I had a great time doing my webinar on putting the human touch into lead generation sponsored by Citrix Online and we had almost 1600 people register. Wow!
In my presentation I emphasized how lead nurturing is about timing, consistency and relevance.
Today (which happens to be my 38th birthday) I got this email with a personal video from Gary Anderson, CEO of NetBriefings. I wanted to share this with you because I think it is a great example of lead nurturing by combining the human touch and timing in a personal way that connected with their business value proposition.
Brian, I heard it was your Birthday today! Here is my personal Birthday Video Greeting!
http://proclaim.netbriefings.com/flv/nb/nsux9/nbnsux9101573/
Have a Great Day!!!! You deserve it!!
Gary W. Anderson
The video is 29 seconds but it made my day and I must confess that it caused me to think about his company (which is the point). Please note: it’s not a polished or pretty video but he put in some effort to be personal and that’s what made it stand out. That said, I don’t think this would work for everybody. Let me know what you think.
I think you have to understand what works and what doesn’t with your customers, but the better connection you can establish, the better. So if a happy birthday works, use it!
This just reiterates the fact that the more personal you can make your interactions the better. Including email templates! That goes for all you big companies. Rarely do I read an email with tons of information and lots of graphics. Even if I did request something from that company.
You’re right, it’s not pretty – but it could be. I think its a great idea. Not so sure how it would work for lead nurturing but it could certain work with existing clients.
Isn’t it funny how the small things always mean so much to us. It wasn’t a huge thing – remembering your birthday – but it was a personal touch that went beyond the normal e-mail marketing. Don’t everyone go out and duplicate this, b/c that’s not the point. The point is, think about your customers, build relationships not leads.
Happy Birthday, Brian!
That video is a great idea. It’s short and makes a personal connection. I’m thinking it doesn’t just apply to birthdays, but that there are a number of reasons to send a short video greeting.
Some ideas might be:
A company you want as a customer achieves a milestone. (Congrats on your 2,000th customer!)
A new product launch by a company that’s your customer, or you’d like to have as a customer.
A company shows a demonstration of support for a community project/charity event.
Whether customer or prospect, a 30 second video is a nice idea and easy to do.
Thanks for making me think!