23 Tips to Attract More Customers with Small Ads

23 Tips to Attract More Customers
with Small Ads
by Joe Gracia

www.givetogetmarketing.com

1. Don't Waste Your Headline: 

Don't use the name of your business as your headline. People don't care about the name of your business. They only want to know what you have for them and what you can do for them.

2. Make a Specific Offer:

Always make a specific offer to your prospects. Example: A free booklet, brochure or packet that describes your services and benefits.

3. Offer Something of Value: 

Offer something of value to your prospects. Something your prospects would want, not what you would like them to have.

4. Use Benefits: 

Use a headline that promises a specific benefit. Example for a dentist: "New ways to brighten and whiten your teeth."

5. Target Specific Prospects:

Use a headline that selects specific prospects. Example for a chiropractor: "Free to people who suffer from headache pain."
Or, "Attention: Dog Owners!"

6. Make Your Offer in Your Headline:

Mention your offer immediately - in your headline or in the opening sentence. Example: "Free, home-buying booklet."

7. Show a Picture of Your Offer:

Show a picture of your free booklet, brochure, etc.

8. Test Different Offers:

Test several different offers - in order to discover your best pulling offer.

9. Test Different Ads:

Test several different ads in order to find your best pulling ad.

10. Test Different Publications:

Test several different pubications in order to find your best pulling publication.

11. Educate Your Prosepcts:

Tell your prospects how your offer will benefit them. Don't assume they already know.

12. Focus on Your Free Offer:

Build your ad entirely around your free offer.

13. Use an Enticing Booklet Title:

Example: Marketing Breakthroughs: New solutions for your business.

14. Keep it Confidential:

When appropriate offer confidential information in a plain envelope.

15. Make your ad easy to read:

Avoid unusual type, reverse printing, printing over pictures or busy backgrounds and fancy decorations. Keep it simple.

16. Use a Coupon:

If space will permit, include a return coupon that your prospects can fill out and mail. If not, say for example: "Tear out this offer and send it with your name and address."

17. Include some selling copy in the coupon:

Example: "Yes, send me the Free booklet. I want to know how to have a more beautiful smile."

18. Test Different Size Ads:

Use the most effective space size. Test different sizes. Bigger is not always better.

19. Try a Free Standing Insert (FSI):

This can be a card containing your ad. Or it can be your flyer. It is dropped into newspapers in your area, usually on Sundays.

20. Use a Sense of Urgency:

Urge immediate action. Examples:
"Write today"
"Do it now"
"Supplies limited"
"Respond by (date)"

21. Promise Quick Response:

Example:
By return mail
or
Booklet will be rushed to you,
etc.

22. Emphasize "No Obligation":

To attract more prospects, relieve their fear of sales pressure, by letting them know there is no obligation.

23. Track and Record:

Track and record the results of all your advertising. A periodic review of these records will reveal valuable and profitable information about what works and what doesn't.

Give To Get Marketing Solutions

A Quick Way to Win New Customers - And An Even Faster Way to Lose Them Part 2

A Quick Way to Win New Customers -
And An Even Faster Way to Lose Them
Part 2
by Joe Gracia

www.givetogetmarketing.com


The owner got an excellent conversion!

Of the 20 members who attended the spa night, 12 acted on the Gift Certificate offer. That's 60%.

Of those, ten continued using her services. I know that because Maria knows all the members pretty well. Maria was so impressed with their services that she became a long- term customer as well.

The spa owner was so happy with the results that she is planning to do another 'spa night' for the group this year--there are lots of new members that don't know about her business. She promises that it will be even better than last year's event. (Is that even possible??)

I hope you will think about this story and then try to relate it to your business. How can you do something similar? If you have a terrific product or service that you know people would buy if they only knew more about it, or got a chance to try it, then there's a good chance this strategy could work for your business too.

So, that's the good part of the story.

Now, I have to tell you that Maria already cautioned me over lunch today about sharing the 'other side of the story,' with you.

'Please don't make them look bad, just because they made one mistake. They treated me and the members of our club wonderfully, and I don't want them to think that we're ungrateful.'

I assured her that my intent was not to make them look bad. I've already told you that the owner is an excellent marketer, and I admire the way she is growing her business.

My intent is to show you how one marketing mistake--a mistake that is performed by millions of small business owners every day--can instantly undo a ton of goodwill.

About 8-9 months have passed since 'spa night.' The new clients that she attracted that night are now solid, happy customers.

Except for one--let's call her Gail.

Gail has been very happy with the products and services she has purchased from Hair and Spa. She has also been very happy with her hair stylist.

The last time she had her hair styled, her stylist recommended a new product. She said, 'Gail, if you don't like it, no problem. Just bring it back.' And with that recommendation, Gail purchased the new product.

Unfortunately, after her first time using it, Gail wasn't happy with the results.

So, a few days later she brought the product back to ask for a refund, or at least a credit.

Her stylist wasn't working that day, so she spoke with the girl at the counter.

Can you guess where I am heading?

