What to send past customers, every month
A year of ready-to-send texts, timed to Minnesota weather. Free.
Give, Give, Give, Ask
Don't just try to take from your customers. Give to them first. I follow a strict Give, Give, Give, Ask rhythm.
The gives are free tips that help them, with nothing to buy. They make sure customers remember you, and they keep people from blocking your number.
The ask is how you close something. It asks for the job and still offers them something.
This calendar does it for you: three months of gives, then one ask, three times a year. The asks land in April, August and December, right when people need you most.
What's in it
- 12 months of texts for HVAC, plumbing and cleaning businesses: 36 messages, ready to send. Your name, business and offer are filled in for you.
- Each month is marked as a give or an ask, so you always know which is which.
- Why each month matters here, from frozen pipes in January to cabin season in July.
- A real example from a quick-lube oil change shop, every text in order.
- A PDF you can print and keep by your desk.
A real example
One shop I worked with had a list of past customers and no way to reach them. Once I got the list out of their old software, this is what went out. It brought customers back in. The first text gave them a discount on their next oil change, with a link to book or the option to just show the text at the counter. The next three gave free car tips: what a milky oil cap can mean, why tire pressure drops in the cold, and which washer fluid won't freeze. The fifth asked for the oil change again and kept the discount going. You'll see every text after you get the calendar.
Here's January, a give month
The coldest weeks of the year. Furnaces run all day and pipes on outside walls freeze.
| Trade | Text to send |
|---|---|
| HVAC | Hi [Name], it's [You] with [Business]. Cold weather tip: keep snow and ice clear of the furnace pipes on the outside of your house. If they get blocked, many furnaces shut off to keep you safe. Reply STOP to opt out. |
| Plumbing | Hi [Name], it's [You] with [Business]. Below-zero tip: open the cabinet doors under sinks on outside walls so warm air reaches the pipes. On the coldest nights, let that faucet drip a little. Reply STOP to opt out. |
| Cleaning | Hi [Name], it's [You] with [Business]. Winter tip: put a mat inside and outside every door. It stops a lot of the salt and slush before it reaches your floors. Reply STOP to opt out. |
How to use it
- Send one message a month, near the start of the month. Start with this month and keep the order.
- Put in the customer's first name, your name and your business name. That way it reads like a text from a real person, not an ad.
- Make your offer real and simple, like a discount on the next visit or a free check. Use the same offer in all three asks if you like.
- Only text customers who said yes to getting texts from you. If you are not sure, send it as an email instead.
- Reply fast. A customer who answers is ready to book right then.
Need a clean list to send to first? The free Customer List Cleaner fixes phone numbers and merges duplicates, and your list never leaves your computer.