By Kevin Mitchell
Statewide Food Equipment

This is the story of how one business owner stepped outside his comfort zone and discovered a golden opportunity he never expected.  That business owner is me.

At Statewide, we specialize in meat and deli weighing and processing applications.  For 19 years, we’ve outfitted many meat rooms and delis for success using our product lines. Along the way, we developed support for our scale systems by offering label stock that our scales use, creating custom stock with our customer logos as well as information needed for discriminating consumers.

Business relationships helped us bring many innovations to our customers. Our label supplier, Saxon Inc., is a master custom label printer serving a wide variety of industries with their patented products.  It was a natural progression for us to offer this custom labeling to our food industry clients; providing them with name recognition for unique products sold to the consumer.

This relationship with our label supplier led Statewide Food Equipment into a direction we never foresaw or planned – marketing.  Who would have thought, an equipment company selling and promoting marketing material!  Peel-a Deal is that product and it sure was a surprise. Saxon asked me something, “Kevin, you have some of the finest stores in your customer base, can you show them our Peel-a-Deal product?” I have been treated so well by these folks in our 5 year relationship, how could I say no?

So off I went. The first company I showed this to was a local Gourmet Market.  Peel-a-Deal can be set up as a mailer, handout or inserted into newspapers. The client chose direct mail to distribute their custom printed Peel-a-Deal. The rest is history; consumers were driven to the store with Peel-a Deals unique coupon system. When Peel-a-Deal hit the streets consumers lined up at the door.

Now Peel-a-Deal is a regular part of the product/service menu I offer my customers.  Even though I didn’t see it at first, it’s turned out to be a natural tie-in to what we already offer.  It adds another revenue stream for us and it generates business for our customers.  It’s a win-win.

The lesson here?  Don’t box yourself – or your business – in.  Be on the lookout for opportunities for your business to evolve and grow.

More about Peel-a-Deal

What does Peel-a-Deal offer?
• Peel-off coupons to be used in the stores on a small platform that can be carried in a wallet or purse without the traditional coupon cut-outs from the newspapers.
• High end custom look with a punch out card on one side offering information or sales items, the other side with peel able coupons to be peeled off and used as needed. When the coupon is peeled you can slide the rest into your wallet or purse.
• Simple to you, easy to carry, those who never would have carried coupons into a store now do because of simplicity and ease of use.

Interested? Call Statewide Food Equipment (800-369-5035) to find out how we can set up a custom look to drive business to you.

As a business consultant, I often tell clients that customer service can make or break a business.  Service, service, service.  Nothing is more important.  The other day, I had a firsthand example of my mantra in action.

I took my Lincoln MKS to the dealership (Varsity Lincoln Mercury in Novi, Michigan) for a repair on a door lock.  I was told the part was on backorder.  A week later, Bill Hardin, from their service department called to tell me that the supplier for that part had gone out of business.  Ford had located another source but there would be a delay.  I’m thinking this is just another example of how this economy has affected everything.  An auto supplier goes out of business and I’m left waiting for a part.   Another reason people are nervous about buying a new car.  I didn’t say anything, but I was on the verge of becoming an unhappy customer.

But then something really extraordinary happened.  Bill told me that when the part came in, his service department would arrange to pick up my car, leave a loaner, give me a dinner for two at a local restaurant, and detail my car - free perks to apologize for the inconvenience.  Above and beyond the call – and offered without my asking!  Treat the customer like a king. That’s what it takes in this economy.  Today, no business can afford unhappy customers.

I called the Sales Manager, Dean Silver, to tell him how Bill had turned a disappointment into a rave review.  Silver said customer service is a priority and more important than ever.  Kudos!

Nothing makes a more lasting impression than bad service.  Nothing makes a more loyal customer than great service.  The businesses who will survive this recession will be the ones who go to new heights to keep their customers happy and build customer loyalty.

When your customers talk about YOUR service, what will they say?

Not a good marketing strategy.

One of the best ways to market without money is to “give it away”.  It’s not a new concept.  The food industry has known this for years – give potential buyers a taste and they will want more.  Retail and restaurant industries use punch cards to increase sales.  But there are ways to leverage giving into whatever you hope to achieve for your business that go way beyond, buy 9 and get the 10th for free.

Free your mind…
Don’t think of your business as just “get, get” get.”  Sometimes giving is the shortcut to meeting your business goals.  In the mid-90s, I was part owner of a small internet company (wasn’t everyone?).  I wanted to do more web site design.  I needed a way to get real-world experience and also build a portfolio to show to prospects.  I accomplished both by working for free.  I contacted several non-profit organizations I admired and offered to do their web sites for free.  Most business weren’t on the web yet and non-profits didn’t have the budget to risk money on an untried marketing medium.   It was a perfect match.  I got to do large web site projects and work out the kinks in my presentation and design skills.  The non-profits discovered that the internet was a wildly useful resource.  The work I did for free led to more work – paying work – because I now had a portfolio.  I made contacts, and friends, I never would have made if I hadn’t said, “hey, I’ll do this for you for free.”   It was the beginning of a beautiful thing.

How can you give it away?  Get creative and find what works for your particular business.  Here are just a few examples.

Donations – ‘tis better to give AND receive
Donate your product or service to a non-profit for a fundraising auction.  Do some work for free - board members, staff and volunteers will notice a job well done.  Remember, non-profits often list contributors on their newsletter or web site and non-profits do a lot of mailing.  A few small gifts can put your business in front of a fairly extensive new audience at a very low cost.  Do some good and good will come to you.

