As a sales representative, making your goal can be full of anxiety.  Some months your phone rings off the hook while other months leave you pulling your hair out as you try to drum up business.  You need existing customers to buy your products and use your services. You also need prospective customers to think of you when the need arises.  How can you accomplish this without breaking the bank?

The fact is you need to be working just as hard to bring in business during the busy months as you would during the slow ones in order to eliminate those peaks and valleys and keep your sales at a high, consistent level all year long. In order to do accomplish this shift and move from reactive to proactive selling, you need to market yourself to prospective and current customers on a regular basis.

Here are time-tested tips which will help you keep your name in front of prospects and customers to increase your sales consistently and in a cost-effective way:

1. Comprehensive Database—Your customer and prospect database is your lifeline.  Stop putting customer information on yellow sticky notes.  Get a database and use it.  Make sure it’s up-to-date and growing on a regular basis.  Be sure to use a system that enables you to segment the database and easily print off mailing labels.  It is important to have the ability to reach your customers and prospects in a split second via phone or mail to segments of them regularly.

2. Professional Materials—Skip photo copied or low-quality materials from the corporate office and produce high-quality, professional materials for yourself.  Sales sheets, brochures, note cards, post cards, giveaways and even return address labels should all match, be professional looking and make a strong impression.

3. Extraordinary Business Cards—Don’t underestimate the power of the business card.  It’s often the first thing someone sees when you meet them for the first time and they represent you when you aren’t there. Make sure your business cards are high-quality, full-color and make an immediate impact.  Distribute them freely to ensure that your name gets out there often.  Give a stack of cards to colleagues who will pass them along to potential customers.

4. Your Face—People remember faces so don’t take yours for granted.  Put your photo on all materials including business cards and promotional mailings.  The more your customers and prospects can associate a name with a face, the more likely they will call you when they are ready to buy.

5. High Impact, High Frequency—Promotional mailings are one of the most cost-effective ways to keep you on top of your customer’s mind.  Look for high-impact, full color postcards that inform customers of your latest successes or upcoming sales.  The frequency of the communication is almost as important as what you say.  Mail your customer and prospect base twice a month for the best response.

6. Reinforce Your Brand—Stay in front of your customers everyday.  Look for cost-effective options that have staying power.  Business card magnets are a great way to ensure your customers and prospects will place your business and contact information in a frequently viewed location like their refrigerator.

7. Handwritten Note Cards—There is no substitute for a hand written note.  It’s inexpensive and has a strong impact.  Sending hand written cards to key customers for special sales or discounts is very effective.  Hand written thank you notes are also appreciated and make a lasting impression because they show you are willing to go the extra mile.

8. Don’t Forget the Holidays—Holiday cards are an important way to let your customers know that you appreciate them.  Pick high-quality, cost-effective, color cards.  Make sure your photo, logo and company messaging are integrated into the cards. Consider sending cards for Thanksgiving or customer birthdays to stand out from the crowd.  If your business is seasonal or cultural, use holiday cards to celebrate related holidays like St. Patrick’s Day or the beginning of summer.

9.  Brochures—Customers like to review information at their leisure.  Clear and easy-to-read brochures with product or service information are important.  Skip photo-copied fliers on colored paper and shoot for full color glossy materials.  Hand them out on sales calls or at shows and conferences.

10. Great Giveaways—Give your customers a useful and appreciated gift that they will actually use. The gifts your offer don’t have to be expensive to make an impact.  For example, stay in front of customers all year long with calendar or seasonal professional sports calendar magnets. Business card magnets also work well. Whether they are placed on the refrigerator or on a file cabinet, they help reinforce your company and your contact information.

11.  Email Communication—Communicate with your customers via email in addition to regular mail.  Match your e-signature to your business card with unique e-business cards—electronic versions of your business cards that are included in every email.  Encourage customers to forward contact information, an excellent way to increase customer base.

12. Get Out There—Networking is critical to all sales no matter the product, service or industry.  The more people see you, the more likely they will remember you when the time comes to purchase a product or service.  Be sure to attend industry events or trade shows and (remove “be sure to”) join any appropriate industry associations.  Always bring your high-quality promotional materials with you and pass them out freely.

And finally, don’t forget to be polite, helpful and appreciative.  Be responsive when something is requested and thank customers for their business.  When you’re moving fast, it is easy to forget this simple rule. Let’s face it, people purchase from sales representatives that they feel good about working with. Make sure you’re one of them.

No matter your budget, these simple tips will enable you to proactively build an effective customer base and increase your sales for years to come.  For more ideas, visit www.vistaprint.com.