I am in the throws of marketing again and I was thinking of targeting local Gyms. We have a few local ones to us and wondered if anyone has hit this market with success, or do you all feel that they would do it inhouse instead?
I have a standard letter that I send out to the self-employed bods, but if I were to send it to Gyms would you re-word the letter to fit in with their business?
Sorry to have to ask as its not bookkeeping, but I am out of my comfort Zone with marketing and my letter writing isn't the best either.
Any help on this is as always greatly appreciated.
PS if anyone has any letters for marketing they would like to send me, so I can get some ideas that would be great. I won't copy them its just to try and compile a new fresh letter, as the previous one hasn't had much response and maybe I am doing something wrong?
Many thanks
-- Edited by Amanda on Tuesday 18th of September 2012 09:33:22 PM
sorry for the delay. Was trying to figure out an easy way to lift the pictures from my Vistaprint history and it seems no mean feat as it's geared to facebook and twitter where I'm not.
Anyway, the front design is the same but with seven different messages.
There are two different reverse designs. Both in Black and white.
The messages :
Huge box of paperwork and don't know where to start? Let us sort out your companies accounts giving you time to build your business.
The oldest new name in Accountancy Services for Rugeley and Cannock
Are you looking for accountants happy to become more involved in helping your business?
Let us give your business a helping hand
Still not sure about using our services? Call or email today to arrange a free no obligation chat to find out what we can do to help your business
I very stupidly edited the first fewdesigns rather than taking copies of them and the stockpiles in the office so don't have the other two strap lines to hand
I do the cards in batches of 100 and print my own envelopes for them rather than sending them as postcards. Jist seems a bit more professional and I already need all of the space on the slip side as it is.
I just use Excel to record who has received which card.
How well this campaign will work is still to be seen as it's part of a long term strategy rather than a quick fix.
hope that it gives you some ideas to play with for your own campaigns.
All the best,
Shaun.
P.S. Edited to remove postcard images as those who needed to see them already have.
-- Edited by Shamus on Thursday 20th of September 2012 09:58:42 AM
__________________
Shaun
Responses are not meant as a substitute for professional advice. Answers are intended as outline only the advice of a qualified professional with access to all relevant information should be sought before acting on any response given.
Just lost another one this afternoon, god they are dropping like flys!!!! This one has been expected for some time, been offered a proper job so not surprised.
I've never been in this position before where a few are all going at once. I have one thats very ill as well and not working at the moment so I reckon they will be forced to retire shortly.
If you are interested in improving your business writing I can highly recommend my colleagues books http://www.wordpowerskills.com/fionatalbotbooks.html. Lots of hints and tips. Sonya.
Sorry to hear that Amanda - I would think that Gyms would probably have their own staff, well the big ones anyway. The ones that probably won't I would think would (and I hate to say this) be the seedy back street type.
Have you thought of targeting hairdressers and/or beauty salons as despite the recession they seem to be still doing OK.
OMG, sorry to hear about the double whammy Amanda.
I've got quite a few marketing books although I don't get chance to read them as often as I should.
One thing that I've noticed that comes up repetedly is that marketing has to be a long term planned strategy. Apparently it takes your name being noticed by a client five times before they start to register you. Also, the times should be far enough appart for the potential client register that they've seen your name before but can't quite place where.
I have seven postcards with different messages based on the same design and a database of which card has been sent to who and when.
I'm working to the idea of sending cards at day one, after two weeks, four weeks after that, eight weeks after that and finally twelve weeks after that and then sending a christmas card every year regardless as to whether the business becomes a client or not.
I also call each business once to introduce myself after the second postcard.
I figure any more than once and I'm a pest which equates to anti advertising.
Anyway, it's early days yet. A year from now I'll tell people how it all worlked out... And also whether nerves at cold calling ever subside.
Anyway, man thing is to just get your name out there but to not expect immediate results.
Remember that post of Robs (Robh) about Networking? He suggested that it takes six months of parm pressing before there is any hope of seeing a return but when things start to change the change is substantial as your time invested has made you established in the local business community.
Personally I find finding the time for networking really difficult so my emphasis is on the postcards and follow up calls... Just hoping that someone other than Vistaprint and BT make money out of this!
Good luck Amanda,
kind regards,
Shaun.
__________________
Shaun
Responses are not meant as a substitute for professional advice. Answers are intended as outline only the advice of a qualified professional with access to all relevant information should be sought before acting on any response given.
Sheila - I have already done aload of beauty salons with no luck so far so maybe I'll do a few more. I gave my cards and postcards to my hairdresser the other day, he does his own but has is very busy and hairdressers all talk!
I know what you mean about back street Gyms, maybe I'll leave well alone. Was going to have a go at Plumbers.
I am in with a few accountants and made some calls to them last week to let them know I was looking for business so who know what will happen.
It feels kind of weird not having alot on, I was stacked out in July and wondering if I was going to get it all done in time.
Plumbers, electricians, look for any new start up businesses in your area - sometimes you can pick up this info from business pages in local newspaper.
I'm really sorry to hear about your recent bad luck, on the bright side look at the space it clears for all the perfect clients you'll now find.
I am very taken by Shauns idea of having 7 different postcards, I might pinch it. One thing I sometimes do is pick to write to people when there is some news for their industry. Like the recent VAT revelations for hairdressers, or when HMRC were targetting an industry for their business records check (they must be starting them again soon).
