0816_TOEFL-Test-and-Score-Manual-1997

Marketing Strategies ● 171
to a free breakfast or one-hour workshop. Give a brief presentation to whet
everyone’s appetite, and then take questions from the audience. Ask your
existing clients to invite one or two guests to expand your circle of contacts.
For example, my friend Suzanne Dudley Schon is a life coach. She’s
promoting herself by offering a free telephone session to the winner of one
of my “Great Ideas” contests conducted on our site.
Remember, your current clients are always your best source of new
business. It may seem like a chore, but you need to spend at least one hour
a day soliciting referrals; sending out e-mails, letters, or brochures; or making
cold calls.
GREAT
Host an Open House
One of the best ways to acquaint customers and clients
IDEA
with your business is to host an open house. An open
house provides you with the opportunity to do some serious one-to-one
marketing. It is also a good way to show your appreciation for good clients
and customers.
Of course, if you deal with toxic chemicals or dangerous machinery,
you might have to host a party at a local hotel or private club.
Visiting a business can be memorable. One of my strongest and fondest
memories was touring the Pepperidge Farm bakery on a third-grade field
trip. I’ll never forget the sweet, yeasty smell of the bakery and the freshly
baked loaf of white bread the tour guide handed each of us to take home. A
whole loaf of bread just for me! I’ve been a loyal Pepperidge Farm customer
since then (Mint Milano cookies rock).
Hershey Foods draws thousands of visitors into their factories each
year. That open-door policy has turned Hershey, Pennsylvania, into a major
American tourist mecca, complete with an amusement park.
Even if you rarely have visitors, think of the things people might want
to know about your business. Everyone likes to go behind the scenes, especially
since very few people have the opportunity to see how things are
made and packaged.