Customers Are Your Best Asset Part II – Article 2

If you read my last article then you know I gave you a homework assignment. If you did not read Article 1, then please do so before reading this one.

Let’s get started. Knowing that your customers are your best asset, you now need to know how to develop marketing programs that will increase your sales at a very modest cost to you. I would like to start with an example.

There is a national chain of upscale chocolate, ice cream and fudge stores called Kilwin’s. Perhaps you have been to one and will agree that they have an outstanding product line. A friend of mine owns the store located here in Coral Springs. We meet for breakfast on a regular basis and I always try to give him some marketing ideas to execute. Knowing that his customers are his best asset, I want to share with you a program that is very successful.

When I was a kid, I hated going to the dentist. My mother would always entice me to go for the free ice cream cone card that my dentist would give me after the visit. I always looked forward to a yummy ice cream cone, so I managed to get through the office visit. At Kilwin’s I suggested that we initiate a similar program.

I wrote a letter that was mailed on Kilwin’s stationary to all the dentists in a five mile radius of his store. The letter told my story about getting an ice cream cone from my dentist as a child. We offered free ice cream cone cards to the dentist to give out to all their patients. We included four free ice cream cone cards with the introductory letter for the dentist and his family to visit the Kilwin’s store and try the great ice cream flavors. We told the dentist to simply contact the store and we would supply him with whatever quantity they needed. Remember by giving out one card for one free ice cream cone that the patient would probably have someone go with them to the Kilwin’s store which would usually result in another sale plus any other products they saw while in the store and purchased. Additionally, if this person had never been to a Kilwin’s store the word of mouth advertising about the free ice cream cone program created new business and new referrals. The marketing program was very successful for Kilwin's and still continues to generate new sales and new customers.

So what can you do to create a customer based marketing program? It does not matter what type of business you are in. You can always develop programs that will bring your customer back and also make them your best sales people by developing an incentive based referral program. It is impossible for me to cover all business categories, but here is an example.

If you are a realtor, set up a monthly seminar series to discuss exciting topics such as “How to Use Plants to Create a New Look for Your Home”. Invite a local plant store as well as an interior designer to speak, I am sure the plant store would give each visitor a plant as a gift. Remember this event works for the plant store as well as the interior designer since they will be exposing their services and store to new customers. Encourage your clients to bring a friend. You can serve wine and cheese and register all you new guests to win a drawing for a small gift certificate at the plant store. You could probably get the wine and cheese donated by a local store in exchange for their putting a small sign on the table with their wine and cheese along with their business cards and brochures. Not only is this a fun event as well as educational, but it brings you new customers.

I am sure you can think of many other seminar topics better than my example, but do one a month and you will see a tremendous difference in your business. This can apply if you are a doctor, lawyer, retail store, consultant, or any other business category. Apply the same blueprint to your business.

If you did your homework, then you know a lot about your customer. You know geographically where they live so you can pick the areas to include in your programs. You also know their wants and needs which will help you develop a fun event or mailing idea that would interest them. Use your customer profiles to design your programs and it will insure a more successful marketing event.

I hope that your mind is stimulated and that you are now thinking of things that you can do for your business that will not only be fun, but will bring in additional business. I will discuss in my next article one of the most successful customer based marketing programs ever developed. I will tell you that McDonalds is the innovator of these programs.