How do you consistently communicate
to a wide audience with differing interests and needs
with relevance, and in a tone that reflects your existing level of familiarity?

There are two primary dimensions to consider when creating optimal communication channels:

1. Context:  This is the “nature of your relationship” and will determine the topic of conversation that will achieve the optimal power and effectiveness of your messages. Drivers of context may be title, job duties, industry and/or levels of interest. How well context is defined and categorized will determine, to a large extent, how specific the communications must be and how relevant the communications will be percieved.
2. Familiarity:  The intimacy level (how well you know someone) with a contact drives the tone, format and mode of communication. It may be true that familiarity breeds contempt, but not in marketing. Familiarity develops awareness and confidence in a company's products/services so that when a prospect decides to buy they buy from you.

But familiarity is more than just awareness, particularly when building and maintaining business relationships. The intimacy level you have with a contact drives three critical aspects of effective and powerful communication:

1. Tone – Your familiarity with the recipient will drive the formality of the language used throughout the communication.
2. Format – Familiarity also drives the general layout and even influences the optimal message length.
3. Vehicle – Each mode of communication has a perceived intimacy.

For instance a business letter delivered in a #10 envelope
is perceived as less intimate than an email,
but more intimate than a postcard advertisement.

Levels of familiarity set tone. And tone is one of the most important factors in proper communication and effective messaging strategies. The critical flaw in most communication strategies is the attempt to talk to everyone as if they were the same. This strategy is certainly less work, but it breeds contempt.

As a long-time loyal customer, I can't help but wonder why you talk to me as if I am a prospect. And it certainly speaks volumes to me that you value a new client more than you value my business by your marketing messages that tell me so.

"20% OFF. New customers only."

Let Vantage Point Direct be your Silent Salesforce^TM.

For information on Vantage Point Direct's Silent Salesforce^TM  Relationship Marketing System^TM  (RMS ^TM) click here