One of the most powerful assets of The Women’s Earning Institute is my database. This is the pool of names that receives my monthly newsletter. I love writing, so for me, writing a newsletter is an enjoyable way to market. I make sure each newsletter is meaty and content heavy. Any “marketing” is generally saved for the end. Now I’m not under the illusion that recipients open up and eagerly read every newsletter they receive. Sometimes a particular topic strikes a cord and sometimes it doesn’t. But given how many times people have to be exposed to you before they consider buying your product or service (6-7 times!), a newsletter is a great way to create exposure. I’m most fascinated by how people use the newsletter. I find that professionals who receive it often forward it to other professionals. It has generated speaking engagements, as well as clients.

If I could do one thing differently, I would have started gathering people’s contact information sooner then I did. When I think of all the talks I did in the early years of my business, talks where I didn’t ask attendees if they wanted to be on my mailing list, I cringe. At the time, I had no newsletter, so I figured I didn’t need a mailing list. I think I was overwhelmed with creating and managing a database as well. But I know there were people in those years who would have liked to hear from me again. So whatever you do, ask people if they want to be on your mailing list. If nothing else, throw their names in a shoebox, in preparation for when you do have a mailing list.