In the days when customers would walk through your door, the first thing an entrepreneur would do is introduce themselves. "Hi, I'm John, what can I do for you today?" A warm handshake, a smile, and the customer relationship was established. This relationship is something that any salesperson will tell you, is sacred. Without this relationship, business will not be done and little will be accomplished.



But in today's global marketplace, how do we establish that sales relationship? The answer is to introduce yourself and establish that relationship through an online ezine.

The great thing about an online ezine is that the entrepreneur has total control over its content and can update it is as often as business requires. It is a way to make a connection with your customers and introduce yourself and your associates. Graphics and a banner can be your handshake and words can be your introduction.

An ezine is a great ezine when in contains all the information you would give any customer walking through your door. You can introduce your colleagues and give information about them such as, "Mary here is my resident gourmet. She is always sharing her great pasta dishes with us," and "Peter is a dog person. His dog Roger is a guest at all our company picnics."

Personalizing your ezine to include personal anecdotes about you and your associates creates a type of rapport that lets customers get to know you. It is that rapport that recreates the customer connection that your handshake used to create. The point is that you can still have that bond online. An ezine can provide the information you need to communicate to link your customers with your business.

When you have a sale on bulk fasteners or antibacterial hand soap you can update your ezine to advertise that. Your ezine can take the place of a sign in your window or an ad in the Sunday paper. The beauty is that the customer does not have to make a trip to your store; with a click of a mouse they can learn all the specifics of your product, the cost, and complete an order.

But are they willing to do that without knowing the person they are buying from? Sometimes it may not matter to the buyer, but more and more customers are questioning the reputation and credibility of their suppliers. They want to know the people they are buying from. Will my order arrive on time? Will my credit information remain secure? Will the product perform as advertised? Will they accept returns? What about my warranty? All these questions can be answered by information but will be believed by a personal knowledge of you and your business.

People feel more comfortable doing business with people they have a relationship with. People they know something about other than that they are trying to sell them something. Your ezine can tell them about you and let them know that you are a vendor they can trust and return to.

Today's global marketplace has provided unlimited opportunities as well has many challenges. The biggest challenge is how to establish a business relationship that appears to be one sided. The ezine is the only way to breach the one-sided nature of internet communication. It can be a living and growing way of communication that showcases your business and your greatest asset,your people.

An ezine is not all about advertising or selling. It is about people, making a connection, and establishing rapport. Making your ezine a portrait of your organization as well as a selling and advertising tool will ensure establishing loyal and long-lasting business relationships.