Marketing gurus I need your help..

[caitlinsmom]

We walked into a great deal for a carpet cleaning business last month. After talking with the old owner and seeing previous year records we felt confident that this was a sound financial descision. We were told that March is the month that the "season" begins with October ending it. Well its now nearly May and we are seeing about 1/10th of the profit as in previous years. So I have been going over the old books and have found that some very established contracts dropped our services last year. This explains a some of the missing business but not all.

 

However we learned yesterday that the old owner (begining last June) began cancelling appointments every other week (the entire weeks worth of appointments) and telling customers that he wasn't going to be able to clean for them anymore! This was NEVER mentioned in our previous discussions and is a very good explanation of why business is so incredibly slow.

 

Sooooo.....I want to send out a post card to every single person on our mailing list introducing ourselves as the new owners. I want to offer a coupon deal to encourage them to try us out again.

Are there certain words, phrases, that catch the eye more than others? Are there ways of going about this to make it the most profitable possible? Any tips that I should know when doing this sort of thing? Is my idea even worth it or should I go about this in a different manner? Any help would greatly be appreciated!

[Jean in Newcastle]

Great idea! How about saying, "New Management but Same Great Service" (I'm assuming there was since he had long time customers).

[caitlinsmom]

Great idea! How about saying, "New Management but Same Great Service" (I'm assuming there was since he had long time customers).

 

LOL funny you should post this. Dh just called from a job, a long time customer just told him that she has never had such an amazing job. She said the other guy did it fast and it was good but she didn't know she had white carpet until dh was there today.

 

Would it then be okay to say something like "New Management better service"? or unbeatable service? or something along those lines?

 

:tongue_smilie: I am so out of my element on this stuff!

[Jean in Newcastle]

LOL funny you should post this. Dh just called from a job, a long time customer just told him that she has never had such an amazing job. She said the other guy did it fast and it was good but she didn't know she had white carpet until dh was there today.

 

Would it then be okay to say something like "New Management better service"? or unbeatable service? or something along those lines?

 

:tongue_smilie: I am so out of my element on this stuff!

 

That would be a great quote: "I've had my carpet cleaned before but I never knew I had white carpet until you cleaned it!" You should ask her if you can use it with her first name.

[StephanieZ]

Vistaprint does great pricing on custom post cards and tons of other custom printables. I've ordered 1000s of items from them, dozens of orders, gobs of free stuff, and always been very happy.

 

I'd just make it very simple. . . New ownership, Spring Special (something around 25-50% off regular pricing, but with whatever minimum you need to make at least a few dollars profit. . . So, say, if you regular 'whole house' cleaning is $200, make it $125. . . Make a short time frame on the deal, something like 60 days from the day the cards hit the mailboxes.

 

Try sending one card to a randomly chosen (not by address) part of your list (alphabetical) and a different card to another part. . . Track the cards sent and cards that are cashed it. . . This will help you get an idea of effective marketing tactics for next time. If you can do 2 or 4 different deals, that'll give you a good idea of what works and what doesn't. One could be 25% off entire sale, one could be free scotchguard, one could be a set discounted price for 'whole house', one could be. . . If you send out 200 of each, and get back 10 of one but 20 of another, well, you've learned something. If one that is 25% off gets you as much return as one that is 50% off, well you've learned another thing. . . TRACK how many you mail and how many come back!

 

If you have email addresses, a website, or a facebook page for the business, you can do virtually free marketing through them. If you don't already collect email addresses, now is the time to start with every client! If you don't have a good webpage and a business facebook page, get that going NOW. SOOOO much new business is generated through the web now!

 

HTH

[PinkInTheBlue]

Vistaprint does great pricing on custom post cards and tons of other custom printables. I've ordered 1000s of items from them, dozens of orders, gobs of free stuff, and always been very happy.

 

I'd just make it very simple. . . New ownership, Spring Special (something around 25-50% off regular pricing, but with whatever minimum you need to make at least a few dollars profit. . . So, say, if you regular 'whole house' cleaning is $200, make it $125. . . Make a short time frame on the deal, something like 60 days from the day the cards hit the mailboxes.

 

Try sending one card to a randomly chosen (not by address) part of your list (alphabetical) and a different card to another part. . . Track the cards sent and cards that are cashed it. . . This will help you get an idea of effective marketing tactics for next time. If you can do 2 or 4 different deals, that'll give you a good idea of what works and what doesn't. One could be 25% off entire sale, one could be free scotchguard, one could be a set discounted price for 'whole house', one could be. . . If you send out 200 of each, and get back 10 of one but 20 of another, well, you've learned something. If one that is 25% off gets you as much return as one that is 50% off, well you've learned another thing. . . TRACK how many you mail and how many come back!

 

If you have email addresses, a website, or a facebook page for the business, you can do virtually free marketing through them. If you don't already collect email addresses, now is the time to start with every client! If you don't have a good webpage and a business facebook page, get that going NOW. SOOOO much new business is generated through the web now!

 

HTH

 

:iagree: Marketing is what we do for a living. Above is GREAT information. Please do not use "same great service". Some of those people who were canceled on will not likely agree. :)

 

Remember that in marketing the priority is to catch them with what you can do for them. Catch them with why what you are doing will make their life easier, better, less complicated, easier solution, whatever. The priority is NOT your company name or even your phone number (although you'll have both on there). The priority is to talk to their lives. Make their eyes tell their brains they need you and need to know more about what you can do.

 

One of the best marketing things I've seen in the last month was a simple white Ford truck in front of me at the red light. He had black letters that were a simple font on the back of this tailgate. It said "A1 Roofing Company" and the phone number underneath. His name was his marketing and I didn't have much to remember if I were needing roofing business.

 

Splitting your marketing testing is vital if you have any interest in continuing this avenue of building your client list. Find out what cards, ads or mailings get the best results and then do more of that.

 

This past month a young 30's guy knocked on my door and asked could he give me a quote on my yard and then offer me a no-obligation 25% off first cut flier. He was nice and respectful. His flier he left with me was a simple, colorful, half-sheet paper on which he hand wrote his offer on and left it with me. It was good.

 

Good luck! I love owning my own business (most days :) ). I know it's a daring, sometimes scary thing. Remember, marketing is your lifeline. Learn how to market because you'll always need it. :)

[caitlinsmom]

:iagree: Marketing is what we do for a living. Above is GREAT information. Please do not use "same great service". Some of those people who were canceled on will not likely agree. :)

 

Remember that in marketing the priority is to catch them with what you can do for them. Catch them with why what you are doing will make their life easier, better, less complicated, easier solution, whatever. The priority is NOT your company name or even your phone number (although you'll have both on there). The priority is to talk to their lives. Make their eyes tell their brains they need you and need to know more about what you can do.

 

Splitting your marketing testing is vital if you have any interest in continuing this avenue of building your client list. Find out what cards, ads or mailings get the best results and then do more of that.

 

 

Good luck! I love owning my own business (most days :) ). I know it's a daring, sometimes scary thing. Remember, marketing is your lifeline. Learn how to market because you'll always need it. :)

 

Thank you both for your help! (I don't know how to quote multiple times).

 

I have been on vistaprint all day. So far I have two post cards made up, keeping with the simple "New Owners" spring special idea. I was thinking about another card some how playing on how allergy season is right around the corner. Maybe a spring allergy special. We live in a rural area where corn, wheat, and hay are grown in abundance.

 

Is it better (generally) to offer a dollar amount off or a percentage off?