employees even believe that they are the only ones doing any work in the firm. This is because they equate work with constant activity. If you want to win the account, however, it makes sense to take a desired client out to dinner or to the ball game just to make him or her feel comfortable working with you.

If you are courting multiple clients, and need quick results, nothing beats the ‘Wow package’. This is a package that explains what you are doing, and what you are offering, in an impressive way. I know of one guy who uses engraved invitations with a DVD of past events to invite clients to specific events. Another sends a very expensive gift to get clients to try his product. But you have to be careful with things like this because it could be construed as a bribe.

My favourite set-up for a ‘Wow package’ is a cover letter, a full colour brochure, a DVD, a magazine or book. This type of information creates instant authority and allows the receiver to sample what you are capable of. For example, if you are selling advertising, don’t just send a copy of the magazine, but maybe a DVD with testimonials of people who have used the advice in the magazine and are very pleased with the results.

A ‘Wow package’ should never be sent unsolicited. Always a phone call or an e-mail, even if just to say: “Be on the lookout for something that I am about to send you.” Everyone loves to receive packages and open them. This prior notification builds anticipation. So when they finally get the package they’d better not be disappointed.

Another advantage of the ‘Wow package’ is that only parts of it need to be personalised, unlike a golf game or a dinner, which is time consuming and highly personal. However, the more personalised, the better. In my office I have a calendar that was sent to me by a marketing group that took the time to personalise my name on it. It’s an old trick used by Bible salesman many years ago. But it still works. When I opened it I said: “Wow! These guys really want my business.”

• NB: D’Arcy Rahming holds an MBA from the prestigious Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. A lecturer at the College of the Bahamas, Mr Rahming has clients in general insurance, retail, the health and medical fields, sports federations and financial services. He is also treasurer of the Bahamas Olympic Committee. To receive his marketing newsletter FREE go to http://darcyrahming.com