Proudly serving the industry for which it was named for more than 50 years, Outdoor Power Equipment provides dealers who sell and service outdoor power equipment with valuable information to succeed in a competitive market.
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/765117
22 JANUARY 2017 OUTDOOR POWER EQUIPMENT www.outdoorpowerequipment.com FEATURE STORY | Best Practices 2) Handwritten thank-you notes: People love them! I know that when I receive any handwritten note in the mail these days, I am amazed. Sometimes, going back to the old ways is not a bad idea and can kick open a door that was previously shut. Your customers will be impressed that you took the time to send them a handwritten thank-you note. 3) Support charities: Hosting a Red Cross blood drive in your dealership or sponsoring a charity fundraiser is a good thing to do, and it allows you to bring people into your dealership — or get you outside of your dealership — to meet them. You could consider this just public relations, but you can tie your efforts to an in-store giveaway or sale. 4) Business cards: Once again, I realize this seems so 20th century, but even in the current Electronic Age, it is good to be able to put your personal advertisement into a person's hands. I know that in my desk drawer I keep business cards of people that I have met and want to have their information handy. I've also kept some very important business cards in my wallet. Yes, your customers can look you up on the Internet, but this is more relational. Make sure that you carry some of your business cards with you; otherwise, producing them is wasted. 5) Ask for referrals: If you have very satisfied customers, then what better way to further those relationships than by asking for referrals? You can even set up a program where if a customer referral leads to a purchase, the referring customer receives something free or discounted. You have to ask your customers for referrals though, and that takes self-discipline. I suggest that you teach your employees how to ask your customers for referrals too. You might tie in an incentive for your employees if you hear them asking someone to tell their friends or neighbors about your store. PROGRAM MARKETING IDEAS 1) Chamber of commerce/associations: Joining these groups is not a bad idea. You get to know the business owners locally, regionally or nationally. There are opportunities to partner with other business owners on promotions, thereby reducing your costs or learning who needs your help in a more personal way. Business cards are very useful to hand out at the meetings of these groups. 2) Get email addresses and/or cell phone numbers from your customers: Do not fear this! I talk with lots of owners who hate giving out their email addresses or cell phone numbers, so they don't want to bother their customers by asking them for the same information. You need to reassure your customers that you want their e-mail address and cell phone number primarily for contact purposes, but that you may e-mail or text them ■ BY JEFF SHEETS I want to kick off the New Year with an article on marketing because it is an area where most businesses could stand to make some improvement. And when I say 10 "free or low-cost marketing ideas," I am talking about how much money that you have to invest. Most of these ideas will take time for you or your employees to implement, so keep that in mind when you look at these ideas. Sometimes, people invest in things because of long-term gain, and that is hard to measure in 30 days or even in three months. As with everything, you need to make sure that what you're doing makes sense for your particular business. Try one of my 10 marketing ideas or try all 10, but I ask you to think about these ideas or come up with some of your own to make sure that you are always trying to find new ways to market or brand yourself. At the end of this article, I am going to ask you do something for me, so please read all the way through and follow the instructions for a fun way to help me and other OPE businesses. I am breaking the following 10 marketing ideas into two types: Personal and Program. PERSONAL MARKETING IDEAS 1) Buy someone a meal: It seems so simple, but how many times do we take people out to just reward them or get to know them better? People like free food, even the writer of this article likes to get a free lunch every now and then. This is relationship building and shows people that you want to invest time in them, and that can go a long way toward securing their business. IMAGE ©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/MAGEEGAMI Top 10 free or low-cost marketing ideas for 2017