You got it. The girl at the counter said she couldn't give a refund or a credit. Even after Gail told her what her stylist had said, the counter girl said, 'Sorry, we can't issue refunds on used products.'

All the goodwill was instantly undone

Gail now had a knot in her stomach. Gail asked to speak to the owner.

The owner came out, and Gail explained the situation. The owner had an opportunity to save an already bruised relationship. Unfortunately, she missed it.

To her credit, she did agree to refund Gail's money--but it was obvious to Gail that she wasn't happy about doing it.

There's a good chance that had the owner smiled and said, something like, 'Normally, we don't do that. But since you're such a good customer, it's no problem at all. We can make an exception in your case.'

Of course, she should have said that quietly to Gail so that the entire salon wouldn't hear. That probably would have made Gail feel a lot better.

But that's not the way the situation was handled and because of that, Gail felt really badly about her experience. So badly, in fact, that she has decided not to return.

Is a bottle of shampoo really worth the loss of a good customer? It's at times like these that the level of loyalty is formed by your customers.

The absolute best way to handle customer requests for refunds, is to simply do it--in a cheerful manner. If you have an unreasonable number of requests for refunds, then it's time for you to reexamine the quality of your products or services.

As a business owner, your job is to make your prospects and customers feel happy--your job is to never make them feel bad. Now, I understand that there are rare occasions when you are dealing with an unreasonable customer who's life's mission is to rip off businesses. If that is the case, then I would say, tactfully, but firmly end the relationship.

But, the problem arises, when business owners begin to see 'any' customer who is unhappy with a product, service or company experience as a royal pain--the enemy. I'm not saying that the owner of Hair and Spa feels that way, just that a lot of business owners do. If they would just put themselves in their customer's position, they would see that it just isn't true.

It doesn't take much for employees to adopt this 'unhappy customers are the enemy,' point of view. And they are usually more than happy to let those customers know about their feelings. All it takes is rolling eyes or a sigh from the business owner, and the message takes root. I know this is true from years of small business consulting.

No one knows what was going on in the mind of the owner of 'Hair and Spa' that day. Perhaps the tax bill had just arrived. I'll give her the benefit of the doubt and say that this was probably just an isolated incident.

Again, this business owner is doing amazing things in marketing her business, and from everything else I've heard, she understands the importance of keeping her customers happy. You can learn a lot about successfully marketing a small business by her 'spa night' example.

Remember, it's all about giving them what they want, and making them feel good.

Isn't it amazing how much you can learn about marketing from a small, country town like Watertown?




Give To Get Marketing Solutions

A Quick Way to Win New Customers -And An Even Faster Way to Lose ThemPart 1

A Quick Way to Win New Customers -And An Even Faster Way to Lose ThemPart 1
by Joe Gracia


A real-life marketing story -- that begins well

Today's story begins well. Very well, actually.

I am always amazed when I see a small business that performs an extraordinarily effective marketing strategy and tactic.

This story is about a hair and spa salon that had just opened a new location in Watertown. Let's call it, 'Hair and Spa Salon,' (not their real name--in case you couldn't tell :0).

Here's the good part.

My wife, Maria, belongs to a local women's club designed to provide women with the opportunity to meet and socialize with other women in the area.

They have lots of fun activities throughout the year, and also raise funds for selected charities in the area.

From time to time, local business owners come to the club meetings and share interesting facts about Watertown and/or their professions, etc. That's good for the members, but it's also good for the businesses, because they get to introduce their businesses to these members.

Every once in a while, one of these local businesses goes beyond the expected and couples their presentation with a compelling offer for the members to try their services.

Recognize that strategy? Yes, it's The Give to Get strategy.

That's what Hair and Spa did.

The owner didn't offer to come to a meeting. Instead she offered to put on a complimentary 'Spa Night Out,' at their location just for the club members. There are around 40-50 members, but only 25-30 really active members.

Do you think the women of this club might have been interested in a complimentary 'Spa Night Out,' offer? Well, they were!

About twenty of the members signed up.

This was a terrific 'Give to Get' offer

When spa night arrived, the women were treated like royalty. It was 'party night' at the spa. Hair and Spa actually opened their shop after hours to host this special night for them.

When it came to food, they didn't skimp with just pretzels and chips. They provided shrimp cocktail, sausage and cheese, wine and other beverages, as well as chocolate from a local candy shop.

They also took the members on a tour of their new facilities and gave descriptions of their many services.

Each member was also offered complimentary chair massages, personal make-up tips, personal hair styling consultations and a paraffin hand treatment--whatever that is?? But, whatever it was, apparently the women loved it. Hair and Spa made a huge, positive impression on every member.

The members registered to win a special door prize--a $50 Gift Certificate. This was their way of getting the names and addresses of the members so that they could follow up with them in the future with appealing offers on their services. Very smart. Very Give to Get.

When the two-hour event came to an end, each member was given a gift bag that included shampoo, lotion, chocolate treats, a brochure and--this is a very important element--a $20 Gift Certificate good for 60 days.

I was very impressed. Obviously, the owner of Hair and Spa was a very astute marketer. She understood the power behind a solid Give to Get strategy.