I'll have a look for anything I have tomorrow and email it to you.
Shaun - did you get them done via Vista Print? Do you put them in an envelope or do you just write on the back the name and address that you are sending them too?
Kris - It will be nice if I do pick up some 'perfect' clients. They need to be age 30-45 nice and friendly, good with paperwork and pay their bills on time. I don't want any old ones as they get too near retirement or are still working past their retirement, which is what has happened to my client thats really ill. Mind you can't state all that in my advert or letters thats going abit too far!
If you find anything Kris that would be great. I am busy tomorrow but am going to have a marketing day on Thursday.
Sheila - We have a local business mag so I will be going through that to see whos new in there.
Amanda - I believe you need to take a big step back and develop a) a brand strategy and b) high quality marketing material/collateral that delivers value to your prospects. You also need time, energy and/or money to promote the material/collateral.
For example, at Crunchers have developed a range of seminars so we can run live local events on key issues facing SMEs. We promote the events, deliver value, position ourselves as experts, build trust and start to make friends who become customers. We would not use postcards to promote our brand but the event.
Whatever segment you choose you need a compelling offer that is different, otherwise you will be perceived as the same. And, if you are positioned as the same as everyone else you stand a high chance of being ignored.
Thats interesting Bob, because as a business owner I would be reluctant to go along to a seminar run by a commercial organisation. I guess it sounds too much like the timeshare presentations of old. Come along to this freebie and we'll see what we can get you to sign up for.
why do I get the feeling that you want to play a game of semantics Bob?
I'm happy to go to seminars of professional bodies, those of Business Gateway, the local government run seminars etc. Having said that, I would have gone to the Quickbooks one, but thats because I already buy their software so I'm happy they are not going to try to sell me something.
I wouldn't go to any that I thought were just a sales talk dressed up as a seminar.
on the postcards thing I don't know where you would get them but I was really impressed with the postcards of a local practice that hit my doorstep (obviously they didn't check my business category when sending those out!).
They were in the form of the shapes of footprints with left and right feet with different ads. When I spoke with one of the guys there it was apparently called the "taking a step in the right direction" campaign.
the card drops were followed a week later by a friendly call that opened with what we thought of the adverts which was a really good opener.
Apparently they got a great conversion rate from that campaign as it was really well done.
Mine are smaller scale but using the same proven cost effective approach.
Shaun.
__________________
Shaun
Responses are not meant as a substitute for professional advice. Answers are intended as outline only the advice of a qualified professional with access to all relevant information should be sought before acting on any response given.
I was looking at imail, I use them for all my letters. They are doing a good deal on postcards, 100 for £42. Thats printed, merged and posted. They can only do rectangular though. I do like the idea of another shape to grab attention.
It really worked for the local practice who I would put as one of the larger small firms (they are chartered (although nobody that we mere mortals ever get to speak to is!), offer audit, etc.)
With that offer Kris is that posted in envelopes or simply as postcards? Even as just postcards at 42p a pop that's excellent value.
If ever I find who does the shaped cards I'll let you know as it's like the £25 and £40 notes that DFS keep sending out, they really get noticed. With the DFS notes they even stick around as children love playing with them so they are always around.
Definitely one of their better advertising campaigns (has to be better than the sale ploy that's been going on for as long as I can remember).
Shaun.
__________________
Shaun
Responses are not meant as a substitute for professional advice. Answers are intended as outline only the advice of a qualified professional with access to all relevant information should be sought before acting on any response given.
Responses are not meant as a substitute for professional advice. Answers are intended as outline only the advice of a qualified professional with access to all relevant information should be sought before acting on any response given.
Good tips Bob. I recently attended a free seminar on how to prepare your business for sale run by experts who sell multi million pound companies (no I'm not selling and my staff went into panic mode marginally :)))) ). I learnt so much, networked with some great people and i will remember and recommend the business.
At Crunchers we believe sharing valuable knowledge with suspects/prospects is a very important part of the marketing mix. We want people to buy from us, without any sales/price pressure.
We have a library of presentations and I will be adding "getting ready to sell" and also "getting ready for investment" - we can help people even if we don't actual do Business Transfers and Corporate Finance.
As regards staff in firms, I recommend practice owners educate so people see change/marketing/practice (and personal) development as positive. Perhaps the thing than can secure their jobs/pay? I heard a quote the other day that people don't mind change, they just don't like being changed.
I agree that staff training is important but employers need to take care with what they train as you could just be training your competitions staff for them. For example, always use software that your competition does not or use the same software in a different way. Basically just make your staff the very best that they can be for your business, not your competitors.
p.s. Good quote. Like it. It's along the same lines as people will be more responsive to change if (a) they believe that the decision that they made was their own and (b) they actually wanted the change and believed that it was possible to change (refer to the Vroom expectancy model of Force=Valence * Expectancy)
__________________
Shaun
Responses are not meant as a substitute for professional advice. Answers are intended as outline only the advice of a qualified professional with access to all relevant information should be sought before acting on any response given.
@Shaun - I've never heard anything like that before!
If the work is compliance based, it should be fairly easy to replace a leaver (if systems and training are good). Having said that, I'd recommend treating employees like volunteers and make sure you have a reason to come to work other than just pay. And, on the pay side I'd recommend profit shares and share options.