How much does it cost to get new patron? Yes, we are talking about a real cost to every business. In one article I read, it suggested that a particular company actually spend $1,000 to get each new customer.
Your business is all about getting clients to buy what you offer. If you repair sewing machines, you must get patrons to bring you their machines to service. If you sell widgets, gadgets, or whatnots; you will always need new customers. Servicing and retaining customers follows, but only after you get them.
In 1992, I started a sewing machine repair business out of my garage. It is a real business grossing over one and a quarter million dollars last year. The foundation, however, is simple. Get, satisfy, and keep clients.
So, can we agree on the importance of finding customers? There are really only two ways to do the job: Advertise or Get others to advertise for you. The first approach is expensive, but the second approach may take some work and time.
This approach can be described as leveraging your promotional efforts. Letting others help you promote your business does not mean that you never need to spend dollars on advertising, but it does mean you can get more results from the money and time you spend.
Step one, just ask. Yes, you can just ask your satisfied customers to give you the names and information of all their friends that might be interested in your services. You can even bribe them for their referrals. Once you get the names, you reach out to them with special offers to become your clients.
There are three basic challenges with traditional referrals. Customers do not like giving them. Often you feel awkward asking for them, and therefore fail to do it consistently. Tracking referrals can also be a challenge.
A home based repair business depends on customers feeling neighborly and welcome, but not pressured. I got a few traditional referrals, but then I discovered a slight variation that really worked great. I printed up 500 GIFT CERTIFICATES for $5 each. When I completed a sewing machine service, I included a stack of five gift certificates. I explained, if you will sign your name where is says Authorized By, I will credit you for $5 every time one of these gift certificates is redeemed by one of your friends. That way their next service could possibly even be free. I also told them that if they needed more certificates, I had plenty and they were free.
Explain that when their friends bring in their machines for service, the new client can redeem their gift certificate. As a reward for handing out the gift certificates, you will credit the existing patron for an equal amount toward her next sewing machine service. Obviously, you do not want to ever give away cash. However, if an existing customer can bring you a dozen other customers, doing her repair will be a time of celebration.
People know other people. People influence other people. People in groups are especially vulnerable to the influence of the group. Therefore, plug into groups of people that can promote you and your business. Sewing clubs, quilt guilds, library societies, schools, and church groups as well as many other groups offer opportunities to reach people through groups. Offer special seminars or demonstrations. Give away token gifts, but spread the news. Get people excited and they will broadcast your information to others.
Are there other businesses looking for new patrons? Of course. So, get together with one or several of those other businesses and cross promote. Give away each others gift certificates or sales coupons. It is amazing how inexpensive advertising is, when other businesses are adverting to their clients for you.
Is there a Walmart, Hobby Lobby, Target, or other department store in your town that sells products whose owners might need your help. Say they sell a $149 sewing machine. Where does that new owner find instruction or repair services? Why not you? Let all the workers know who you are. Get them to pass out your business cards, give away gift certificates, or otherwise make referrals for you.
Many quilt shops and small fabric shops would be very happy to serve as pick up and drop off locations for your services. Make a list of all the various shops within fifty miles of your location. Contact each one and offer to pay them $5 for each machine you service from their location. Provide a window sign, business cards, a flier, or other resource materials to make it easy for the shop to serve their customers while giving you business. If you had a five such shops sending you five machines a month, you would pay $25 X 5 = $125 to produce $500 X 5 = $2,500 or more in services.
To get the biggest return on your advertising investment , empower others to market for you. Get others to promote you. Let your clients sell for you. Everybody wins. - 17943
Your business is all about getting clients to buy what you offer. If you repair sewing machines, you must get patrons to bring you their machines to service. If you sell widgets, gadgets, or whatnots; you will always need new customers. Servicing and retaining customers follows, but only after you get them.
In 1992, I started a sewing machine repair business out of my garage. It is a real business grossing over one and a quarter million dollars last year. The foundation, however, is simple. Get, satisfy, and keep clients.
So, can we agree on the importance of finding customers? There are really only two ways to do the job: Advertise or Get others to advertise for you. The first approach is expensive, but the second approach may take some work and time.
This approach can be described as leveraging your promotional efforts. Letting others help you promote your business does not mean that you never need to spend dollars on advertising, but it does mean you can get more results from the money and time you spend.
Step one, just ask. Yes, you can just ask your satisfied customers to give you the names and information of all their friends that might be interested in your services. You can even bribe them for their referrals. Once you get the names, you reach out to them with special offers to become your clients.
There are three basic challenges with traditional referrals. Customers do not like giving them. Often you feel awkward asking for them, and therefore fail to do it consistently. Tracking referrals can also be a challenge.
A home based repair business depends on customers feeling neighborly and welcome, but not pressured. I got a few traditional referrals, but then I discovered a slight variation that really worked great. I printed up 500 GIFT CERTIFICATES for $5 each. When I completed a sewing machine service, I included a stack of five gift certificates. I explained, if you will sign your name where is says Authorized By, I will credit you for $5 every time one of these gift certificates is redeemed by one of your friends. That way their next service could possibly even be free. I also told them that if they needed more certificates, I had plenty and they were free.
Explain that when their friends bring in their machines for service, the new client can redeem their gift certificate. As a reward for handing out the gift certificates, you will credit the existing patron for an equal amount toward her next sewing machine service. Obviously, you do not want to ever give away cash. However, if an existing customer can bring you a dozen other customers, doing her repair will be a time of celebration.
People know other people. People influence other people. People in groups are especially vulnerable to the influence of the group. Therefore, plug into groups of people that can promote you and your business. Sewing clubs, quilt guilds, library societies, schools, and church groups as well as many other groups offer opportunities to reach people through groups. Offer special seminars or demonstrations. Give away token gifts, but spread the news. Get people excited and they will broadcast your information to others.
Are there other businesses looking for new patrons? Of course. So, get together with one or several of those other businesses and cross promote. Give away each others gift certificates or sales coupons. It is amazing how inexpensive advertising is, when other businesses are adverting to their clients for you.
Is there a Walmart, Hobby Lobby, Target, or other department store in your town that sells products whose owners might need your help. Say they sell a $149 sewing machine. Where does that new owner find instruction or repair services? Why not you? Let all the workers know who you are. Get them to pass out your business cards, give away gift certificates, or otherwise make referrals for you.
Many quilt shops and small fabric shops would be very happy to serve as pick up and drop off locations for your services. Make a list of all the various shops within fifty miles of your location. Contact each one and offer to pay them $5 for each machine you service from their location. Provide a window sign, business cards, a flier, or other resource materials to make it easy for the shop to serve their customers while giving you business. If you had a five such shops sending you five machines a month, you would pay $25 X 5 = $125 to produce $500 X 5 = $2,500 or more in services.
To get the biggest return on your advertising investment , empower others to market for you. Get others to promote you. Let your clients sell for you. Everybody wins. - 17943
About the Author:
Sewing Machine Technician David Trumble has authored several comprehensive courses giving sewing machine repair instructions in his expert sewing machine repair manuals. He even gives away a free beginners course.
