How much does it cost to get new customer? 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 patrons to buy what you offer. If you repair sewing machines, you must get customers 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.
Sewing machine repair is a real business that you can do. It requires getting customers, satisfying customers, and keeping patrons. The exchange of money is always secondary. The real issue will always be the client.
If getting customers is your number one job, how do you do it? Advertising can work, but it costs money. Getting others to advertise your business works even better, costs less, but requires some work.
Getting others to advertise for you is one way to leverage your promotions. You may still have to spend a little, but your returns can be much better.
When you have one satisfied customer, you have the potential of seven new clients that this client could give you if you just ask for a simple referral. So ask for the names and details of those the customer knows who might also enjoy your services. Ripen the deal by offering the client a gift, bribe, special deal.
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 slight twist on the idea of referrals is to give your current clients special Gift Certificates to give their friends. Everybody enjoys giving gifts. Have the customer authorize the gift by signing their name. Then when the new customer brings in the certificate to redeem it, you credit the existing patron say $5 and the new client $5. What this means is that you have a non threatening way to get new clients for $10 each instead of spending hundreds.
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 client for an equal amount toward her next sewing machine service. Obviously, you do not want to ever give away cash. However, if an existing client can bring you a dozen other customers, doing her repair will be a time of celebration.
How could you get a whole group of people to promote your business? Thinks about it for a few minutes. Where do your patrons congregate? Where might you find prospective customers already part of established groups. There are hundreds of groups in your community: seniors, libraries, churches, schools, clubs, and special interest groups. Find them and find a way to get them to promote your business. Get people talking positively about you. Get involved with charities, events, give aways. Do seminars and demonstrations.
Are there other businesses looking for new customers? 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 patrons for you.
There are many mass merchants that sell low end sewing machines. Visit these stores and let the workers know you are available to help them and their clients. Have them pass out your business cards, gift certificates, or other offers for you to their clients who need your services. You might even agree to teach an introductory sewing machine class to those who buy a sewing machine for free. The issue is one of letting people know you exist.
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 clients 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. - 15246
Your business is all about getting patrons to buy what you offer. If you repair sewing machines, you must get customers 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.
Sewing machine repair is a real business that you can do. It requires getting customers, satisfying customers, and keeping patrons. The exchange of money is always secondary. The real issue will always be the client.
If getting customers is your number one job, how do you do it? Advertising can work, but it costs money. Getting others to advertise your business works even better, costs less, but requires some work.
Getting others to advertise for you is one way to leverage your promotions. You may still have to spend a little, but your returns can be much better.
When you have one satisfied customer, you have the potential of seven new clients that this client could give you if you just ask for a simple referral. So ask for the names and details of those the customer knows who might also enjoy your services. Ripen the deal by offering the client a gift, bribe, special deal.
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 slight twist on the idea of referrals is to give your current clients special Gift Certificates to give their friends. Everybody enjoys giving gifts. Have the customer authorize the gift by signing their name. Then when the new customer brings in the certificate to redeem it, you credit the existing patron say $5 and the new client $5. What this means is that you have a non threatening way to get new clients for $10 each instead of spending hundreds.
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 client for an equal amount toward her next sewing machine service. Obviously, you do not want to ever give away cash. However, if an existing client can bring you a dozen other customers, doing her repair will be a time of celebration.
How could you get a whole group of people to promote your business? Thinks about it for a few minutes. Where do your patrons congregate? Where might you find prospective customers already part of established groups. There are hundreds of groups in your community: seniors, libraries, churches, schools, clubs, and special interest groups. Find them and find a way to get them to promote your business. Get people talking positively about you. Get involved with charities, events, give aways. Do seminars and demonstrations.
Are there other businesses looking for new customers? 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 patrons for you.
There are many mass merchants that sell low end sewing machines. Visit these stores and let the workers know you are available to help them and their clients. Have them pass out your business cards, gift certificates, or other offers for you to their clients who need your services. You might even agree to teach an introductory sewing machine class to those who buy a sewing machine for free. The issue is one of letting people know you exist.
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 clients 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. - 15246
About the Author:
Repair Expert David Trumble has produced several comprehensive courses giving sewing machine repair instructions in his expert sewing machine repair manuals. He even gives away a free beginners course.
