Comments requested on my "Winter Letter" to my clients

S

stilez

New member
Many of my clients and I communicate via email. Regardless, I will send this letter to them (email/snail mail) with a picture of their vehicle post detailed attached to it. Let me know if you'd change anything. Thanks in advance...





"



Good Day,



I would like to start by wishing you and your family the very best throughout the holiday season. Thank you for your business in the past, as it has allowed Detailing By Executive to continually innovate in finding the absolute best products, equipment, and techniques to leave your vehicle looking better than showroom new.



As we have been rather lucky with the absence of snowfall this late in the season, I wanted to make you aware of the importance of a detailed car before the winter season hits. As you may have heard in the past, the salt/sand/chemical solution they use on the roads during the winter is very harsh to your vehicle in all aspects, mainly the paint. This mixture tends to adhere much more when the paint is not protected by a wax or paint sealant. Over time, you begin to put off washing your car until a nice day where you get to enjoy it. I don't blame you, why spend time and money on a vehicle that will get dirty the second you leave the driveway or car wash?



However, as the mixture adheres to your finish, it also begins to etch in. When it etches in, even after washing, the paint seems to lack that gloss you desire. The paint begins to dull, feels rougher, washing begins to become more difficult, and so on. There is a fix though!



We, at Detailing By Executive, recommend an interior/exterior detail 3 times a year for vehicles kept exposed to the elements and 2 times a year for vehicles seeing overnight garage time. With each detail, your entire vehicle is given the treatment it deserves. From cleaning the interior and dressing it, to shampooing the carpets, mats, and upholstery; then on the exterior with the thorough cleaning of all surfaces, polishing the paint to remove swirls, scuffs, oxidation, and overall dullness; dressing all trim, tires, and wheel wells; your car will maintain that showroom appeal. The very vital final step of the exterior detail is to apply a paint sealant. Paint sealants are far better than waxes for durability, without the sacrifice of that deep, wet shine and here’s why:



"Think of car wax as candle wax. Put some hot candle wax on your finger and allow it to dry. This is how car wax adheres to the surface. Now, move your finger around. You will notice how the wax crumbles off resembling how after only a short time, your car wax will diminish.



Now, paint sealants chemically bond to the paint's surface. Think of putting super glue on your finger and allowing it to dry. Try to move your finger around and you will notice how it stays adhered for a long time. These revolutionary paint sealants also protect against UV rays (which can discolor the pant), salt/sand/chemical mixtures in the winter, and many other contaminants"



Detailing By Executive exclusively uses paint sealants on all customers’ vehicles (unless requested not to). We strive to have the customer's vehicle looking its absolute best for the longest amount of time. With this extended protection, notice much easier washing sessions, continued high levels of shine, and an all-around slicker feeling surface.



Thank you for reading and I hope you took something from this brief tutorial. If you would like to schedule a detail or have any questions, please feel free to contact us. Thank you.





Happy Holidays,



Sean Busch

President – Detailing By Executive

(516) xxx-xxxx







"
 
Hi Sean, I took the liberty of slightly re-working what you have. I hope you like it. After reviewing it again, I feel that it is too long for many people. I left out the whole sealant explanation. That is better left to discuss in person if they even ask. You may want to include a separate page that lists your packages and prices. I would not try to make this portion go more than a page.



Dear Mr. or Mrs. So and So (personalize it!),



I would like to start by wishing you and your family the very best throughout the upcoming holiday season. Thank you again for your past business. By trusting Detailing By Executive you have enabled us to continually innovate and find the absolute best products, equipment, and techniques to leave your vehicle looking better than showroom new.



I would like to make you aware of the importance of having a professional detail performed on your vehicle before the winter season is truly upon us. As you may know, the salt/sand/chemical mixtures used to clear the roads during the winter are very harsh on your vehicle in many ways, particularly the paint. These corrosive methods tend to adhere much more when the paint is not protected by a wax or paint sealant. As these mixtures adhere to your finish, they begin to etch in even after washing, leaving the paint lacking that gloss and protection you desire. The paint begins to dull, feel rough and washing becomes more difficult. Left untreated, your vehicle’s paint can become susceptible to premature paint failure. However, there is a treatment plan to both fix and prevent this from occurring!



