Which small business wouldn’t like to increase their client base? The question is how do I do it and how much will it cost me? Below you will find two great marketing ideas…one that will cost you nothing but time and the second is almost free.
We’ve all received e-mails that contain jokes or political opinions. We may or may not know the senders, but that doesn’t matter. In the ‘send to’ header there are usually a lot of people’s e-mail addresses (in fact, if the message has been forwarded, there may be hundreds of them). These people may be your next clients!
What I do is write down their e-mail addresses on a separate piece of paper. I then send them an e-mail, one at a time (to avoid spamming) introducing myself by saying we have a mutual friend (the sender) and wondering if they would like to learn about my product or service. If I don’t get a negative reply, I tell them what I do with a link to my web site. Around 35% of the people I’ve sent e-mails to have responded in the positive and I’ve go on to add them as clients. What did it cost me? Only the time required to send them an e-mail letting them know what I do and how my service can help them.
Another interesting idea…
Did you know that one out of five households in the U.S. and Canada have a dog? I didn’t realize this until I came across it in a magazine a couple of months ago. It got me to thinking…I believe people buy from people they know and trust. Dog owners have a special bond with other dog owners. Now when I go out on an appointment in my future client’s home, I bring along a couple of dog biscuits to give the owner of the pup. It seems a funny thing to bring to a selling appointment, but it can bring you that little bit closer to the client that will close the deal for you. If they don’t have a dog, just keep the biscuits in your pocket. You’ve got nothing to lose.
For more no/low cost marketing ideas, go to www.IdeaBox-Marketing.com
Other Articles by Barry Davis:
Dispatches From The Front 