Marketing idea that really works

A

Auto Care USA

New member
I am always trying something different to increase the volume of our business. This year I decided to make a deal with my present customers and my future customers. When our present customer is picking up his or her vehicle we give them 6 referal cards. It has their name on it, our name on it and it is also a $30.00 gift card toward our services. In return for every gift card {new customer} that we get back from the customer that gave it to them, they receive a $25.00 gift card toward their future detail. In 5 months 28 brand new customer and counting.
 
Very good idea



It is somethign that i have been doing, just not on paper. I am going to have to try it out in a more applied method like you have. Thanks for the tip Sir
 
Pardon my ignorance. .



you are giving each existing customer a total of $180 for thier friends to spend on your services and in turn for each card brought back you are offering $150 off of the existing customers services? Correct? Do you have any limits on the multiples of $25 that can be redeemed at a single service? TIA.



-Stu.
 
One card per new customer per detail. Yes you will get $150.00 in gift cards when you send me six new customers. At these prices it is an absolute steal, just try the cost of advertising.
 
Yes, the math makes sense...



Assumptions:

1) Full details all around

2) $150 each job (just a general easy number)



Lets see, you had the customer to begin with so lets start:



They got their car detailed: $150

you give them the cards: -$1.00 cost of cards

They tell 6 friends so: each friend pays $120 instead of $150, $120x6 = $720.



So to this point you have earned $869.00 instead of $1050. for a cost of $181. but you now have to detail the originators car for free since he has 6 certificates... so that is a $150 Loss.



your total loss for addign 6 new customers $331.00 and each of those 6 could pass 6 cards on to friends for 36 more etc...



Now if you are a quality shop, and i am sure that you are, these people come back to you and pay full price later in the year. So now you make your full value on the work, and you have a laundry list of new clients willing to pay that full value!!!



The schematics are very well layed out and work out just fine. I dont know of any form of advertising that costs only $330 dollars and will bring in at least 6 new clients GUARANTEED (the cost is only after the new clients sign on board!) If there is no return, then the only cost is the cost of printing the referall cards. It is simply a great way to market, and one that is covered extensivley in alot of different classes.





I am already in the process of having my updated referall/business cards printed and the GC's are actually sitting on the desk right next to me in $25 denominations.
 
What form are your referral cards in? Are they on sheets of paper? How did you print them and what material did you use?



I have been leaving a thank you card that lets the customer know that if they get 3 references they receive a free $125 credit. It has been minor in effectiveness and I like this idea you have. Can you take a picture of the card?
 
I am taking my current customer:job List and i am printing out mailing labels and a form letter for each. the leter is a "thank you for your business with us... ...here are 5 referal cards that you can give friends... ...you get this in return...



I am mailing out the letter (hand signed of course) 5 business cards/referal cards custom printed with the recipients name on it. And i am including a $10 gift certificate right with the initial mailing as a sort of incentive to (1) call me back and book another appt. (2) earn more Gift cards.



I will post a picture of the cards in a little while, and a copy of the letter once it is finished. It will all of course become public property, and everyone will be allowed to use it.
 
What makes you so sure that the majority of these new customers are going to be willing to pay you $150 sometime in the near future to have their car detailed, when your were now willing to do it for only $120?
 
mirrorfinishman said:
What makes you so sure that the majority of these new customers are going to be willing to pay you $150 sometime in the near future to have their car detailed, when your were now willing to do it for only $120?
Click to expand...



I was thinking the same thing?



I've had a couple problems recently from discounts I was giving when I first started... Might start painting yourself in a corner as the "discount guy!"
 
Nope, once they see the quality of the work, most of them and i mean about 85% actually pay MORE than they would have even without the discount. Quality speaks for itself, and its voice booms over any discount!
 
