Secret Chimp
New member
So how do you go about finding new clients?
After seeing dozens of detailers in my area going through the same exact motions to get themselves business (putting cards on cars, handing out brochures, visiting offices, etc...), I sat down and figured a few ways to access customers that these guys aren't using. I decided that if I was going about getting business differently, my marketing message wouldn't get lost in the static of 11 other detailers messages.
Here's what I decided to do. I joined the local Chamber of Commerce so I could participate in EVERY business mixer and business networking event they offered. That gave me many opportunities to speak with other business owners. The exact kind of folks who can afford my service. The exact kinds of folks who run businesses, own or manage buildings, or just own nice cars. I told every one of them about my business in person. I gave every one of them my business card. And more importantly, I got their card. I contacted every one of them by phone within 7 days asking for their business. I averaged a 30% booking percentage.
The other thing I did was join a business networking group. These groups are wholly ignored by detailers around here. So when I joined, I was the only detailer in the group/network for my area. All the other business owners in the group learn about your business and market FOR YOU to their friends and business associates. If one of their friends or associates bites, they give you their contact info. You call them and have a 70-80% chance of booking a detail then and there! So just think, there are up to 25 other folks out there marketing your business. All you have to do is market for them. And it's easy. Since as detailers we speak to a varied group of clients, we can talk to business owners about who provides their IT services, who cleans their office carpets etc.... Go to www.bni.com or to www.letip.com for info on chapters in your area. They cost a few hundred to join and require 1 hour of your time each week. But I made back my membership fee within 7 days of joining the group!
The last thing I am doing is pairing up with the local paintless dent repair and paint chip fixing businesses. If you have paint chips fixed on your car, those parts of the car need wax protection after 30 days time. So I coached a few local chip repair guys on the way to bring up and refer my business when they tell the car owner about how to care for their chip fixed car. I also coached a few paintless dent repair guys on the proper way to refer my business on to their clients with dirty cars. In return, I give them a small percentage of my business each time a job comes in through them (20%). I also provide referrals for those businesses and receive a percentage of their money earned. So it works both ways!
To quantify how successful this has been for me....I went from 0 details and washes per week in Dec 04 (when I opened) to 4-8 full details per week and 12 weekly customers who subscribe to my $150-170 per month maintenance plan since I applied this marketing approach. So it is working for me.
Since we are here on an online forum, I'd imagine that we are a bit more motivated than our competition (who does not utilize this forum). So I'd imagine most of you have the vision to see how marketing in this manner can be so much more fruitful than the common routine of handing out cards and advertising in the paper. You competition won't Hopefully a few of you will apply one or all of these marketing strategies to your own business.
SC~
After seeing dozens of detailers in my area going through the same exact motions to get themselves business (putting cards on cars, handing out brochures, visiting offices, etc...), I sat down and figured a few ways to access customers that these guys aren't using. I decided that if I was going about getting business differently, my marketing message wouldn't get lost in the static of 11 other detailers messages.
Here's what I decided to do. I joined the local Chamber of Commerce so I could participate in EVERY business mixer and business networking event they offered. That gave me many opportunities to speak with other business owners. The exact kind of folks who can afford my service. The exact kinds of folks who run businesses, own or manage buildings, or just own nice cars. I told every one of them about my business in person. I gave every one of them my business card. And more importantly, I got their card. I contacted every one of them by phone within 7 days asking for their business. I averaged a 30% booking percentage.
The other thing I did was join a business networking group. These groups are wholly ignored by detailers around here. So when I joined, I was the only detailer in the group/network for my area. All the other business owners in the group learn about your business and market FOR YOU to their friends and business associates. If one of their friends or associates bites, they give you their contact info. You call them and have a 70-80% chance of booking a detail then and there! So just think, there are up to 25 other folks out there marketing your business. All you have to do is market for them. And it's easy. Since as detailers we speak to a varied group of clients, we can talk to business owners about who provides their IT services, who cleans their office carpets etc.... Go to www.bni.com or to www.letip.com for info on chapters in your area. They cost a few hundred to join and require 1 hour of your time each week. But I made back my membership fee within 7 days of joining the group!
The last thing I am doing is pairing up with the local paintless dent repair and paint chip fixing businesses. If you have paint chips fixed on your car, those parts of the car need wax protection after 30 days time. So I coached a few local chip repair guys on the way to bring up and refer my business when they tell the car owner about how to care for their chip fixed car. I also coached a few paintless dent repair guys on the proper way to refer my business on to their clients with dirty cars. In return, I give them a small percentage of my business each time a job comes in through them (20%). I also provide referrals for those businesses and receive a percentage of their money earned. So it works both ways!
To quantify how successful this has been for me....I went from 0 details and washes per week in Dec 04 (when I opened) to 4-8 full details per week and 12 weekly customers who subscribe to my $150-170 per month maintenance plan since I applied this marketing approach. So it is working for me.
Since we are here on an online forum, I'd imagine that we are a bit more motivated than our competition (who does not utilize this forum). So I'd imagine most of you have the vision to see how marketing in this manner can be so much more fruitful than the common routine of handing out cards and advertising in the paper. You competition won't Hopefully a few of you will apply one or all of these marketing strategies to your own business.
SC~
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