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Here are some
marketing tips that don’t cost a fortune
courtesy of Jeff Lipson of Cobblestone Shoe
Repair in St. Louis. Jeff spoke at SSIA’s 101st
Annual Convention in Kansas City.
Front Counter:
This is your most valuable real estate. Use it
wisely and change products often.
Signage:
Good signs will sell you products for you. Make
sure it’s informative and attractive. It should
tell what your products are and give the prices.
Customers will read these signs as they’re
standing in line. I make my signs using
Microsoft Publisher. It’s easy and cheap.
Newsletters:
These are great selling tools. Provide
information, not hype. Talk about the benefits
of cedar shoe tress or sole protectors. Talk
about shoe and foot care. Load them up with tips
that are short and to the point. Leave the
newsletters by your front door and keep them
behind your counter.
Again, Microsoft
Publisher makes this very affordable. If your
budget is a little higher, you can deliver the
newsletters to your customers by mail or e-mail.
Bag Stuffers:
These are good for promoting specific items. Use
coupons or not at your discretion. Always send
your customers home with a little extra
information.
Business Cards:
Business cards are not expensive, so don’t horde
them. Give them out freely. Make sure your cards
include your contact information, store hours,
logo and slogan if you have one.
Gift
Certificates: These are great for donations
to charity auctions. Five free shines gets the
winner in your store five times where he can buy
other products and services. We also have
pre-printed, fill-in-the-blank gift
certificates. But we have found that the free
shines work the best.
On-Hold
Marketing: The customers in your store are
your highest priority, but you don’t want to
neglect your callers. They can learn about your
location, hours, products and services while
you’re serving other customers.
Demonstrations:
Nothing sells a product like showing the
customers how it works. I sold a ton of
waterproofing spray by keeping a fish bowl on my
counter, dipping a waterproofed shoe into it and
showing customers how it came out dry. For
things that you can’t demonstrate, such as
repairs, have samples of your finished work.
Brochures:
Again, Microsoft Publisher makes this cheap. You
can’t promote yourself enough. Educating your
customer is the best way to do it.
Merchandise
Displays: Nothing in my store is my idea. I
go to successful retailers, look at how they
display merchandise and incorporate their ideas
into my store. Say what you will about WalMart,
they know how to sell their products. So walk
through their stores. Walk through malls. Get
ideas. It works.
Refreshments:
A water cooler or coffee for your customers can
be a nice touch.
Credit Cards:
It’s a fact. People will spend more money if
they can pay with a credit card. If you only
accept cash, you limit yourself to what they
have in their wallets.
Testimonials:
I have autographed photos of some of my better
known customers – local celebrities and sports
figures. People look at my wall and think, “Wow,
Bob Costas comes here. He must be good.”
Awards and
certifications serve this purpose as well. They
give you something to differentiate yourself
from other stores and let your customers know
you’re good.
Window
Displays: These can be very effective.
Change them often using a seasonal display and
keep them clean.
Before and
After Photos: Display these wherever you
can. I have an I-Step and my before and after
photos rotate on the screen when the machine is
not being used.
Drop Box: I
have a drop box in my store for customers to
drop off work when we’re not open. They fill out
a form telling us what they want. They can also
ask us to call them if they’re not sure.
Click here for a
photo of our drop box.
Click here to see the
form we use.
Yellow Pages
Advertising: You need to be in there, but we
have reduced the size of our ad in recent years
and have not suffered because of it.
Outdoor
Signage: Make sure it’s readable and
communicates what you do. Make it as big as
you’re allowed.
Community
Involvement: Sponsoring softball or youth
activities is a good way to keep your name in
front of the community.
Logo and
Slogan: Keep them simple, to the point and
use them on everything you do. Make sure they
communicate what you do. You can see our logo on
our web site,
www.cobblestoneshoerepair.com. Our slogan
is, “Helping You Put Your Best Foot Forward.”
Radio: I’m
concerned that the advent of satellite radio
will kill the effectiveness of radio ads. We’ve
had our best success on public radio during
pledge drives. Those are people who repair
shops. Short ads during news and weather reports
get your name out. We’ve also found that
advertising on Christian radio works. Listeners
will support people who support their station.
Restaurant
Placemats: If you’re going to do this,
monitor it closely. I’ve run into situations
where the placemats weren’t delivered on
schedule and thus were never used by the
restaurants.
Networking:
Join your local Chamber of Commerce and go to
meetings. It’s a great opportunity to market
yourself.
Give-Aways:
We do bridal shows to market our dyeing
services. We’ll hold a drawing and give away dye
work for a bridal party. It’s a great way to
build our prospect list.
Register
Receipts: We’re near three grocery stores
and have found that advertising on their
register receipts works well.
Word of Mouth:
We all know this is the best form of
advertising. Give great service. Use quality
materials and provide quality workmanship and
the rest will take care of itself.
At the Counter:
Look at the shoes. Why do they need repair? Is
there anything you can do to avoid the problem
in the future? Always recommend additional
products and services. You can’t survive only on
the work the customers request. Our average
ticket is about $35. Not long ago, it was $15.
Have materials, products and samples on hand to
show them.
Talk to Your
Customers: Ask questions to learn about how
and where they wear shoes and sell
appropriately. Phrase your questions to elicit a
positive response. Time spent with customers is
much more valuable than time spent in the back
room. Know your business. Be the expert.
Think Visually:
If your customers can see it, they’ll understand
it. A picture is worth 1,000 words.
Be Positive:
Always smile and call your customers by name. Be
honest, pleasant and use humor to put them at
ease. Have fun at work. Be neat and clean, and
provide excellent customer service. |
