| Sunday, April 20, 2025 | CONTACT |
Add $1,000 or More to Your Business's bottom Line in 30 Days!
Find some marketing allies
The final marketing tip I'm going to suggest, is finding some allies to help you market your business. This is referred to as alliance marketing. Remember earlier, when I was suggesting you distribute to go menu with coupons to your surrounding neighbors, and I told you to become friends with them? It's primarily from this group that we are going to try to find some allies who wouldn't mind promoting our business. We are going to ask them to distribute some of our promotional materials to their customers. So what would make them want to do this you ask?
Well first, we are going to offer to distribute their promotional materials in return. Second, we are going to structure our promotion so it makes them look like a hero to their customers.
Here's how it works. You only want to approach people to be your advertising ally if they don't have a business that will compete with yours. For example, since your coffee business is a foodservice business, that does the majority of its sales in the morning, don't ask the manager of the pancake house to be your advertising ally. You would both probably see it as a conflict of interest, since you are both competing for similar AM consumers (people who want a cup of coffee and something to eat). So what type of businesses should you approach?
I've had good luck in turning the following types of businesses into advertising allies:
• gas stations
• DVD rental stores
• pizza delivery restaurants
• beauty parlors
• fruit & vegetable stands
• health clubs (gyms)
There are reasons why these businesses work well, but without getting into another 5 pages of explanations, I'll merely ask you to trust me on this one. Next, you need to mockup a few sample coupons offering a free drink at your place, offered as a gift from them. In other words, if you want to make Harry's Chevron Gas Station one of your advertising ally, the sample coupon should say something like:
Harry's Chevron Station
Presents to you
A special gift of appreciation for your loyal patronage, a
Free 12oz. beverage of you choice
at (your espresso bar)
123 Main St., Your Town
When you go to propose this to Harry, make sure you explain how this will be of mutual benefit. Here is how the conversation might go. Remember, I've been cultivating a first name relationship with Harry over the last month or two.
"Harry, I wanted to know if I could ask you a favor? (Hopefully he'll say sure, what do you need?) I've been trying to get my business volume up, and I came up with an idea that I think can be beneficial to both our businesses. (Now you've got his attention.) I created this coupon (show him the coupon you mocked up for his business), and I wanted to know if I bring you a big stack of these, would you hand them out to your customers?
After all, we don't have competing businesses, and your customers would certainly be appreciative to you for providing them with this gift. And, think of the good will it will create next time gas prices go up, and your customers might be thinking of going somewhere else because they can save a couple of cents per gallon.
Also, if they get hooked on my great drinks, and come everyday to buy one, since you are near by, if they need gas, it will probably ensure that they will fill up at your place. This is the type of thing that will buy you more customer loyalty! And, if you have any promotional materials that you would like me to distribute to my customers, I'd be more than happy to do that for you!"
This is the key in persuading others to market for you. You have to spell out the advantages to them, make your coupon look like it was a gift from them, and make them look like a hero to their customers.