ONE "Marketing Idea" can "change" everything!

I'd like to share something with you folks;

A week ago, my wifee and went over to a small coastal resort town for a "quickee-vacation".

As us and other "tourists" do...we walked around the town, going into various shops that struck our fancy...stopping in a coffee shop for some Foo-Foo...etc. Just leisurely walking around, relaxing and taking in the sights.

As we were strolling along, up comes a nicely dressed man who hands us a card. The card has the name of his shop, address and what is in the shop.

He tells us to "come on over", as he hands us the card and passes on by.

Well....I looked at his neatly printed card with Fancy Logo and instantly thought about a way to improve his response.

We walked over to his shop (it was Off The Beaten Path) and discovered a clean, nice "Gift Shop" of wonderful items "Coastal" visitors would be interested in.

I asked the owner if he had a minute and I would share with him a Marketing Idea that helped my wife's retail Antique Shoppe bring in customers.

I took his existing card and showed him how he could change it from being a simple "Info-Card' to a powerful "Magnet" card with a Strong, "REASON" to Visit his shop.

At the Top of the card I put the words, "THIS CARD GOOD FOR $1 TOWARDS THE PURCHASE OF ANYTHING IN THE SHOP!"

I told him he could use whatever graphics he wanted but to be sure to make the Dollar Sign BIG. (I also told him to add a map on the backside)

I then told him to "make up 100, hand them out as he's been doing, and see what happens"!

Well...he called me this morn (June 22) and thanked me. After a week, His new cards with the "Dollar Off", have been FILLING HIS SHOP with customers.

He now pays a kid to go around town every hour, handing out his special cards and they "DRAW LIKE FLIES"! (His words)

Sure...he gets those who want to use the "Free Buck" to buy a $1 item AND, he also gets people to pop for the $50 AND $100 ITEMS....with some, jokingly asking, "Can we apply this to the purchase?"

So...he opened his shop on the first of May. Bought ads in all the tourist stuff and sat there for the first few weeks...with hardly any visitors. Even when he decided that he had better go around town handing out cards with info about his shop....didn't bring in any biz....he was about ready to "kiss off his investment"...when I told him how to change his cards and give my idea a try.

Well....he NOW has a whole different outlook on his business and has sent me a nice "gift" for my "idea"

So...because I was extremely happy to hear from this shopowner who related how one simple idea has changed his whole business (and made his wife less-stressed-out)....I thought I'd share it with you folks here....as an example of how just ONE "idea" can change the whole ballgame.

Don Alm..."idea guy"

That's a great story! It's true that no matter how great your product is, it won't sell if people don't know about it. I used to be in the real estate business, where everyone just says "location location location," but the truth is location is merely one aspect of your marketing, out of 10, 20, 50, 100 other marketing prongs you have.
Thanks for sharing the story, and for the fresh perspective!

__________________
Brian
Real Estate Forms

Adman:

That is a great idea.

Thank You!!!

Keep them coming.

From my experience, carrying this one-step further, taking a look at Antique Shops and Gift Shops in ANY town....they MUST have "Traffic" (Shoppers) There are 2 types of shoppers for these stores;
1) Local residents
2) Tourists
a) Tourists who are "traveling thru town"
b) Tourists who STAY at local hotels

Now, regarding 2b...."What If"....there was a plastic display stand at the front desk of local hotels (One of those slant-back thingees that has a smaller plastic box attached to the front to hold cards)

The "Sales Copy" could read, "FREE Browser Bucks for local shops! (in BIG letters) (and underneath) "Just present this card to any participating merchant and get $1 Off your purchase!" (and above the small box of cards, the words; "FREE Take One!")

Now....on the front side of the Card is a list of 10, 15 or even 20 local shops where this "Coupon" can be redeemed. And, on the backside is a modified MAP of the area showing where each participating shop is located. (Tourists LOVE Maps)

I'm thinking that local Antique & Gift Shops would JUMP at a chance to be part of this. This COULD motivate tourists staying at local hotels to want to visit these shops. I don't know yet what I'd charge but I'm thinking that $50 a week for 13 weeks at a time (3 mos)...$650....to be in 10 local hotels, would be acceptable.

Now...if there were 10 shops participating the gross would be $6,500 for 3 mos and the cost would be negligible; 10 Plastic Stands from Staples ($10 ea = $100) say....10,000 3 x 5 cards ($150) So, for about $250-$300 there's the potential of making 6 Grand!...every 3 mos....$24,000 a YEAR...from a simple idea!

And...with the country heading towards a depression....THIS could allow some of these shops to stay in business longer....and putting extra bucks in your pockets with which to buy Krugerands to bury in your back yard.

What think ye?

Don Alm

Don I like the way you've taken your original idea and added value to it by allowing other shops and hotels to participate.

You could even have a similar stand in the antique shops for discounts for the hotel's restaurant, banquet facilities and rooms in off season.

I offered my "Browser Buck" idea to a friend who owns a Book Store and he didn't think it was "for him". He "didn't feel right" about handing everyone who comes in, a $1 Cert"!

He's a "quiet, reserved, type of guy".

Soooo....I went back to my pc and printed off some of my "Bee-Back" Cards.

These are the size of a business card, with a cartoon graphic of a "Bee" and the words.....
"Thank you for your purchase.
Use this Card for $1 Off your next purchase in our store".

When I showed these to him he "got excited". He said, "WOW! I just hand these to everyone who buys something as a "Thank You"! I LOVE IT!"

Well....that was last Monday. I just saw him at our coffee shop and he reports that he's had 6 "Bee-Back" cards come in AND....the amazing thing is, 4 of the Cards were from people who were given the card by a customer.

So....I think I will package this up and try and sell these 2 ideas to Gift and Book Shops across the country.

Only one problem; HOW do I contact the Owners of these stores?

I don't think there's any Forums where the owners "hang out".

I could set up a website and rent a Mailing List or owners and send out postcards announcing my Promotion ideas.

Anyone else have any thoughts on how to sell to Antique, Gift & Book Store owners?

Don Alm

Big D,

Start here: http://www.antiquecollectiblestore.com/

Don, go to where the owners congregate: run an ad in the antiques column and for sale columns of the newspapers. Best bet: go to the auction houses around...and hang around the sign up tables and go early to 'browse' the offerings and just start a chat with others. Better yet, arrange for a brief presentation before the audience at mid-point or somewhere close, during the auction. I've seen this done and it's very effective.

Owners of antique stores are often found at the store on Thursdays making room for what they hope to find at garage sales over the weekend. Mondays are another good day as they deliver and set up their finds (stores are often 'closed' on Mondays so they can work without interruption and endangering customers).

Another good shot is to attend mini-storage 'auctions' which are often nothing more than 'anyone want this box of misc. or this couch or...' Nothing formal, usually...but stuff moves. 90% of the people buying are resellers at most of them.

Sandi Bowman

Hey....Thanks much....L.B. and Sandi

I REALLY appreciate your response. I've been doing "Direct Selling"....also known as, "Selling IN-Person"....the last few years....so...."Remote Selling" is a subject I'm gonna havta Bone-Up on.

Thanks again,
Don Alm.....going from "wearing out Shoe Leather to Wearing out Fingernails"

That's great stuff! I will definitely use this idea for my margarita machine rental business. I typically leave business cards and referigerator magnets in the cart with the machine - now I will add "Good for $10.00 toward a rental" to them and see if it works!

Thanks for the great idea!