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Small Business Tip #4

I forgot to send one email to the members of my local Indianapolis Chapter of Glazer-Kennedy Insider’s Circle. I lead a Chapter meeting each month, I oversee numerous Mastermind Groups and specialty groups. I have a lot of contact with the members and stay connected with them.

So, what’s this one little email matter anyhow? If
you knew how frustrated I was with myself this morning for forgetting about it
– and asked yourself why – you’d be underestimating its importance.

But just about everybody underestimates the importance of – everything.

Life?
Certainly, business.

As Dan Kennedy says about the book “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff”, everybody wishes it were
true.

It’s a good excuse maker…

Today, I’m going to give you insight into why this little email matters so
much.

3 big reasons.

What is the quickest way to add profit to your business? See Chapters 1, 2, and 3 of free e-book. Click HERE to access.

1 – success is more about ‘just showing up’ than just about anybody would admit
2 – it’s differentiation, because so few, if any, will do it, week-after-week,
and follow through with it
3 – I’m human, and really am thinking about the members every week, continuing the
dialogue, whether they like it or not… eventually it’ll lead to something, for
someone, at sometime

Let me say it a bit differently –

I think it was PT Barnum who was ask if his advertising was paying off and he
said something like this, “yes, about half of it, but he just wasn’t sure which half.”

The point –

You don’t know when You showing up will matter and to whom.
You just know that it will.

People aren’t ready for you at the same time; that’s why consistency is so
important. You know this.

If there were one thing that would make a significant difference in your
business, for the long haul, it’s paying more attention to your customers and
prospects and communicating with them when you’re not just asking for money.

At the end of the day, it’s about relationships.

I always say, people buy from people, not websites, not brick n mortar stores,
nor companies, etc.

So, come hell or high water, this one little email is critical, because it
might be this week, that one person gets an idea, or decides to open and read,
down on their luck, and they remember I’m here for them. Or they might have
just experienced that turning point, ready to step up.

And what if I would have let them down by not showing up… when they needed it
the most. Can’t take that chance.

Besides, I know how much any one prospect/customer has the potential to be
worth to me. Just one – worth writing an email a week for the rest of my life,
believe me.

For yours, mine, and their benefit – I’ve got to keep typing…

And if you’re not – I question your serious commitment to your customers and
prospects who support you.

Write on – communicate more – show up!

Scott Manning, President – Manning Methods, LLC
sj@manningmethods.com

Indianapolis Small Business Owner Gives Away Free Dog Washes – Cleans Up

I had been selling dog food for 12 years before I realized that dirty dogs eat. What a silly idea – of course they do.

Let me explain. After opening my first pet food & supply store in 1992, I was now planning to open our fifth store. We were looking for a unique feature to set this store apart. This was to be a 6400 square foot store – 80 feet wide by 80 feet deep. I had recently heard about a store in Birmingham Alabama that was having success with a Do-It-Yourself Dog Wash. After making a few phone calls I spoke with the owner of the store in Birmingham. He sent me photos and a drawing of his dog wash.

After reviewing the information sent from Birmingham, we laid out a 12’ x 12’ space to be the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Dog Wash for our soon to open Greenwood, IN store. Four years later we had installed a DIY Dog Wash in our new Noblesville and Avon stores. We also remodeled our Broad Ripple store to include a Dog Wash in that store as well. We knew that dirty dogs all over town do indeed eat.

Once all four of our Indy area stores had the DIY Dog Wash we were able to promote it in a big way. We went out on a limb and printed up 10,000 coupons for a free wash. I was inspired by the story of Wall Drug in Wall, South Dakota. In their case, they offered to give a glass of ice water to drivers on their way to the Badlands. They started with simple signs along the road to draw traffic into their store. That simple gesture was the backbone of an incredible retail success story that has gone on for over 60 years. Instead of ice water, we would give away a $10 dog wash. We had expenses with each wash – our staff time and utility costs. But similar to Wall Drugs, our free offer drew prospective customers into our store.

