Staying in contact has never been so easy

Marketing is often thought of as the art of finding prospects for the sales team to close. Less often, the business owner focuses marketing efforts on those people with whom the business already has a relationship. Most businesses have lists of current or past customers, vendors, community contacts and prospect who aren't in the 'sales funnel' at the moment, and so little attention is invested in them. To make matters worse, the information on these other relationships resides in various Outlook files, Excel spreadsheets, accounts payable records, and even billing records. So even if one wanted to market to this diverse set of people, just the data management would be a nightmare, not mention managing the communication programs.

The solution? How about a sensible but advanced email system that allows you to keep multiple lists within the same database, tracking and reporting of emails, opt-out features that work, and an easy to use interface that even takes 5 minutes to learn? Oh, an how about a price point of $25/month for up to 500 contact? That solution is Constant Contact.


I have used Constant Contact for over two years for large corporate communications down to high school class reunion planning. This web-based email solution is a godsend for three reasons: price, effectiveness and ease of use. After a 60-day free trial the service costs only $20 - $35/month for most organizations.

Using Constant Contact allows you to gather and segment many different lists into one online database. That feature alone has value to some small businesses. Next, through Constant Contact you can send customized communications, via email, to the different groups relatively easily. This permits you to build your relationship with a various communities of people who can help you build your business.