Advertising your business is expensive. Most studies
have shown that free samples are often the best way
to gain customers.
People often buy X because their parents bought X
or their friends buys X or they saw X on television.
If Y is better, they’ll buy Y, but they’ll never
know Y is better unless you give them a sample.
Compare the price of an ad in a newspaper to small
tastes or tries, and you’ll see the savings. Further,
you will gain ‘good will’. People like freeness.
People like to be offered something and asked how
it tastes or smells, or go home with a free item to
try. It makes them feel as if their patronage matters.
This is vital to any business.
Contrary to what you might think, ‘Freebies’ make money.
The guest house that gives a ‘free’ day if you pay
for three days sells that extra day’s food. The room is not
going anywhere, but the food does.
(BTW..I got a bar packed by giving jigger and half shots
for the price of a jigger. The patrons thought I was ‘new’
and they were getting freeness. Considering how much
we paid for the liquor contra how much we charged,
we made up in bulk which we ‘lost’ by my ‘error’.
The restaurant that gives you a free dessert or
drink makes up in orders. People will return to order
a plate of food to get that free item.
But futher, by giving a little extra, the customer feels he or
she is prized and will return. Counting out the number of olives on a pizza means this is the last time you’ll see that customer.
Be on the look out for things that make a customer
feel unwanted or shortchanged and get rid of them.
Whether it is a staff member, a policy, or an attitude.
Considering the recession, you must become as profitable
as possible. You must have no more staff than you need,
no practices or policies which interfer with moving the
product.
You must do everything to get, but more importantly
keep customers.
If you explore your business with these tips in mind
you might not even have to hire a troubleshooter.