Every Time I Put My Shoes On...

I have written about emailing for some time now; trying to prevail upon you, dear reader, to use email to build relationships, tell stories and softly, softly sell your center or yourself as being part of the community. There's a reason it is called "Social Media" and not "Cheap Substitute for Direct Mail.

With "open" rates plunging to about 10% to 12%, you need to get better at having people (your TARGET) open your emails. The example you will see in this blog achieved that...and a whole lot more.  It added tot he value of the center's brand immensely

Futilely, I have looked for an email from proprietors to showcase an example of what I have been talking about. Instead I get appeals for “need two teams for Monday Mixers, Call Dale at happy Lanes (of course no phone number).

Or worse, someone sends me their flier for late night, great night cosmic fun starting at 11pm. Now I like cosmic as much as the next guy, but am I really the ideal target for that product?  Haven't been 18 to 34 for a few years now :).

Rarely do I ever get some “social media communique” that smacks of realism, emotion and a good story…until the other day when my great client Alley Katz sent me one that I just had to share with you.  Wood Foss and his family own and operate a bowling center in Westerly RI. It’s a beautiful beach town that like much of RI still suffers from high unemployment (I think it’s still in double digits).

 

Yet Wood and his wife Kathy and their sons David and Joe will tell you straight up that Alley Katz has been getting better and better because they “get it.” They understand how to be part of the community.  They understand the importance of planning and speaking to the customer from the heart. 

When their Westerly beach was almost wiped out by Hurricane Sandy or when a flood occurred and put the down town area in jeopardy, they were right there to lend a hand, run fund raisers, lay sandbags along with their fellow citizens and express their feelings about “their town” and emailed to their list a post that basically said, "please stop by for some coffee and donuts and a warm place to rest before going back out." 

Their results have been nothing short of extraordinary. And they didn't do it thru cheap, cheap pricing. They did it, the old fashioned way with family friendly, passionate service backed up by emails like this. Emails that puts the humanity of the moment into a business transaction.

So here is their beautiful and touching email that you need to read. Please  print and put on your office computer.  And every time you write an email think about this.  What emotions am I touching?  What human characteristic can I imbue my communication with and finally how can I stop selling and still sell?

The subject line was this: EVERY TIME I PUT MY SHOES ON..

I have 3 beautiful kids.  My youngest, Riley is almost 2. Every time I put my shoes on she says, "You going work Daddy??''  It's cute but kinda breaks my heart at the same time.  She is very young still but is also very aware of the fact that Daddy works A LOT.  I would love to spend some quality time with her and the rest of my kids for that matter. 

My parents and family that have had their kids already grow up before them always say, "it flies by"... "Enjoy them while you have them"...

NOW IS THE TIME.

ENJOY THEM WHILE YOU HAVE THEM.

SPEND QUALITY TIME WITH THEM.