At Detailing By Executive, we recommend an interior/exterior detail three times a year for vehicles kept exposed to the elements and two times a year for vehicles kept in the garage overnight . With each detail, your entire vehicle is pampered with the treatment it deserves starting with a thorough cleaning and dressing of the interior to deep shampooing of the carpets, mats, and upholstery. Following the interior revitalization, the exterior is rejuvenated with a thorough surface cleaning, paint polishing to remove glaring surface defects and overall dullness, and then finished with the dressing of all trim, tires, and wheel wells. The vital, final step of the exterior detail is the application of a quality paint sealant. Paint sealants are far better than waxes for durability, without the sacrifice of that deep, wet shine. With this extensive process, your car will maintain that showroom appeal that Detailing By Executive is known to provide.



Thank you for taking the time to read about the importance of proper winter maintenance for your vehicle. If you have any questions or would like to schedule a detail, please feel free to contact us.
 
GSRstilez said:
Many of my clients and I communicate via email. Regardless, I will send this letter to them (email/snail mail) with a picture of their vehicle post detailed attached to it. Let me know if you'd change anything. Thanks in advance...





"



Good Day,



I would like to start by wishing you and your family the very best throughout the holiday season. Thank you for your business in the past, as it has allowed Detailing By Executive to continually innovate in finding the absolute best products, equipment, and techniques to leave your vehicle looking better than showroom new.



As we have been rather lucky with the absence of snowfall this late in the season, I wanted to make you aware of the importance of a detailed car before the winter season hits. As you may have heard in the past, the salt/sand/chemical solution they use on the roads during the winter is very harsh to your vehicle in all aspects, mainly the paint. This mixture tends to adhere much more when the paint is not protected by a wax or paint sealant. Over time, you begin to put off washing your car until a nice day where you get to enjoy it. I don't blame you, why spend time and money on a vehicle that will get dirty the second you leave the driveway or car wash?



However, as the mixture adheres to your finish, it also begins to etch in. When it etches in, even after washing, the paint seems to lack that gloss you desire. The paint begins to dull, feels rougher, washing begins to become more difficult, and so on. There is a fix though!



We, at Detailing By Executive, recommend an interior/exterior detail 3 times a year for vehicles kept exposed to the elements and 2 times a year for vehicles seeing overnight garage time. With each detail, your entire vehicle is given the treatment it deserves. From cleaning the interior and dressing it, to shampooing the carpets, mats, and upholstery; then on the exterior with the thorough cleaning of all surfaces, polishing the paint to remove swirls, scuffs, oxidation, and overall dullness; dressing all trim, tires, and wheel wells; your car will maintain that showroom appeal. The very vital final step of the exterior detail is to apply a paint sealant. Paint sealants are far better than waxes for durability, without the sacrifice of that deep, wet shine and here’s why:



"Think of car wax as candle wax. Put some hot candle wax on your finger and allow it to dry. This is how car wax adheres to the surface. Now, move your finger around. You will notice how the wax crumbles off resembling how after only a short time, your car wax will diminish.



Now, paint sealants chemically bond to the paint's surface. Think of putting super glue on your finger and allowing it to dry. Try to move your finger around and you will notice how it stays adhered for a long time. These revolutionary paint sealants also protect against UV rays (which can discolor the pant), salt/sand/chemical mixtures in the winter, and many other contaminants"



Detailing By Executive exclusively uses paint sealants on all customers’ vehicles (unless requested not to). We strive to have the customer's vehicle looking its absolute best for the longest amount of time. With this extended protection, notice much easier washing sessions, continued high levels of shine, and an all-around slicker feeling surface.



Thank you for reading and I hope you took something from this brief tutorial. If you would like to schedule a detail or have any questions, please feel free to contact us. Thank you.





Happy Holidays,



Sean Busch

President – Detailing By Executive

(516) xxx-xxxx







"
Click to expand...



misspelled paint, otherwise I like it.
 
I edited my suggestions deleting a section in order to shorten it. People lose interest real fast when they have to read a lot!!
 
When I get mailings from the various firms I patronize, unless I can take it in at a glance (I sorta speed-read it), I pitch it unread. Life is short and I don't bother with this sort of stuff if I have to work at it. I just went through about four such mailings in today's mail and I only really read one of 'em- a short, concise one that didn't take long (and I remember it so it was effective advertising).



I agree with Spilchy, keep it as short as possible while still getting enough across. While I enjoyed reading the original, I'm into this stuff. The non-Autopians I know would glance at it, think "that's a *lot* of reading!", and they'd pitch it without ever reading any of it.



I'd whittle it down even *more* than Spilchy did; I'd leave out the part about people waiting for nice days and all the stuff about candle wax and the advantages of sealants- consider that most customers just care about keeping their vehicles nice looking and well taken care of. I'd even cut out any excess from each sentence. If you make it something that people can read in some short period like 15 seconds (Accumulatorette would probably know what the rules are for this stuff..) then everybody will get enough of a message to consider giving you a call. I'd challenge myself to see how concise I could make it, and then I'd show it to somebody who's not into detailing and see what they think. The more people who read it the more business you'll get, anybody who doesn't read it might be lost business.



