For beginners, the first step in growing your new business is to find the customers. For those of you who are already up and running, the next step (now that you have clients) is that you must continue to generate new business every month, even if you have dozens of clients and no time for marketing! Why? Because there might come a day when the clients are not there, a VERY lean month when the phone doesn’t ring. This is not the time to begin marketing … the time to market is now.
Here are some cost-effective tips on where to find clients. Please note that not every tip will work for everyone. It really depends on both the type of service you have and who you are marketing to. Persistence is the key here! Don't give up after only one or two tries because it might take more. Remember that you are selling an intangible service that everyone needs, but none of them think that they need it, so it is up to you to convince them of its value --- and this takes time.
E-mail signature
Most email software programs allow you to put an automatic signature at the bottom of your emails. You know … those few lines of contact information at the bottom of an email. People love it when you make information easy to find. In fact, e-mail is such a part of our lives now, that most people are more likely to grab your phone number off your latest e-mail than to dig up your business card. So what should go on your sig file? Your name, title, company name and your company tagline. You should also include your address, phone, cell phone, fax number, e-mail address and your Website address. Now, also consider putting promotional info in your sig file, such as an offer for a free report or product, a free consultation or trial offer, company announcement (new client, new product, award won, etc.), a hyperlink to your latest press release, article, or Web site feature or an invitation to subscribe to your free e-newsletter
Include a return envelope
If you'd really like a response from a personal letter, include a return envelope in it with a live stamp on it. It'll increase your response or it'll drive them nuts.
Post advertising circulars on all the free bulletin boards
Post circulars in your area, especially the coin-operated laundries, grocery stores, and beauty and barber shops.
Always acknowledge
Always acknowledge when something nice is done for you with a thank you letter. No, a call is not the same.
Write articles for magazines and newspapers.
Each time your articles are published, you gain credibility and visibility.
Develop a "small town" marketing approach.
Send out congratulatory notes for weddings, graduations, and birthdays.
Stand-by space
Many publications will give you a contract for "stand-by" space. In this arrangement you send them your ad, and they hold it until they have unsold space, and then at a price that's always one third or less than the regular price for the space you need, insert your ad. Along these lines, be sure to check in with the suburban and neighborhood newspapers.
Headlines
Use headlines on your website, brochure and sales kit. Talk about how customers will benefit from your services, not simply a list about what services your business offers. An excellent way to get attention is to boldly give the 5 or 6 key benefits of your product or service. Put the biggest benefit on top and list off the rest in descending order of importance. The best formula for creating headlines in marketing is "New product offers benefit, benefit, benefit." Use this to create the headline of your press releases and advertisements, for envelope teaser copy, and for the beginning lead of your brochure. For example: How Would You Like To Get: Biggest benefit, Second biggest, Third biggest benefit … You get the idea
Become a guest on as many of the radio and television talk shows
Become a guest on as many of the radio and television talk shows or interview type programs as possible. Actually, this is much easier to bring about than most people realize. Write a letter to the producer of these programs, then follow up with an in-person visit or telephone call. Your initial contact should emphasize that your product or service would be of interest to the listeners or viewers of the program -- perhaps even saving them time or money.
Provide GREAT customer service
This is the key to your success. If you tell people that you are going to give them more time, then you must take it one step further and value their time. Return ALL telephone calls and emails in 24 hours or less. This one thing has done more to grow Triangle Concierge than anything else we’ve done. Our reputation for fantastic customer service has given us more referrals than anything else.
Proof
Nobody wants to be a fool, or get robbed. Before buying anything, everyone wants to know if the money they're paying is worth the product or not? In this case, the proof is in the testimonials from your clients. Nothing works better than word of mouth because people want to know how the other person has benefited from your product.
Join your local Chamber of Commerce and go to all their networking functions
The key here is to network, network, network! Talk to everyone that you can about your new business. Hand out your business cards to everyone you meet! I like the cards that are folded where your information appears on the top and a quick list of your services is inside - a sort of mini-brochure.
Purchase the Chamber's mailing list and send out your brochure, business card and a short letter to each member
The cost will range in price from $20 to $200 depending upon where you live. Follow each letter up with a telephone call. You can also use your local yellow pages or any mailing list from your marketing area.
Develop a mailing list and send them a mailing every month
Develop a newsletter and send it out every other month. Send out special gift certificates or two-for-one dinner special coupons from a local restaurant. You need to stay in front of someone at least 5-10 times before they will respond to you so persistence is the key with marketing. Get the names from business cards you have obtained, membership lists from organizations that you belong to, your Rolodex file, etc… Remember to keep it updated.
