Question:
With the downturn in business, I’m flat broke and don’t have any extra money to promote my salon. Could you give me one good marketing idea that I can use without having to take out an SBA loan? Every form of advertising seems to cost so much now days.
Georgene M, Wayne, Indiana
Answer:
Sometimes our best opportunities are the ones that are closest to us. Most business owners are always looking for new, but somewhat elusive customers. But we forget how valuable our current clients are to us, and the influence they can have on others. Why not concentrate on building a better relationship with the people you already know?
Office and paper supply outlets seem to always have a sale on thank you cards. During the next month, send a thank you card to every customer who visits your salon. Then challenge yourself to send an equal number of thank you cards to past customers who you have not seen for a while.
This exercise will “force” you to record the mailing addresses of your clients for future use and in some cases help you remember their last names. You will be amazed at the results that will come from this very personal marketing idea. If you consistently send out thank you cards with a unique individualized message, your bank account will be noticeably larger within 60-days.