But of course you know your customers and I don't, so if I'm totally off-base then so be it.



Oh, something I remembered from Accumulatorette and her copy editing/proof reading- don't use italics. Studies show that virtually *nobody* will read more than two short sentences of italicized type. And don't use quotes unless you're actually quoting an attributed source- extraneous quotes, like we all use, are called "scare quotes" by the pros who write this stuff for a living- they say those turn people off too.
 
KISS! Keep it simple, stupid! Learned that in a marketing class I took. :)



Short and to the point is the best way. When the customers call is the time to get into the minutia.





I'd go with something like this:





...general greeting....



Winter is fast approaching. How long has it been since your car was waxed? Just as the summer sun and heat is hard on your car's finish, so is the winter cold, snow, ice and road salts. Having your car polished as needed and sealed before the snow flies will help protect your paint from the harsh winter enviroment. In addition, your paint will be slicker so any winter cleanings will be easier. Come spring, any exterior detailing will be less extensive (and less expensive!).



Give me a call to set up an appointment. Winter's cold and snow will soon be upon us, take advantage of the nice weather now to protect your car's paint.



...contact information....





-----------------



BTW, the letter is an excellent idea. Another option for next year is during the summer details, explain how hard winter weather is on their car and set up a mid to late fall appointment then. :)
 
Your original draft is very professional Sean, but as most of the guys have already said, it could be a little more concise. Perhaps linking the info of the importance of "winterizing" to your website would help cut down the length and lure people into browsing the rest of your site. Personalization is a key, too. Maybe in addition to addressing the person directly in the greeting you could add a little blurb in the middle of the letter like "I know you love that satin sheen on your dash." Also, I'd be a little more assertive when it comes to selling them on the detail. I would say something like "Be sure to contact me to set up an appointment today!"



Just some suggestions. I was thinking of sending Christmas cards to my clients, but this looks like a better idea! Good luck with the letter.
 
Porkanbeans said:
I was thinking of sending Christmas cards to my clients, but this looks like a better idea!
Click to expand...



I'm sorta impressed when a company bothers to send me a (*hand signed*) Holiday card. Makes me think that they really do value my business even when I know they send them to a lot of people. FWIW, I'm much less impressed with ones that are *not* signed by hand. I figure those just get sent out by a marketing service and that I'm not really valued as an individual customer. It's sorta a psychological trick that I know is being played on me, but it works all the same.



I kinda like the idea of combining the two- maybe a concise mailer in with the card. Plenty of people put *all* their Holiday cards (even the ones from businesses) on their mantle, and that way you'd get more exposure (and thus there'd be a greater chance of somebody calling).
 
The last thing accumulator said, about sending an actual card that people can display i think is a great idea.. people do keep cards, no matter who they are from, up through the holidays.. more exposure = more business. plus if i saw a hand signed card from a detailer, walked outside and saw good work like you perform.. i would be very interested in being treated like they are being treated.
 
Accumulator said:
I'm sorta impressed when a company bothers to send me a (*hand signed*) Holiday card.
Click to expand...



Me too! As the Operations Manager I used to get them sent to me as I was the company contact with the vendors. I loved the box of chocloates too and occasional NY Giants football tickets that somehow always slipped into *my* briefcase ;)
 
Accumulator said:
I'm sorta impressed when a company bothers to send me a (*hand signed*) Holiday card. Makes me think that they really do value my business even when I know they send them to a lot of people. FWIW, I'm much less impressed with ones that are *not* signed by hand. I figure those just get sent out by a marketing service and that I'm not really valued as an individual customer. It's sorta a psychological trick that I know is being played on me, but it works all the same.



I kinda like the idea of combining the two- maybe a concise mailer in with the card. Plenty of people put *all* their Holiday cards (even the ones from businesses) on their mantle, and that way you'd get more exposure (and thus there'd be a greater chance of somebody calling).
Click to expand...





Agreed, I use shutterfly to make Christmas cars every year with a personalized photo of the customer's car. It is a bit pricey, but IMO well worth it. I also take the time to write a short message inside. Works like a charm!!!



You will not believe how many referrals this has netted me. People are *very* quick to point out a card on the mantle with their car on it!! Also, people always ask "is this your car?" from there, you know how the conversation goes.
 
