GordonJ
December 21, 2016, 10:59 AM
Several years go, I wandered into a restaurant...
I ate the food. I liked it.
I talked to the owner/chef. I liked the guy too...
I kept coming back.
While it was sometimes full... I noticed that it was often empty.
The owner was struggling.
You know why? He couldn't market worth a damn...!
His marketing 100% consisted of... his sign outside the restaurant. That was it. Nothing else...
When he thought it wasn't working, he changed the sign...
Now, anyone who's attended this forum for any length of time would know more about marketing than he would!
This was eye-opening to me... Some of us "marketing junkie" types live in our own little marketing-based world... And we think that everyone knows at least some of the basics of marketing.
The fascinating reality is - many small business owners don't!
I decided to help this restaurant owner... I could have gotten him started with an email list to his customers, but I didn't want a long term commitment emailing them (as I doubt if he could have taken it over if I left). So I helped him by writing media releases, and sending them to the media (with the restaurant owner listed as the contact person)...
He got a lot of media coverage, and he got customers!
But... There were so many things that could have been done to help him...
The point to this post is... Compared to many small business owners, you may have "marketing super powers!"
That is, the ability to make customers "magically" appear, by applying various marketing techniques, tactics, and principles...
Don't discount what you know! You probably know a lot more than the average small business owner out there...
You won't find this out unless you start talking to them. And you may surprise yourself... :)
Best wishes!
Dien
Thanks Dien.
We have recently run across a total IGNORANCE in Chambers of Commerce we are targeting, on USPS EDDM.
It is a case of us ASSuming all businesses know this, when the reality is, very few have heard of it, and dang few use it.
AND, it was a great lesson.
You don't have to be smart to start a business (ONE) and TWO, just cause you have a business doesn't mean you know how to run it PROFITABLY.
Getting customers for these guys is easy, they think we invented this stuff, cause they have never heard of it. I'd bet most salespeople calling on small businesses are surprised at how LITTLE the owner knows.
Your restaurant guy is TYPICAL, I think, of what is out there...
therefore, some
very
low hanging
FRUIT.
GordonJ
I ate the food. I liked it.
I talked to the owner/chef. I liked the guy too...
I kept coming back.
While it was sometimes full... I noticed that it was often empty.
The owner was struggling.
You know why? He couldn't market worth a damn...!
His marketing 100% consisted of... his sign outside the restaurant. That was it. Nothing else...
When he thought it wasn't working, he changed the sign...
Now, anyone who's attended this forum for any length of time would know more about marketing than he would!
This was eye-opening to me... Some of us "marketing junkie" types live in our own little marketing-based world... And we think that everyone knows at least some of the basics of marketing.
The fascinating reality is - many small business owners don't!
I decided to help this restaurant owner... I could have gotten him started with an email list to his customers, but I didn't want a long term commitment emailing them (as I doubt if he could have taken it over if I left). So I helped him by writing media releases, and sending them to the media (with the restaurant owner listed as the contact person)...
He got a lot of media coverage, and he got customers!
But... There were so many things that could have been done to help him...
The point to this post is... Compared to many small business owners, you may have "marketing super powers!"
That is, the ability to make customers "magically" appear, by applying various marketing techniques, tactics, and principles...
Don't discount what you know! You probably know a lot more than the average small business owner out there...
You won't find this out unless you start talking to them. And you may surprise yourself... :)
Best wishes!
Dien
Thanks Dien.
We have recently run across a total IGNORANCE in Chambers of Commerce we are targeting, on USPS EDDM.
It is a case of us ASSuming all businesses know this, when the reality is, very few have heard of it, and dang few use it.
AND, it was a great lesson.
You don't have to be smart to start a business (ONE) and TWO, just cause you have a business doesn't mean you know how to run it PROFITABLY.
Getting customers for these guys is easy, they think we invented this stuff, cause they have never heard of it. I'd bet most salespeople calling on small businesses are surprised at how LITTLE the owner knows.
Your restaurant guy is TYPICAL, I think, of what is out there...
therefore, some
very
low hanging
FRUIT.
GordonJ
