Doughnut Friday! A great Marketing tip for Carpet Cleaners...
So many people have asked me about something I mentioned at a marketing seminar last year that I thought I'd share it again here.
It's not original to me, i think I heard it from Howard Partridge when he was in the UK many years ago. I immediately loved it and have done it regularly since. So what's the big idea? DOUGHNUT FRIDAY!
For £1.20 per visit you can get an easy introduction into carpet and upholstery retailers with this cheeky idea. I've even used it in hairdressers and estate agents too, with incredible effect. Here's how it works...
Pick our the retailers who already recommend you but ALSO those who you'd like to start recommending you. Get some boxes of Doughnuts from the Supermarket, don't go overboard, this is supposed to just be a quick drop in and thank you so don't go splashing the cash on expensive ones. I use Sainsbury's as theirs are boxed in 5's which means I can take a box of Jam and a box of sugar ring into the same place. WARNING! If you're going to do lots of these then call the Bakery Manager on the Wednesday and warn him you will be coming in Friday morning opening and clearing the shelf of stock, then they'll have as many EXTRA for you ready to collect from the bakery, and leave his shelf stock intact 🙂
Okay, next step, with a box of each type in hand walk into the retailer and ask to speak to the manager. When the manager arrives just say "Hi I'm Allan from ABC Cleaners and I'm not sure who it was but someone here recommended us to someone who called us to book a carpet clean recently. She couldn't remember who it was but mentioned this shop. I just wanted to drop these in to say Thanks, it's appreciated, enjoy them with a cuppa." Then pause, they will almost certainly say something. If they say nothing just say "Many thanks" then turn and head for the door. They will ALWAYS then say something, and usually start asking staff who are around who recommended us. It is uncanny someone always says they know about us and it might have been them. This is a very soft way into the retailer and works on two fronts. Firstly the law of reciprocity, you've taken time to go in with a gift, they will feel obliged to return that, and will do so by 'repeating' the behaviour that generated the gift, ie REFER YOU! I GUARANTEE if you do this in a sincere way they will ALWAYS ask if you have any cards you can leave them, RESULT! You have not had to ask for them to refer you, they will ask you for cards to refer you further, it's genius. Secondly, the "Feed 'em!" principle. It's a basic instinct that is met with the token gesture of food as a gift. Feeding people appears to motivate them, just like the Pizza at staff meetings!
This works even where they have not recommended you, trust me. You will find that the staff start saying they know about you and it was possibly them. It also works in Estate Agents and Letting Agents. Hairdressers are another GREAT place to try this in. I'll tell you more about how you can 'use' hairdressers even more efficiently in another post soon.
So, what are you waiting for, call Sainsbury Bakery Manager, get your order in and get out there building bridges and putting smiles on retailers faces.
Here's the link to Sainsburys Doughnuts too...
Allan.