Simple, cheap marketing strategies for business start-ups

Last week, our Voice of the Expert guest bloggers were Gary Roberts and Carlotta Roberts. They walked readers through common mistakes aspiring entrepreneurs make when starting their businesses. Today’s guest blogger, Rudolph Waldner, author of Marketing from the Trenches and a guest speaker on Sunday, Sept. 6 at the AJC Decatur Book Festival, offers expert advice on inexpensively growing your business without blowing your budget.

More and more people are striking out on their own, a result of being laid off or having to take pay cuts. Families are trying to save money, and earn more of it too, to get through a tough economic period. They are supplementing their incomes with side businesses, and growing the businesses they already have. Whether your business is small or large, you can likely benefit from effective — and simple — marketing strategies.

“Simple consistency leads to success,” Waldner said. “Standard repetition will outshine and outperform fancy ‘in’ programs, in the long run, every time”

That is the foundation of what Waldner describes as the three Ps: your People, your Place of business and your business Partners.

Here’s Waldner’s summary.

Your People: Instead of running an advertisement or a direct mail campaign, create a daily employee incentive program. Something simple.

As a waiter years ago, whoever sold the most of the daily special was allowed to go home first, and was relieved of any side-work. Trust me, this worked. No financial outlay on your part and you’ve created a happy employee along with a boost in sales. This is a win-win situation at no cost. Again, rather than spend a dollar on any offsite advertising, I would use that money to implement an employee incentive program. This results in an immediate increase in revenue and, just as important, a happy employee.

Your Place of business: Appeal to all of you customers’ senses.

Sight: Stay well lit. Replace your broken bulbs overhead, in your window, and especially on your signs. Remember cleanliness equals credibility.

Sound: Play appropriate music. Always. Inside your store as well as outside of your entrance, and in your parking lot, if at all possible.

Touch: Easy. Shake customers’, employees’, and vendors’ hands. Eye contact and a sincere handshake go a long way with making a customer feel appreciated.

Taste: Even if you’re not in the hospitality industry, you can award a customer with a mint, snack, or customer appreciation event with some wonderful delicacies. An example you might be familiar with is receiving a bottle of water after a massage. One of my favorite memories took place as I was being seated on a Caribbean flight. I was handed a chilled glass of Champagne. Cheap, classy, and unforgettable – this happened 20-plus years ago!

Smell: Restaurants have an awesome advantage in this arena. The smell of fresh garlic or fresh bread gets the saliva flowing. There is no reason your store shouldn’t smell wonderfully delicious every hour that it’s open.

Your business Partnerships: Sampling drives sales 600 percent in the food industry. It can help you, too.

Sampling is treating your prospective customer to a taste of a food or beverage. Wine tastings are built around this premise. Approach your vendors to do some onsite “sampling” events. This should be a win-win for you and any [business] partner.

Whatever business you have, invite vendors to treat your customers to things like a tasting event, 10-minute massages or other offerings that will build business relationships.

Waldner adds: “There’s nothing complicated here, just positive energy, consistency, and planning.”

Head to Open mic at Twain’s Billiards and Tap in Decatur at 5 p.m. on Sunday to hear Waldner at the AJC Decatur Book Festival,

Follow me on Twitter @atlbargains

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