There are so many things we can do or not do to get customers. One could spray paint 1800BUNKBED on a wall or a train, or even a cow! How effective is that though, in getting the types of customers we want to buy our beds? As anyone knows, there’s no magic formula. There are some things I will share with you though that has consistently brought me customers.
If we choose some simple effective things to do and do them consistently, that will bring us customers. For example, the first week I was in this business I made six postcard size advertisements. I went to three day cares, a hair salon, a dance school, and a martial arts studio. It took me 20 at the computer to make the six little advertisements, a few more minutes to cut them out, then I got in my truck and went to those places. The total amount of time I invested in this was only 2 hours. That’s simple!
Not only was this simple, it was very effective as well, and at the time I didn’t know just how effective it would be. In my first year in this business those six places brought me nine paying customers! I know this because I keep records of where all my customers come from or how they hear about me and you should too.
From those nine sales my profit was $2,430.00 (avg. $243.00 per bed). I gave 10% of each sale to the places my customers saw the ads at, still leaving me with about $2,200.00. Let’s crunch the numbers a little more, by dividing $2,200.00 by 12 months we get $183.33 avg. per month, just from those 6 places.
When I advertised at 12 places my sales doubled. The $183.33 turned into $366.66, actually it was 390 something. I started placing my advertisements up at all sorts of places, (see Steve’s Tips, A Profitable Suggestion, use the “Owners Only” tab). I knew that if I advertised at 192 places I had the potential of earning over $58,000.00 a year just from that type of marketing, not to mention delivery and set up!
192 different places! I know that sounds like a big number, and it is. I also know though that if was advertising at 12 different places a week, it would only take me 16 weeks to be advertising at 192 different places!
We want to make sure our ads stay up in these places so always keep your word and make sure you really do give these places 10% of the sale. Send them 1800BUNKBED postcards every 2 or 3 months thanking them and wishing them continued success in their business. Go by these places periodically to say hello and/or give them a phone call to let them know their appreciated. In keeping good business relations our ads stay up at these places and we are consistently getting customers.