First of all, she knew that these club members were her perfect target prospects. She also knew that she had services and products that they would want.

Her goal was to introduce her business to all of the members, and make a huge, positive impact on them. She wanted to have them walk away happy and never forget their spa night at Hair and Spa.

But as a wise marketer, she also wanted to leave them with a strong Call to Action--something that they would have to make a decision on--soon.

That's why she gave each of the members a tangible and compelling offer--her $20 Gift Certificate--that was only good for 60 days. That expiration forces them to make a decision--use it or lose it.

She knew that a percentage of the members would take her up on her offer. And she also knew that as long as she treated them well, that a percentage of those members would become long-term customers. 

Give To Get Marketing Solution 

How to be Happy with Yourself

How to be happy with yourself? It is very important for every individual to know this. Why? Because we have many reasons to be sad, so, to balance it out, we need to know how to be happy. Read the article to understand the concept better.

In today's competitive world, one can never be good enough, right! Wrong! Every one is just as good as they can get. The more they believe in it, the better they will keep getting. However, you cannot be happy with yourself, if you keep wondering if you're good enough. That does not mean that all of us should stop working towards self improvement. It just means that the attitude needs be changed a little. You need to make yourself happy by being happy yourself. Get my drift? No? Well, let me explain it to you in a better way.

Fable 1
John was a simple man. He had a family that he loved dearly. He worked with a bank as an investment advisor. He saw a lot of humility and pride in his job, and it made him happy. However, John was stuck in the same position for the past decade and worked on quite a measly salary. John's best friend James also worked in the same bank. James was a cashier. James had been promoted a couple of times in the past 10 years and his salary had seen quite an increase as well. However, due to the job and it's time requirements, James never had the time to fall in love and get married.

Both John and James were happy with themselves despite the imperfections in their life. This story gives a great lesson of how each individual has a different parameter of happiness. John was happy with himself because he loved what he did. However, he was content and wanted to see personal growth by making sure he had a great family life. He had a wife he loved and children who adored him. He saw happiness in this and was happy with himself. James on the other hand was an ambitious man. He cared about his professional growth. He wanted a great salary and a very good post. For that, he did not mind not having a family, for what made him happy was his ambition. He saw happiness in his goal, and was happy with himself.

Fable 2
Terra and Thelma were your everyday adolescents. They were in high school. However, both of them had very different lives. Terra was popular. She was pretty and, hence (quite clearly) she was the head cheerleader. She loved cheer leading, and most of her friends were cheerleaders as well. Due to her position in the school, it was expected that she mingled more with the popular kids. However, what many people did not know was that Terra had her very own little secret. Terra's best friend was Thelma. Thelma was what everyone could call, a brainiac. She was a straight A student and was often below the school social radar. Thelma loved studying and had no particular interest in being popular. She was healthy and fit, but having the perfect figure was never really her goal. Thelma and Terra were happy with themselves in their respective lives. The cherry on the top was their secret friendship. They could discuss everything with each other. Thelma helped Terra with studies, and Terra made sure that Thelma was well informed of all the school gossip. All in all, they were happy being themselves, and yet saw joy in being with each other!

This story shows how two people from completely different social strata can be friends, without any over the top expectations. Terra was very happy being the Queen Bee. She loved cheer leading and was a good leader to her team. She also saw happiness in the fact that she could maintain her friendship with Thelma without putting her through the burden of popularity, which she never liked in the first place. Thelma on the other hand, was an intellectual. She had her friends in school and preferred being known for her mind rather than her look. She was happy with the fact that she could help her friend Terra in her studies without having to join the popular crowd.

Fable 3
Reynold had been single since the past 2 years. He had a very long term relationship. Raine was his high school sweetheart and college girlfriend. Reynold and Raine dated for about 7 years before they realized that they had started growing apart. Reynold was a finance columnist and Raine was the editor of a local magazine. Their jobs required them to put in a lot of time and energy into their work. They both loved their job. It went to an extent when they found that each hour they spent with each other, was filled with disagreements, fights or uncomfortable silences. They decided to end it on a better note rather than carry on a dead relationship. Reynold and Raine are still friends. Even though neither of them are in a relationship, they are happy. They realized that their jobs taught them how to be happy single. They both excel at their work, spend time with friends and have very vibrant and happy lives.

This story shows that one need not necessarily have a partner to enjoy life. If you are doing something you love and have positive thinking and a comfortable equation with everyone, you can be happy being single as well. As one of my favorite quotes goes, "Life is full of attachments, so being single is a state of inadvertent denial". Find happiness in the attachments of life, and you will be able to be happy with yourself, being single as well.

Happiness is not something that the world provides us with freely. It is one of those things that we need to pry away from its icy grip. However, it is much easier when you don't focus on the depressions of life. Strive to stay happy, and strength, love, success and friendship will come along with it. Love yourself, and the world will love you. This is where I sign off!! Stay happy!!
By Rashida Khilawala

Read more at Buzzle: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/how-to-be-happy-with-yourself.html