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Hey all....I've been out of the sign trade for a few years now and have recently begun to stoke up the fires once again.
Being a business owner in another industry for several years, I have learned some incredible marketing stradegies that have worked very well. I would like to impliment some of them in this business.
Any help or comments would be greatly appreciated. For instance...
1) Does anyone here offer free monthly newsletters to their customers?
2) Do you offer free services to new potential customers to get them into your door? ie..one free vehical lettering(doors only 1 color), one free set of magnetics, ect...
3) what kind of guarantees do you offer your customers?
4) Besides word of mouth, what one marketing stradegy do you impliment that consistantly brings in new customers?
5) What product do you offer that makes a great back end sales item?
Thanks for you input.
Sorry, for any misspelled words. I don't see a spell check button.
-------------------- Great White Signs Logan, Ohio
"All signs now come with new and improved vinyl." jimw@1067wwtl.com
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Jim, welcome to the Letterville community! Thanks for the provocative posting. I sure like the idea of a monthly tip or newsletter, and for many years I've been searching for the back end sales product we could make. Giving away signs to attract customers that I want to spend more for better quality doesn't seem like it would attract the clientelle I want. Can you explain more to us of the strategies you've learned and pondered?
-------------------- The SignShop Mendocino, California
Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity. — Charles Mingus Posts: 6806 | From: Mendocino, CA. USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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Jim, The only thing I give out free is advice, because of the reasoning Rick lends. I send out brochures to TARGET customers, and I mean those busiesses that very much need a sign, or don't have one yet because they are still under construction. I deal with mostly professional signage, and those clients are usually too busy to call on, so the brochure, allows them a look at what I do. Many will make there minds up without peddling your bid, if they see quality in your work. I make up my own 4 color brochures with Microsoft publisher and print them for about 25 cents each on an inkjet printer. There is a post on the board now about them, by Glen Taylor. By far the most effective means of sales that I have ever used. Bronzeo
-------------------- "Don't change horses in midstream, unless you spot one with longer legs" bronzeo oti Jack Davis 1410 Main St Joplin, MO 64801 www.imagemakerart.com jack@imagemakerart.com Posts: 1549 | From: Joplin, MO | Registered: Mar 2000
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Thanks guys for your response. Rick, I'd be glad to share a few of the stradegies that I have used. They are all proven and have made me money.
The monthly, bi-monthly, or quarterly, newsletter that you send your customers is a very effective way that will keep you in the forground in the minds of your customer. It also allows many additional sales during the year for other services and products that you may provide.
For example, Why spend your advertising/marketing dollers to get a customer and then let them slip off your hook for your competition to grab. Simply because of neglect. The easiest sales you will ever make is to the ones that have already done business with you. Why? Because they have now first hand seen the quality of your work. You have won their trust. So now anything you suggest or recommend will have more value to it. And the best way to continually offer or recommend additional services is through a regular newsletter.
The newsletter that I plan to send my customers (clients as I refer to them) will contain valuable information that will benefit their business. (by the way - the clients that I target are the small mom/pop shops or services. Vehicals, store fronts, banners, windows ect.) They are not interested in hearing about me or my shop. They only care about themselves and their business. They want to know how my newsletter can benefit them. So, my newsletter will be filled with small business marketing stradegies. Proven stradegies that can make them money just as soon as they start implimenting them.
Topics ie.. 19 costly advertising mistakes most business make!, How to be the company they call again and again!, How to raise your business from mediocrity to greatness with one simple step - Guaranteed!!, How to turn ordinary ads into money magnets through the power of headlines! How to double your response in the yellow pages!
Does that interest you? It will my clients also and they will not only read it but look forward to getting them each month in the mail. And of course inserted in the newsletter will be additional products or services that will compliment the topics written.
This is what I do in my other business. It works extremly well. I simply do a newsletter on the computer (all in black and white). Take it to the copy machine and make as many as I need. Expect great responce!
Here is another tip. Fill your newsletters, flyers, ads, with testimonials. Your clients will believe what others say about you more than what you say about yourself.
Hope this helps!
Hey Jack! I lived in Springfield a couple of years. Loved it there!!
-------------------- Great White Signs Logan, Ohio
"All signs now come with new and improved vinyl." jimw@1067wwtl.com
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I have been wanting to do a quarterly newsletter for quite a while now, but it is on a long list of other things to do. I had planned on creating a one page, black and white one that I could fax out directly from the computer (winfax). Using ACT with a database of customer fax #'s, I could just set it to fax them all out at night while i sleep. Saves on postage and copies, etc. Just mark on your calender when you want to send them out, and it's only four times a year (if it is quarterly).
What are some other ideas for info to include? I planned on doing a highlight on one of our services each time, and a tip on how to take care of your banner, magnetic signs, vehicle graphics, etc. I like the idea about small business marketing advice.. anyone else have any good ideas to get your customer's attention?
Fax blasts are a great and cost effective way to easily promote response from your customers. I would feature a product or service and have a deadline to respond. Your sales will increase even more by simply including an additional item or service free or at a discounted price just responding.
Here's what I've done in the past. I sent out a flyer to all the contractors in my area. Yellow paper, black ink, photo copied. Big bold headline "Truck Lettering - Turn your vehicals into a 24 hour selling machine" (or something to that nature - Hey, it's not going to win any awards but I'm only concerned with response) I educated my customers why it would benefit them if they respond. The flyer included a special price and a deadline to respond. I also included a free yard sign if they called before the deadline (or I even included a free report like 5 money making stradegies that can make triple your sales this month!!.)
From $25.00 in postage and supplies I made approx. $500.00. And after it was all said and done those 20 or 30 flyers made me well over $2000.00.
A sign company that understands direct response marketing does this and many other like stradegies on a daily basis. Regular newsletters is one. Fax blasts can be another. How about a regular E-mail to all your customers? The oppertunities are endless.
-------------------- Great White Signs Logan, Ohio
"All signs now come with new and improved vinyl." jimw@1067wwtl.com
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