A marketing strategy overlooked by many franchisees is what I call the ‘living your life’ strategy. This is where you find potential customers when you are just out and about in your day to day life and then you remember that you run a business and open your mouth and tell people.
A few years back, I enrolled in an early morning fitness bootcamp with a friend. The personal trainers running the business were really good and one morning – even though I was sweaty, hot, in gym gear and very red faced – I spoke to the trainer about how well they ran their bootcamp and how organised they were. He thanked me and told me that he was the owner of the business. I remembered that I was a business coach (!) so opened my mouth and simply said ‘Hey, I’m a business coach and you have helped me get fit, so if you ever want it, I’d be happy to give you a complimentary coaching session to say thank you.’ He was super excited and asked if maybe I could come to the gym (we were in an outdoor park at the time) so I could talk with him and his wife. I laughed and suggested that would probably be better than here were I was all hot, sweaty and red faced. They became clients of mine for two and half years.
It doesn’t have to be forceful or pushy. If you are at a friend’s house for a BBQ, then don’t run around giving everyone your business card, but if you happen to be chatting to someone and they talk to you about your business, then you can suggest they might like to come check it out or do they know someone who could use your products or services. Even if you have a fast food outlet or a quick service restaurant, why not suggest they come down and have a meal sometime. Maybe even have a few vouchers in your wallet/purse at all times just in case. Carry business cards with you everywhere.
Another franchisee I was working with signed a client when she was buying milk. Yes, milk! She was a bookkeeper and stopped at the corner store to grab some milk and happened to be wearing her uniform as she was on the way home from visiting a client. The owner of the corner store started to chat to her about what she did as he noticed the logo on her uniform. She told him she was the owner and what she did. He then told her about the issue he was having and she simply suggested that maybe she could come back tomorrow and help him sort it out. He ended up being a great client for her.
When you are in business, every where you go, everyone you meet is a potential marketing opportunity. Don’t forget that!
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