BEST METHOD FOR GETTING NEW CUSTOMERS

Anyone have a sureshot method that works better than your typical advertising in order to get new customers??

meaning...something outside the box..

WATERLESS DETAILING...JUST SPRAY, WIPE AND BUFF

[WWW.ULTRALUSTER.COM]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/02/2008 12:33AM by waterlessdetail.

Are you mobile or fixed location? Do you offer detailing or just the waterless wash concept?

If you are mobile you send direct mail to the neighborhood where you are working. If you are fixed you send direct mail to the neighborhood where your shop is located or you target a specific target market, ie. Luxury car owners; people with incomes of over a certain dollar amount; professions such as doctors, lawyers, dentists, stockbrokers, commercial realators.

I would not play up the waterless wash concept as I do not think this is a major issue for most people wanting a carwash or a detail. They just want dependable service and quality. Plus, most of them would not have any idea what you are talking about and probably turn away from the service.

Just a few well intentioned thoughts.

Regards
Bud Abraham

Sounds as if you didn't scroll down to our latest thread called " Advertising!!!".
That pretty well covered it. There is no magical way to get customers.

To make it as easy as possible, pay attention to personal appearance. I don't mean you have to rip out all of your piercings or have all tattooed body parts amputated . Nothing that drastic . Just get a haircut every 2 weeks, shower every morning, wear a chosen uniform : consistent colors , a button-down work shirt with embroidered logo and name, work shoes or boots instead of sneakers, a sun hat .
Be clean shaven. If razors irritate your skin, try the Gillette Fusion preceded by a hot towel and lather up with regular hand soap---WAIT A MINUTE ! We were supposed to be talking about detailing cars, not faces !! Now where was I...

Link to pro detailer's library articles : [www.detailassociation.com]
Doug



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/19/2009 01:48AM by Doug Delmont.

Thanks for the advice bud...I didnt think of it that way....of not playing up the waterless...

I will however look into the direct mail pieces...good idea...

Before advertising answer these marketing questions:

a. What am I selling? Detailing? Or, protection of investment? Protection of leisure time? Or ego gratification?

b. Who will buy it? That is which customers will buy with the least amount of time, money and effort expended by me?

c. Where are they?

d. How do I reach them? Media

f. What do I say? Message. Not all markets will respond to the same message.

g. How often do I have to reach them? Frequency

If you can answer these questions then you are in a position to spend some advertising dollars, but not before.

NEVER, make price an issue in your advertising. It is not an issue unless you make it an issue.

The RIGHT detail customers are interested in quality, reliability, dependability, etc, not price.

Bud Abraham

Here is the compilation post on advertising/marketing :

Below is a reprint from a previous compilation post :


Some of the marketing ideas brought up here in the past included :
* Detailing at or near a car auction.
* Craigslist and Angie's List
* Doing six jobs for free to start the referral process.
* Sending press releases to local newspapers.
* Having your vehicles lettered and decorated professionally.
* Passing out business cards and asking for referrals from doormen, garages, parts shops,[body shops ], speed shops, employees of assisted living communities, car club officials, used car dealers, car salesmen etc.
* Advertising in car trader and truck trader type publications that you can detail a car for sale to make it sell faster and for more money, that the " buyer pays for the detail " if the car sells for hundreds more than it would without the detail.
* Hanging around car washes and asking customers about their cars' needs.
* Contracting with a car wash to do express detailing for them.
* Visiting real estate offices and leaving literature in all of the salesmens' mail trays ( You can ask to give a short talk at their next sales meeting on keeping their cars looking and smelling good for their clients. An agent's car is his office.
* Displaying a car with one-half detailed, at a car show ( Bud's idea ).
* Joining the local Chamber of Commerce, detailing associations etc.
You'll need a nice business card and a broshure ( one forum member used a software package called Print Shop to make his own broshures on his home computer ) in the same color scheme. Cabela's has a line of personalized work clothes, which you can find on the Web. Compile an email list of contacts and customers.
* Ask new car dealer service managers and detailing managers whether they have detailing jobs they turn away. It may be that they don't want to bother with picky Ferrari owners or slobs with filthy minivans . Maybe they don't do odor remediation or show car detailing. You can simply ask for referrals or offer a finder's fee for each job they send your way .
* Auto glass shops , Spray-in truck bed-liner businesses , graphics places and other automotive concerns may be able to send referrals your way too. At least drop off some of your cards ...
* You can buy customer lists from detailers who leave the business .
* You can hang out at local car shows and hand out cards. Once one show car guy tries your service, he'll let everyone else know whether you are good or not .
* Just before the county fair, visit farm equipment dealers who will be exhibiting their vehicles at the fair. Offer them a special price for prepping all of their tractors and mowers . Insist they post a sign that says you did the detailing .
Link for more ideas : [www.detailassociation.com]

Doug



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/19/2009 01:49AM by Doug Delmont.