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Newsletter #775: The “First Impressions” Issue

[Welcome back to the Damn, I Wish I Thought of That Email Newsletter. This is text of the great issue all of our email subscribers just received. Sign yourself up using the handy form on the right.]

You work so hard to get your customers in the door for the first time. A great first impression makes getting them back that much easier. How to do it:

1> Make it educational
2> Make it personal
3> Make it comfortable
4> Check it out: Rock ‘N’ Roll Roadmap

1> Make it educational

When you’ve got a first-time customer, this is a good time to slow down and make sure they understand everything you can do for them. It’s obvious for the high-tech, high-end marketers, but it works just as well for BBQ, too. When you’re in line to order at Rudy’s BBQ, they ask you if you’ve ever been there before. If you’re a newbie, they dramatically slow the otherwise hustled order process and patiently let you sample their different cuts of meats and side dishes. New customers try stuff they might not otherwise have been comfortable ordering and end up walking away with a lot more on their plate.

The lesson: Let customers experience all the great stuff you have to offer by slowing down and taking time to educate them.

2> Make it personal

A great way to welcome a new customer is to offer them a personalized experience from the start. Anyone who joins TUT’s Adventurers Club community is asked to take an oath and then is sent a long, funny note on how they’ve been “voted in to the tribe” and how the interrogation of their family and friends went smoothly. They personalize it using a few simple email tricks based on the form fields you fill out when you apply. It’s nothing fancy, but the clever copy and use of your info make it feel like the email is just for you.

The lesson: Make the first impression a memorable one by making it feel like you’ve known each other for a while.

Learn more: TUT’s Adventurers Club

3> Make it comfortable

New customers can be nervous and unsure of what to do or how to ask questions. Your job is to make it as comfortable and welcoming as possible for a rookie. When Southwest began offering service out of New York’s LaGuardia, they didn’t set up a trade show booth to tell locals about it, they set up the “Southwest Porch” in a park and served drinks and food inspired by their destinations. The Porch is permanent, and each week two employees rotate being on duty as brand ambassadors, answering questions and helping people book flights.

The lesson: Imagine the experience your first customers go through and look for opportunities to be more open, more friendly, and more inviting.

Learn more: Promo Magazine

4> Check it out: Rock ‘N’ Roll Metro Map

How do you get from The Beatles to Black Flag? From The Who to The Hives? From Coldplay to Queen? This handy map shows you how.

Check it out: Flickr

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