At first we mainly gave out the coupons at off-site events to entice people to check out this new service. Then we stepped out to build a network in the animal welfare community. We wanted to offer a FREE dog wash to anyone who opened their home to an animal in need. There were many people fostering pets and we felt they deserved a FREE dog wash for their efforts. We now use a variety of network events to invite pet lovers to our stores, using the dog wash as the main draw. It is our most distinctive offering and because our costs are in line we can use the dog wash to encourage prospects to check us out.

Are we giving a lot away? Yes, but by using the DIY Dog Wash as a draw we have substantially grown our overall store volume. Remember, dirty dogs eat. On the way to the dog wash customers walk by our best selling assortment of food, treats and toys. In five years we’ve gone from zero to over 15,000 paid dog washes per year, roughly $150,000 in revenue. We have expanded our overall sales in those four stores by nearly $1,000,000 since installing the dog wash. In January we raised the dog wash price from $10 to $11 and our numbers continue to go up. We just received our 3rd printing of 10,000 FREE dog wash coupons and can’t wait to get them into the hands of pet lovers in our area.

I challenge other business owners to find something of value to give away. By giving prospects a taste of how you do business you greatly increase your chances of picking up profitable new customers.

Nick Milano
www.pspindy.com

What is the quickest way to add profit to your business? See Chapters 1, 2, and 3 of free e-book. Click HERE to access.

One of the most deadly traits that continues to sabotage your success is perfectionism.

What do I mean by that?

Well, this past Friday at our Chapter Event, we had a long time member of our group, very wonderful and fun person, although, very strange, because his name is Joe – Strange. He owns and operates the Mystery Café (learn about it at http://www.themysterycafeindy.com). …He stood up and rattled off three things he’s now doing to grow his business.
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And, to be honest, he said it with great pride, and more enthusiasm than I’ve seen him talk amongst the group in a while. For good reason – because “take-action successes and executions” are worth feeling good about.

Because he broke through this superstition of Perfectionism.

Now, whether you like it or not, believe in it or not, the Dictionary says the word superstition equals “irrational belief”.

And that’s exactly why I call Perfectionism this.

The real evil power behind this word and feeling is F E A R!

So, that’s why I say, it’ll kill Your goals, dreams, success, and money flow faster than anything else.

Just think about it for a moment – if you’d like, make a list of everything You continue to put off, things you think about, then discount with a ‘real’ reason.

Are there actions or ideas you hesitate on?
Ventures or relationships you avoid?
Opportunities you waste or ignore?
Money you leave on the table?

You can say, all you want, that your inaction is because you “want it all to be perfect” but you’d be wrong – believe me – I, we, are all alike, that’s why weEntrepreneurs have got to stick together, at least if we want to reach our ultimate potential, it’s impossible if left to our own demise.

It’s all about Fear.

There are obvious ways to break through it.

The way Mr. Strange has done it – a couple ways that I’ll speak on his behalf are

1. being around other entrepreneurs, month in and month out
2. expecting more from himself and his business
3. reading marketing and sales books and material
4. constantly thinking about the possibilities and opportunities
5. just doing it and letting the results be the judge
6. playing the game ONLY to win

Now, You’re wondering what exactly he has done.

For starters,
- he’s begun sending regular emails to his Customer Database.
- He now captures the names of his guests for future follow-up
- He’s sent paper and ink letters with promotions to his best customers

Now, whether or not that impresses You, doesn’t matter, what does, is that you ask yourself the question, HOW OFTEN ARE YOU DOING EACH OF THESE?

And, then, of course, remember back, before You were, if you are, and how big a break through it was for you!

Fear of results or lack their of.
Fear of opinion of other people.
Fear of failure.
Fear of feeling bad.
Fear of loss of money.

All of these and more play into our belief system.

Here’s what we should be afraid of:
FEAR of losing Opportunity
FEAR of losing Time
FEAR of losing the Money You should be Getting
FEAR of moving Slow

And get focused around these Fears that will drive you through Perfectionism and straight to the realization of your goals.

It’s a constant battle we all fight; do what Joe did and fight through it.

Scott Manning
President, Manning Methods
sj@manningmethods.com

What is the quickest way to add profit to your business? See Chapters 1, 2, and 3 of free e-book. Click here to access.