I agree with what everybody is saying about it being rather long.



Maybe something more along the lines of:



"We at Detailing By Executive would like to wish you a happy holidays and thank you for your patronage (or maybe just business) this past year.



As I am sure you know winter can be extremely harmful to your paint especially once the roads become covered in salt. It is important to keep your car protected in the following months.



Happy holidays and we'll look forward to serving you in the future."



I don't really know about the wording, but you get the idea...short and simple. I don't think people will really want to hear the anything technical.



How long into the winter do you plan to detail as a mobile guy up here in NE?
 
I think that letter would be better as a seasonal holiday home page on your website. However, if you are snail mailing, I would send one of the short versions as a card with your website link on it inviting them to visit for more info. Then I would make a temporary holiday home page, with the full letter and a slide show of your customer cars so they can be reminded of how good they look after you detailed them. A few before and after makeover pics from previous winters, etc. Sometimes customers have a hard time remember the bad weather when its still 60 - 70 degress outside.



If you really want a feeding frenzy, offer a random drawing for a 1/2 price detail.
 
Accumulator said:
I'm sorta impressed when a company bothers to send me a (*hand signed*) Holiday card. Makes me think that they really do value my business even when I know they send them to a lot of people. FWIW, I'm much less impressed with ones that are *not* signed by hand. I figure those just get sent out by a marketing service and that I'm not really valued as an individual customer. It's sorta a psychological trick that I know is being played on me, but it works all the same.



I kinda like the idea of combining the two- maybe a concise mailer in with the card. Plenty of people put *all* their Holiday cards (even the ones from businesses) on their mantle, and that way you'd get more exposure (and thus there'd be a greater chance of somebody calling).
Click to expand...





Ditto that. A hand signed holiday card will distinguish you from the others. You might want to look at this service from Costco to save some $$.



p.s. - I'll be looking for my card :)
 
It's a little late now, but next year you could basically achieve the same results by sending out post cards beginning the last week in September.



It's aways a good idea to divide up your mailings into eight groups; sending out one group a week for eight consecutive weeks. That way you do not have to be concerned that everyone will call the first week. And if your appointments gets booked too far into the future, you can always wait a week to send out the next group of cards.



Timing your mailing allows you to keep your schedule under control. There's nothing worse that having too much work at one time and nothing to do the following week.



Here's an example of the post cards that I send out to my customers every Fall:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Autumn Car Care



The sunny days of the past summer will soon be a memory. With snow, ice, road salt and freezing temperatures ahead, it is now time to protect your investment and have your car cleaned, polished and waxed by hand...at your location.



Call now for a convenient appointment.
 
Hey Sean,



Actually, I like a lot of what's written in your letter. The only thing is it may be better to focus on making it more of a 'thank you' type mailing, especially at this time of year. (note: the other technical info could be sent out at another time) It's always good to send out a few words of thanks every once in a while. It let's your clients know that you appreciate their business and are looking forward to taking care of their detailing needs well into the future.



Here's an example of what I'm thinking:

-----------------------------------------------



Good Day,



I would like to start by wishing you and your family the very best throughout the holiday season. Thank you for your business in the past, as it has allowed Detailing By Executive to continually innovate in finding the absolute best products, equipment, and techniques to leave your vehicle looking better than showroom new.



As you may already know, we, at Detailing By Executive, recommend an interior/exterior detail 3 times a year for vehicles kept exposed to the elements and 2 times a year for vehicles seeing overnight garage time. With each detail, your entire vehicle is given the treatment it deserves. From cleaning the interior and dressing it, to shampooing the carpets, mats, and upholstery; then on the exterior with the thorough cleaning of all surfaces, polishing the paint to remove swirls, scuffs, oxidation, and overall dullness; dressing all trim, tires, and wheel wells; your car will maintain that showroom appeal. The very vital final step of the exterior detail is to apply a paint sealant. Paint sealants are far better than waxes for durability, without the sacrifice of that deep, wet shine.



Detailing By Executive exclusively uses paint sealants on all customers’ vehicles. We strive to have the customer's vehicle looking its absolute best for the longest amount of time. With this extended protection, notice much easier washing sessions, continued high levels of shine, and an all-around slicker feeling surface.



Again, thank you for your business. Please feel free to contact us.



Happy Holidays,



Sean Busch

President – Detailing By Executive

(516) xxx-xxxx
 
I agree concerning shorting the letter and add a business card. Too much comes in the mail during the holiday season. Interestingly we live in the target market, affluent area of town and own vehicles in excess of 50K. Never once received anything in the mail from the competition.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top