Create a webpage
Triangle Concierge gets 99% of its clients from our website and from referrals. Your website will enable thousands of people to find about you and your new service quickly and easily. Remember, however, that once created you MUST submit your site to search engines at least once a month. If they cannot find you when doing a search then your website is not working for you.
Send out a press release to all the newspapers, television and radio stations in your area announcing your new business
This is one of the best ways to grow your business -- and it doesn't cost you a cent to do!
Place an ad in your local yellow pages
Place an ad in your local newspapers, magazines or business journals
Network, network, network!!
Go to every networking function you can find. Attend all the local expositions and hand your business card out to everyone you can. Network, network, and network!
Trade Shows
You can either be one of the exhibitors at a local exposition, or you may simple attend one and hand out business cards to everyone you meet. Both are valuable. It is also a nice way to obtain service vendors for a business referral service.
Ask the owner of a local coffee shop if you can put some brochures on his counter
I have many clients who have told me that this is one of the best ways they have found to grow their business.
Collect business cards. Make contact with anyone in the corporate environment
Place signs on every errand running vehicle
Read the business section of your local newspaper and look for company and personal leads
Ask!
Ask friends, neighbors and family for leads and contacts.
Visit your local spas
Propose that they include errand running with their all-day packages. As the clients get pampered, you run their errands for them! By the end of the day not only do they feel great, but their errands are all done. This idea would also work for hair and nail salons.
Contact local surgeons
Often they will send home a patient with orders for complete and total bed rest. And, if that patient’s spouse can’t boil water then its trouble! Offer 1 or 2 hour errand gift certificates that the surgeon can give to his/her patients who are recovering from surgery. Also, the surgeons themselves (as well as the nurses) are notoriously busy people and might benefit from your new service.
Go to your local country club or golf course
Offer to make your services a part of one of their membership packages. Logistics are great because 9 times out of 10 the member lives within a 5-mile radius of the club. Another good idea is to offer a golf package - tee off and gives us your "to do" list. When you reach the 18th hole your errands are done and in the trunk of your car ready to go!
Affiliate with a local professional organizer company
Many professional organizers will have a client that not only needs help with organizing their lives, but with their daily tasks as well.
Get to know some local realtors … notoriously busy people!
How about the airport?
Pilots and airline attendants are away for days at a time and might need a little helping hand once in a while.
Contact travel agencies
Ask them about offering pet-sitting or house-sitting services to their out-of-town clients.
Previous colleagues and associates
Remember the people you used to work with in your last job? Remember how you liked each other? Well somehow over the years you have lost track of them. Now is the time to re-kindle those lost friendships. Watch where they lead ... you might be surprised! Add them to your mailing list to keep in touch with them. Your new newsletter is a great way to keep in touch with them.
Run special promotions and incentives
Make a contribution to a local charity's fundraiser by offering some free errand hours as a door prize. Perhaps contact your local "welcome wagon" and add a gift certificate to their package. A tip: always attach a list of services to the gift certificate so that they know what they can use it for.
Have no doubts!
Want to know the secret of growing your business? The REAL secret? Change your words. I’m serious, change your words and you will change your life. Don’t listen to the negative people who are telling you that your business will fail in today’s economy. Turn your back on people who tell you that perhaps you should consider a 9 to 5 job. KNOW that can do this! Have no doubts about it and turn your thoughts to “I am going to succeed!” and “I can do this”.
Copyright 2007 by Katharine Giovanni
About the Author: Katharine has been a meeting/event planner and concierge for over 20 years and has set up several successful businesses including Triangle Concierge. Katharine has trained hundreds of concierge from all over the world, and she is Triangle Concierge's senior trainer and speaker and is the author of their best-selling book The Concierge Manual. She is Chairman of the Board and Co-Founder of the International Concierge and Errand Association (ICEA) A dynamic public speaker, Katharine has been a speaker at seminars and conferences around the country, and has appeared on both radio and television including ABC News Nightline and The Joey Reynolds show. She is also the author of the acclaimed inspirational book God, is that you? Raised in New York City, Katharine has a B.A. from Lake Forest College and currently lives in North Carolina with her husband Ron and two children. Katharine is a member of the National Speakers Association. She can be reached through her websites at www.triangleconcierge.com or www.katharinegiovanni.com |