Microfinishman you don't worry about weather or not they will pay full price next time, get them in the door to see your work. I run specials all the time and if people miss the special they still come in at full price. Once I get a customer I never worry about them going anyplace else, and if they do they will always come back. We just give so much more than the competition I honestly feel there is no alternative. Perfect example we did a vehicle today thay what done first by 2 other detailers in the past week they just could not get the light grey seats and carpets clean, she picked it up today and left a $20.00 tip.
 
Auto Care USA said:
Microfinishman you don't worry about weather or not they will pay full price next time, get them in the door to see your work. I run specials all the time and if people miss the special they still come in at full price. Once I get a customer I never worry about them going anyplace else, and if they do they will always come back. We just give so much more than the competition I honestly feel there is no alternative. Perfect example we did a vehicle today thay what done first by 2 other detailers in the past week they just could not get the light grey seats and carpets clean, she picked it up today and left a $20.00 tip.
Click to expand...



What did you do to get the seats clean that the others could not?
 
Most detailers will use a water base product to clean light color seats.. I choose to use dry cleaning agents they do a better job, no water marks and it is dry when the customer picks it up.
 
Allright here are the files:



The first is the front of the card:

autopiafront.gif




The second is the back of the card:

autopiaback.gif




The letter that i am sending reads like this:

Please let me take this opportunity to thank you for choosing Diamond Detailing as your car care specialists. We value each and every one of our customers and take pride in treating your vehicle as if it were our own. The reason we are writing you today is to invite you to participate in our new promotion. Working as such a small operation, the costs of major marketing such as television, radio, or even newsprint can have an overwhelming impact on expenses, and cause more costs to be passed on to you the consumer. In an effort to keep our prices at their current level, we have decided that all of our marketing energy should be directed toward our current loyal customers, such as you. We have found that most of our new business irregardless of advertising comes from referrals. This is the greatest compliment to us because it means our customers trust our services enough to recommend us to colleagues and friends. We value these referrals immensely and would like to reward the people who provide us with such invaluable marketing.



Using our Referral Card Program, upon completion of service every new customer you refer to Diamond Detailing will earn you a $20 gift card to use toward your next service, or to give as a gift. If all five of your referral cards come back, a bonus $50 gift card will be mailed to you! That would give you $150 same as cash, or simply a free full detail on a car. Not only do You receive the benefits, but the person you refer will also receive $15 off their first service with us. Everyone wins. There are no limits to how many referral cards you may obtain, as long as each is used for customers new to Diamond Detailing.



I have enclosed five referral cards pre-printed with your name on them so we know who to give the credit to, and a free $10 gift card to thank you for taking the time to read this letter, and for telling your friends and colleagues about us. You may keep the $10 for yourself, or you can give it to a friend and let them combine it with the $15 off that they will receive with the referral card. Thank you once again for choosing Diamond Detailing; hopefully we will see you soon.
Click to expand...





If you want the original Photoshop files for the card, or the original word document for the letter feel free to pm me and i will send it right over to you. Make sure that you send me your e-mail if you PM me, as i need that to send the files!



Oh, and i am open to suggestions for the back of the card, it was quickly thrown together, and i want to make it better for the second run of printing. Thanks

Mike
 
oh yes... the cards are being shipped, and the letters are being printed right now... All i need to do is get the gift cards printed up locally, stuff it all together and push it out the door :)



I will let you all know if i have the same success as Autocare did
 
Is this a business sized card that you ordered with front and back print? I usually get my card from vista print. Or you may be printing them on your computer?
 
It is a business card size.



No offense but vistaprint really really sucks.



I order all card prints from www.overnightprints.com



I have tried numerous printing companies locally and on-line, and overnight has the best quality, and fastest turnaround. And they have great support and help pages. I would recommend no other. I did increase the image size for easy viewing on the screen however.





Oh, and the front has a high gloss uv coating, and the back is left matte so i can print the customer name on it
 
Thanks for the reference on the website.



I am curious why don't you like Vista print?



Also when a referred customer comes to you do you automatically mail off the $25 gift card to the referring client or just keep a list of the customers who referred people and when they come to you for a service just apply it then?
 
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