The Fastest Route To
More Customers
In The Capital District

 

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Who should read this article?

  1. People who want more customers, clients or patients
  2. People who want more referrals from their customers, clients or patients.

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The fastest route to small business success is collaborating with other businesses.
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WHY COLLABORATE?
 
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Someone out there already has the TRUST of dozens, hundreds or even thousands of your perfect prospects.
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It takes a LOT less time, money and energy to set up a collaboration with one of those businesses than to get a dozen new customers on your own.
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To start collaborating with other businesses you should ask yourself some questions...
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-What businesses have similar customers to mine?

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-Who serves my customers before and after me?

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-Who could give my product or service away as a gift to their customers, clients or patients?

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-Who do I know (or could I be introduced to) who owns such a business?

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Whether you've ever thought about it or not, it costs you money to get leads and customers.
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The cost might come from paying for advertising or the cost might be a more difficult number to track, such as time you spend attending events to meet possible customers.
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In any case, there is a cost.
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Let's use an easy example...

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You spend $300 for an ad in a local newspaper or magazine.
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Let's imagine you get 10 calls or inquiries from that ad. 
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SIMPLE MATH: It cost you $30 to get a lead. ($300/10=$30)
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If two people (out of those 10) become customers, it cost you $150 to get a customer.
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That's a great number if you sell swimming pools but not so good if you sell pizzas.
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Sad part is, you are out that $300 whether you get 10 customers or 0.
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Since we're imagining, let's say that $30 a lead is a good number for you.
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If so, you'd be happy pay $30 all day long to get someone to show an interest in your products or services....so you could do a sales presentation.
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Instead of paying $300 for a one time ad that may or may not work, find a business that has a similar customer and give them a stack of $30 gift certificates they could hand out to their customers, clients or patients.
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Another way to do that is to offer the other business $30 cash for every one of their customers who inquires about your services or becomes a customer.
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In either case you're only out the $30 when you have a living, breathing person interested in your products or services.
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That's a much better deal than spending $300 on an ad that may or may not work, don't you think?
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Here's a live example that came through email recently.
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This came from a community based email list from Hoboken, NJ.
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The entire email was about this dental office and their FREE Teeth Whitening offer.
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I suspect this was a paid advertisement but it could easily have been the dental office going to the list owner and saying, "I'd like to give your readers a FREE gift....teeth whitening!"
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The list owner should LOVE this idea because their readers will love the fact that they are getting freebies...whether or not they use the offer.
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It probably goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway, the dental office makes this great offer to get people in the door.
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Yes, there is a cost to perform the teeth whitening service just like there is a cost for an ad but in the case of the free offer, they're only spending money when someone is sitting in the chair.
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This gives the dental office the chance to meet a bunch of potential new patients and prove how good they are. 
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The real money comes when they become a patient and refer all their friends and family.
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Here's another example:


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The delivery service had an email list of customers (my cousin is one) and they worked out a deal with the health club.
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All food delivery customers got one free month membership to the club as a thank you.
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The ad reads...

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We (the delivery service) have arranged for you:
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-One month, no obligation, guest membership
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-Complimentary one-hour personal training session to ensure you are on track to meet your health and fitness goals
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-Single guest may include a friend on their guest membership
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There is absolutely no obligation to join Island Club & Spa upon completion of your one-month membership. Simply enjoy your gift.
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It's a WIN/WIN
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The delivery service wins
 because it looks good to their customers...even if a person doesn't use the offer, it leaves a good impression and reminds former customers that the delivery service is there.
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The health club wins
 because it didn't cost them anything to get a trial customer and they know a certain percentage will stick around as paying members.
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Here are some examples of collaborations in the Capital District...

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If you know the birthdays of your customers, clients or patients you can collaborate with businesses who have something they can use as a lead generator...in the case of restaurants, that's food...
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Few people will come in alone to celebrate their birthday and the restaurant will get 1, 2, 3 or more people paying full price.

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An accounting firm sends it's clients a birthday gift from an area restaurant...
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Collaborations can help you save money too...
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A real estate agent and a mortgage originator shared space and I assume, shared the cost, on a post card mailing.

CONSIDER THIS...
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-If you have a business with a strong repeat factor (customers could come back often) start thinking about a product or service of yours that you could use as a lead generator.
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Then think about who you know who owns a business that could give it away as a gift to their customers.
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-If you have a business that DOES NOT have a strong repeat factor (follow-up purchases are years apart) start thinking about gifts you could give your customers from other businesses.
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The idea here is to stay top of mind with the customers who know, like and trust you so that when someone they know is in need of your products or services you are the one they recommend.
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I've started a Facebook group called "Collaborate 518" for Capital District business owners who want to work with area businesses on promotions like those I've written about here.
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To get more information about this group, CLICK HERE.
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There is no charge for this, just my way of helping the business community and getting people thinking about collaborating with others.
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Any questions or ideas, let me know.
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Thanks,
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Leo Quinn
518-288-8711
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P.S.
If you want my help with collaborations...    

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