Freebies, Incentives, Value Added – give till it hurts
According to a recent article in Advertising Age, even brothels are offering incentives in the form of punch cards and free food.  If the oldest profession has to fight for its share of the public’s discretionary income in today’s economy you know things are bad (sorry, the AdAge article is now available only if you pay for a copy from their archives, but there’s a Newsweek article at http://www.newsweek.com/id/141848).

The word FREE always gets noticed – especially in tough times.  It works for goods or services: 10th visit is free, buy one, get one free.  Yes, you see it everywhere – that’s because it works.  Just give it your own creative spin.  Try it, you’ll like it.

Rewards – “you like me, you really like me”
Reward your fans.  If you’re doing a good job or selling a great product, you have a built-in referral base.  Offer existing customers freebies for every new client they send your way: a discount on their next order, a free bonus item – whatever.  Don’t think of it as a bribe, think of it as a reward.  The best part? It only costs you money when it actually generates new business.  Wouldn’t it be a wonderful world if all your advertising costs were results-based?

“Give” it a try.  Find ways to give away a little… and you’ll gain a lot.

Shameless promotion: Need a creative marketing plan customized for your business and budget?  Details in Retail can help.

Related Posts:
Marketing without Money – Lesson 1

Talk is cheap – but it pays!

Many years ago, when I was a young and hungry real estate agent, my broker sat us down after our weekly meeting and said, “now call 5 people you know and ask them if they know anyone who needs a realtor.” My first response was that she was crazy. I’d already sent out my little announcement letters. Everyone knew I was selling real estate. My next thought was “who the heck do I know?” My friends were young and not in the home-buying mode yet.  Everyone else seemed to have so many potential leads.  How could I possibly compete?

The boss was watching and the other agents were dialing like fiends, so I picked up the phone. I called my mom. I explained what was going on and that I had to look really busy because there was this crazy-stupid, pointless exercise we had to do. Then I asked her (loud enough for my boss to hear), “Do you know anyone who might need a realtor?” My mother thought for a minute, then said the lady who owned the book store where she bought her used paperbacks might be selling her house because her husband was ill. WHAT??  She didn’t know their last name, but she was going to walk down to the store and stock up on gothic romance novels anyway and she’d ask. Mom delivered a name and address and I sent a little handwritten note. I was so new to the business that I also included a handwritten business card.

A week later I listed the bookseller’s home. And the best part? My boss lived a block away! She’d known the bookseller for years. She asked how I got the listing and was stunned when I told her. Then I asked my client why she didn’t list her home with my boss. After all, I was new to the business and my boss was one of the most successful realtors in town. Her reply was simple and surprising, “you sent me a handwritten note and she never bothered to send me anything.”

My boss had violated a cardinal rule of marketing – the very rule she taught me so well – never assume. Never assume the people you know will remember what you do for a living – or remember to mention it to others. Never assume that you know what’s happening in people’s lives. Never assume that someone else won’t swoop in under your radar and charm a deal out from under you. Never assume that you are ever the only option.

I learned to void an assumption of my own, as well: never assume you’re outgunned and give up without a fight. That phone call to my mom resulted in a sweet deal and a $1,500 commission.

The moral of the story?

TALK! It’s so simple that we forget to do it. You have to ask for the business – no matter how successful you are. It pays to talk to your friends, family, neighbors, local business owners – everyone. Ask them if they know anyone who might be interested in your services or anyone who could help you promote your business. Keep in touch. Make those calls, send those e-mails, write those little notes, and work your social network. The personal touch pays off, and it costs nearly nothing.

Related Posts:
Marketing Without Money – Lesson 2

They’re out there… You think they’re OK… You hope someone finds them…

By now, we know that every business needs a web site. But how can you tell if your web site is really working for you? If it’s not, you’re losing business. Internet marketing is like all other marketing - it’s an ongoing process. So, what can you – or should you – do?

First, you should have access to logs that show you detailed reports on the traffic to your site and where it’s coming from.  If your web host doesn’t offer that, start shopping for a new hosting service.

Next, is your site design easy to use? Will visitors immediately know what information they can find there and how to get to it? If not, it’s time for a web site makeover.

Finally, can anyone actually FIND your site? If your site is not ranked high on the major search engines, the answer is – probably not.  Google your product or service and see how your site fares. Are you on page 1, page 2, or page 375? If you’re not near the top of the list, you’d better like your existing customers because you aren’t likely to get more; at least not from your internet investment.

So what can you do if your web site is “missing in action?”

“In today’s competitive website environment, the most important aspect of a good website strategy is ensuring the best possible placement on the major search engines such as Google, Yahoo and MSN,” says Jeff Schreiber, Vice President of IGD Solutions, a website design and development company in Metro Detroit.

Schreiber emphasizes that “you can have the best looking website with the best content and navigation; but, if you are on page 267 of Google when people type in key words or key word phrases related to your product(s) or service(s), you really just have a static website.”

“What is needed is for a company like IGD Solutions to institute a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) campaign that identifies the correct key words that are then picked up by the major search engines. As this occurs over a period of perhaps four months, your company is likely to move up significantly on the search engine hierarchy. Now, you have a ‘pro-active’ website that is earning you money while you and your sales team are off closing other business.”

Maybe it’s time you found out if your web site is hiding in the corners of the WWW or working hard on the front lines.