Pitch the plan, highlighting the benefits to the host business.
#Fast and sexy magazine free
A framing shop offered free photo framing to a photographic supply store's top 200 customers.Ĥ.
#Fast and sexy magazine how to
A marketing consultant offered a free seminar on how to run sales to one local newspaper's advertisers. A jewelry store offered free jewelry cleaning to clients of a hair salon. One new computer support business offered a voucher worth two free hours of computer repair to the small business clients of a local accountant. Come up with a free or deeply discounted product or service that has a high perceived value for the consumer with a low dollar cost for you. Develop a clear offer for each prospective partner. And don't forget non-commercial organizations like Rotary or Kiwanis.ģ. That way, you can not only bring people in the door for your initial offer, but also increase the likelihood that they'll return to give you repeat business.įor a cigar store, logical host partners might include better men's clothiers, upscale shoe stores, luxury car dealerships and country clubs. Identify local businesses that serve the same market segments.
A birdseed store might come up with a list that includes consumers who shop at outdoor equipment outfitters or are affiliated with local conservation groups.Ģ. The women's clothing boutique that marketed to BMW owners, for example, determined that their likely customers drove certain types of cars, patronized a certain class of hair salon, belonged to a health club, and were likely to play bridge. The more segments you can identify, the more potential hosts you can approach. Create a detailed profile of your target customer. "Women 35 to 55" might be a start, but it's not enough. The kimono had to be picked up at the boutique.ġ. The store arranged to give a free silk kimono to every female customer of a local BMW dealership who brought in a letter sent by the dealership offering the gown as a gift for their past patronage. One startup that successfully used this technique was a high-end women's clothing boutique. The rookie gains new customers, while the veteran gains goodwill. The host is willing to participate because it's a way to reward loyal customers without incurring any costs. The beauty of this arrangement is that the startup (the beneficiary) can instantly reach large numbers of highly qualified prospects with the tacit endorsement of the established business (the host). Then you promote yourself to their database with a special offer presented as a gift from the older business. If you're a startup, the fastest way to get the cash registers ringing is a little-used method that involves forming "host-beneficiary" relationships with established businesses that cater to a target audience similar to yours. Traditional strategies like networking and mailings will do the job, but they won't do the best job. "It's a good name," said one friend to the other, "but I'm not sure it's the best name." You could say the same thing about the techniques typically used to attract customers to a new business.
Some years ago, I overheard a debate between two friends about the name of a startup business.